Endeavor Health is committed to helping everyone in our communities be their best. We are proud to support these local partners through awards from our Community Investment Fund (CIF).
2026 impact award
Congratulations to Loaves & Fishes Community Services our inaugural Impact award partner!
This award will support Nourish Together, a bold, long-term regional initiative to transform access to healthy food. Nourish Together expands shared infrastructure through the Hub 2.0 facility, strengthens collaboration among food pantries, and supports additional food distribution locations in the communities we collectively serve.
2026 capacity builder awards
Thank you to the 170 organizations who shared proposals!
Congratulations to our 2026 Capacity Builder award partners:
- Common Pantry
- Faith Feeds Food Pantry
- Kenneth Young Center
- North Central College
- Omni Youth Services, Inc.
- PADS Lake County
- Tapestry 360 Health
- The Outreach House
- VNA Health Care
2026 partnerships
This year’s awards will support organizations and initiatives dedicated to behavioral health, violence prevention, housing and food insecurity, access to care and workforce development.
Primary focus: housing insecurity
Funded program: build a Sustainable Development Program for 360 Youth Services through staff development and strategy towards realignment of funding mix, donor stewardship, volunteering, and planned giving
Communities: Naperville, Aurora
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $501,000
Website: https://360youthservices.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: support teen-led programming to enhance confidence, belonging, vitality, coping, and leadership skills
Communities: Naperville, Aurora
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $189,000
Website: https://alivecenter.org/
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: inspire Evanston students and young adults through healthcare career exploration opportunities, in partnership with the City of Evanston, Evanston Township High School and iKit, the Evanston Work Ethic (WE) Program, Youth Job Center, Endeavor Health, and more
Communities: Evanston
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $850,000
Website: https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/departments/health-human-services/workforce-development
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: connect Lake County students and young adults with healthcare career exploration opportunities, in partnership with District 113 (Highland Park/Deerfield), District 116 (Round Lake), District 127 (Grayslake), College of Lake County, Rosalind Franklin University, University Center, Youth Build, and Lake County Workforce Development
Communities: Grayslake, Round Lake, Highland Park, Highwood , North Chicago
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $680,000
Primary focus: housing insecurity
Funded program: provide transitional housing for families facing homelessness and financial and life-skills coaching for long-lasting economic independence
Communities: Glen Ellyn
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,272,000
Website: https://bridgecommunities.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: Repurpose existing space to allow for added intake and wraparound services interactions with guests and purchase of a new refrigerated van to expand capacity for food rescue.
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $700,000
Website: https://commonpantry.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: provide those experiencing homelessness wraparound care to heal and recover through a Medical Respite program
Communities: Evanston
Duration: 4-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $650,000
Website: http://www.connect2home.org/
Primary focus: financial wellbeing
Funded program: expand medical debt relief and navigation of financial assistance programs, financial literacy education and coaching, and advocacy
Communities: DuPage County
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,024,333
Website: https://accessdupage.org/
Primary focus: housing insecurity
Funded program: support emergency housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including basic care such as food, clothing, and case management combined with intensive and stabilizing support to meet complex needs and help clients reach their long-term housing solution
Communities: Downers Grove
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,000,000
Website: https://dupagepads.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: Purchase a refrigerated box truck to transport fresh, healthy perishables during Mobile Food Pantry visits, bringing nutritious food directly to people where they live, work, or wherever the need exists.
