Community Grant Program
Supporting local education, sustainability, safety, and economic development
Coles Wind is committed to supporting educators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in the communities where our projects are developed and built. One small way we do this is by giving back through our Community Grant Program. To date, the project has provided over $120,000 to regional non-profit organizations and community groups.
If you represent a group or organization that meets one of our four key funding categories (see below), we encourage you to complete the application and apply today. Our goal is to fund projects and programs that build healthy communities, create economic opportunity, encourage environmental sustainability, and promote education.
Community grants tend to fall in the $1,000-to-$5,000 range, but may be larger or smaller depending on the quality of the application and identified community needs. Grant dollars are limited; priority will be given to proposals that benefit residents in and around the project area.
Download a copy of the Community Grant Program Rules for more information and to learn how grant recipients will be selected.
Key Funding Categories
Safe and Healthy Communities
Programs that support first responders, public health, good government, open communication, citizen resources, and/or enhance the quality of life in the community. Applicants must demonstrate how the program or event contributes to these social goals.
Economic Development
Apex Clean Energy supports and encourages the entrepreneurial spirit. It is part of our mission to serve as a catalyst for economic opportunity and development within the communities where we operate.
Environmental Sustainability
Programs that possess a strong link to environmental revitalization, sustainability, or education thereof, empower residents to be stewards of the environment, and/or encourage partnerships to address environmental concerns and sustainability.
Promoting Education
Programs that support educational institutions, the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and training programs for careers in the energy industry. This may include curriculum development, literacy, school readiness, and other initiatives that help students grow into young leaders. Vocational training institutions that help build a skilled workforce are encouraged to apply.
Apply for a Community Grant Today!
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Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Apex Clean Energy has been a repeat supporter of the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, funding the organizations "Foodmobile" mobile food pantry truck to safely distribute groceries across 18 eastern Illinois counties.
Embarras River Basin Agency
"We extend our heartfelt thanks to Coles Wind and Apex Clean Energy for their generous support. The Coles Wind project is dedicated to meeting Illinois’s growing electricity demand with clean, homegrown energy while driving economic growth in Coles County. In addition to providing renewable energy, the project creates jobs, supports local schools and governments, and offers long-term investment in the community."
- Embarras River Basin Agency
Lake Land College
"We are incredibly grateful for Apex Clean Energy's generous donation to our STEM programs. All companies are tech companies, and STEM skills are needed for the jobs of tomorrow. This contribution will open doors of opportunity for many deserving students who aspire to pursue careers in science and technology. Our hope is that this will help our goal of becoming a center of STEM education in Illinois"
- Ike Nwosu, Lake Land Vice President of Academic Services
Lincoln Fire Protection District
“On every call we respond to, we use our portable radios for communications. We have started upgrading our radios due to FCC regulations, but we need to finish to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
- District Chief Kevin Ranki
CASA of East Central Illinois
“Children in foster care are often overlooked. Having personal items while in foster care provides a sense of security. When children have a sense of security, they will be more confident in their surroundings. Having a stuffed animal or toy or even a favorite book can help comfort children who may be placed with strangers and feeling out of sorts because their world has been upended."
- Executive Director Kim Carmean
Oakland High School
"The Oakland High School Post Prom Committee was formed 21 years ago by parents of the junior class to offer OHS prom-goers a substance-free party after prom."
-Oakland High School Post Prom Committee member Renee Fonner.
Charleston Elks Lodge #623
"Last school year, Lake Land College Adult Education celebrated 99 GED graduates, thanks in part to covered testing fees. However, according to program staff, many students are struggling with the cost, creating a significant barrier to completing their credentials."
- Todd Reardon
Salvation Army of Coles and Cumberland County
“These grant funds will be used to offer discounted attendance to families who might otherwise struggle to afford the program. Our summer camp provides youth a safe place to build life skills and take part in unique experiences to build life skills and retention of materials learned throughout the school year. The donation from Coles Wind will help make this program accessible to as many families as possible.”
- Corps Officer Nathan North
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2
“This funding will help students all over the area through our new LIFT program. It will specifically help us purchase a miniature wind turbine, photovoltaic cells, and other equipment so that students will be ready for the clean energy jobs of tomorrow.”
- Dan Compton, LIFT`s HVAC/green energy facilitator