The Foundation is proud to announce 63 new Professional Development and Organizational Vitality grants to support organizations working in the areas of the Built Environment, Arts and Culture, and Investigative Journalism for Government Accountability. These grants, totaling over $240,000, are dedicated to supporting opportunities for capacity-building and skill enhancement, as well as to nurturing and strengthening the well-being of those working within their organizations.
Congratulations to all the grant recipients!
A Red Orchid Theatre
$4,000 for registration and travel costs for two staff members to attend the 2026 TCG conference
Access Contemporary Music
$4,000 to hire a consultant to develop an audience development plan for the CheckOut
Active Transportation Alliance
$4,000 to hire a consultant from MajorDonors.com for major gift training and coaching
Advocates for Urban Agriculture
$4,000 for staff to take capacity building courses in policy analysis, development, fiscal management
Architreasures
$4,000 for participation and travel fees to attend Warm Data Lab training with the International Bateson Institute in 2026 to improve community engagement
Arts Alliance Illinois
$4,000 for ongoing quarterly staff training with Crossroads on antiracism organizing
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation
$4,000 for conference and travel fees for four APIAHiP staff to attend the 2026 National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Forum in Minneapolis
Association for Preservation Technology International
$4,000 for a technology audit and new system recommendations along with support for data migration
Better Government Association
$4,000 for two all-staff trainings sessions with Praxis on racial and gender equity work
Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago
$4,000 for consultant, material, and retreat fees for board development training on governance and resource development
Block Club Chicago
$4,000 for conference and travel fees for three staff members to attend the Knight Media Forum, LenFest Summit, and INN Days
Borderless Magazine
$4,000 for registration and travel costs for the chief of staff to attend Entrepreneurial Operating System training to improve management skills
Chalkbeat
$4,000 for memberships to Investigative Reporters and Editors and registration and travel fees for three staff reporters to attend its spring 2026 conference
Chicago Artist Guide
$4,000 for Business Affiliate membership to the League of Chicago Theatres and consultant fees for public relations training for the marketing team
Chicago Artists Coalition
$4,000 for conference registration and travel fees for three staff members to attend the Artists Community Alliance conference in December in Santa Fe, NM
Chicago Cultural Alliance
$3,926 for travel and registration costs for three staff to attend the Nov 2025 One State Conference and consultant facilitator fees for the 2026 staff retreat
Chicago Dancemakers Forum
$3,500 for fees for 16 weeks of leadership and professional strengths coaching for CDF executive director
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble
$4,000 for consultant fees for marketing assessment and updated communication and media relations strategy and plans
Chicago Human Rhythm Project
$4,000 for program fees for founding director to attend the Crain's Chicago Business - University of Chicago sponsored Chicago Leadership Circle program
Chicago Humanities
$4,000 for travel and related expenses for two audience services staff members to attend 2026 Tessitura Learning & Community Conference in Washington, D.C.
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
$4,000 for registration and travel costs for the Executive and Artistic Directors to attend the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Chicago Reader
$4,000 for registration fees for staff to attend Society for Human Resource Management, Main Street Now, and Assoc. of Alternative Newsmedia conferences
Chicago Sculpture International
$4,000 for registration and travel costs for three board members to attend the 2026 International Sculpture Center conference
Chicago Tap Theatre
$4,000 for fees for a consultant to provide 12 hours of intensive artistic and pedagogical mentorship to staff leadership team
City Bureau
$4,000 for fees for a consultant to provide staff-wide education sessions and individual coaching on the fundamentals of strategic planning
City Bureau
$4,000 as fiscal sponsor for Cicero Independiente, for fees for an immigration law expert to provide training/coaching on immigration law and policy issues
Clinard Dance
$4,000 for fees for instruction and coaching to build the artistic and organizational capacity of four staff members
Congress for the New Urbanism
$4,000 for conference and course fees for the co-leadership team to build leadership, management, and external partnership skills
Enrich Chicago
$4,000 for travel and registration costs for three staff members to attend the 2026 PolicyLink Conference in Washington D.C.
