SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) — On Thursday, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs unveiled nearly $200,000 in charitable trust grants to 10 small nonprofits that help people stay in their homes and get job training.

An independent panel chose 10 recipients from a list of 68 applicants, which includes on nonprofit based in Champaign — the Greater Community AIDS Project of East Central Illinois — which will receive $19,870.

“We are helping people who need a helping hand at a time when so many folks are struggling due to higher costs and as our federal government yanks away lifelines,” Treasurer Frerichs said at a news conference in Rockford. “I’m proud to partner with nonprofit organizations that tirelessly work to improve the lives of Illinoisans in need and make our communities better places to live.”

The Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund assists small nonprofits that have annual budgets of $1 million and at least one full-time employee. Money in the fund comes from fees that not-for-profit corporations pay when filing annual reports with the Illinois Secretary of State – and not from personal or property tax dollars.

Charitable Trust grants help nonprofits fulfill their missions to serve people in need by providing housing, food, and workforce and economic development assistance. For the spring 2025 grant cycle, funds were awarded to nonprofits in two categories: organizations that provide housing services and organizations with workforce and economic development programs.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Charitable Trust Stabilization Fund program has awarded 251 grants to 209 nonprofit organizations, totaling over $5 million. The program has impacted hundreds of thousands of people’s lives for the better.