Open - 2026 fall application cycle for Chicago Public Schools high-school learning environment equity projects. Deadline November 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CST.
Illinois – McDougal Family Foundation 2026-27 Strengthening Learning Environments for Equity Grants (November 20 Deadline)
FundingIndividual applicant award maximum and range not published by the McDougal Family Foundation. Do not substitute total annual foundation grantmaking or past recipient amounts for a published cap.
DeadlineNovember 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CST for February 2027 awards. Separate subsequent application deadline: April 16, 2027, at 5:00 p.m. CST, for July 2027 awards.
Last verified2026-10-27
Required next actionReview McDougal Family Foundation Strengthening Learning Environments for Equity guidelines at https://www.mcdougalfamilyfdn.org/education, confirm a specific Chicago Public Schools high school or school-level organizational partner serving priority students, and submit the application via the official GrantInterface portal by November 20, 2026, at 5 p.m. CST. Describe system-level school improvements, evidence, measurable student outcomes, leadership, budget, and prior-grant report when applicable.
Broad Eligibility
Organizations and schools proposing systemic educational improvements in Chicago Public Schools high schools, especially those serving higher shares of African American, Latinx and low-income students. Projects must improve school practices and student academic outcomes, not merely provide student-focused enrichment. Applicant legal qualification and submission specifics should be confirmed in the official GrantInterface portal.
Atlas Analysis
Fully researched October 27, 2026 against official McDougal Family Foundation Education program and Apply instructions. Genuine philanthropic financial assistance, not procurement. Controlling official page confirms November 20 2026 5 p.m. CST deadline, Chicago Public Schools high school focus, teacher quality/representation, evidence-based school-wide practices, evaluation, and exclusions for endowment, capital, debt, religious/political purposes and purely student enrichment. No universal per-applicant award cap, match percentage or reimbursement requirement is stated; explicitly disclosed as unpublished. Online GrantInterface application; February 2027 decision. Successful grantees submit final report and existing grantees may need 10-month final report upon reapplication. Scope limited to CPS high schools, not all Illinois schools.
Applications due November 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The McDougal Family Foundation supports the Strengthening Learning Environments for Equity program, focusing on high-school learning environments that advance equitable outcomes for African American and Latinx students in Chicago Public Schools. The funder does not publish a universal dollar maximum for an individual applicant award; applicants should seek an amount supported by a defensible program budget, rather than use prior grants or total foundation funding as a cap.
Eligible program focus: Organizations or schools with projects supporting CPS high schools serving high percentages of African American, Latinx and low-income students, including initiatives to strengthen school-wide teaching practices and students’ academic mindsets; increase and retain effective, culturally representative teachers; or develop and test policies that improve school environments, student experiences and academic outcomes. Priority goes to sustainable school-level capacity, innovative models tested across multiple schools, clear evaluation measures and evidence of student academic impact. Applicants must ensure eligibility through the foundation’s application portal.
Exclusions and restrictions: The foundation expressly excludes endowments, capital campaigns and projects, debt or deficit reduction, religious or political purposes, and activities focused only on individual student enrichment rather than systemic school environment improvements. Applicants should align costs with educational improvement objectives. The public funder guidance does not announce a universal cash matching ratio, reimbursement requirement, fixed award ceiling or standard minimum; applicants must confirm individual grant terms with the foundation.
How to apply: Review the funder’s current education grant instructions, complete the online application through its linked GrantInterface portal, and supply a program description, school-level theory of change, budget and evaluation approach as requested in the portal. The November 20, 2026, 5 p.m. CST deadline applies to the February 2027 decision cycle. A separate spring cycle closes April 16, 2027, at 5 p.m. CST with decisions in July 2027. Successful grantees submit a final report; returning grantees should follow the published 10-month report policy. This is philanthropic grant support, not a government procurement contract.
Source verificationReferenced source · www.mcdougalfamilyfdn.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-27. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
