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 focus on communities across Illinois that have experienced longstanding underinvestment and systemic racism. Many of these communities have significant Black populations. 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. Our grantmaking is deeply informed by and responsive to the lived experiences of communities most affected by systemic racism, with a focus on supporting solutions that center their leadership and vision for change.

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 advancing racial justice by addressing the systemic barriers that have historically limited opportunity and access in underinvested communities. Our grantmaking strategy focuses on building community power—an essential driver of lasting, systemic change—and supporting those most affected by inequities to shape the policies and practices that impact their lives.

Our Strategic Approach

Through our strategic pillar of community power-building, we direct resources toward strengthening organizations that are deeply rooted in and accountable to communities most impacted by systemic inequities. These groups lead organizing and advocacy efforts that drive meaningful change in their communities and beyond. By supporting their leadership and expanding their influence, we aim to bolster grassroots movements that are essential to advancing racial justice and equity across Illinois.

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 a demonstrated commitment to serving communities historically impacted by racial inequities.

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 those directly impacted by racial inequity and injustice [systemic inequities] by amplifying stories and narratives of abundance crafted directly by those directly impacted. 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.