What We Fund - Grand Victoria Foundation

At Grand Victoria Foundation, we are dedicated to leading the charge in advancing racial justice across Illinois. Our grantmaking prioritizes community power-building, supporting organizations that are deeply embedded in and accountable to Black communities and other communities of color.

Geographically, our efforts are concentrated on the 81 communities across Illinois where the Black population is 30% or higher. These communities are at the core of our work, reflecting our commitment to addressing needs where they are most pressing and where our interventions can have the most significant impact.

Our Grant Programs

The central focus of our grantmaking is on investing in community power building. This involves enabling communities most affected by structural inequities to develop, sustain, and expand an organized base. These organizations work together to shape agendas, shift public discourse, influence decision-makers, and build enduring, accountable relationships that drive systemic change and advance equity and justice.

Additionally, our grantmaking is dedicated to advancing systemic change. This refers to efforts that address and improve the underlying conditions perpetuating social and economic inequities. We support nonprofits that deliver solutions responsive to, and directed by, the communities most impacted, aiming to enhance the quality of life across Illinois.

To achieve these objectives, we fund a variety of strategic actions including:

Community organizing
Advocacy
Policy analysis
Research
Culture shifting
Narrative change
Coalitions and collaborations

We view these strategies as essential levers for change, playing pivotal roles in forging a robust ecosystem for racial justice and equity in Illinois.

Grand Victoria Grant Awards

Our Approach

In the philanthropic sector, a significant shift is occurring beyond merely adopting diversity principles. This evolution represents a critical turning point towards a more focused and impactful commitment to racial equity and justice. While many organizations have started to integrate these principles into their grantmaking, few have decisively restructured their missions to genuinely embody this commitment.

Grand Victoria Foundation is determined to lead in this transformative movement.

Our approach is informed by past experiences and a dedication to achieving more than superficial change. We are committed to substantive, systemic transformation that directly addresses the injustices affecting Black individuals and communities. Central to our grantmaking is a robust commitment to "Black-centered" philanthropy, ensuring our efforts are impactful and aligned with the needs of the communities we serve.

Learn More

We encourage organizations to learn more about the application process or contact one of our team members before they start their application.

Building Community Power

We are deeply committed to racial justice, focusing our efforts on empowering Black communities to shape the policies and practices that affect their social, economic, and political lives. Our grantmaking strategy centers on building community power, a critical lever for achieving racial justice and systemic change.

Our Strategic Approach

Through our strategic pillar of community power-building, we direct resources towards enhancing and expanding Black-led and centered community organizations. These groups are at the forefront of organizing and advocacy, striving to create significant impacts in their communities and beyond. By promoting their influence and enhancing their agency, we aim to strengthen leadership and grassroots movements within Black communities, recognizing their essential role in advancing racial justice for all.

Key Initiatives in Community Power-Building

Grand Victoria Foundation supports a variety of efforts aimed at advancing community power-building in Black communities:

GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING

We support grassroots organizations that mobilize and unify people most impacted by systemic inequities, facilitating collective strategies to enact meaningful change and transform society.

POLICY INFLUENCE

We fund organizations that shape public discourse and policy decisions to advance racial equity and justice, ensuring these groups are accountable to the grassroots communities they serve.

INTEGRATED VOTER ENGAGEMENT

Our support extends to grassroots organizations working towards a vibrant, multiracial democracy through comprehensive voter engagement strategies.

STRATEGIC COLLABORATION

We encourage effective partnerships, collaborations, coalitions, or networks that align with grassroots efforts to promote shared community goals, particularly those focused on systemic change.

Eligibility Criteria for Support

We provide general operations support to organizations that meet the following criteria:

GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING FOCUS: Engage in community organizing within Black communities and other communities of color facing systemic challenges.

LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING: Ensure that constituents and individuals most impacted by inequities have meaningful leadership roles and decision-making capacities.

GEOGRAPHIC PRESENCE: Have substantial work or presence in one of Illinois' 81 Black population centers (BPCs).

Special focus areas include East Saint Louis, Elgin, Pembroke Township. Learn more about our local impact funding.

COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE: Demonstrate a strong commitment to racial equity and justice in governance, staffing, organizational practices, and collaborative relationships.

Amplifying Black Voices

The Foundation is committed to challenging stereotypes and harmful narratives about Black individuals and communities. Through our grantmaking and storytelling, we aim to change the conversation and highlight the strength, resilience, and agency within these communities. This priority area is currently under further research and development with our team and grantee partners.

Final information, formal guidelines, and grant opportunities under this pillar will be available in July 2025.

Accelerating Leadership & Growth

GVF is seeding and sharing power to catalyze a robust statewide racial justice ecosystem by nurturing community power and strong collaborative relationships with partners. We advance this strategy by supporting racial justice leaders and organizations to cultivate resilience to sustain themselves, take respite to restore energy, and have needed resources to build collective power. Through the Leadership, Rest, and Respite Fund (LRRF), current grantee partners receive $25,000, beyond their existing GVF grant award, to invest in internal leadership development and organizational wellness goals. This fund is uniquely geared towards existing GVF grantee partners and is an opportunity by invitation only.

Other Supports Beyond Grantmaking

In addition to the LRRF, GVF makes available other resources by curating and linking grantee partners to various opportunities. For example, in 2023 GVF partnered with AMPT Chicago and The Management Center to offer a professional development cohort experience and management training, respectively. The development of the LRRF and other offerings were identified and co-created with grantee partners. Together, these opportunities represent how Grand Victoria is supporting grantee partners and adding capacity to the state’s racial justice ecosystem. Our hope is that philanthropy moves in a direction that sees an organization holistically and understands the value of investing in people and organizations beyond the labor required to perform the work of systems change and racial justice.