$400,000 in CommunityWorks Grant Funding Announced

Macon County – Fifteen Central Illinois organizations have been selected to receive a total of $400,000 in CommunityWorks grants. The CommunityWorks grant program funds nonprofit and school projects and programs in the areas of education, workforce development and environment in Macon, Piatt, and Moultrie counties and Paris, IL. This funding is part of the $1 million Moving Forward grant program established by the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation (HICF) and Decatur Earthmover Credit Union (DECU).

Environment ($65,000 total funding in this category)

• Block by Block, $15,000, Cultivating Communities
• Macon County Conservation District, $50,000, Improvements to Educational Offerings at Rock Springs Nature Center

Workforce Development ($114,000 total funding in this category)

• Heritage Behavioral Health, $29,000, Advancing the Behavioral Workforce
• The Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County, $35,000, Workforce Development for Homeless Men
• Dove, Inc, $50,000, Life Skills & Employability Program

Education ($221,000 total funding in this category)

• Engineer in the Classroom, $10,000, Creating Tomorrow’s Engineers Today
• Macon County Farm Bureau, $10,000, Ag in the Classroom
• Cerro Gordo CUSD #100, $15,000, Fired Up for the Fine Arts
• Willow Tree Missions, $18,000, Education and Community Programs Space Build Out
• Greater St. Louis Area Council Scouting, $18,000, Scouting in Macon, Moultrie and Paris, IL
• Decatur Family YMCA, $20,000, Child Development Center Curriculum Support & STEM Equipment
• Sunshine Supplies for Teachers, $25,000, Store Start-Up
• Richland Community College, $30,000, Dual Credit Adult Education
• Meridian CUSD #15, $35,000, Meridian Elementary STEM Lab
• Children’s Museum of Illinois, $40,000, STEM Center

In 2005, The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation was one of only 18 initial foundations selected to receive a CommunityWorks grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation to establish an endowment fund. Through the years, generous donors have added to the fund stewarded at HICF to meet challenge matches required by that foundation.

Questions about CommunityWorks should be directed to Rachel Moran at rmoran@heartofillinois.org or 217-429-3000.