Grant & Community Assistance Programs
Over the last five years, our team has successfully facilitated clients in securing over $45 million in grants and low-interest loans, expertly guiding them through each step of the process. At Clark Dietz, our dedicated staff of engineers, technicians, graphic designers, and grant writers possesses the resources and proficiency to assist you in sourcing, applying for, and securing the funding necessary for your projects—from inception to fruition. We take the time to intimately understand your requirements, priorities, and aspirations, culminating in a meticulously crafted funding strategy. This entails identifying appropriate funding sources, aligning them with your pivotal projects, and providing invaluable support in crafting winning applications. The following guide presents an overview of Grant and Community Assistance Programs offered by State, Federal, and Private entities. Please note that while the list is comprehensive, it may not encompass all available programs.
Contact one of our trusted advisors below to determine which grant programs are currently active, accepting applications, and what the current qualification requirements are for grants based on your project needs.
| Agency / Grant | Brief Description | Funding Resource Website |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR / Illinois Bicycle Path Program | Assistance eligible units of government to acquire, construct, and rehabilitate public, non-motorized bicycle paths and directly related support facilities. | Go to funding website |
| IDNR - Open Space Land Acquistion and Development Grant (OSLAD) | Assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. | Go to funding website |
| IDNR - Park and Recreational Facility Construction Grant (PARC) | Provides grants to eligible local governments for park recreation unit construction (bondable or brick and mortar) projects and land acquisition. | Go to funding website |
| IDOT - Economic Development Program (EDP) | Provide state assistance for roadway improvements or new construction that are necessary for access to new or expanding industrial, manufacturing or distribution type companies. | Go to funding website |
| IDOT - Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) | Provides funding for community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience. | Go to funding website |
| IDOT - Safe Routes to School (SRTS) | Safe Routes to School programs aim to make it safer for students to walk and bike to school and encourage more walking and biking where safety is not a barrier. | Go to funding website |
| IDOT - Truck Access Route Program (TARP) | The purpose of TARP is to help local governments upgrade roads to accommodate 80,000-pound truck loads. | Go to funding website |
| IEPA Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program | The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is seeking proposals for projects which will provide wastewater collection and/or treatment facility for areas where there are currently no wastewater collection and/or treatment facility. | Go to funding website |
| IEPA - Waste Water/Storm Water/Drinking Water Loans | Provides two low-interest loans: The Water Pollution Control Loan Program (WPCLP) which funds both waste water and storm water projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program (PWSLP) for drinking water projects. These programs are annually the recipients of federal capitalization funding which is combined with state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money, and the sale of bonds to form a source of financing for infrastructure projects. | Go to funding website |
| IL DCEO- Community Development Assistance Program | The Office of Community Development supports economic development, community development, and infrastructure improvements in Illinois communities with substantial low-to-moderate-income populations. | Go to funding website |
| Invest in Cook County | Helps local governments and agency partners further their transportation projects by covering some of the cost of planning and feasibility studies, engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction associated with transportation improvements. | Go to funding website |
| NRWA - Rural Water Loan Fund | Funding program specifically designed to meet the unique needs of small water and wastewater utilities. | Go to funding website |
| ComEd - Green Region Grant Program | Grants up to $10,000 to regional governmental agencies in Northern Illinois to support their efforts to plan for, protect, and improve natural places in their community. The grant program encourages creativity and collaboration with nonprofits and focus on our climate resiliency. | Go to funding website |
| ComEd - Powering Safe Communities Grant Program | Grants for local public safety and electrification projects. Recognizing that electrification can reduce carbon emissions, improve public health outcomes, and advance community resiliency, there will be a special focus on electrification projects this year. | Go to funding website |
| FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants | FEMA's hazard mitigation assistance provides funding for eligible long-term solutions that reduce the impact of disasters in the future. | Go to funding website |
| IN Regional Economic Acceleration & Development Initiative READI 2.0, LEI, 1.0 | In quality of life, quality of place, and quality of opportunity projects that will transform Indiana’s already excellent regional communities into talent magnets where people live, work, grow, and thrive. These investments are guided by long-term strategic plans that are collaboratively developed by each region and its individual stakeholders that provide a roadmap for investments in their long-term growth. | Go to funding website |
