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 are locally operated. Eligible recipients must be nonprofit public broadcasting stations serving Illinois communities. The grant funds operating and maintenance costs, local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and local/regional news. Grant funds cannot replace other funding sources, support general overhead, purchase real property, or fund 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
- Grant application form (via Illinois GATA system)
- Project narrative describing station operations and community service
- Detailed operating budget
- Proof of nonprofit status (IRS 501(c)(3) determination)
- Documentation of existing funding sources
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 can apply for this grant?
Illinois-based nonprofit public radio and television stations. Stations must be locally operated and serving communities in Illinois.
What can grant funds be used for?
Operating costs, maintaining stations, local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Funds cannot purchase real property or pay for instructional activities.
Is there a deadline?
The grant operates on a rolling basis with no set deadline. Check with the Illinois Arts Council Agency for submission windows.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $3,000 to $550,000. Exact award amounts depend on station needs and available funding.
Is cost sharing required?
Yes, cost sharing is required. Grant funds cannot replace or reduce other funding sources for the station.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clarify how grant funds will supplement (not replace) existing revenue sources. Show your diversified funding strategy clearly.
- Detail specific local productions and community services your station will provide with these funds.
- Demonstrate compliance with the non-supplantation requirement by tracking your total funding sources.
- Include realistic operating budgets that exclude ineligible costs like real property or overhead.
- Connect your programming to the station's mission of providing local news, arts, and educational content to your community.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Using grant funds to reduce other sources of station funding or replace existing revenue violates non-supplantation requirements. Requesting reimbursement for real property, depreciation, or commercial business activities makes applications ineligible. Failing to show how funds support local operations and community programming rather than parent organization overhead.
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