The DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund advisory committee is pleased to announce that a total of $66,245 has been awarded to date to 19 organizations in DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Grants. 

DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Grants have supported ongoing diaper distributions organized by the Friends of the Regional Office of Education. Distributions occur all across DeKalb County. Contact the DeKalb ROE or follow Basics DeKalb County on Facebook for the distribution schedule.

The DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Grant program was designed to support the needs of people in DeKalb County during the COVID-19 pandemic. This third round of grantmaking opened in late October 2020 and remains open for applications on a rolling basis. Over the last month, the following grants were awarded:

• Barb Food Mart – $5,000 for preparing the Barb Food Mart for winter
• DeKalb Area Alano Club – $2,500 to provide COVID-19 shutdown relief for the Club
• DeKalb County Community Gardens – $5,000 for community food needs
• Elder Care Services of DeKalb County – $1,750 to aid in the “Get me to Monday” meal project
• Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project – $5,000 to provide COVID-19 information, resources, and financial assistance for DeKalb County’s essential Latinx workers
• Fox Valley Community Services – $3,500 to provide support for the Fox Valley Community Services – Home Services Program
• Friends of the DeKalb Regional Office of Education – $2,000 for a diaper distribution
• Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois – $1,100 to provide a virtual experience for Girl Scouts
• Kishwaukee Family YMCA – $4,000 to provide supplemental school age care
• Network of Nations – $2,500 to aid in food distribution to international students at NIU
• Open Door Rehabilitation Center – $5,000 for preparedness which includes personal protective equipment for disabled adults and their caregivers
• Opportunity House, Inc. – $4,000 to help with staffing and personal protective equipment costs
• Pay-It-Forward House – $400 to aid the PIFH COVID-19 response project
• Preservation of Egyptian Theatre, Inc. – $5,000 to aid in Egyptian Theatre COVID-19 relief
• Safe Passage – $5,000 to provide emergency shelter for clients in hotels and COVID-19 supplies
• The Salvation Army – $5,000 to provide aid to the Emergency Assistance Program
• Voluntary Action Center – $4,500 to aid in the distribution of Meals on Wheels Emergency Meal Kits
• Walcamp Outdoor Ministries – $2,000 to provide an emergency grant for utilities
• Westminster Presbyterian Church – $2,995 to purchase winter equipment for the food relief program

“Thank you to the generous donors whose contributions made this round of grantmaking possible,” said Community Foundation Grants Director Tiffany McQueen Lewis. “Gifts of all sizes came together to create this recent distribution of grantmaking. And thank you to the many organizations and businesses who continue to serve our amazing community through this pandemic.”

The DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund was created in March 2020 in collaboration with various local funding partners. The Fund’s purpose is to be a depository for contributions in response to the effects of COVID-19 in DeKalb County. Grants distributed can address preparedness, response, recovery, and/or rebuilding efforts as the pandemic evolves. Gifts of all sizes are welcomed and encouraged to continue this effort of addressing needs in DeKalb County. Information for donating to this Fund can be found on the Foundation’s website at dekalbccf.org.

Learn more about the DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Fund >

Applications for the COVID-19 Response Grant program remain open on a rolling basis. This round continues to provide emergency grants to organizations up to $5,000. Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Applications and grant guidelines are found online at dekalbccf.org.

For questions, please contact Grants Director Tiffany McQueen Lewis at 815-748-5383 or tiffany@dekalbccf.org.

Learn more about DeKalb County COVID-19 Response Grants >