Experimental Sound Studio
$3,000 for travel and registration fees for the technical director to attend the 10th Annual Superbooth Conference in 2026 in Berlin, Germany
Experimental Sound Studio
$4,000 as fiscal sponsor for Shruti Box, to hire a consultant to guide the development of a new marketing/communications strategy
FACETS
$4,000 to hire Joffee Emergency Services to provide safety and security training for FACETS front and house and administrative staff
Filter Photo, NFP
$3,000 to hire a marketing consultant to guide the development of a mission driven communications strategy and plan
Fractured Atlas
$2,328 as fiscal sponsor for wrkSHap kiloWatt, for travel & registration for the program director to attend the National Assoc. for Interpretation conference
Friends of the Chicago River
$2,100 for travel and registration costs for the volunteer manager to attend the 2026 River Rally in San Antonio, TX
Friends of the Parks
$4,000 to hire a consultant to give technical assistance to the communications director on developing website communications strategy
Glessner House
$4,000 to hire a consultant to design and facilitate a participatory strategic planning process with staff and the board
Goldin Institute
$4,000 for workshop and course fees for the leadership team to build skills in organizational management, leadership, communications, and fundraising
Growing Home, Inc.
$4,000 for consultant fees to provide strategic planning and leadership development for staff and board and the internal Employee Engagement committee
High Concept Labs
$3,750 for human resources and fundraising course fees to develop needed managing director competencies
Historic Pullman Foundation
$3,155 for consultant fees for advanced DonorPerfect training and NPS 101 training: How to be a National Park Friends Group for board and staff members
Hyde Park School of Dance
$2,710 for continuing education course and professional re-certification fees dance faculty and somatic wellness sessions for the school team
ILA Creative Studio
$3,400 for fees for an annual subscription to the Udemy learning platform and a resource development consultant
Institute of Classical Architecture and Art
$4,000 for consultant fees for board training in resource development
Investigative Project on Race and Equity
$4,000 to hire an organizational culture coach to lead all staff workshops on race, equity, and team development
Landmarks Illinois
$4,000 for tuition fees for two staff members to take a Nonprofit Leadership Excellence course and a Sustainable Cities and Communities certificate course
Latinos in Heritage Conservation
$4,000 for consultant fees for facilitated strategic planning retreat for all staff to align roles and efforts to implement vision and goals
League of Chicago Theatres Foundation
$4,000 for registration and lodging costs for five directors to attend the 2026 Theatre Communications Group National Conference
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts
$4,000 for consultant fees for instruction and technical assistance to develop marketing collateral for targeted audiences
Media Burn Archive
$4,000 for travel costs for two staff members to meet with cultural organizations in Buenos Aires to develop thematic collaborations
Mezcla Media Collective
$4,000 for attendance and travel costs for leadership staff to attend the 6th annual Greaves Filmmaker Seminar in Palo Alta, CA
Openlands
$4,000 for tuition fees for vice president of Policy and Land Conservation to attend the 2025 Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago
Preserve Montana
$4,000 for travel and registration costs for three staff members to attend the 2026 Saving Places Conference in Denver
ProPublica
$1,500 for six one-on-one sessions with a writing coach for Illinois-based reporters
Public Media Institute
$4,000 for consultant fees to coach and train team members on communications and marketing strategy and practices
Redtwist Theatre
$3,900 for expenses and consultant fees for board training and development retreat for the entire board and staff
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
$4,000 for consultant fees for fundraising consultant to train board and staff on comprehensive resource development strategies and methods
South Side Community Art Center
$4,000 for workshop and consultant fees for four staff members to improve skills in fundraising, collection management, and program planning and evaluation
Stories Matter Foundation
$4,000 to hire an HR consultant to audit and help improve and systematize HR policies and procedures
Strong Towns
$4,000 for travel, materials, and consultant costs for a messaging and placement workshop at the Strong Towns annual team retreat in Orlando, Florida
Territory NFP
$4,000 for costs for ten site field research sessions and prototype workshops for staff in Chicago
The Ruth Page Foundation
$4,000 for fees for professional association memberships and workshops, a consultant, and subscription to e-learning regulatory compliance training
Urban Growers Collective
$4,000 for fees for Conscious Ambassador Trauma Informed Care training for staff
