Community Innovation Fund Grant Program FAQs

This community-focused grant program is intended to magnify the impact of the gift Harper received from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. By providing funding to non-profit organizations in Harper’s district whose missions support the advancement of equity, diversity, and economic mobility, the Educational Foundation is able to provide financial support to organizations serving underserved communities and marginalized groups. The program aims to bolster the efforts of non-profits through projects that focus on uplifting activities with long-lasting impacts and outcomes throughout the 23 communities in Harper’s service area.

Please review the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) before starting your application. This provides you with information about the program, including its purpose, goals, outcomes, eligible organizations, and specifics about what must be included in your application submission. If you are an eligible organization, you should gather the necessary documentation and prepare your project narrative and budget in accordance with the guidelines in the FOA. You should also register for the upcoming webinar on April 3, 2024.

Grant applications must be submitted on or before May 10, 2024. Applications are accepted only through the online application and late submissions will not be accepted.

The CIFG supports projects that align with and support the three program goals of equity, diversity, and economic mobility. Projects must provide programs, services, and/or support to individuals and communities in Harper’s district with particular focus on underserved and unserved groups. Please review the FOA for more details about allowable and unallowable costs.

The amount you request from the CIFG should be sufficient to cover your project costs and align with the activities in your project narrative. It should also supplement any expected funding from other sources. For the 2024-2025 grant cycle, we have $50,000 allocated overall and organizations will be awarded up to $10,000 each.

Grant awards will be announced in June 2024. Checks will be issued during July 2024 and all grant funds must be spent by June 30, 2025.

The CIFG provides funding to non-profit organizations whose missions align with the three program goals and outcomes of the CIFG program. Preference will be given to organizations with annual operating budgets of $500,000 or less. Please review the FOA for a list of eligible organizations.

No, grant funding is allocated for one year. However, a grantee may apply for one one-year renewal period during the next open application period. 

A committee has been established that will review all viable applications. A total of 100 points is available and each section will be scored based on the points available for that section. The review criteria is identified in the FOA.

Award announcements will be made in June 2024 and an on-campus "big check" ceremony will be held in July 2024.

You are encouraged to register for the informational webinar on Wednesday, April 3 from 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm central time. You can also email CIFG@harpercollege.edu. 

Yes. Priority preference will be given to organizations with annual operating budgets of $500,000 or less, but all eligible organizations are encouraged to apply.

Although there is $50,000 available this for the 2024-2025 grant year, the maximum single grant award amount is $10,000.

No. Organizations can only submit one application per year.