The unique role of a community foundation is to conduct a flexible community grant making program which addresses the most important needs of a community at any one time. The flexibility this requires is made possible by charitable donors who establish unrestricted or field-of-interest funds and place the decision-making in the hands of the community-minded Distribution Committee. The following is a list of grants awarded from these funds as recommended by the Distribution Committee and approved by the Community Foundation of Central Illinois' Board of Directors.

Central Illinois Center for Independent Living received funding from the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund for their CIHC Home Repair Program project.

Christian Center received funding from the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund, The Dr. Paul Dirkse Endowment Fund and the John H. "Ted" and Betty Flora Charitable Fund for their Dream Center Basketball League & Neighborhood House Open Gym project.

Habitat Humanity/Greater Peoria Area received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Sawdust Collection System for new Toy Workshop project.

Peoria Public Library received funding from the Sandra and Richard Ullman Unrestricted Charitable Fund Marion and  the Warren Bohner Fund for their Janice Harrington project.

Central Illinois Youth Symphony received funding from the Alvin & Donna Haerr Family Performing Arts Fund, Russell F. & Eleanor Sikes Peters Performing Arts Fund and the Thomas & Lynn Landes Fund for Performing Arts for their Brass Ensemble project.

Harrison Grade School received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Smartboard for Smart Success project.

WTVP 47 received funding from the Heartland Riverfront Foundation Fund, the George A. Fulton Charitable Fund, the Alvin & Donna Haerr Family Performing Arts Fund and the Louis and Selma Neumiller Fund for their Televised Local Art Vignette Programming project.

METEC (Mt. Zion's Efforts to Equip the Community) received funding from the The Thomas and Ellen Foster Fund and the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Hope Renewed Youth Conference 2006 project.

Galesburg Civic Art Center received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund, the Eugene & Harriett Swager Fund for Public Art and the George A. Fulton Charitable Fund for their Public Art Brochure project.

Bureau County Health and Wellness Clinic NFP, Inc. received funding from the Louis and Selma Neumiller Fund, the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund and the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Mobile Project program.

YWCA of Peoria received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Girls' Volleyball - Serving Up Success project.

Western IL Nature Group received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund and the Larry Oertley, Jr. Wildlife Memorial Fund for their Educational Nature Preserve project.

Fondulac Public Library District received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their History Alive project.

Fulton County Health Department received funding from the Paul Jackson Fund and the Peter  Donis Charitable Fund for their PAP Assistance Program project.

Tazewell Co. Historical Places Society received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Blast Off to Space with Science and Math project.

Glen Oak Christian Church received funding from the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund     for their In As Much project.

Cancer Center for Healthy Living received funding from the The Thomas and Ellen Foster Fund, the Marion and Warren Bohner Fund, the John H. "Ted" and Betty Flora Charitable Fund and The Louise Flora Howard Memorial Fund for their Mind-Body Wellness Educational Audio Series project.

Heartland Commerce & Economic Development Foundation received funding from the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund for their Peoria Opportunity Center: Feasibility Study project.

Peoria Public Schools District 150 received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their It's Time to Read project.

Peoria Public Schools District 150 received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund for their Books for a Home Library - Libros para el Hogar project.

Wildlife Prairie Park received funding from the The Thomas and Ellen Foster Fund, and the PACF/PCC Performing Arts Fund for their Bison Ground Blessing and Earth Day Celebration project.

Peoria NEXT received funding from the Caterpillar Community Leadership Fund for their Discovery Forum project.

Mental Health Assn IL Valley received funding from the RLI Insurance Company Corporate Contributions Fund, the Mental Health Remembrance Leadership Fund and The Thomas and Ellen Foster Fund for their Art Therapy for At Risk Adolescents project.

Whittier Primary School received funding from the William L. and Mary E. Kella Fund, the Scott Heimdal Fund and the Louis and Selma Neumiller Fund for their Kindergarten Level Books to Late 1st Grade Books project.

In total, grant awards this funding cycle exceeded $46,000.00. The Community Foundation is currently accepting new grant applications for the April 15, 2007 deadline.  Non-profit organizations within a 50-mile radius of Peoria are eligible to apply.  For more information on the Community Foundation of Central Illinois or to learn how you can apply for a grant, please visit our website at www.communityfoundationci.org or send an email to Pam Rumba at pam@communityfoundationci.org