2 survey respondents
Location: 1560 Sherman Ave Ste 535, Evanston, 60201 IL
EIN: 36-3466802
50%
50%
6 hours
Median
75%
25%
75%
25%
2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
Total Assets:
Total Grants:
Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
Largest Grant:
Smallest Grant:
Average Grant:
Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
ECF forces group experiences and workshops that are ultimately unbeneficial. If you get funded you will have to jump through a lot of hoops before/during/afterward. If you aren't familiar with Leadership Evanston, you will be soon.
Difficult to work with, Bureaucratic
Illinois
Current or former grantee
Funded for lesser amount
2018
Average
Most of the staff are helpful, encouraging and easy to talk to; however, there are some staff high-level staff members who will not answer questions or work with grant recipients.
Average
This foundation wants to make a large impact in the community, but because responsive grants are capped at $20,000 there is a limit to the types of projects that get funded. As a result many smaller projects get funded and the foundation impacts many areas; however, if you are a moderate-sized organization, $20,000 won't move the needle as much. As a result, it can feel like when an organization's funding is diversified it jeopardizes the funding from ECF.
Focus more on philanthropic goals and less on selling Leadership Evanston.
They are really good at encouraging everyone to enroll in Leadership Evanston.
5
Reviewer 6749 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
ECF is getting better at listening. For a long while, they always knew better than any applicant, gave many partial grants, and expected a high amount of extra commitment. Now they have some different application processes, are quicker and are more generous. Do talk to a program officer before applying, particularly for the smaller grants. There are still a lot of questions on the LOI for the bigger grants, though if you get through that process, the next set of questions are shorter. Still expect to do a lot of work after you are given the grant, including attending compulsory group meetings.
Positive leader in the field, Gives more than money, Friendly, Builds relationships, Responsive
Illinois
Grant currently pending
2019
Good
Getting way better. They return calls and talk. Their advice is good.
Good
ECF funds throughout Evanston. It has specialized grants for certain areas. It does not do multi-year grants, and, once you get a grant, you have to re-write the grant to set up a reporting mechanism. After that, they let you get on with your work and they listen during the year.
If you want the answers to the questions that you ask AFTER the grant has been given, then ask them in the application process, rather than having to write the application all over again.
Becoming much more a listener rather than a dictator. Your Leadership Evanston program is good.
6
