SPRINGFIELD, ILL — A grant program to help small non-profit organizations provide food and housing assistance will begin taking applications on July 1, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today.

“With more families in need of help due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is putting a greater strain on non-profits that offer food and housing assistance,” Frerichs said. “We want to encourage these organizations to apply for the grant funding to carry out their mission to help families during this difficult time.”

The Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund assists small non-profits with annual budgets of $1 million or less. Money comes from filing fees non-profits pay when incorporating in the state of Illinois, not personal or property tax dollars.

For this grant cycle, $375,000 is available to be split between 30 non-profits. The maximum award amount is $12,500 for each organization. More than $2.2 million has been awarded to 100 non-profit organizations through the Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund since the program was established in 2017. Awardees are selected by an 11-member board, which oversees the management and guidelines of the fund.

Previous grant recipients are eligible to apply if the term of their grant has been complete for at least one calendar year.

The upcoming application period runs from July 1 – September 30, 2020. Visit ilcharitabletrust.com to complete an application online or contact the treasurer’s office at (217) 836-4590.