Professional Development and Organizational Vitality Grants

Professional Development and Organizational Vitality Grants is sponsored by Driehaus Foundation. Provides grants to nonprofit organizations in Illinois for staff training and organizational development to enhance community engagement and effectiveness.

2025 Professional Development and… | Driehaus Foundation 2025 Professional Development and Organizational Vitality Grants Chicago Tap Allstars artists take a bow during Dance for Life Chicago 2023 at the Auditorium Theatre. Chicago Tap Theatre is a recipient of both a professional development and organizational vitality grant, as well as a grant from the Foundation in support of its Chicago Tap Allstars program.

Photo credit: Michelle Reid Photography The Foundation is proud to announce 63 new Professional Development and Organizational Vitality grants to support organizations working in the areas of the Built Environment, Arts and Culture, and Investigative Journalism for Government Accountability.

These grants, totaling over $240,000, are dedicated to supporting opportunities for capacity-building and skill enhancement, as well as to nurturing and strengthening the well-being of those working within their organizations. Congratulations to all the grant recipients!

$4,000 for registration and travel costs for two staff members to attend the 2026 TCG conference Access Contemporary Music $4,000 to hire a consultant to develop an audience development plan for the CheckOut Active Transportation Alliance $4,000 to hire a consultant from MajorDonors.

com for major gift training and coaching Advocates for Urban Agriculture $4,000 for staff to take capacity building courses in policy analysis, development, fiscal management $4,000 for participation and travel fees to attend Warm Data Lab training with the International Bateson Institute in 2026 to improve community engagement $4,000 for ongoing quarterly staff training with Crossroads on antiracism organizing Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation $4,000 for conference and travel fees for four APIAHiP staff to attend the 2026 National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Forum in Minneapolis Association for Preservation Technology International $4,000 for a technology audit and new system recommendations along with support for data migration Better Government Association $4,000 for two all-staff trainings sessions with Praxis on racial and gender equity work Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago $4,000 for consultant, material, and retreat fees for board development training on governance and resource development $4,000 for conference and travel fees for three staff members to attend the Knight Media Forum, LenFest Summit, and INN Days $4,000 for registration and travel costs for the chief of staff to attend Entrepreneurial Operating System training to improve management skills $4,000 for memberships to Investigative Reporters and Editors and registration and travel fees for three staff reporters to attend its spring 2026 conference $4,000 for Business Affiliate membership to the League of Chicago Theatres and consultant fees for public relations training for the marketing team Chicago Artists Coalition $4,000 for conference registration and travel fees for three staff members to attend the Artists Community Alliance conference in December in Santa Fe, NM Chicago Cultural Alliance $3,926 for travel and registration costs for three staff to attend the Nov 2025 One State Conference and consultant facilitator fees for the 2026 staff retreat Chicago Dancemakers Forum $3,500 for fees for 16 weeks of leadership and professional strengths coaching for CDF executive director Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble $4,000 for consultant fees for marketing assessment and updated communication and media relations strategy and plans Chicago Human Rhythm Project $4,000 for program fees for founding director to attend the Crain's Chicago Business - University of Chicago sponsored Chicago Leadership Circle program $4,000 for travel and related expenses for two audience services staff members to attend 2026 Tessitura Learning & Community Conference in Washington, D.

C. Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival $4,000 for registration and travel costs for the Executive and Artistic Directors to attend the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival $4,000 for registration fees for staff to attend Society for Human Resource Management, Main Street Now, and Assoc.

of Alternative Newsmedia conferences Chicago Sculpture International $4,000 for registration and travel costs for three board members to attend the 2026 International Sculpture Center conference $4,000 for fees for a consultant to provide 12 hours of intensive artistic and pedagogical mentorship to staff leadership team $4,000 as fiscal sponsor for Cicero Independiente, for fees for an immigration law expert to provide training/coaching on immigration law and policy issues $4,000 for fees for instruction and coaching to build the artistic and organizational capacity of four staff members Congress for the New Urbanism $4,000 for conference and course fees for the co-leadership team to build leadership, management, and external partnership skills $4,000 for travel and registration costs for three staff members to attend the 2026 PolicyLink Conference in Washington D.

