DuPage Foundation recently granted $605,600 to 46 not-for-profit organizations providing support in the areas of education, arts & culture, environment, and animal welfare across DuPage County through its Community Needs Grant Program’s Fall 2023 cycle.

A Grant Open House took place on Wednesday, December 6, at DuPage Foundation’s office in Downers Grove. Grant recipients received their checks, had their photos taken, and enjoyed refreshments from Busy Butternut Catering while mingling with other grantees and Foundation staff, volunteer leaders, and donors.

The following organizations received grants from the Foundation’s Fall 2023 Community Needs cycle: 

Education

• Best Buddies: $10,000 (Funded by Andi Stelzner Pass-Through Fund)
• Candor Health Education: $15,000
• Child's Voice: $2,500 (Funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund)
• Compudopt: $25,000 (Partially funded by a pass-through gift from the Langert Foundation)
• CREO DuPage: $15,000
• DuPage Children's Museum: $20,000 (Funded by JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund)
• Elmhurst Student Philanthropy Council: $5,000
• Embrace Living Communities: $10,000 (Funded by Beth and Daniel Maguire Family Fund, Pane E Pesci Fund, and an anonymous donor-advised fund)
• Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center: $25,000 (Funded by a pass-through gift from Betty W. Smykal)
• Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago: $9,750
• Green Halo Scholars: $25,000 (Partially funded by Pane e Pesci Fund and Robinwood Legacy Fund)
• H.O.M.E. DuPage, Inc.: $25,000 (Funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund, Pane e Pesci Fund, Sue Wallace Fund, and a pass-through gift from the Langert Foundation)
• Innovation DuPage: $20,000
• Inside Out Club DuPage: $14,175 (Funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund, Pane e Pesci Fund, and Shebik Family Fund For Basic Human Needs)
• Literacy DuPage: $25,000
• Resilient, NFP: $25,000 (Partially funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund and a pass-through gift from the Langert Foundation)
• Turning Pointe Autism Foundation: $2,500
• United States Adaptive Golf Alliance: $5,000

Arts & Culture

• Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus: $10,000 (Partially funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund)
• BrightSide Theatre: $25,000
• Buffalo Theatre Ensemble: $25,000
• College of DuPage Foundation: $25,000
• Darien Arts Council: $2,500
• Downers Grove Choral Society: $2,500 (Funded by Donor Advised Fund For Needy Children)
• DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation: $2,500 (Funded by History DuPage Fund)
• DuPage Symphony Orchestra: $22,200 (Funded by JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund)
• Elmhurst Art Museum: $25,000 (Partially funded by JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund)
• Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts: $2,500
• Elmhurst Choral Union: $5,000 (Funded by Donor Advised Fund for Needy Children)
• Elmhurst Pride Collective: $10,375 (Funded by JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund)
• Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale: $5,000
• Lisle Community Band: $2,500 (Funded by JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund)
• Naperville Art League: $11,500
• Opera for the Young: $2,500
• Paramount Theatre: $2,500
• Salt Creek Ballet: $10,000
• Spirito!: $5,000 (Partially funded by Phil and Judy Barnett Family Fund)
• Wheaton Drama, Inc.: $16,100
• Young Naperville Singers: $2,500

Environment

• Morton Arboretum: $20,000 (Partially funded by a pass-through gift from the Langert Foundation)
• SCARCE: $25,000 (Funded by the JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund and a pass-through gift from Joan Morrissey)
• The Conservation Foundation: $25,000 (Partially funded by a pass-through gift from Molex)
• Three Fires Council, Boy Scouts of America: $7,500 (Partially funded by Robinwood Legacy Fund)

Animal Welfare

• A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter: $10,000 (Funded by Martha J. Johnson Fund)
• Hinsdale Humane Society: $14,000
• West Suburban Humane Society: $10,000 (Partially funded by Effort Counts Twice Fund)

See project descriptions for each of the grantees here.

Applications for the Foundation’s Community Needs Grant Program are accepted twice per year and are reviewed by its Grant Committee, consisting of Foundation Trustees and volunteers from throughout DuPage County. 

“Our Committee’s shared commitment to helping the Foundation deliver impactful, positive change is palpable,” said Roger McDougal, a DuPage Foundation trustee and chair of its Grant Committee. “The diligent work our DuPage County not-for-profits undertake every day is inspiring, and we are grateful to play a role in supporting them.”

Additional contributions from local donors and DuPage Foundation donor-advised funds helped increase the Foundation’s Fall 2023 Community Needs grant budget by 64 percent.

“We are always energized by the potential for each funded project to make a meaningful difference for our residents and community,” said Barb Szczepaniak, Foundation vice president for programs. “These grants represent commitments to fuel innovation, foster collaboration, and drive sustainable progress. We are so grateful to our donors and donor advisors for their additional support. With their help, we were able to fund approximately 76 percent of eligible requests vs. 47 percent. This is the power of coordinated impact at work.”

In 2024, DuPage Foundation’s Community Needs Grant Program will be renamed to “Community Impact,” underscoring the Foundation’s commitment to delivering robust, coordinated impact focused on improving and enriching the quality of life for our community and its residents. Additionally, beginning next fall, grants from the Program’s arts & culture grant category will be awarded under the banner of DuPage Foundation’s Arts DuPage initiative. As our community’s champion for the arts, Arts DuPage supports, promotes, and advocates for the arts throughout DuPage County by stimulating engagement and investment in our vast cultural landscape. To learn more about Arts DuPage, visit artsdupage.org.

The Foundation’s upcoming spring Community Impact grant cycle will support programs that improve and enrich the quality of life for DuPage County residents in the areas of health and human services. Grant guidelines will be posted on the Foundation’s website on January 5, 2024. To view them or for more information, please visit dupagefoundation.org/CNGP.