Champaign/Urbana IL – The Urbana Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) Community Benefit Fund is accepting applications focusing on improving digital inclusion and digital equity for low- to moderate-income people in the Champaign -Urbana area. In 2018, The UC2B Board anticipates awarding a total of up to $150,000 (collectively) in grants to community-based applicants. Single grants between $2,000 and $25,000 are encouraged, though applicants will not be limited to that range. In this first year of the Community Benefit Fund Grant Program, the UC2B board hopes to allocate up to $100,000 (in total) to cover one-time expenditures and up to $50,000 (in total) for recurring, multi-year expenditures.
- All applicants are encouraged to attend the Technical Assistance Application Training on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at Stratton Elementary School (902 N. Randolph St, Champaign) from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm.
- All applications must be submitted electronically as an email attachment sent to the following email address: cbfappl2018@uc2b.net Deadline for submission of this application is Wednesday, November 15, at midnight Central Time.
- UC2B board members will select winning grant applications by mid-December and funding will be disbursed beginning January 15, 2018.
You may download an application to apply for a grant as well as find instructions here.
For additional questions concerning the grant documentation and review process please contact Paul Hixson, Community Benefit Fund (CBF) Committee Chair at (217) 377-0559 or hixson AT uc2b DOT net.
The founding director of the Center for Digital Inclusion, Jon Gant, worked long and hard with many others to create the organizational infrastructure for UC2B. While Dr. Gant has left Illinois, the efforts by numerous committed folks are now visible in the Community Benefit Fund.
