2026 Judy Beck Grant Now Open For Submissions In Glenview

GLENVIEW, IL — Applications are now being accepted for the annual Judy Beck Grant, which honors non-profit groups or individuals with projects focusing on environmental conservation, sustainability, community engagement or youth development.

According to the Glenview Park District, grant funding will be awarded for a single project or multiple smaller projects. The Beck and Hurvis Families have generously provided the 2026 grant of $10,000.

All submissions are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 30, 2026, and winners will be announced in March. The application packet can be found at glenviewparks.org.

In 2020, The Beck Family Foundation and Hurvis Family launched the Judy Beck Grant program to support generations of new conservation leaders to continue the great work and legacy of building and strengthening our local community. The program has funded 32 projects since its inception in 2021, totaling $55,262, donated by the Beck Family Foundation and Hurvis Families.

A dedicated environmentalist, Beck served as a park board commissioner for 32 years and was a village natural resources commissioner and member of the Glenview/Glencoe League of Women Voters. In addition to her local leadership, Judy also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 30 years, served as the Illinois Association of Park Districts Board President in 1994 and was named IAPD Commissioner of the Year in 1996.

Projects that received grant funding last year included: Greener Glenview for composting drop-off stations and educational support for a sustainability advocate; The Grove for adventure packs for self-guided outdoor learning; Second Nurture of Lake/Cook Counties for program support; True North Educational Cooperative 804 for maintenance of the sensory garden at Historic Wagner Farm; Zion-Benton High School for program support for the My Brother’s Keeper program; and Cool Learning Experience, an anti-poverty initiative formed by the First Baptist Church in Waukegan, to teach students about soil, agriculture and the ecosystem.