Funding Guidelines

Funding Guidelines

Please note VNA Foundation is continuing its pause of unsolicited LOIs for FY 2027 as we update our procedures (July 2026 – June 2027). We will share an update about the grantmaking process for FY 2028 on or before May 1, 2027.

For renewal requests, please check the “follow-up section” in your GLM account for eligibility guidelines. Read more about VNA’s renewal process here.

VNA Foundation awards grants to support nonprofit organizations that provide home- and community-based health services to medically underserved populations. Priority will be given to organizations with operating budgets of $30,000,000 or less.

The majority of our grants are made to organizations serving Cook County. Our extremely limited funds mean that, at present, we are generally unable to fund in DuPage Lake, McHenry, Kane, and Will counties except under special circumstances.

We will consider funding program, operating, and capital grants, including indirect costs and salaries that support core staff. Generally, only grant requests of $40,000 or more will be considered, unless smaller grants are required due to organization size or other identifiable factors. We prefer that the requested grant amounts be rounded to the nearest $500. For more information about our funding guidelines, visit our FAQ page.

We approve and disburse grants 4 times per year. See our Funding Overview page to learn about our funding priority areas.

All grants requests must:

  • Have measurable goals and objectives. See our Outcome Measures page for examples.
  • Benefit the medically underserved, uninsured populations, and/or Medicaid recipients.
  • Be submitted by an organization exempt from income tax under sec. 501 (c)(3), and designated as a public charity under section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2), of the Internal Revenue Code. VNA Foundation does not provide grants to section 509(a)(3) “supporting organizations.” As of fall 2024, VNA Foundation also does not fund large hospital or university systems. 
  • Letters of Intent are currently by invite only and must be submitted online and are due by 5:00 p.m. on the dates listed on this page. Hard copies or emailed letters of intent and proposals will not be accepted.
  • Please include your most recent IRS Determination Letter stating your status as a 501(c)(3) organization with a 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) designation.
  • Based upon review of the Letter of Intent, you will either be asked to submit online a complete copy of a full proposal or be advised to look elsewhere for funding.

If your agency received a grant from VNA Foundation between September 2025 and June 2026 and you are interested in renewal funding, a LOI is not required. Instead, visit VNA’s Current Grantee Resources page to learn about the renewal process.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our guidelines or application procedures.

VNA Foundation
C/O Impact House
200 W. Madison St, Suite 300
Chicago, IL, 60606

info@vnafoundation.net

Login to the VNA Grants Management System

Important Deadlines

Letters of Intent, requests to submit a renewal proposal, and proposals must be submitted online, though our Grants Management System, and are due by 5:00 p.m. on the dates listed below.

For Fiscal Year 2027 VNA is temporarily pausing its open LOI process. The below deadlines are for invited submissions only.

Requests to Submit a Renewal Proposal

Application Resources

GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM