State Grants

Illinois Climate Pollution Reduction Grant: Community Geothermal Planning and Pilots Phase One Planning Grants

Application Deadline: Feb. 13, 2026

Grant Description: The Community Geothermal Planning and Pilots program is designed to accelerate the deployment of community scale geothermal energy systems. These systems are intended to serve multiple buildings or clusters of homes rather than individual buildings or campuses. The program emphasizes projects that demonstrate measurable greenhouse gas reduction. Through a two-phase approach consisting of Phase One Planning Grants and Phase Two Pilot and Project Deployments, the IFA/CB will fund planning, design, and construction of community scale geothermal systems that demonstrate replicable, cost effective, and community driven models for decarbonized community or shared geothermal systems. The Community Geothermal Phase One Planning Grants will fund planning and design activities for projects that have already begun preliminary development and can demonstrate early progress toward community-scale geothermal deployment.

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program

Application Deadline: Feb. 13, 2026

Grant Description: The third application period for Illinois’s NEVI grant program is open! This round of funding will provide up to $65 million for the construction and operation of light-duty and medium-/heavy-duty charging stations along Illinois’ public roadways, including scenic byways, U.S. routes and interstates.

Volunteer Fire Assistance Program Grants

Application Deadline: Feb. 16, 2026

Grant Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service VFA federal grant program provides matching funds to aid fire departments in the purchase of new equipment and helps fund training. Funding is passed through IDNR to local fire departments and fire training academies. The VFA grant program reimburses 50% of the recipients’ project costs up to $10,000. Grant recipients must make the initial financial outlay for the projects before being reimbursed.

IL Armed Forces Legal Aid Network Grants

Application Deadline: March 17, 2026

Grant Description: The IEJF awards grants to organizations providing legal assistance and information as part of the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN). IL-AFLAN is a one-stop shop where veterans, military members, and their dependents can obtain free legal help to access hard-earned benefits, obtain discharge upgrades, solve other urgent problems like family law and housing issues.

New Leaf Illinois Grants

Application Deadline: April 16, 2026

Grant Description: As part of New Leaf Illinois, the IEJF awards grants to organizations providing legal and community outreach services that help people clear old cannabis convictions, as well as other eligible records. New Leaf Illinois is a statewide network of nonprofit organizations who are committed to equal justice for all those who were previously arrested or convicted for cannabis use, production and sale.

Eviction Help Illinois

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026

Grant Description: IEJF has been charged with distributing grant funding to civil legal aid and mediation organizations to assist Illinois residents facing eviction and housing instability. This fifth year of funding (State of Illinois Fiscal Year 2026) will continue to support the state-wide eviction services created in FY 21 as Eviction Help Illinois for downstate, suburban Cook County, and specialized populations within Cook County communities.

Civil Legal Aid Grants

Application Deadline: July 24, 2026

Grant Description: With this funding, IEJF supports programs that help people access basic needs, protect victims of domestic violence, recovers funds for seniors victimized by fraud, and help people resolve family crises.