Funding Opportunities

Proposals that address the priorities and recommendations of the Biodiversity Recovery Plan and the strategic plan are reviewed by the Chicago Wilderness proposals committee and funded, to the extent possible, through the project money the Chicago Wilderness consortium receives from its funding agencies. If you would like more information on CW funding, contact Christopher Mulvaney at cmulvaney@chicagowilderness.org or (847) 242-6424.

Work Plan

Collaborative projects are the means by which the Chicago Wilderness consortium pursues its mission. Projects submitted through the work plan process must be multi-agency, aligned with the strategic plan, and broadly benefit either the region or the membership. The Executive Council sets the five year goals. Members, working through the teams and other collaborative groups, then design projects to implement these goals. The projects are refined through an iterative process between the working group and the projects review panel. Initial project ideas are assembled in late winter/early spring to align with the consortium's fiscal year. However, collaborative project ideas are accepted at all times to put into a project pipeline for expedient use of funding if it becomes available. For the latest project guidelines, and related work plan information, please visit the Work Plan folder under Document Sharing.

Small Grants

Grants generally do not exceed $15,000 and a 1:1 non-federal match is required. Proposals with a greater than 1:1 match are encouraged. For the latest announcement, and related small grants information, please visit the Grant Information folder on the Document Sharing webpage.

C2000 Funding

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administers a grant program called "C2000." C2000 is funded by Conservation 2000, a multi-agency, multi-year initiative to preserve and restore Illinois' natural resources. C2000 grants are awarded to "ecosystem partnerships," consortiums of local stakeholders united by a common interest in the natural resources of their area's watershed. There are more than 30 ecosystem partnerships throughout the state of Illinois, and the Chicago Wilderness consortium is one of them. That means that CW member organizations can apply for C2000 funding through Chicago Wilderness. Each fall, CW sends an announcement to its member organizations detailing the requirements for C2000 grant proposals. CW requires that preliminary proposals be submitted in January. Final proposals to C2000 are usually due IDNR by February. For more information on the C2000 program go to: http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/c2000/ecosystem/.

For additional funding possibilities, outside of Chicago Wilderness, please see Grant Information.