Illinois Public Radio and Television
🏛 Illinois Arts Council Agency
Can you apply?
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations. Only locally operated public broadcasting stations in Illinois may apply. Funds support station operations and maintenance, including local production, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Funds cannot be used for real property acquisition, depreciation, commercial ventures, or instructional activities of parent institutions.
Applicants must comply with non-supplantation rules. Grant funds cannot reduce other funding sources for the station. Funds must benefit the public broadcasting station only, not general institutional overhead or parent organization expenses.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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 (Illinois CSFA 503-00-0892)
- Operating budget with itemized allowable costs
- Proof of local station governance and public broadcasting status
- Documentation of other funding sources (non-supplantation compliance)
- Station's plan for use of grant funds
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 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Illinois-based public radio and television stations. Applicants must be locally operated public broadcasting stations.
What can the funds be used for?
Station operations and maintenance, local production, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Funds support the direct costs of running a public broadcasting station.
What activities are NOT eligible?
Real property acquisition, depreciation on real property, commercial business operations, and costs tied to parent institutions' instructional activities. Funds cannot reduce existing station funding sources.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $9,000 to $43,000 depending on station size and need.
Is cost-sharing required?
Yes, applicants must demonstrate ability to provide matching funds or cost-share as required by the grant guidelines.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Ensure your station is locally operated and qualifies as an Illinois public broadcasting entity before investing application time.
- Document how grant funds will increase station capacity, not replace existing funding sources.
- Show clear separation between station operations and parent institution overhead in your budget.
- Emphasize community impact: local programming, educational outreach, and accessible services to Illinois residents.
- Prepare detailed operating budget that itemizes allowable costs and excludes prohibited expenses like real property depreciation.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications claiming funds for real property, depreciation, or parent institution expenses get rejected. Failing to show non-supplantation (that funds won't reduce other sources) disqualifies the application. Vague budgets that don't separate station operations from institutional overhead cause denials.
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