The McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program 2027 is now open for applications from eligible Chicago-based organizations working to improve opportunities and outcomes for young people.

Through the 2027 grant cycle, McDonald’s is committing an additional $4 million to support local nonprofit organizations addressing two important challenges affecting young people in underserved Chicago communities: workforce readiness and development and food access and insecurity.

Selected organizations can receive project-based grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, with up to 25 grants expected to be awarded. The initiative is designed to support programs that create measurable improvements in the lives of young people between the ages of 16 and 24.

Applications opened on September 1, 2026, and the application deadline is September 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Time (CT).

Overview of the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants 2027

McDonald’s has a longstanding connection to Chicago, where the company is headquartered. Through its community investment efforts, the company supports programs intended to strengthen communities, expand access to opportunity and address pressing local challenges.

The Chicago Community Impact Grants Program was launched in 2022 in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust. Since its launch, McDonald’s reports that it has invested more than $12 million in support of local organizations and reached more than 100,000 people across Chicago.

For the 2027 cycle, McDonald’s is providing an additional $4 million to continue supporting organizations that are creating meaningful change in Chicago.

The 2027 initiative places particular emphasis on empowering young people and helping them overcome barriers that can prevent them from accessing education, employment, economic opportunity and adequate food.

The program is organized around two major priorities:

1. Fostering Communities: Pathways to Empowerment
2. Feeding Futures: Food Access and Insecurity

Organizations applying for funding should ensure that their proposed project clearly aligns with at least one of these priority areas.

1. Fostering Communities: Pathways to Empowerment

The first priority area focuses on workforce readiness and development for youth ages 16–24.

McDonald’s recognizes that young people do not all follow the same pathway to employment and economic success. Some face significant barriers involving transportation, financial knowledge, access to professional networks, mentorship, training and exposure to potential careers.

Through the Fostering Communities priority, the grant program seeks to support organizations implementing programs that take a holistic approach to removing these barriers.

The goal is not simply to provide young people with short-term activities. Rather, supported programs should help participants develop the knowledge, skills, experience and support systems they need to move toward meaningful employment and long-term economic opportunity.

What types of workforce programs can be funded?

Eligible organizations may request funding for direct workforce-readiness services and initiatives such as:

• Apprenticeships that provide young people with practical, hands-on work experience.
• Pre-employment training designed to prepare participants for entering the workforce.
• Post-employment training that helps young workers strengthen their skills and succeed after securing employment.
• Career exposure opportunities that introduce young people to different industries, occupations, professional environments and career pathways.
• Other workforce development activities that directly contribute to improving employment readiness and access to opportunity.

The emphasis is on programs that provide practical benefits and can demonstrate meaningful outcomes for young participants.

Holistic support services

The program also recognizes that workforce participation can be affected by challenges outside the classroom or workplace.

Consequently, applicants may include funding requests for holistic support services that directly strengthen their core workforce programming.

Examples include:

Transportation and mobility assistance

Transportation can be a significant barrier for young people attempting to participate in training, apprenticeships, interviews, internships or employment.

Organizations may therefore incorporate transportation or mobility support where it directly contributes to successful participation in their workforce programs.

Financial literacy education

Financial literacy can help young people better understand budgeting, saving, responsible financial decision-making and other issues associated with economic independence.

Programs may incorporate financial literacy when it directly supports their broader workforce-readiness objectives.

Mentorship and coaching

Mentorship and coaching can provide participants with guidance, encouragement, professional insight and accountability as they navigate education, training and employment pathways.

Applicants can therefore include appropriate mentoring and coaching components as part of a broader workforce development program.

The key consideration is that these support services should directly enhance the organization’s core workforce programming, rather than operate as unrelated activities.

2. Feeding Futures: Food Access and Insecurity

The second priority area focuses on food access and food insecurity among youth ages 16–24 in underserved communities.

As a global food company, McDonald’s states that it seeks to play a positive role in the communities it serves, including through initiatives that improve access to food.

The Feeding Futures priority is intended to support organizations developing practical responses to food insecurity and barriers to accessing food.

Programs can focus on providing direct food assistance, expanding local food production, improving access to food in underserved neighborhoods or developing community-led approaches to addressing systemic barriers.

Examples of eligible food-access initiatives

Funding may support programs such as:

• Food banks and food pantries that provide consistent access to nutritious food and meals.
• Community gardens that promote local food production and community participation.
• Urban farms that expand local food production and improve food availability.
• Mobile markets that bring food to neighborhoods experiencing limited access to grocery stores and other food sources.
• Community-led solutions designed to remove systemic barriers to food access.
• Other direct services and initiatives that align with the program’s food access and food insecurity objectives for young people ages 16–24.

