This application is for the purpose of obtaining a Local Hunger Partner Grant awarded by Church World Service as a result of funds generated from the Chicago CROP Hunger Walk. Grant awards are based on a percentage of CROP Hunger Walk income, which totals 25% of Walk proceeds. Typically each partner receives about 5-7%. Qualified partners will be selected based on their hunger fighting initiatives in the Chicago community and their commitment to the promotion and success of the CROP Hunger Walk. The 2026 Chicago CROP Hunger Walk is planned for the third Sunday in October (10/18/26) at First Immanuel Lutheran Church at 1124 S. Ashland Ave. with a remote option.
Application Guidelines
Agency projects must be ecumenically sponsored or approved.
Grants must be used for hunger or hunger-related programs.
Applicant must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt agency. If the agency is not tax-exempt, it must be sponsored by a tax-exempt agency or church that is responsible for proper use of the funds.
Deadline for grant submission: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Unsolicited grant proposals are welcomed.
Applications will be reviewed at the Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Planning Committee meeting online at 7:00pm; attendance is strongly encouraged. (Meeting link will be provided on homepage by date.)
Expectations
An partner representative must take an active role on the planning committee, attending pre-Walk meetings or conference calls, a Rally Day event, plus Evaluation meeting(s).
The partner will help recruit participants and volunteers to assist in the event.
The partner will use its resources to help promote the Chicago CROP Hunger Walk. Examples of how agencies have helped promote the event include: articles in agency newsletters, CROP Hunger Walk buck slips in letters and donation acknowledgements, donation of media time/ad space, recruitment of walkers and business sponsors, phone calls, circulation and posting of CROP Hunger Walk materials, mention of the event during interviews, encouragement of ministerial support, mention in online or email campaigns with links to the Chicago CROP Hunger Walk website and Facebook page, posts on agency social media platforms.
The partner must be prepared to submit general information and at least one photo and story of their hunger program in action for publicity purposes.
On CROP Hunger Walk day, the partner must provide at least 5 volunteers to cover a specific assignment. Assignments will be given in September and will include one or more of the following: a.) marking the route (vehicle needed), b.) staffing a rest stop c.) unmarking the route, d.) clean-up, e.) cheering section along route, f.) and other, as needed.
Approval
The Chicago CROP Hunger Walk Committee will select the Local Hunger Agency Grant recipients of funds raised at the annual CROP event. Final approval for each agency will be granted by the national office of Church World Service and initial grants distributed by January, 2027.
For Additional Information
Nick Gliha (he/him)
Community Engagement Specialist
Church World Service
ngliha@cwsglobal.org | 312-720-6420 | Central Time
Charles Gunn
Chicago CROP Hunger Walk Coordinator chicagocrop@gmail.com | 312-927-8563
About Church World Service:
Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations, providing self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in near 80 countries. Within the United States, Church World Service assists communities in responding to disasters, resettles refugees, promotes fair national and international policies, provides educational resources, and offers opportunities to join a people-to-people network of local and global caring through participation in CROP Hunger Walks, the Blankets+ Program, and the CWS Kits Program.
