Land, Health, Community-Chicago (formerly Aspiramos Juntos)
Land, Health, Community-Chicago (formerly Aspiramos Juntos) is a grantmaking program offered to organizations in the Chicago region by the Lumpkin Family Foundation.
Land, Health, Community (LHC) is the Foundation’s primary and largest grantmaking program that has centered its giving in East Central Illinois. Through this grant program, the Foundation works toward a long-term vision of holistically healthy communities. As a reflection of our commitment to this vision, the Foundation has decided to strategically align its giving in the Chicago area to this long-standing grant program.
The Aspiramos Juntos program has been renamed Land, Health, Community—Chicago (LHC-C). In addition to a new name, the program has refined its focus areas to reflect our commitment, as a Foundation, to supporting holistically healthy communities. We believe that a community’s health is rooted in its ability to access and obtain life sustaining resources for all its residents without undue burden, systemic barriers, and inequitable opportunity.
To this end, we make grants in the Chicagoland area that align with this greater vision. Specifically, we look to fund projects and organizations that support the following vision:
- Our communities are physically active, value healthy eating, and prioritize overall wellbeing.
- All communities can thrive. Communities that have faced and continue to face inequitable and unjust policies, laws, and practices will be equipped with the resources needed to realize their full potential.
The following sample forms should help you know what is needed for the process:
LHC-Chicago LOI Foundation Universal Application
All LOIs and Applications are accepted online only. Scroll to the bottom of this page to view past grantees.
Key Dates
Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) accepted beginning August 16, 2024
LOIs Due: September 27, 2024
Applications Invited: October 14, 2024
Applications Due: November 1, 2024
Decision Notifications: November 25, 2024
Funding Priorities
- Opportunities for children in/out of school to engage physically with and to learn about the natural world, to eat well, and to care for the planet.
- A community and/or multi-generational approach to addressing the mental health and wellness of youth.
- Efforts to increase access to healthy and sustainably produced food.
- Grassroots and community led initiatives centered on the pursuit of food justice.
Special Funding Opportunities
In addition to project-based funding, we also offer special funding for the following:
- Community Garden Grants: Community Gardens which are defined are small patches of land that are used to connect community members to nature. These gardens are engaged in minimal food production (as opposed to larger urban farms). The maximum award for this type of grant is $5,000 per garden. Please see guidelines below for more details.
- Inspiration Grants: Inspiring proposals that center a collaborative approach to the pursuit of equity, justice, and restoration (please note that the maximum award for this type of grant is $10,000).
LHC-C Grantmaking Guidelines
In an effort to be more transparent and provide access to a wider range of applicants, the following guidelines will govern our grantmaking strategy. Taking our funding priorities into account, the LHC-C funding committee with review applications for our fall funding cycle within the following parameters:
What's New?
1. Community Garden Grants: This project-based funding is for those organizations looking to establish community gardens on previously underutilized green spaces or to improve upon and/or expand existing gardens. This could be patches of land connected with schools, houses of worship, community centers, etc. Organizations can apply for up to $5,000 per garden. An organization is eligible to apply for support of multiple gardens in one application.
2. Inspirational Grants: We recognize that there are organizations throughout Chicago that are doing some amazing work in efforts to bring equity, justice and healing to communities that have been systematically neglected by unjust policies, laws, and practices. We are offering grants of up to $10,000 to fund inspiring proposals, that are collaborative in nature, that are designed to foster healthy, vibrant and thriving communities. Proposed projects should be able to be completed using the amount of funds that are being requested. Projects have a greater chance of success if they showcase multiple community partners working together to accomplish a common goal.
Eligibility
Region: Priority will be given to organizations that are based within the boundaries of the City of Chicago. We will also consider applications from organizations just outside the city boundaries but that serve communities within the City or that serve communities adversely impacted by unjust and inequitable economic policies.
Organizational Budget: Grassroots Organizations: If the mission of your organization aligns with our funding priorities, and your organizational budget is less than $500,000, and the leadership and/or a sizable number of members of the Board and staff are members of your targeted community you are eligible to apply for a general operating grant. If you successfully receive a general operating grant for 2 consecutive years, you will then be eligible to apply for a multi-year grant of 3 years.
Larger Organizations: Organizations with an operating budget of $500,000 or more are eligible to apply for project-based funding. If you are funded by the Foundation for 3 consecutive years and your mission areas continue to align with our priorities, you will be eligible to apply for a multi-year grant of 3 years.
Please direct inquiries on the Land, Health, Community-Chicago (formerly Aspiramos Juntos) to:
Monique B. Schlichtman
Senior Program Officer, ChicagoPhone: 773-420-7047
Email: monique@lumpkinfoundation.org
