Grand Victoria Foundation was established in 1996 by the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. Its mission is to empower communities to ensure Illinois is a great place to live and work. We envision a strong, livable, and equitable Illinois where every resident has an opportunity to thrive. Our grantmaking encourages systems change. We define this as work that improves conditions that hold social and economic problems in place. Our work celebrates the role of nonprofits in pursuing ideas and solutions with communities to improve the quality of life in Illinois. Our grantmaking is organized into five program areas – Economy, Education, Elgin, Engagement, and Environment. We partner with organizations working to achieve equitable outcomes that reduce disparities. Results that partners might realize are: -Improved policies or practices -Increased access to resources for people and communities of most need -Relationships that include viewpoints of people with diverse perspectives -Sharing and shifting of power to promote and achieve equity -Improved capacity and effectiveness to carry out systems change