Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation Grants

Note: All grant applications for this cycle have closed. Updates will be posted in the future. For more information see the above website.

The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) was established in December 1999 as an independent foundation with a $225 million endowment provided by Commonwealth Edison. The ICECF invests in clean-energy development and land-preservation efforts, working with communities and citizens to improve environmental quality in Illinois. The ICECF provides competitive grants to programs and projects that improve energy efficiency, develop renewable energy resources, and preserve and enhance natural areas and wildlife habitats in Illinois.

Net Zero Energy Wastewater Treatment Plants

The Foundation’s Net Zero Energy Wastewater Treatment Program will award grants to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) committed to achieving and maintaining site net zero energy (NZE) performance or better. Plants must maximize energy efficiency and offset all of their energy consumption with on-site generation from renewable resources. Grant payments will be tied to performance.

Net Zero Energy Building Program

The Foundation’s Net Zero Energy Building Program will award grants to new construction or retrofit projects that achieve site net zero energy performance or better, over the course of a year. Buildings must, at a minimum, offset all of their energy consumption with on-site generation from renewable resources. Grants will be paid incrementally, with full payment contingent on actual building performance.

K-12 Pollinator Schools Program

The Foundation’s Pollinator Schools Program supports the creation of native pollinator habitat at locations in Illinois that provide K-12 environmental education programming. Students learn about Illinois’ native plants while the habitat provides a much-needed food source for a variety of pollinators.

Grant support can be applied towards the purchase of plant materials as well as cover a portion of the costs associated with hiring consultants or contractors to help with the design, installation and limited summer maintenance of the habitat. Depending on the land available, some of the projects selected for this program may create habitat areas that are relatively small (i.e. 1,000 square feet), while others may be an acre or more in size. All will provide students first-hand experience with Illinois’ native habitat in action by creating a year-round refuge for pollinators.

Other Renewables

The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation supports projects in categories where incentives are determined on a case-by-case basis: Solar Thermal, Biomass, Advancing Renewable Energy, and Emerging Technologies.

Community Stewardship Challenge Grant

• Cash Donation Match: The Foundation provides 3 dollars for every 1 new dollar raised by a nonprofit organization over the 18-month grant period, not to exceed a contribution of $21,000 from the Foundation, to be applied towards stewardship of an eligible project site. The 3 to 1 match applies to net donations only and will not match any fundraising costs, fees, or service charges incurred during donation transfers.

• Volunteer Labor: Grantees are eligible to receive $4,000 for stewardship activities upon verification that volunteers have logged 400 hours or more on stewardship activities during the 18-month grant period. An additional $2,000 may be awarded upon verification that volunteers have logged a total of 100 hours on establishing and/or updating social media accounts to publicize stewardship workdays and public events at the project site.
• Equipment Purchase: For nonprofit-owned sites, the Foundation will reimburse up to 80% or $5,000, whichever is less, of the capital cost of stewardship equipment purchased during the 18-month grant period. This category of support is not available to government-owned sites.