The Community Foundation of East Central Illinois is pleased to award more than $5,000 in Capacity-Building Micro Grants to four area nonprofit organizations.
Champaign County Crime Stoppers, Champaign County Forest Preserve District, Grand Prairie Friends and the University YMCA all received grant funding for their staff and board members to use toward professional development.
Champaign County Crime Stoppers will be sending a board member to the Crime Stoppers USA Training Conference; Champaign County Forest Preserve District will be sending a staff member to IUPUI Fundraising School for staff training and fundraising plan development; Grand Prairie Friends’ Natural Areas Manager will be attending the conference, “Building Resilience: The Future of Natural Areas and Grand Prairie Friends”; and the University YMCA will be sending two staff members to attend three trainings through the “Enhancing the Capacity of Immigration Legal Services and Assistance Program”.
Since 2010, the Community Foundation has partnered with the Lumpkin Family Foundation to provide funding for professional development for smaller nonprofits, often with very few staff members whose budget cannot expand to include these educational opportunities. This funding—more than $50,000 to date—has allowed nonprofit staff and board members to attend national and regional meetings, trainings and conferences, bring in consultants and become acquainted with peers in their fields.
Congratulations to this year’s Capacity-Building Micro Grant recipients and thank you to the Lumpkin Family Foundation for their commitment to helping nonprofit organizations increase their expertise.