League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd now accepting applications for the 2020 Powering the Arts grant program

Grants assist local arts and cultural institutions reach new and diverse audiences

Applications due 5 p.m. March 13, 2020

The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd are now accepting applications for the 2020 ComEd Powering the Arts grant program to help local arts institutions reach audiences that otherwise would not have access to the arts. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to nonprofit arts and cultural institutions located within ComEd’s service territory in northern Illinois. Eligibility details and applications are available at LeagueOfChicagoTheatres.org/ComEdPoweringTheArts/ and due by 5 p.m. Central time Friday, March 13, 2020. 

Recognizing that access to art is crucial to the quality of our lives, ComEd partnered with the League of Chicago Theatres in 2018 to commit to supporting cultural institutions in northern Illinois in their efforts to reach new and diverse audiences in ComEd communities. The ComEd Powering the Arts Program provides funding for some expenses toward these goals. Through this program ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres look to reach audiences that have been unable to access the richness of cultural offerings available throughout the ComEd service area.

In 2019 ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres awarded a total of more than $100,000 in grants to 13 non-profit arts organizations throughout northern Illinois. From local performing arts troupes to galleries and theatres, each grantee proposed a unique project to support the expansion of arts and cultural offerings for new audiences in the communities ComEd serves.

The 13 ComEd Powering the Arts Program grant recipients for 2019 were: Citadel Theatre (Lake Forest), Shattered Globe Theatre (Chicago – Lakeview), Adventure Stage Chicago (Chicago – West Town), Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (Chicago – Loop), Esperanza Community Services (Chicago – West Town), Repertorio Latino Theater (Chicago – Bridgeport), Warehouse Project & Gallery (Summit), Chimera Ensemble (Chicago – Wicker Park), CircEsteem Inc. (Chicago – Uptown), Experimental Station (Chicago – Woodlawn), Faubourg Theatre (Hanover Park), Elmhurst Choral Union (Elmhurst), and Side Street Studio Arts (Elgin).

Program Guidelines
Eligible Powering the Arts applicants are nonprofit arts and cultural institutions located within ComEd’s service territory in the following counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago and Woodford. Projects located outside the ComEd service territory boundaries are unable to be funded. Schools, school districts, governments, and government run organizations are not eligible to apply. Eligible applicants must be in good standing with ComEd related to provision of utilities and cannot have previously received grant/sponsorship funding from ComEd or Exelon within the past two years. 2019 Powering the Arts grant recipients are not eligible to apply. 

Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate the ability to reach significant numbers of new and diverse audiences and commit to retaining the underserved audiences after the funding period ends. Powering the Arts grants will be for amounts up to $10,000 and may be used to pay for up to 75 percent of eligible activities. The grantee must have either secured a source of matching funds or have submitted a pending application for such funds. Applicants awarded funds for their projects will be expected to fully expend the grant award within 12 months of receiving funds. A final grant report is due within two months of the full expenditure of funds.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.  Applications will be reviewed and ranked by an advisory committee composed of members of the region's nonprofit arts and culture community. Final decisions on awards are at the discretion of ComEd and will be announced by late June or early July 2020.

Additional information on the ComEd Powering the Arts Program can be found at: LeagueOfChicagoTheatres.org/ComEdPoweringTheArts/.

About ComEd 
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement 
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to support, promote, and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.   

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State).