Eight Chicago-area nonprofits have been awarded more than $220,000 as part of the 2026 NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants, NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and Comcast NBCUniversal announced Wednesday.
It marks the ninth-straight year the competitive grant challenge has awarded unrestricted funding to eligible nonprofits making a difference in the Chicago area.
The announcement came months after the nomination process began.
Applications were accepted in three categories: youth education and empowerment, next generation storytellers, and community engagement. The 2026 application window for 501(c)(3) nonprofits was March 24 through April 24.
Since 2018, NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago have now provided more than $2.1 million to local nonprofits through the annual grant program.
“We are proud to partner once again with Comcast NBCUniversal to support these remarkable organizations and the meaningful impact they’re making every day,” Kevin Cross, president and general manager of NBCUniversal Local Chicago, said in a statement. “These grants will help expand their reach, strengthen their programs, and create lasting positive change across the Chicagoland area.”
The 2026 competitive grant challenge will award $2.5 million in unrestricted funds to eligible nonprofits located in and servicing one of the 11 NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations’ markets across the United States, which are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Miami, San Diego and Hartford, Conn. Founded in 2018, NBCUniversal’s grant program has now provided $24.3 million to 695 nonprofits.
The 2026 NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants recipients in the Chicago area are as follows:
826CHI (826CHI) – $47,000 (Youth Education & Empowerment)826CHI is a non-profit creative writing, tutoring, and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth.
Awakenings Art (Awakenings Art) – $30,000 (Community Engagement)Awakenings Art provides survivors of sexual violence with a trauma-informed, inclusive art-making experience that empowers their healing journey.
Ecosystems of Care (Market Box) (Ecosystems of Care / Market Box) – $30,000 (Community Engagement)Market Box crowdfunds to bulk-buy produce from across the Midwest and distributes over 420 bags of food each month to our network of families on the South Side.
FreshLens Chicago (FreshLens Chicago) – $30,000 (Next Generation Storytellers)FreshLens provides high-quality, photography-based visual arts education to youth in Chicago communities.
Play Smart Literacy (Play Smart Literacy) – $30,000 (Community Engagement)Play Smart Literacy’s goal is to empower parents and caregivers by bringing awareness to the connection between talk, play, and early brain development, and giving them better access to the things that support that connection.
Teatro Tariakuri (Teatro Tariakuri) – $20,272 (Next Generation Storytellers)Teatro Tariakuri envisions a vibrant, inclusive arts community where cultural pride, bilingual expression, and access to the performing arts empower youth, artists, and families to grow into confident leaders and creative voices.
Community Access Naperville (Community Access Naperville) – $20,000 (Community Engagement)Community Access Naperville (CAN) offers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to be a part of the community. Through the Community-Based Program, participants volunteer for local non-profit organizations, go out for meals, participate in recreational activities, and build positive relationships with each other and with neurotypical peers. CAN is a non-profit organization that focuses on community life engagement, building employment readiness skills, and encouraging personal growth.
Madonna Mission (Madonna Mission) – $20,000 (Youth Education & Empowerment)Madonna Mission is a not-for-profit organization providing education and resettlement support for legally arrived refugee families. Madonna Mission was founded to create a safe, compassionate, and supportive space for members of the refugee community-empowering them through education and opportunity.
For more information on the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants, visit localimpactgrants.com and the Spanish-language becasdeimpactolocal.com, and follow on social @NBCUniversal and #LocalImpactGrants.
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