Community Strength Grants

The Lake County Community Foundation’s new Community Strength Funding is designed to financially and collaboratively support artists, compassionate neighbors, and/or changemakers for projects that add value to the community they care about. Communities of color have long used arts & culture to navigate and survive systemic racism and oppression, and we want to financially support these avenues of healing and belonging for communities who have been harmed.

LCCF is looking for people who show love for their community by using arts, culture and design to highlight community strengths and issues, voices of residents, local history or cultural infrastructure. People who create additional energy, resources, activity and enthusiasm for a community issue, or ideas that reimagine how their community could look and feel. People who connect communities, people, places and economic opportunity by creating physical spaces or new relationships. This opportunity is not for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.


Details

  • Up to $1,500 in support
  • Applications will be accepted all year round

Requirements

  • Project creates community value, pride, safety, and/or healing.
  • Project organizer(s) is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. (Projects can be done in partnership with a nonprofit.)
  • Projects must be completed in the following ZIP codes: North Chicago (60064), Waukegan (60085), or Zion (60099).

Project Examples

  • Community storytelling: Sharing and preserving stories of the people who live in the community.
  • Public art: Murals, sculptures, etc.
  • Creating community space: Landscapes, artist-produced streetscapes), or spaces where people can come together.
  • Community healing: Projects, events, celebrations or programming that generates joy, hope and togetherness.
  • Community meetups: Initiatives that bring people together to build relationships within the community.

Have an idea for a project and want to talk more about it?

Please contact Courtney Combs at courtney@lakecountycf.org to discuss your idea prior to applying.