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 operating support. Eligible applicants are locally operated public broadcasting stations in Illinois. The grant supports station operations, programming, and community services. Funds cannot be used for real property, depreciation, or parent organization overhead.
Grant funds must supplement (not replace) existing funding sources. Applicants must comply with state statutory requirements. Commercial broadcast entities and for-profit subsidiaries are ineligible. In-kind expenses cannot be counted as project costs.
⚖️ 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
- GATA application form (via Illinois CSFA catalog 503-00-0892)
- Project budget and budget narrative
- Documentation of existing funding sources
- Station operating plan or strategic priorities
- Proof 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 13 | — | 0% |
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
Who can apply for this grant?
Locally operated public radio and television stations in Illinois. The applicant must be the broadcasting station itself, not a parent organization or commercial entity.
What can grant funds be used for?
Station operating costs, programming, maintenance, educational outreach, and local news production. Funds cannot purchase real property, cover depreciation, or pay for parent organization overhead.
Is there a deadline?
The grant uses rolling admissions. No specific deadline date is listed, but applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Are there other funding sources I must maintain?
Yes. Grant funds cannot reduce or replace existing funding sources. You must demonstrate that this grant supplements your current budget.
What is the typical award amount?
Awards typically range from $9,000 to $43,000 depending on station size and project scope.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly document how grant funds will supplement (not replace) existing revenue. Funders verify this requirement carefully.
- Focus budget narrative on core station operations: personnel, equipment maintenance, and programming costs.
- Avoid proposing uses involving real property, depreciation, or parent organization costs—these trigger automatic rejection.
- Show strong community engagement: highlight local productions, educational outreach, and regional news generated by the station.
- Apply early in the fiscal year. Rolling deadlines reward timely submissions when funding pools are largest.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants propose using funds for real property, depreciation, or parent organization overhead—all inexplic causes for rejection. Budget narratives failing to prove funds supplement (rather than replace) existing sources get denied. Applicants misunderstand that only station-level costs qualify, not costs of parent educational institutions or commercial subsidiaries.
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