Twenty Non-Profits to Benefit from Program Unused Since 2007
DEKALB — DeKalb County Community Gardens is among 20 non-profit organizations to share more than $400,000 as recipients of the Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today.
The 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.
Although authorized in 2007, no grant money had ever been issued until Frerichs revitalized the program in 2017. In 2011, the legislature transferred the authority to administer the fund out of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and into the Illinois Treasurer’s Office. Frerichs became state treasurer in 2015.
“DeKalb County Community Gardens is an innovative asset to the community,” Frerichs said. “We are excited to award this funding to DeKalb County Community Gardens to help provide food, agricultural training, and employment opportunities for those who need it.” DeKalb County Community Gardens received $20,000. The grant will be used to fund DeKalb County Community Gardens’ efforts in providing impoverished individuals and families in DeKalb with healthy, sustainable foods through education and participation, and will provide innovative work opportunities and career options for adults with special needs by providing agricultural training and employment in integrated settings.
Frerichs identified the inactive Charitable Trust Program in early 2015 during a comprehensive office review. Although the filing fee created to fund the grant program was actively collecting money, Frerichs found no explanation why grant applications were not being accepted.
After research and discussion, Frerichs activated the 11-member advisory board to review grant applications. The advisory board agreed to pursue two rounds of grant-making in 2017.
The next application window is between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2018. The on-line application is at computer or the internet should contact the treasurer’s office at (312) 814-1817.
The application requests basic information about the non-profit’s organization and leadership. Applicants also will be asked to certify their eligibility for this grant, provide a narrative on how the grant money will be spent, provide supporting documentation that shows that the non-profit has filed the appropriate forms with the State of Illinois and the federal government, and other information that demonstrates the fiscal health of the organization.
The other awardees:
-African American Christian Foundation in Oak Park qualified for $25,000 -Beacon Place in Waukegan qualified for $25,000 -Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois in Decatur qualified for $22,821 -Center for Companies That Care in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -Community Activism Law Alliance in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -DeKalb County Community Gardens in DeKalb $20,000 -Fellowship Housing in Hoffman Estates qualified for $13,000 -Ford Heights Community Service Organization qualified for $25,000 -Heaven’s View Community Development Corp./Jobs Partnership Peoria in Peoria qualified for $24,252 -Illinois Spina Bifida Association in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -Institute for Positive Living in Chicago qualified for $10,250 -Literacy DuPage in Naperville qualified for $20,000 -Options for Youth in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service in Peoria qualified for $25,000 -Plant Chicago in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -St. Martin de Porres House of Hope in Chicago qualified for $25,000 -The Common Pantry in Chicago qualified for $21,050 -The Good Samaritan Inn in Decatur qualified for $25,000 -Zion Benton Children’s Service in Zion qualified for $25,000 The Illinois Treasurer The Illinois Treasurer is the state’s chief investment officer and Frerichs is a Certified Public Finance Officer. He protects consumers by encouraging savings plans for college or trade school, increasing financial education among all ages, and removing barriers to a secure retirement. As the state’s Chief Investment Officer, he actively manages approximately $28 billion. The portfolio includes $12 billion in state funds, $10 billion in college savings plans and $5.5 billion on behalf of local and state governments.
The investment approach is cautious to ensure the preservation of capital and returns $28 to the state for every $1 spent in operations. The Treasurer’s Office predates Illinois incorporation in 1818. Voters in 1848 chose to make it an elected office.