Greater Chicago Together
American Rescue Plan Act Grant Hub
Facilitated by
City of Chicago
Cook County
State of Illinois
In 2023, Cook County will award up to $5 million in capacity building grants to community- based organizations serving Cook County residents. Starting Block Grants will provide $100,000 over two years to small organizations looking to build internal capacity and develop their infrastructure to promote organizational health, growth and sustainability. This initiative goes beyond traditional grants for organizations to deliver services and allows them to focus on strengthening how they run.
The grant opportunity is open to community-based organizations in diverse sectors, including Arts and Culture, Community and Economic Development, Education, Health and Human Services, and Violence Prevention. To be eligible, organizations must have non-profit status and an annual operating budget under $1 million.
For more information and to apply, visit cookcountyil.gov/JACGrants
Key Dates
- Virtual Information Session: Wednesday, August 2, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00pm
- 2023 grant application period: August 7 – September 8, 2023
- Virtual Pre-Submittal Conference: Wednesday, August 16, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00pm
This session will serve as another opportunity for perspective applicant organizations to receive information on the funding opportunity and ask questions.
Greater Chicago Together is a central hub for local organizations and small businesses in Chicagoland and Cook County to learn about and connect to grant opportunities available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), President Biden’s plan to provide direct relief to Americans, contain COVID-19 and rescue the economy. ARPA is a national pandemic recovery initiative designed to support local governments in addressing ongoing public health and economic challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. This unprecedented level of funding will be transformative for cities and municipalities throughout the country.
The State of Illinois, Cook County, and the City of Chicago have collaborated to promote an equitable, effective, and coordinated allocation and distribution process for ARPA funding. This website will serve as a hub for grant opportunities and some additional ARPA information in the areas of violence prevention, community health, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability, and more.
Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago each have a separate set of grant funding opportunities available to local non-profits and businesses. This site will provide a general overview of the available grant opportunities and eligibility requirements. To learn more about individual grants, click here.