Organizations should demonstrate how their proposed project addresses an identifiable food-access challenge and how young people in underserved Chicago communities will benefit.

Who Should Apply for the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants?

The program is designed for Chicago-based organizations serving young people ages 16–24 through programs aligned with one of the two priority areas.

Applicants should not simply demonstrate that they work with young people. Their proposed project must have a clear connection to either:

• Workforce readiness and development; or
• Food access and food insecurity.

Organizations should also be able to demonstrate that they have the experience, systems and financial capacity necessary to responsibly manage grant funding and implement the proposed project.

Grant Eligibility and Selection Criteria

McDonald’s has established several criteria that applicants must satisfy.

1. Serve youth ages 16–24

Applicants must operate programs serving young people between the ages of 16 and 24.

The proposed program should clearly demonstrate how it will benefit this population and how it aligns with one of the two focus areas.

2. Demonstrate measurable impact

Applicants should have a track record of delivering programs that produce meaningful outcomes.

Organizations should be able to demonstrate evidence of:

• Successful program delivery.
• Positive outcomes for participants.
• Measurable community impact.
• Effective engagement with the communities they serve.

A strong application should therefore go beyond describing activities and explain what changes the organization has achieved or expects to achieve.

3. Demonstrate organizational and financial capacity

Organizations must have the organizational and financial systems necessary to successfully implement and manage the proposed project.

This means applicants should be able to demonstrate responsible stewardship of resources and the ability to administer grant funding effectively.

4. Maintain strong community relationships

Applicants should have established relationships within the communities they serve.

McDonald’s is looking for organizations with credibility and a reputation for:

• Responsible stewardship.
• Integrity.
• Community service.
• Meaningful community engagement.
• Positive relationships with the populations they serve.

How McDonald’s Will Evaluate Applications

This is a competitive grantmaking process. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

Eligible applications will be reviewed, evaluated and scored using the program’s published criteria.

Several major factors will influence the assessment.

Financial Health

McDonald’s will consider the organization’s:

• Financial stability.
• Stewardship of resources.
• Funding diversity.
• Ability to sustain its operations.
• Capacity to effectively implement the proposed program.

Applicants should therefore present a credible picture of their financial health and demonstrate that they can responsibly manage the proposed grant.

Program Alignment

The proposed project must demonstrate strong alignment with one of the two 2027 priorities:

• Feeding Futures: Food Access and Insecurity, or
• Fostering Communities: Pathways to Empowerment.

A proposal that does not clearly connect its activities and intended outcomes to these priorities is likely to be less competitive.

Impact

McDonald’s will assess the organization’s ability to demonstrate meaningful and measurable outcomes.

Applicants should clearly explain:

• Who will benefit.
• What problem the project addresses.
• What activities will be implemented.
• How many people are expected to benefit.
• What outcomes are expected.
• How progress and success will be measured.

Organizational Brand and Reputational Risk

McDonald’s will also consider an organization’s credibility, community reputation and alignment with its values and community-impact priorities.

This means applicants should demonstrate that they are trusted organizations with a responsible approach to serving their communities.

How Much Funding Is Available?

The 2027 Chicago Community Impact Grants Program will provide $4 million in additional funding.

Individual grant awards will range from:

• Minimum grant: $50,000
• Maximum grant: $200,000

The final amount awarded to each organization will depend on the strength of its application and its alignment with the goals of the Chicago Community Impact Grants Program.

McDonald’s expects to award up to 25 grants.

Importantly, this is a competitive process. Being eligible does not mean an organization will automatically receive funding.

Funding decisions will take into consideration factors including:

• Alignment with the program’s focus areas.
• Expected community impact.
• Financial health.
• Organizational capacity.
• Geographic focus.
• Community credibility.
• Overall application strength.
• The strength and feasibility of the proposed project.

What Makes an Application Competitive?

Because funding is competitive, organizations should avoid treating the application as simply a request for financial assistance.

A strong application should demonstrate a clear connection between the organization’s existing work, the proposed project and the objectives of the grant program.

Applicants should consider emphasizing the following areas.

Clearly define the problem

Explain the specific challenge affecting youth ages 16–24 in the Chicago community being served.

For a workforce proposal, this could involve barriers to employment, limited career exposure, inadequate job-readiness skills or other obstacles to opportunity.

For a food-access proposal, the organization should clearly explain the food insecurity or food-access challenge affecting the target population.

Demonstrate evidence of impact

Provide concrete evidence of previous results wherever possible.

Organizations should demonstrate that they have experience implementing effective programs and achieving measurable outcomes.

Connect every activity to the priority area

The proposed activities should have a direct relationship to either workforce development or food access.