C.

Experimental Sound Studio $3,000 for travel and registration fees for the technical director to attend the 10th Annual Superbooth Conference in 2026 in Berlin, Germany Experimental Sound Studio $4,000 as fiscal sponsor for Shruti Box, to hire a consultant to guide the development of a new marketing/communications strategy $4,000 to hire Joffee Emergency Services to provide safety and security training for FACETS front and house and administrative staff $3,000 to hire a marketing consultant to guide the development of a mission driven communications strategy and plan $2,328 as fiscal sponsor for wrkSHap kiloWatt, for travel & registration for the program director to attend the National Assoc.

for Interpretation conference Friends of the Chicago River $2,100 for travel and registration costs for the volunteer manager to attend the 2026 River Rally in San Antonio, TX $4,000 to hire a consultant to give technical assistance to the communications director on developing website communications strategy $4,000 for workshop and course fees for the leadership team to build skills in organizational management, leadership, communications, and fundraising $3,750 for human resources and fundraising course fees to develop needed managing director competencies Historic Pullman Foundation $3,155 for consultant fees for advanced DonorPerfect training and NPS 101 training: How to be a National Park Friends Group for board and staff members Hyde Park School of Dance $2,710 for continuing education course and professional re-certification fees dance faculty and somatic wellness sessions for the school team $3,400 for fees for an annual subscription to the Udemy learning platform and a resource development consultant Institute of Classical Architecture and Art $4,000 for consultant fees for board training in resource development Investigative Project on Race and Equity $4,000 to hire an organizational culture coach to lead all staff workshops on race, equity, and team development $4,000 for tuition fees for two staff members to take a Nonprofit Leadership Excellence course and a Sustainable Cities and Communities certificate course Latinos in Heritage Conservation League of Chicago Theatres Foundation $4,000 for registration and lodging costs for five directors to attend the 2026 Theatre Communications Group National Conference Mandala South Asian Performing Arts $4,000 for consultant fees for instruction and technical assistance to develop marketing collateral for targeted audiences $4,000 for travel costs for two staff members to meet with cultural organizations in Buenos Aires to develop thematic collaborations $4,000 for attendance and travel costs for leadership staff to attend the 6th annual Greaves Filmmaker Seminar in Palo Alta, CA $4,000 for tuition fees for vice president of Policy and Land Conservation to attend the 2025 Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago $4,000 for travel and registration costs for three staff members to attend the 2026 Saving Places Conference in Denver $1,500 for six one-on-one sessions with a writing coach for Illinois-based reporters $4,000 for consultant fees to coach and train team members on communications and marketing strategy and practices $3,900 for expenses and consultant fees for board training and development retreat for the entire board and staff Rivendell Theatre Ensemble $4,000 for consultant fees for fundraising consultant to train board and staff on comprehensive resource development strategies and methods South Side Community Art Center $4,000 for workshop and consultant fees for four staff members to improve skills in fundraising, collection management, and program planning and evaluation Stories Matter Foundation $4,000 to hire an HR consultant to audit and help improve and systematize HR policies and procedures $4,000 for travel, materials, and consultant costs for a messaging and placement workshop at the Strong Towns annual team retreat in Orlando, Florida $4,000 for costs for ten site field research sessions and prototype workshops for staff in Chicago $4,000 for fees for professional association memberships and workshops, a consultant, and subscription to e-learning regulatory compliance training $4,000 for fees for Conscious Ambassador Trauma Informed Care training for staff The Richard H.

Driehaus Foundation names Cindy Chan Roubik its new Senior Program Director for the Built Environment Letter from the President and Executive Director Investigative Journalism for Government Accountability