Communities: Palatine
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $100,000
Website: https://faithfeedsfp.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: provide bilingual, bi-cultural and comprehensive medical care, mental health services, and prenatal care in Lake County
Communities: Highwood
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $725,000
Website: https://fenixclinic.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: expand health care access for the underserved including through a new pediatric practice at Greater Family Health’s Franklin Park location
Communities: Franklin Park
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,450,000
Website: https://greaterfamilyhealth.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: increase access to treatment, follow‐up services, and recovery for behavioral health conditions and substance use disorders (SUD)
Communities: Naperville, Elmhurst
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $945,000
Website: https://hcenter.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: improve mental health and integration of youth who have experienced forced migration through school-based trauma-informed services and capacity building for caregivers and staff
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $633,572
Website: https://www.heartlandalliance.org/program/marjorie-kovler-center/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: expand bilingual mental health education, counseling, case management, and health education programming, including support groups and dedicated outreach personnel
Communities: Highwood, Mundelein, Waukegan
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $2,429,000
Website: https://highwoodlibrary.org/
Discover how Highwood Library & Community Center is making an impact
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: Upskill staff and expand capacity to treat people experiencing complex trauma, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 4-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $628,175
Website: https://howardbrown.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: Purchase and implement new integrated technology platforms, including phone, website, and electronic health record to expand access to behavioral health services and increase capacity to serve.
Communities: Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $420,000
Website: https://www.kennethyoung.org/
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: provide healthcare career exposure for teens including behavioral and mental health professions, Youth Mental Health First Aid training for adults, and teen Mental Health First Aid training for high school students
Communities: Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Naperville
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,000,000
Website: https://kidsmatter2us.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: This award will support Nourish Together, a bold, long-term regional initiative to transform access to healthy food. Nourish Together expands shared infrastructure through the Hub 2.0 facility, strengthens collaboration among food pantries, and supports additional food distribution locations in the communities we collectively serve.
Communities: DuPage County
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $5,000,000
Website: https://www.loaves-fishes.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: expand access to behavioral health care at LSSI's Welcoming Center, a walk-in community mental health clinic that provides counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric serves, and follow-up to hospitalizations
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $600,000
Website: http://www.lssi.org/
Discover how Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is making an impact
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: provide accessible, affordable, culturally sensitive primary, preventive and specialty medical, dental and behavioral healthcare to under-resourced, un/underinsured community members
Communities: Chicago, Evanston, Lincolnwood, Skokie
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $665,000
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: support training and development of peer mental health specialists to increase access to mental health services to the community
Communities: Naperville
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $609,428
Website: https://namidupage.org/
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: Expand technology and networking infrastructure to build student skill and experience in delivery of telehealth. Occupational Therapy and Nutrition Sciences students will provide charity care telehealth services to clients at West Suburban Community Pantry.
Communities: Naperville, Downers Grove
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $101,626
Website: https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: Purchase and renovate a new building to expand its trauma-informed services, increase staff and volunteer capacity, and implement support groups for vulnerable communities. The new space will also feature a modernized training room for presentations to partners, positioning the building as a healing center for the community.
Communities: Schaumburg, Cook County
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $500,000
Website: https://www.nwcasa.org
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: Train clinicians EMDR, Theraplay, and Gottman Method, to expand access to effective, faster-acting trauma care for children, couples, and families.
Communities: Palatine
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $187,139
Website: https://www.omni4all.org/
Primary focus: violence prevention
Funded program: support gun violence prevention and response programming, including outreach, mentoring, mediation, advocacy, and financial literacy
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $505,428
Website: https://www.onenorthside.org/
Primary focus: housing insecurity
Funded program: PADS Lake County will purchase a fixed-site shelter in Lake County to house up to 160 individuals experiencing homelessness.
