Illinois Public Radio and Television
🏛 Illinois Arts Council Agency
Can you apply?
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations. Eligible applicants must be locally operated public broadcasting stations serving Illinois communities. Funds support operating costs including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Recipient organizations must ensure state funds do not reduce other funding sources and cannot use grants for real property acquisition, commercial operations, or institutional overhead of parent organizations.
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations. Eligible applicants must be locally operated public broadcasting stations serving Illinois communities. Funds support operating costs including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Recipient organizations must ensure state funds do not reduce other funding sources and cannot use grants for real property acquisition, commercial operations, or institutional overhead of parent organizations.
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
Details
This grant is for Illinois public radio and television stations. Eligible applicants must be locally operated public broadcasting stations serving Illinois communities. Funds support operating costs including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Recipient organizations must ensure state funds do not reduce other funding sources and cannot use grants for real property acquisition, commercial operations, or institutional overhead of parent organizations.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Application form (via Illinois GATA system)
- Budget and budget narrative
- Proof of non-supplantation (documentation of other funding sources)
- Station license or authorization documentation
- 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 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Illinois public radio and television stations are eligible. Your station must be locally operated and provide services to Illinois communities.
What can grant funds support?
Funds support operating costs including local productions, arts programming, educational outreach, and news. Commercial operations and real property purchases are not eligible.
Will this grant reduce my other funding?
No. State funds cannot replace existing funding sources. Your station must maintain all other revenue streams.
What costs are specifically prohibited?
Real property acquisition, depreciation, institutional overhead, parent organization expenses, and commercial business operations are not allowed.
What is the typical funding range?
Awards typically range from $6,000 to $600,000 depending on station needs and available pool funding.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Document that state funds supplement rather than replace other revenue sources. This is a statutory requirement.
- Focus your budget on direct operating costs: staffing, equipment maintenance, and production expenses for local content.
- Demonstrate community impact through specific examples of local programming, educational outreach, and news coverage.
- Ensure your parent organization (if applicable) does not receive any portion of the grant funds.
- Review the Illinois GATA CSFA 503-00-0892 guidelines carefully for state-specific compliance requirements.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Using funds for real property, depreciation, or parent organization overhead. Failing to document that state funds supplement rather than supplant other revenue. Requesting funds for commercial operations or for-profit subsidiaries.
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