- Illinois Prairie Community Foundation (IPCF) encourages local philanthropy to meet local needs. - Foundation has more than 200 component funds for individuals, families, and non-profit organizations. - Funds include endowments, scholarships, agency and project funds, and donor advised funds. Foundation is working to build strong field of interest endowments in five areas: - Arts and culture. - Health and wellness. - Education. - Youth. - Environment. - Jewish education and life. Earnings from these endowments, other endowments and proceeds from the Annual Campaign are used for annual Community Foundation grants to local nonprofits. - IPCF's Women to Women Giving Circle provides annual grants to nonprofit organizations benefiting local women and children. The public is invited to spring and fall forums to learn about issues that affect local women. - Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) is a program designed to develop leadership and teamwork skills in high school students while they become familiar with the nonprofit sector. Each year, the group develops a grant application, promotes it, reviews applications and recommends grant awards. Applications to join the group are available on the website each fall. - Community Foundation works to strengthen local philanthropy by helping new nonprofits with fiscal management, providing an annual workshop for all nonprofits and by offering nonprofits opportunities to create their own agency endowments within the Community Foundation family. Individuals, families and local businesses may establish Donor Advised Funds at the Foundation to facilitate their charitable giving, and the Community Foundation works with financial professionals to facilitate legacy gifts from trusts and estates to benefit local communities. - IPCF makes it possible for everyone, regardless of wealth or status, to make a real and lasting impact in our community. - Provides a means for people to establish a fund to benefit any charitable purpose they wish or to make a gift to an existing fund, in any amount to provide lasting support for those causes that are important to them.