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Questions about the ComEd Green Region Grant? Get in touch with us here.
A Guide to Assist Applicants for a ComEd Green Region Grant
Find answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
ComEd Green Region Grant Info
General Questions
What is the deadline to submit applications?
The submission deadline is March 28, 2025. The online system will close at 5 pm Central Time on this date.
When will we be notified if our application was approved for a grant?
By early July a notification will be sent to the contact person listed on your application.
What attachments are required with the application?
The application requires a project budget using this template, the applicant’s completed W-9, and a list of secured matching funds.
Eligibility Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, and housing authorities with a letter of support (see below), townships, counties, park districts, conservation districts, forest preserve districts, and municipalities-including municipal entities such as water reclamation districts- within ComEd’s service territory (please see map) 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. Please check that your proposed project site is in the service territory and you are a ComEd customer before applying.
What is needed for a letter of support?
Non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, and housing authorities need a letter of support meeting these criteria to apply:
- On the letterhead of your township, county, park district, conservation district, forest preserve district, or municipality-including municipal entities such as water reclamation districts-providing the letter of support.
- State that the government agency has reviewed your ComEd Green Region project proposal and finds it satisfies the Program Guidelines.
- State that the project would benefit public open space and the government agency fully supports your application for the ComEd Green Region Grant .
- Signed by an authorized agent of the government agency providing the letter of support.
- NOTE: If a non-profit is applying for a project on land they do not own, their letter of support must be from the landowning entity
Can I apply if I applied in past years and received funding?
Applicants are eligible to reapply if they have fully completed their grant requirements, including, but not limited to, submitting their final grant report with all required attachments (photos, final budget, expense reports, etc.). Preference will be given to projects that have not previously received funding. To that end, past grantees will not be eligible if they have won grants in the last two of three or the last three of four cycles that they were eligible for. For example, if an applicant had won grants in 2019, 2021 and 2023, they would not be eligible for this year’s cycle. The year, immediately following a grant award is not considered an eligible cycle for a grantee because of the 18 months given to grantees to complete their final report.
Can I apply for a second phase of a project previously funded by the ComEd Green Region Grant Program?
Yes! Continuing in 2025, applicants can now apply to follow-up on previously funded projects. Before this year, the Green Region grant restricted grantees from applying to work on projects funded by a prior Green Region grant. This restriction is no longer in place and applicants can now apply for funds to follow up on projects funded in previous grant cycles.
Can a non-profit organization apply?
- Yes! Non-profit organizations are now eligible with a letter of support from their township, county, park district, conservation district, forest preserve district, or municipality-including municipal entities such as their water reclamation district. Please see the Eligibility question above, “What is needed for a letter of support.”
NOTE: If a non-profit is applying for a project on land they do not own, their letter of support must be from the landowning entity.
Can other units of government such as school districts or housing authorities apply?
Yes! Other units of government (such as schools, school districts, and housing authorities) are now eligible with a letter of support from their township, county, park district, conservation district, forest preserve district, or municipality-including municipal entities such as their water reclamation district. Please see the Eligibility question above, “What is needed for a letter of support.”
Can a different applicant apply for a different piece of a project that received an award in the previous year?
Yes, there are no limits or waiting periods that apply on a “Project” basis.
Financial Questions
Who will be issued the grant check?
All communication, including notification and distribution of grant funds, will be directed to the contact person listed on your application.
Can we use the funds to pay interns?
No. Interns are considered staff, who cannot be funded through this grant.
Is wetlands restoration eligible?
Yes, as long as they are open to the public and not affiliated with regulatory requirements.
Are environmental education projects eligible?
Yes, signage or kiosks that educate the public may be part of a project application.
What is the matching grant requirement?
Applicants are required to have cash matching funds equal to at least 50% of the amount of funds requested in the application. For instance, if you apply for the full $10,000 grant award, you will need to provide at least $5,000 in matching funds. In-kind services cannot be submitted as match. The matching funds must be secured at the time of application.
New in 2025: This is a reduction in the amount of matching funds required. Previous years required a 1:1 matching funds ratio. The grant award to matching funds ratio is now 1:0.5.
Can the funds be used retroactively?
Retroactive reimbursement for costs accrued between the application deadline and the grant award may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. All requests for such reimbursement must be made in writing to greenregion@openlands.org. It is not guaranteed that such requests will be approved.
Submitting Your Application
How do I submit my application?
Go to this webpage and click “apply now” to be taken to the grant application home page.
How do I create an account to submit my application online?
We use Submittable to accept and review applications. At the bottom of the home page select “Create Your Account.” Once you create your account the application form will be available under the home page.
How do I log in to the online application system?
To sign in with an existing account go here: https://manager.submittable.com/login/ Enter your email address and password. If you do not remember your password, you can use the “Forgot your password?” link on the login form. Or, follow the direct link below to reset your password: https://manager.submittable.com/account/forgotpassword
Can I save my application and return later to finish and submit?
Yes. Applications are saved securely. Only those with your login information and the Green Region Grant Administrator can access your application. You may return to your saved application as many times as you need to before you submit. Login as shown above and select Saved Drafts.
How do I check the status of my application?
You can check the status of your submission by signing in here: https://manager.submittable.com/login and selecting “All Submissions”. If you do not remember your password, you can reset it here: https://manager.submittable.com/account/forgotpassword
What does my submission status mean?
Your Submittable application is marked with one of 3 statuses:
- Received: Your submission has been successfully submitted and is in queue for review.
- In-Progress: Your submission has been received and additionally handled in some way (e.g. assigned to a reviewer)
- Withdrawn: You have withdrawn your submission from consideration.
How do I withdraw my submission?
You can withdraw an active application at any time. Log into your account by going to https://manager.submittable.com/login.
- Choose the All Submissions tab in the main navigation bar.
- Click the name of your project.
- Click the Withdraw link next to the title of the submission you want to withdraw.
- Type a Reason for withdrawal that will be received by the organization from which you’re withdrawing the submission.
- Click the Withdraw button. Your submission status will now be set to Withdrawn.
I am having trouble attaching/uploading file(s) on the submission form. What do I do?
Please review the trouble shooting tips found here.
If I am unable to submit via Submittable, can I submit my application through email?
In certain limited cases, other formats may be accepted. Please contact the Green Region Grant Administrator at greenregion@openlands.org to request approval.
Grantee Questions
What are the next steps after receiving grant funds?
By early August grantees need to submit a Receipt of Funds Letter, and resolution. Once these documents are received, grantees can begin their projects. Grantees have 18 months from receiving the grant funds to fully expend the funds.
What is a Receipt of Funds letter?
A Receipt of Funds letter simply acknowledges that the ComEd Green Region Grant was received by your public agency. The letter should be written on official letterhead, dated and must reference the municipality, grant amount and project title. A sample of Receipt of Funds letter is available here.
What is the resolution requirement?
Please note: The resolution must be completed and approved BEFORE the project begins. All grantees must submit a resolution showing that elected officials of the grantee approved the project and the expenditure of funds necessary for its success. Board meeting minutes are not a substitute for a resolution. A sample resolution is available here.
Where should I send the Receipt of Funds letter and resolution?
Upload your Receipt of Funds Letter and resolution to Submittable or email them to greenregion@openlands.org.
When do I need to submit the grant report?
Grant reports are due two months after the final expenditure of grant funds. All grant funds must be fully expended by 18 months from the time the grant was received.
Where can I find a copy of the grant report form?
The online submission form is available here.
