The Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants Program

City Bureau and Cook County’s Digital Equity Initiative are partnering to support organizations working to improve access to the internet, technology, and digital literacy resources.

In 2024, City Bureau and Cook County’s Digital Equity Initiative launched the IMPACT Small Grants Program to provide funding and storytelling support to local nonprofits, media organizations, and libraries. These grants help expand internet access, improve digital literacy, and boost the engagement efforts of community-based organizations to make digital skills accessible to everyone in Cook County.

City Bureau’s work is about addressing the barriers to a more just and equitable information ecosystem. When people can’t access a computer, don’t feel comfortable navigating the internet, or lack broadband access—that’s a major roadblock to being informed in an increasingly online world. We can’t have information equity without digital equity.

14 organizations across Suburban Cook County are currently using IMPACT funding to address the digital divide and engage their communities so more people can access the information, devices, and resources they need to live well, be informed, and connect with one other.

Interested in joining the IMPACT cohort?

We’re launching the second-ever round of IMPACT funding in Winter 2025!

To be eligible for funding, applicants should:

Primarily serve communities in Suburban Cook County through their project.
Be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, or fiscally sponsored by one.
Submit a project that aims to 1) address at least one of the cornerstones outlined in Cook County’s Digital Equity Action Plan and 2) show that you've thought about how you will engage community members and their narratives to increase awareness about digital equity.

Check back on this page for more information about the application process and eligibility. The application will open in early December.

Digital access for all is necessary for informed, connected communities.

Through our partnership with Cook County’s Digital Equity Initiative, we’ve seen how integral improving access to the internet, technology, and digital literacy is for strong civic information networks.

More ways to get involved

Attend Public Newsroom 163: Inside Digital Equity

In an increasingly digital world, technology is always shaping our ability to inform ourselves and one another, and to take action.

In this Public Newsroom: Inside Digital Equity, you’ll learn from three organizations utilizing storytelling, community engagement, and collaboration to advance digital equity in Chicago’s suburbs. Through choose-your-own adventure exercises, we’ll brainstorm how addressing gaps in digital access and inclusion can further civic participation.