DuPage County groups receive ‘transformational’ grants
DuPage County and the DuPage Foundation recently awarded $3.37 million in grants to support 15 nonprofit organizations.
The funding through the DuPage Community Transformational Partnership aims to address areas of food insecurity, housing, mental health and substance use disorder.
The money comes from a grant program the county launched in 2022 using federal COVID dollars. Since then, about $10.45 million in grants have been awarded to nonprofit groups. This month’s awards are the last of the multiyear grant program.
“The DCTP transformational grant program was designed to create measurable impact in our communities and pave the way for solutions,” DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy said. “What we’ve found is that a whole community approach is crucial if we hope to tackle some of the most persistent and challenging issues we face in DuPage County.”
In the most recent round of grant awards, $2.76 million was awarded to address substance use disorder and mental health concerns. Organizations receiving those grants include: Alive Center, $98,000; Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, $322,200; Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center, $100,000; KidsMatter, $270,000; Little Friends, Inc., $241,000; Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, $550,000; Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services, $398,500; Outreach, $175,000; Ray Graham Association, $223,615; Serenity House Counseling Services, Inc., $200,000; and Tri-Town YMCA, $183,000.
Another $155,410 was awarded to address food insecurity, with $110,000 going to Neighborhood Food Pantries and $45,410 to People’s Resource Center. The partnership also awarded $454,233 to address housing instability, including $223,620 to Bridge Communities, Inc. and $230,613 to DuPagePads.
DuPage Foundation President & CEO Mike Sitrick echoed Conroy’s sentiment noting that taking a “community approach” to addressing complex ongoing issues can net better results.
“They key to transformative change is collaboration,” he said.