Did you know CFCI awarded over $390,000 in scholarships in 2022 to enhance the lives of more than 100 students living within our 50-mile service area? Eligible students are encouraged to apply for available scholarships here at the Community Foundation of Central Illinois. Through ongoing donor generosity, over 50 scholarship funds exist. Be sure to check out all the opportunities available on our website. Hear from Ashley Reach, one our 2022 Women in Leadership Scholarship recipients. This scholarship was established by the Women in Leadership of Central Illinois to provide support for non-traditional women students in the Tri-County area who are pursuing higher education in business and management.

Since 1993, the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois has been working to change the lives of women and girls in central Illinois. The original goal for the Women’s Fund was finding 1,000 women to each donate $1,000 to create a million-dollar endowment. While that fundraising model has evolved over time, the initial goal of creating a million-dollar endowment has remained the same. On the eve of our 30th anniversary, it is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the Women's Fund endowment has now surpassed the $1 million balance!

The recent surge to $1 million is attributed to an extremely generous gift from a Founding Member of more than $300,000. This level of giving to the Women’s Fund establishes a legacy that will live on beyond all of us. With a million-dollar endowment, the Women’s Fund will grant more than $45,000 a year to deserving programs, in perpetuity.

Through 2022, the Women’s Fund endowment has awarded 140+ grants totaling more than $475,000 to support programs focusing on women and girls. "We truly appreciate donations in any amount as they all help build the endowment, which is our long-term goal. To reach a milestone of this magnitude is very exciting and poises us for great growth as we focus on the future," says Michelle Nielsen Ott, Chair of the Women's Fund Advisory Board.

The Women’s Fund will continue to bring women’s issues to the forefront in central Illinois as they continue building the endowment for an even larger collective impact.

Through a joint effort between the Community Foundation of Central Illinois, specifically the Yeomans Fund and the Peoria NEXT Foster Fund, and the Peoria Public Schools Foundation, over $31,000 was awarded to Peoria Public Schools' teachers for classroom, field experience, STEM, and innovation projects.

Peoria Public Schools Classroom Grants are available to any Peoria Public Schools District 150 teacher interested in additional projects to enrich the classroom experience for the students. It is a competitive grant process that aligns with Peoria Public Schools strategic goals and the school improvement plan. The Peoria Public Schools Foundation champions real and positive change in Peoria Public Schools. It successfully devotes its expertise and fundraising capabilities to serve as a catalyst to implement bold ideas that achieve remarkable outcomes for our children. Visit www.ppsfoundation.org to learn more.