Illinois Public Radio and Television
🏛 Illinois Arts Council Agency
✓ Free, no account · Source: Illinois GATA Catalog (CSFA) · Last verified Aug 1, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations that provide local programming and services to their communities. Applicant stations must be locally operated public broadcasting entities serving Illinois residents. Funds support station operations and maintenance, including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and local/regional news. Grants range from $9,000 to $43,000, but cannot fund real property purchases, depreciation, or commercial business activities.
⚖️ 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
- Completed state grant application (GATA Catalog CSFA 503-00-0892)
- Project budget with itemized operating costs
- Documentation of other funding sources and proof of cost-sharing
- Proof of nonprofit status or public station authorization
- Description of local programming and community services
Program contact
- 👤 Sandra Velazquez
- 📧 sandra.velazquez@illinois.gov
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
Who is eligible for this grant?
Illinois-based public radio and television stations providing local programming. Applicants must be locally operated public broadcasting entities.
What can the funds be used for?
Station operating and maintenance costs. This includes local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news operations.
What cannot be funded?
Real property purchases, depreciation on buildings, production underwritten by other public broadcasters, instructional activities, or commercial business operations.
Is cost-sharing required?
Yes, this grant requires cost-sharing. Funds cannot reduce other funding sources for the station.
What is the funding range?
Awards range from $9,000 to $43,000. The total funding pool is approximately $450,500.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Document all other funding sources clearly. The state requires proof that grant funds do not reduce existing revenue.
- Focus your budget on core operations and maintenance. Provide detailed line-item justification for each expense.
- Ensure funds benefit the public broadcasting station only. Do not allocate money to parent organization overhead.
- Explain how your station serves the local community. Highlight unique local productions and educational programming.
- Be realistic about matching funds. Show what other resources you're committing to the station.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications that substitute state funds for lost revenue rather than expanding services get rejected. Proposals requesting real property, depreciation, or commercial business expenses are ineligible. Budgets allocating funds to parent organization overhead instead of the station fail review.
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