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Illinois Cemetery Relief Fund Grant
Launched in August 2025, IDFPR’s Cemetery Relief Fund Grant Program helps support the cleanup, restoration, and maintenance of cemeteries that have been abandoned, neglected, or are otherwise in need of additional care. The program provides funding to eligible units of local government and not-for-profit organizations, including not-for-profit cemetery authorities, to help preserve these important places of remembrance.
For Fiscal Year 2027, the program will offer 20 grants of up to $30,000 each, doubling the number of grants available during its inaugural year and increasing the maximum award amount. Applications will open October 19, 2026, and close December 1, 2026. Eligible entities are encouraged to review the program requirements and submit an application through the online application portal during the application period.
Popular Links
Definitions
- Abandoned - cemeteries in Illinois are considered abandoned when there have been no internments for five (5) to 10 years and the cemetery has been exempt from property taxes during that period, or when there is no cemetery authority to care for the land.
- Permission - permission must be obtained from the landowner if an entity applying for a grant does not own the cemetery. If there is uncertainty about who owns the land, visit the recorder of deeds in the county courthouse where the cemetery is located.
Acts And Rules
Application Video Guides
Contact Information
Additional Resources
- Illinois GATA Grantee Portal
- Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA)
- SAM.gov
- Illinois GATA's Guide for Accessing SAM
- Illinois Grant Management Support by AmpliFund
- Illinois GATA Resource Library
- IDFPR | First Recipients of IDFPR’s Cemetery Relief Fund Grants Making Strides to Restore Abandoned and Neglected Cemeteries