Avoid including activities simply because they are generally beneficial to young people. The proposal should explain why each major activity is necessary to achieve the project’s intended outcomes.

Present a realistic implementation plan

Explain how the organization will use the grant to implement the project.

The proposal should demonstrate that the organization has the people, partnerships, systems and experience required to execute the program successfully.

Demonstrate financial responsibility

Since financial health and stewardship are part of the evaluation process, organizations should ensure that their financial information and proposed use of funds are clear, credible and responsible.

Important Application Dates for the 2027 Grant Cycle

Organizations interested in the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program should pay close attention to the following dates:

Important date	Details
September 1, 2026	Applications open
September 10, 2026	Informational Webinar
September 30, 2026	Application deadline
11:59 PM CT	Application closing time

Application deadline

The final deadline to apply is September 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Time (CT).

Organizations should avoid waiting until the final hours to submit their applications. Applicants should allow sufficient time to review their responses, confirm supporting information and ensure the application is successfully submitted before the deadline.

McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Informational Webinar

McDonald’s will host an Informational Webinar on September 10, 2026 to provide additional information and help interested organizations prepare their applications.

Organizations considering applying are encouraged to participate in the webinar to better understand the grant opportunity and application process.

Prospective applicants should use the webinar as the primary source of additional clarification because McDonald’s states that, in order to maintain a fair application process, the Community Impact Team will not conduct preliminary or informational calls with prospective applicants.

How to Apply for the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants 2027

Eligible organizations can submit their applications through the official application platform.

Application: Apply for the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants 2027

Before submitting, organizations should carefully review the grant priorities and ensure that their proposed project fits within either the workforce-readiness or food-access focus.

Applicants should also ensure that their organization can demonstrate the required program experience, measurable impact, organizational capacity, financial health and community credibility.

Questions About the Grant Program

Applicants who have questions should consult the official McDonald’s grant resources and informational webinar.

The program provides a designated Community Impact Team email for questions:

community@mcd.com

However, applicants should note that McDonald’s has stated that it will not conduct preliminary or informational calls with prospective applicants. This is intended to maintain a fair application process for all organizations.

Why This Grant Opportunity Matters for Chicago Nonprofits

The McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program represents a significant funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations working directly with young people in Chicago.

The $50,000–$200,000 grant range can provide substantial project-based support for organizations that already have the infrastructure and community relationships needed to deliver effective programs.

The two priority areas also address major issues that can have long-term consequences for young people.

Workforce readiness can help young people develop skills, gain practical experience, explore career pathways and overcome barriers to employment.

Food-access initiatives can help address immediate food insecurity while also supporting longer-term community solutions such as urban agriculture, community gardens, mobile markets and community-led food systems.

By focusing specifically on youth ages 16–24, the program seeks to support young people during an important period of education, workforce entry and transition toward greater economic independence.

Key Facts About the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants 2027

• Program: McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program 2027
• Funder: McDonald’s
• Community partner: The Chicago Community Trust
• Total additional funding: $4 million
• Grant size: $50,000–$200,000
• Number of grants: Up to 25
• Target population: Youth ages 16–24
• Geographic focus: Chicago
• Priority area 1: Workforce readiness and development
• Priority area 2: Food access and food insecurity
• Application opening: September 1, 2026
• Informational Webinar: September 10, 2026
• Application deadline: September 30, 2026
• Deadline time: 11:59 PM Central Time
• Application: Official McDonald’s/Benevity application portal

Visit HERE for more information about the McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program.

Conclusion

The McDonald’s Chicago Community Impact Grants Program 2027 provides an important funding opportunity for Chicago-based organizations working to improve the lives of young people ages 16–24.

With $4 million in additional funding available and individual grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, the program has the potential to strengthen organizations delivering practical solutions to two major community challenges: preparing young people for employment and improving access to food.

Organizations working on apprenticeships, employment training, career exposure, mentorship, financial literacy and related workforce initiatives may find a strong fit under Fostering Communities: Pathways to Empowerment. Organizations addressing food insecurity through food banks, community gardens, urban farms, mobile markets and community-led solutions may be well aligned with Feeding Futures: Food Access and Insecurity.

However, applicants should remember that this is a competitive grant program. Funding is not guaranteed simply because an organization meets the basic eligibility requirements. The strongest applications are expected to demonstrate clear program alignment, measurable impact, financial health, organizational capacity, community credibility and a realistic plan for delivering results.

Eligible Chicago organizations should therefore begin preparing early, carefully align their proposals with the appropriate priority area and ensure that their application demonstrates the organization’s ability to create measurable benefits for young people.

The deadline to apply is September 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM CT.

Discover more global Grant opportunities on OFY.