Sponsorships

About

Sponsorships are available for programming events, such as meetings, panels, forums and conferences. We also provide sponsorships for fundraising events, such as galas and walk-a-thons, on a limited basis. To be considered for funding, an event must be produced by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Chicago region.   

Preference for sponsorships will be given, but not limited to:   

  • Organizations that achieve alignment with our mission or work. To view our new strategic direction, please visit: https://www.cct.org/about/strategic-plan/. 
  • Organizations that have $1,000,000 or less in annual revenue.  
  • Organizations that have not received a discretionary grant from The Chicago Community Trust during the last 12 months. 

Sponsorships are not available for:   

  • Sports teams   
  • Political campaigns   
  • Religious activities   
  • Events already sponsored with an existing Trust grant  

Sponsorships are limited to one award per organization in any 12-month period. All requests are subject to the availability of resources. 

Recent Awards

Each year, The Chicago Community Trust sponsors programming and fundraising events for over 50 nonprofit organizations throughout the region. We publish the latest round of sponsorship recipients every two months.

See below for our most recent awards:

  • March 2021 Sponsorship Support

    March 2021 Sponsorship Support

    • Brown House Experience ($1,000) – To support Trade Day 2021.
    • Chicago Jobs Council ($5,000) – To support the 40th annual meeting celebration.
    • Chicago Run ($5,000) – To support Inclusivity in Sport: a free virtual panel discussion to address the importance of inclusion and diversity in physical activity in order to engage stakeholders in meaningful discussion and to raise necessary funds.
    • Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Inc. ($5,000) – To support Dim Sum & Then Some: The Uptown 5k/10k.
    • EverThrive Illinois ($2,500) – To support the Virtual Annual Benefit.
    • Illinois Arts Alliance (DBA Arts Alliance Illinois) ($5,000) – To support the Create the Future Benefit.
    • Jackson Park Golf Association ($3,000) – To support JPGA Honors Scholars and Golfers.
    • Organic Oneness ($2,500) – To support the Be the Healing Conference.
    • Project Exploration ($5,000) – To support Reflection of Knowledge, a student-led showcase that give PE’s young people the platform to show the world the future of STEM, by seeing their projects in action, and hearing about their STEM passions.
    • Puerto Rican Arts Alliance ($5,000) – To support From San Juan to Chicago: Un Puente Musical.
    • Quad Cities Development Corporation NFP ($5,000) – To support the 2021 Resilience Series: Building Opportunities for Entrepreneurs + Women to Grow, Thrive, and Build Wealth.
    • Star Farm Chicago ($3,000) – To support the Spring Planting Festival.
    • Test Positive Aware Network ($2,500) – To support When Dogs Heal, a virtual fundraising event to support TPAN’s Paws N’ Effect program, which provides individuals living with HIV with support through dog adoption.
    • True Believers Community Connections ($1,000) – To support the Cyber Summer Camp Celebration.
  • January 2021 Sponsorship Support

    January 2021 Sponsorship Support

    • Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, Inc. ($5,000) – To support the Auditorium Auxiliary Board’s Eighth Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser.
    • Changing Worlds ($5,000) – To support their 25th Anniversary Gala: 25 Years of Impact – A New Generation of Change.
    • Chicago Dancemakers Forum ($5,000) – To support 10×10: Crossbody Collaboration Virtual Sharing.
    • City College of Chicago Foundation ($10,000) – To support the Seven Strong Speaker Series – Why City Colleges of Chicago Matters: Empowering Black Lives.
    • Court Theatre Fund ($5,000) – To support Theatre for One (T41).
    • Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition ($10,000) – To support Muslims in America: A Learning Launch for the Philanthropic Community.
    • Immigrant Solidarity DuPage ($3,000) – To support the DuPage Spanish Language COVID Workplace Compensation Online Program.
    • John Howard Association ($2,500) – To support “An Evening with Gerrel Jones.”
    • Kan-Win ($3,000) – To support the Messages of Hope gala.
    • Peer Health Exchange, Inc. ($5,000) – To support the virtual event, “The Impact of COVID on Youth Mental Health & Well-Being.”
    • Strawdog Theatre Company ($1,000) – To support “How Do We Navigate Space?”
    • Trickster Art Gallery ($2,500) – To support “A Place of Teaching.”
  • November 2020 Sponsorship Support

    November 2020 Sponsorship Support

    • Chicago Council on Planned Giving ($3,000) – To support the Chicago Council on Planned Giving Annual Symposium.
    • Apna Ghar, Inc. ($5,000) – To support “(Our Home): Celebrating 30 Years of Realizing Gender Justice.”
    • Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy ($5,000) – To support the “Dismantling White Supremacy” seminar.
    • Omega Community Human Services Organization ($5,000) – To support Caregivers Awards Night.
    • Metro Vision Partners NFP ($1,500) – To support “MLK Day Living Room Conversations.”
    • Deeply Rooted Productions ($5,000) – To support “Deeply25: BlackEdition, Chicago, Our Town, Our Stories.”
    • Music Institute of Chicago ($5,000) – To support “Race, Healing, and Music – Panels and Performances.”
    • Association of Fundraising Professionals ($2,500) – To support the 44th Annual Faces of Philanthropy Luncheon.
    • Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition ($2,500) – To support the “State of the Coalition.”
    • Illinois Science and Technology Institute ($2,500) – To support the ISTI Student Research Showcase 2021.
    • DOMIP, Inc. ($2,500) – To support the Christmas Toy Giveaway.
    • Urban Initiatives, Inc. ($5,000) – To support the Urban Initiatives Soccer Ball Gala.
    • Chicago Public Library Foundation ($5,000) – To support the Chicago Public Library Foundation Awards 2020. 
    • International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago ($5,000) – To support the 37th Chicago Latino Film Festival.

Sponsorship Amounts

Requests up to $10,000 will be considered. The average sponsorship award is $5,000. 

How to Apply

Sponsorship requests will be reviewed on a bi-monthly basis. The submission deadline for each bi-monthly review and decision will be:  

Submission Deadline    Approximate Announcement Date    Expected Receipt of Grant Date    
October 30  December 2    December 18 
January 8    February 5  February 19 
February 26  March 26    April 20 
April 30  May 28  June 18  
June 30  July 30    August 20 
August 31  September 24  October 20 

You may submit a request at any time through our online application system in GrantCentral. Please submit your request no less than 60 days before your event to ensure it can realistically be funded if selected. 

We strongly recommend applying 90 days in advance when possible.  

If you have any questions about GrantCentral, you can contact grants@cct.org.