Communities: Lake County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $500,000
Website: https://padslakecounty.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: increase access to vital resources for new immigrants and low-income residents, including food, clothing, and other social support services through intake and case management
Communities: Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $600,408
Website: https://www.poc.news/
Discover how Partners for Our Communities is making an impact
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: expand services to treat substance use disorders and provide ongoing recovery support for Northern Cook County residents involved with the criminal justice system
Communities: Cook County
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $1,404,005
Websites: https://peerservices.org/ and https://www.tasc.org/tascweb/home.aspx
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: create a comprehensive PRC Wheaton Campus featuring an expanded food pantry and increased education and empowerment program space to better serve our neighbors and meet growing community needs
Communities: Wheaton
Duration: 4-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $998,250
Website: https://www.peoplesrc.org/
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: recruit, train and launch firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) careers with a focus on young adults and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Communities: Romeoville
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $480,000
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: expand mobile medical services in Lake County to improve health equity and long-term health outcomes, including screenings, educational sessions, vaccinations, point-of-care testing, conveniently delivered “on location” at trusted community organizations
Communities: Northern Lake County
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $2,480,050
Website: https://www.rfuclinics.com/services/caring-for-our-community/community-care-connection/
Discover how Rosalind Franklin University is making an impact
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: establish a certified Behavioral Health Clinic to provide support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the community, which will expand access to Search's behavioral health services and permit further insurance options
Communities: Cook County
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $211,108
Website: https://search360.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: remove critical transportation barrier to community-based services for children and families at risk and in need, including health care, counseling, job training, and support groups
Communities: Palatine
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $226,360
Website: https://www.shelter-inc.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: connect immigrant community in Will and DuPage counties to health insurance benefits and other available community resources to break down barriers to healthcare access through trusted team of health justice workers, navigators, and community health workers
Communities: Will & DuPage County
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,000,000
Website: https://www.ssipchicago.org/
Primary focus: access to healthcare
Funded program: Lead a strategic planning process and execute revenue cycle management and complementary strategies to adapt to evolving federal priorities—particularly changes in Medicaid policy—that directly impact Tapestry’s capacity to maintain access to care.
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $384,270
Website: https://tap360health.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: support low-stigma food pantry, food rescue, mobile outreach, and navigation to public benefits and resources in Chicago
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 5-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $629,250
Website: https://friendshipcenterchicago.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: Purchase a new van to increase capacity to pick up food donations and to develop a Marketing Playbook to improve communications to guests, volunteers, supporters and donors and expand organizational capacity.
Communities: York Township
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $115,495
Website: https://www.theoutreachhouse.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: support youth mental health and wellness programs through outreach, expanded team of bilingual parent navigators, transportation, and health care career pathway experiences
Communities: Villa Park, Lombard, Oakbrook Terrace
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $540,000
Website: https://tritownymca.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: create an accessible mobile unit to expand access to mental health services, reduce stigma, and raise awareness of behavioral health community resources
Communities: Evanston
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $571,600
Website: http://www.tpoint.org/
Primary focus: access to healthcare
Funded program: Expand Aurora health center by 12 exams room, a lab, and 38 parking spaces, increasing primary care access for families.
Communities: Aurora
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2026
Award: $750,000
Website: https://vnahealth.com/
Primary focus:access to care
Funded program: promote culturally responsive outreach, health and behavioral health education, health screenings, healthcare case management and navigation support for individuals in Lake County, including referrals which connect individuals to local social service and medical agencies
Communities: Northern Lake County
Duration: 4-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $504,993
Website: https://www.ywcachicago.org/
Previous awards
We are honored to have supported the work of the following community-based organizations in these past partnerships.
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: expand domestic violence support programs to end the cycle of abuse, including counseling, financial empowerment workshops, and family engagement outings
Communities: Chicago, Evanston
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $463,237
Website: https://betweenfriendschicago.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: provide a safe and inclusive space for children and their families to receive support and build a strong foundation for improved rehabilitation and overall health outcomes, improving family stability, and helping a child succeed at home, at school, and in their community
Communities: Villa Park
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $750,000
Website: https://www.easterseals.com/dfv/
Discover how Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley is making an impact
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: expand mobile pantry reach through a new refrigerated truck and associated costs and warehouse equipment and materials to reduce food insecurity in the underserved population of southern Bensenville
Communities: Bensenville
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $167,980
Website: https://www.eyfp.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: acquire and develop new location, growing capacity to provide healthy food and basic necessities to underserved communities
Communities: Elmhurst
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $330,000
Website: https://www.eyfp.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: expand outreach, education, and support to facilitate access to primary care and timely preventive cancer screening
Communities: Lake County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $115,490
Website: https://equalhope.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: Reconfigure the food pantry's physical space to accommodate a new walk-in cooler and freezer. The new equipment will allow Faith Feeds to better take advantage of food resources available through the Greater Chicago Food Depository as well as food rescue.
