Land Acquisition
Land Acquisition
In order to be considered for a grant, you must complete a Letter of Inquiry Application online by the January 19, 2012 or July 19, 2012 deadline.
Your Letter of Inquiry Application consists of the following:
1) Your answers to an Online Questionnaire.
2) Your completed 
Land Acquisition Project Description Form, which requests more detailed information on your proposed project than the questionnaire.
3) The following additional attachments:
- A map showing the location of the proposed project in relation to other natural areas in the surrounding area.
- A copy of your organization's IRS determination letter.
- A copy of your organization's most recent Illinois Charitable Organization Annual Report.
- A copy of your organization's current year summary budget.
Your Letter of Inquiry Application is the first step in our grant application process. The process is competitive. Some applicants may be invited to submit a Full Proposal at a lesser amount than originally requested, while other applicants may be declined at this stage altogether. The Full Proposal Application involves filling out another online questionnaire and uploading additional attachments. You will be notified by e-mail in two-months of whether your project was selected to move forward in the Foundation's grant application process.
The entire process last approximately four months from the time a Letter of Inquiry Application is received until awards are announced in early November.
Step 1: Review the Guidelines and Criteria prior to beginning your application.
Step 2: Gather the information that you will need to complete your Land Acquisition Project Description Form and Online Questionnaire. It may be helpful to review the list of items below.
Items to Address in Land Acquisition LOI Application
- Click once to review the list. Click a second time to make the list collapse.
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- The natural condition of the property, including the amount of different types of habitat it provides, the species which will benefit from its protection, and the amount of restoration work, if needed. The Foundation supports the acquisition of natural areas and wildlife habitat as opposed to parks and other open space.
- The exact location of your natural area. You will be asked to provide a map showing the location of the proposed acquisition within the state in relation to previously protected natural areas and/or parcels which have been identified as priorities for preservation and protection.
- The previously protected area(s) to which your natural area is connected or will expand.
- The local, regional and/or state plans which call for the protection of your natural area specifically and more generally for the habitat and species it benefits.
- The plan for public access to your natural area.
- The plans for protecting your natural area in perpetuity. You will be asked to describe the steps your organization will take to ensure permanent protection of the natural resources to be acquired with Foundation support if your grant proposal is successful.
- The total project expenses, including estimated restoration costs and costs for enabling public access.
- The proposed sources of funding and status of those applications.
- Your organization's history in purchasing and protecting natural areas in Illinois.
- A brief summary of your group, including the size of its operating budget, its organizational history and mission, etc.
Step 3: Download and complete the Land Acquisition Project Description Form. Save it to your computer as you will need to attach it to your online application.
Step 4: Assemble digital versions of the following documents as you will need to attach them to your online application:
- A map showing the location of the proposed project in relation to other natural areas in the surrounding area.
- A copy of your organization's IRS determination letter.
- A copy of your organization's most recent Illinois Charitable Organization Annual Report.
- A copy of your organization's current year summary budget.
Step 5:
Step 6: Review and submit your Online Letter of Inquiry Application. You will have an opportunity to review your materials before submitting your application. After you hit "Submit," you will receive an e-mail confirmation. If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation, please check your spam or junk folders for the message. If it is not there, please call the Natural Areas Program Area Officer at 312-372-5191 to ensure that we have received it.
Step 7: You may receive a follow-up e-mail or telephone call from the Foundation with additional questions regarding your funding request.
Step 8: You will be notified in approximately two months from the receipt of your application of the Foundation's decision on your LOI Application. After two months, some applicants will be asked to submit Full Proposals (also online), others will be asked to submit Full Proposals at lesser amounts than originally requested and some may be declined altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions related to the Foundation's Land Acquisition Grant Program.
ICECF Online Application Tutorial