Illinois Public Radio and Television
🏛 Illinois Arts Council Agency
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Aug 1, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations seeking operational funding. Public broadcasting stations licensed to operate in Illinois and complying with state statutory requirements may apply. Funds support locally operated stations providing community services like local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and local/regional news. Funds must not supplant existing revenue sources and cannot support parent organization overhead, real property acquisition, or for-profit business operations.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Program description
IAC grant funds enable the people of Illinois to have access to locally operated Public Radio and Television stations that provide unique services to their communities, including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach and local and regional news. Enable the people of Illinois to have access to locally operated public radio and television stations that provide unique services to their communities. The use of grant funds by an Illinois Public Broadcasting Station is not restricted to a specific purpose. The station, however must comply with the statutory provisions which require that the funds received from the State of Illinois do not supplant or cause to be reduced any other sources of funding for the station. The funds are to be used solely for the benefit of a public broadcasting station and are not for general institutional overhead or parent organization expenses. Generally, the funds should be used for the cost of operating and maintaining a public broadcasting station. Funds cannot be used for long-term investments or purchases of real property such as land or buildings or related depreciation expenses.
Operating cost cannot include the costs of acquiring real property, depreciation on real property, production costs underwritten by public broadcasting entities, costs attributable to instructional activities of the educational institution, whether on closed circuit or not, costs of operating a commercial (profit-making) business enterprise, including a for-profit subsidiary, and all in-kind expenses related to the above. Beneficiaries: State of Illinois residents Administered by the Illinois Arts Council Agency via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 503-00-0892).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Application form (via Illinois GATA system)
- Project narrative describing community programming and services
- Detailed operating budget
- Documentation of other funding sources
- Evidence of nonprofit/public broadcasting status
Program contact
- 👤 Sandra Velazquez
- 📧 sandra.velazquez@illinois.gov
Funding track record
Past applications & awards under this program (California Grants Portal) — how competitive it is.
By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Applications | Awarded | Award rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 26 | 9 | 35% |
Source: California Grants Portal
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Illinois state appropriations. How funding has trended year over year.
| 2020 | $1,507,100 | |
| 2021 | $1,507,100 | |
| 2022 | $1,507,100 | |
| 2023 | $1,507,100 | |
| 2024 | $1,657,800 | |
| 2025 | $1,657,800 | |
| 2026 | $1,657,800 | |
| 2027 | $1,657,800 |
FAQ
What types of organizations can apply?
Public radio and television stations licensed to operate in Illinois. Applicants must demonstrate they serve Illinois communities.
What can grant funds support?
Operating and maintaining the public broadcasting station. Funds support local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news operations.
What cannot be funded?
Real property acquisition, depreciation on real property, parent organization overhead, instructional activities at educational institutions, and for-profit business operations.
Is there a deadline?
This program operates on a rolling basis. Check with the Illinois Arts Council Agency for current application windows.
How much funding is available?
Individual awards range from $6,000 to $600,000. Total program funding is approximately $1 million annually.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate how funds specifically support station operations and community programming. Avoid vague requests for general support.
- Document your station's local programming and educational outreach clearly. Show concrete community impact beyond broadcast hours.
- Verify all funding sources upfront. Show that grant funds will not reduce other revenue sources.
- Separate station operating costs from parent organization expenses. Use detailed line-item budgets.
- Contact the Illinois Arts Council Agency early to understand current priorities and timeline.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Requesting funds for real property, land, buildings, or depreciation. Proposing grant funds to replace existing revenue sources rather than supplement them. Including parent organization or institutional overhead in the budget.
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