PEORIA (25News Now) – The Community Foundation of Central Illinois awarded more than $450,000 to 32 local nonprofits in its fall grant cycle, the foundation said.
The foundation said the money was awarded through three grant programs and supports programs serving people across the region. It said the grants support community needs, job training and programs for women and girls.
The foundation said the nonprofits have already received their grant money.
Sarah Fletcher, vice president of philanthropy at the foundation, said the money will support children’s therapy at the Center for Prevention of Abuse and the emergency shelter at the Dream Center Peoria.
She said the foundation also funded Camp Dallas in Spring Bay, which provides outdoor programming for underserved youth.
Mark Roberts, president and CEO of the foundation, said food insecurity and mental health are among the community’s most pressing needs.
“I think in this day and age, hunger, food insecurity is chief among them, along with behavioral health, mental health issues,” Roberts said.
The foundation said its Local Jobs Fund awarded $25,000 to a program that helps people build skills for jobs that pay more than minimum wage.
The foundation said its Women’s Fund also supports programs that empower women and girls.
They have received more than 80 applications for its community needs grants.
“We then seat a committee of community volunteers, and their job is to review those, to rank them, and then to meet to decide which ones to fund,” Roberts said.
Fletcher said donors and funds at the foundation provide the grant money.
“The greatest thing about the foundation is just the fact that we get to connect our donors with the causes that they care about. So that’s our whole mission is connecting people who care with causes that matter,” Fletcher said.
The foundation said its next grant cycle opens in January with funding for arts and animal welfare programs.