| IN State Revolving Fund Loan Programs | Provide low-interest loans to Indiana communities for projects that improve wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. The Indiana Finance Authority administers the SRF Loan Programs, which protect both the environment and public health. | Go to funding website |
| INDOT Community Crossing Matching Grant (CCMG) | State matching funds for local road projects through Community Crossings, a component of the Governor’s Next Level Roads program. | Go to funding website |
| INDOT Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) | To achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads through the implementation of infrastructure-related highway safety improvements. | Go to funding website |
| Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Green Solutions Grants | To assist the municipalities served by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (District) with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance and to improve municipal stormwater management that may affect the District’s system, the District’s 2015-2027 Capital Budget includes a project, Green Solutions (GS), that will serve as a funding mechanism to the municipalities for Commission-approved types of green infrastructure and combined sewer separation. | Go to funding website |
| Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Private Property Infiltration and Inflow (PPII) Reduction Program | The goal of the program is to work with private property owners in an effort to identify the source of, and reduce the inflow and infiltration of stormwater and groundwater from entering the sanitary sewer system. | Go to funding website |
| US EPA Brownfield Grants | EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. | Go to funding website |
| US HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) | Under the State CDBG Program, states award grants to smaller units of general local government that develop and preserve decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create and retain jobs. Annually, each State develops funding priorities and criteria for selecting projects. | Go to funding website |
| USDA Community Facility Direct Loans & Grants | This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. | Go to funding website |
| USDA Water and Waste Disposal Loans & Grants | Provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. | Go to funding website |
| USDOT Rebuild American Infrastructure (RAISE) | The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE Discretionary Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the DOT to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. | Go to funding website |
| USDOT Federal Railroad Administration CRISI | This program provides funding for projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. | Go to funding website |
| USDOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Grants (RCN) | Supporting transformative, community-led solutions that can turn aging infrastructure into opportunities for improving community connectivity and cohesion. Examples include capping or removing highways, adding new transit routes, and constructing sidewalks, bridges, bike lanes, and more. | Go to funding website |
| USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) | To support regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent transportation-related deaths and serious injuries, and improve overall roadway safety, through safety action plan development and implementation actions. The focal points of this Program include pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, personal conveyance and micro-mobility users, and commercial vehicle operators. The Program seeks to provide funding to develop the tools to help strengthen a community’s approach to roadway safety and safe lives, on roads and streets while working towards the initiatives of “Vision Zero” or “Towards Zero Deaths”. | Go to funding website |
| US EPA Lead Service Lines | There are a variety of federal and non-federal funding sources available to assist states and water systems with each step of the LSLR process (e.g., developing an inventory, replacing lead service lines). Also available are a variety of case studies discussing how systems were able to successfully utilize a variety of funding opportunities towards their LSLR programs. | Go to funding website |
| Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) | Various grant and loan programs for interested local governments, organizations and private landowners to develop and support projects that protect public health, the environment and outdoor recreation. | Go to funding website |
| Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Municipal Flood Control Grant Program | Recognizing the responsibility to protect life, health, and property from flood damages, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offers this grant assistance package to all cities, villages, towns, tribal governments, and metropolitan sewerage districts concerned with municipal flood control management. | Go to funding website |
| WisDOT Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) | Assists local governments in improving seriously deteriorating county highways, town roads, and city and village streets. LRIP is a reimbursement program which pays up to 50% of total eligible costs, with local governments providing the balance. | Go to funding website |
| WisDOT Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) | Provides matching state grants to governing bodies for road, rail, harbor and airport projects that help attract employers to Wisconsin, or encourage business and industry to remain and expand in the state. | Go to funding website |
Grant Assistance
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