Communities: Palatine
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $315,100
Website: https://allsaintspalatine.org/ministries/food-pantry/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: provide school-based mental health counseling services to students and families with a focus on underserved populations
Communities: Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Naperville
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $1,250,666
Website: https://www.ipsd.org/
Discover how Indian Prairie School District 204 is making an impact
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: to increase access to creative art therapy services, ITA is seeking certification as a Medicaid Behavioral Health Clinic, including adopting and implementing new clinical assessments and electronic health record (EHR) software
Communities: Evanston
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $163,460
Website: https://itachicago.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: support renovation of a new behavioral health services facility in Waukegan for Lake County residents, especially Medicaid patients
Communities: Northern Lake County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $550,000
Website:https://www.josselyn.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: enhance mobile behavioral health crisis response, providing safe, accessible and 24/7 mental health services, navigation and follow-up
Communities: Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $600,000
Website: https://www.kennethyoung.org/
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: renovate facility to enhance adult day services and launch new job training program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Communities: Warrenville
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $300,000
Website: https://www.littlefriendsinc.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Communities: Naperville
Funded program: mobile food delivery program
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $325,500
Funded program: promote increased access to food via mobile delivery, and extended evening and weekend hours for the pantry
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $366,000
Website: https://www.loaves-fishes.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: provide behavioral health services, including individual and group counseling sessions for Budlong Elementary in Chicago
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $120,000
Website:http://www.lssi.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: reduce barriers to learning and increase potential for academic success through access to mental health services and support with housing, transportation, child care, access to care, and more
Communities: Naperville
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $750,000
Website: https://nef203.org/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: build out a new pantry space for improved access and efficiency, including: additional storage space; dedicated work areas for volunteers; dedicated check-in and waiting room spaces; and ADA-compliant entrance, aisles, and bathrooms
Communities: Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $300,000
Primary focus: housing insecurity
Funded program: rehabilitate the building next to the main office by adding plumbing, lighting, office spaces, and greenery in order to expand PADS’ programming and services and to improve the client experience.
Communities: Lake County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $270,666
Website: https://padslakecounty.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: expand access to affordable behavioral health services in eastern DuPage County through the newly established Outreach Counseling Center - York
Communities: Villa Park, Lombard
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $899,533
Website: https://weareoutreach.org/
Primary focus: access to care
Funded program: support new space and multilingual services for citizenship and English language classes, group and youth services and case management
Communities: Chicago
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2023
Award: $500,000
Website:https://rccchicago.org/
Primary focus: behavioral health
Funded program: support construction of a recovery home for women and their children, including education and job training programs
Communities: Joliet
Duration: 2-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $300,000
Website: https://steppingstonestreatment.com/
Primary focus: financial wellbeing
Funded program: support the building of a new commercial hub for startups, small businesses, Black entrepreneurs and Evanston job creation
Communities: Evanston
Duration: 3-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $500,000
Website: https://theauxevanston.com/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: expand access to fresh produce for food pantries through the Farm-to-Pantry program, which delivers local, organic produce to pantries in DuPage County, by purchasing new equipment to increase crop yields and developing sustainable funding streams to enhance the sustainability of partner pantries
Communities: Naperville, DuPage County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2025
Award: $360,000
Website: https://www.theconservationfoundation.org
Discover how The Conservation Foundation is making an impact
Primary focus: workforce development
Funded program: Nursing Workforce Pathway Program
Communities: DuPage County
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2022
Award: $93,000
Website: https://www.vnahealth.com/
Primary focus: food insecurity
Funded program: Expand access to healthy foods via community partner distribution enabled by ordering kiosks, storage lockers, and a refrigerated truck
Communities: Downers Grove
Duration: 1-year
Year awarded: 2024
Award: $151,600
Website: https://wscpantry.org/
