Servbank Charitable Foundation Grants Over $1,000 – March 2027

Grants Supporting Housing, Education, Health, Youth, and Community Improvement in Servbank Communities

The Servbank Charitable Foundation provides grants of more than $1,000 to nonprofit organizations serving communities within the bank’s core market areas. Funding priorities include affordable housing, education, health and human services, youth programs, and general community improvement.

Organization: Servbank Charitable Foundation
Support Type: Charitable grants
Geographic Focus: Communities served by Servbank, primarily its Illinois banking markets
Deadline: March 31, 2027
Funding Amount: Requests over $1,000

About the Funder

The Servbank Charitable Foundation, formerly known as the Iroquois Federal Foundation, provides financial support to charitable and community service organizations in communities where Servbank operates.

The Foundation is focused entirely on community activities and charitable causes and is designed to help build stronger, healthier, and more stable communities.

Servbank expanded its Illinois banking footprint in 2026 through its combination with Iroquois Federal. Current branch communities include Oswego, Bourbonnais, Champaign, Clifton, Danville, Hoopeston, Savoy, and Watseka.

What This Program Supports

The Foundation has identified five primary areas of giving.

Affordable Housing

Programs that provide:

• Affordable housing
• Low-income housing
• Housing-related services supporting community reinvestment goals

Education

Initiatives that:

• Raise student aspirations
• Expand knowledge
• Strengthen the educational process
• Improve learning opportunities

Health & Human Services

Programs supporting:

• Medical care
• Physical wellness
• Mental wellness
• Essential human services
• Community health needs

Youth Programs

Programs that improve quality of life and opportunities for children and young people.

General Community Improvement

Projects and programs that improve:

• Community assets
• Local organizations
• Neighborhood quality of life
• Community stability within Servbank’s core markets

Priority Consideration

Grant requests may receive higher consideration when they:

• Serve low- and moderate-income individuals
• Revitalize or stabilize low- and moderate-income areas
• Serve designated disaster areas
• Benefit distressed or underserved non-metropolitan middle-income communities
• Address significant needs within Servbank’s core market areas

Applicants serving lower-income communities should clearly document the population and geographic area benefiting from the proposed grant.

Eligible Organizations

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Current 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status
• Relevance to one or more of the Foundation’s giving areas
• A clear benefit to communities served by Servbank

Awards are generally limited to use within the bank’s service communities.

Geographic Eligibility

Servbank’s grant guidelines state that awards are generally limited to communities served by the bank.

Its current Illinois branch locations include:

• Oswego
• Bourbonnais
• Champaign
• Clifton
• Danville
• Hoopeston
• Savoy
• Watseka

Applicants outside these communities should confirm geographic eligibility before preparing a full application.

Funding Amounts

This application is specifically for:

Grant requests over $1,000

Servbank maintains a separate application process for smaller grants of $200–$1,000.

The Foundation does not publish a maximum award amount for the over-$1,000 program.

Organizations that have received a grant of $7,500 or more during the previous three years may be asked to provide additional information before a new request is approved.

Ineligible Requests

The Foundation does not provide financial support for:

• Political organizations
• Political candidates
• Activities for religious purposes
• Individual endeavors
• Scholarships

Generally, organizations may submit only one grant application per calendar year, regardless of the requested amount.

Application Timeline

📅 Next Application Deadline: March 31, 2027
📅 Award Cycle: May 2027

Applications over $1,000 are reviewed twice annually:

• March 31 deadline → May award cycle
• September 30 deadline → November award cycle

Organizations should submit a complete application and all supporting documentation by the appropriate deadline.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must provide:

• Copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter
• Information about the Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Organizational mission, goals, and objectives
• Amount requested
• Overall project budget, when applicable
• Specific purpose of the requested funds
• Description of community need
• Explanation of how success will be measured
• Information about previous Servbank or Iroquois Federal Foundation grants
• Most recent audit report or financial statements
• Information about other project funding, including approved, declined, and pending requests

The application also asks applicants to identify:

• Percentage of grant funds serving Medicaid recipients
• Percentage benefiting low- to moderate-income individuals
• Data sources used to determine those percentages
• Market area and income segment served

Application / Request Process

Applicants should complete the Servbank Charitable Foundation application for grants over $1,000 and submit the completed application with all required supporting documents.

The application asks organizations to explain:

• Why funding is needed
• Who will be served
• How the community will benefit
• Project implementation steps and timeline
• How outcomes will be measured
• Specific expenses to be funded
• Total project budget
• Other funding sources
• Long-term sustainability
• Financial need for the grant

Apply / Learn More:
➡️ https://servbank.com/about-us/charitable-foundation/

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity may be particularly relevant for nonprofits that:

• Serve a Servbank community in Illinois
• Need more than $1,000 for a defined program or project
• Provide affordable or low-income housing
• Serve children and youth
• Provide health or human services
• Operate educational programs
• Improve local community assets or services
• Serve low- and moderate-income individuals or underserved communities

The Foundation’s emphasis on community reinvestment and lower-income populations makes it particularly relevant for organizations with strong local impact and clearly documented community need.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Deadline: March 31, 2027
Additional Deadline: September 30
Review Type: Semiannual
Award Cycle: May for March applications; November for September applications
Funding Amount: Requests over $1,000
Geographic Focus: Servbank communities, primarily in Illinois
Application Limit: Generally one grant application per calendar year
Best Suited For: Community-based nonprofits working in affordable housing, human services, education, youth development, and neighborhood improvement