Landmarks Illinois Awards First Two $10,000 Matching Grants from Its New Leeks Fund: Two Chicago West Side Organizations Funded, Grants of $500 to $10,000 on a 3-to-1 Match
Chicago, Illinois — Landmarks Illinois, a nonprofit historic preservation organization, announced on November 10, 2026, the first recipients of its new Charles Leeks Grant Fund for Chicago West Side, with two organizations receiving $10,000 each.
Austin Coming Together, a member-based community organization, received $10,000 to support pre-development work for preservation efforts at the J.J. Walser House in Austin.
Lawndale Christian Health Center, a community-based nonprofit healthcare organization, received $10,000 to complete priority repairs at the historic Route 66 Castle Car Wash in North Lawndale.
The fund provides grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 each, awarded on a 3-to-1 matching basis, the organization said.
Eligible applicants are commercial property owners, business owners and nonprofit organizations, including community organizations, faith-based groups and educational institutions, that own or hold legal control over an eligible property.
Projects must be located within one of 10 officially recognized West Side community areas, including Austin, Belmont Cragin, East Garfield Park, Hermosa, Humboldt Park, Lower West Side, Montclare, North Lawndale, South Lawndale and West Garfield Park.
Application deadlines are January 1 and July 1, according to the organization.
The fund is made possible thanks to a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based historic preservation nonprofit founded in 1971.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：芝加哥西区加菲尔德公园温室的玻璃温室建筑。Olivier Bruchez from Lausanne, Switzerland 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons / Photo: Garfield Park Conservatory (Chicago) (37397780744). By Olivier Bruchez from Lausanne, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
