Step 2: Application

If you need help with your application or have questions, please reach out to your campadvocates@acail.org.

Step 2.A: Collect and complete the required documents that will need to be uploaded in the application. There documents include:

Community Partnership Form
Camp Brochure or Promotional Flyer
List of Current Board of Directors/Advisory Council
W9 Form
Linguistic & Cultural Competency Plan
Risk Management Plan
Referral Information Form
Summer 2024 Session Plans Form
Other Information to have ready

Step 2.B:

Submit the application

Returning Camps Deadline: December 17th, 2024

New Camps Deadline: February 20th, 2025

Step 2.A: Document Files & Instructions for the Application

Community Partnership Form

This is a required document. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate proof that your agency/business has formed a collaborative partnership with your local IDHS Family Community Resource Center office (FCRC). This relationship will aid the camp/agency in referring clients of IDHS for further resources and services. For example, you learn that the client is homeless, you will want to reach out to the FCRC to ask about potential services they could access. 

This document must be signed by a IDHS Family Community Resource Center. Other divisions of the state or social service centers/offices will not be accepted. Here are some helpful links about the Family Community Resource Centers in Illinois:

• General information about Family Community Resource Center (FCRC)
• Find your local IDHS FCRC here. Make sure to select the Family Community Recourse Center for the type of office in the search engine. 
• Information about the Regional Administrators. The people you contact if you are struggling to get your form signed.
• Map of the IDHS Regions. To help identify which Region you are in.

Tips for Completing this Form:

Start early. If you already have a relationship with your local IDHS Community Services Office, you can try to email the form for a signature. However, if you do not, it is strongly suggested that you go to the office to secure a signature in person. 

If the staff at the office will not sign the document, you may need to ask to speak with the supervisor. If you continue to have a challenge getting this document signed, you may need to visit another office and/or contact the Regional Office Administrators. 

Be sure to explain the purpose of this partnership. This is not a rare request as most funding programs require a community partnership of some sort however the folks at the office may not have encountered it before and may be confused. 

Click to download the Community Partnership Agreement 2025. 

Camp Brochure/Promotional Flyer

This is a required document. This is the document that you share with potential camp families to share information about:

• Dates and times of your program.
• Location of your program.
• Details about activities that happen in your program.
• Contact information or how to sign up. 

Again, this is a required file upload.

List of Current Board of Directors / Advisory Council

This is required for all nonprofits, faith based groups, and other non privately owned entities (i.e. if you don't own your camp out right, you need to complete this requirement.) The purpose of this is to demonstrate who is ultimately responsible for your organization. 

This list should include the following on a document:

• Names of all Officers and Board Members, including the positions. If you do not have a Board of Directors, please list the advisory council or who oversees your organization.
• Email addresses and phone numbers of all members of these groups. 

If you are an independent, privately owned business, you should upload a word document stating that to fulfill this requirement. 

IRS Form W-9

This is a required document - regardless of entity status (nonprofit, for profit, etc.) The purpose of this document is to demonstrate the type of entity that the organization identifies itself as to the federal government and provide the EIN information. 

If you are unsure how to complete this form, we recommend you speak with your finance department or CEO as this is a very common form and they will likely know how to complete it. 

This form requires an actual signature, not digital.

Click to download the W-9 Form. 

Linguistic & Cultural Competency Plan

This is a required document. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate your plan to welcome and accommodate persons who speak a primary language other than English. 

As a federally funded program, agencies receiving this funding must be open and willing to accept, welcome, and accommodate any person regardless of primary language spoken. This includes communicating with the parents of minors you serve. In order to qualify for funding, no person, camper or employee, can be discriminated against or have services withheld due to an federally protected class, including language. 

Click to download the Linguistic and Cultural Competency Plan for Camps 2025. 

Risk Management Plan

This is a required document. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that the agency/camp/business has properly evaluated risk exposure and made plans on how to limit loss and harm to the best of their ability. 

This form must be fully completed and customized for each agency. If a topic doesn't apply, such as food service but your camp doesn't provide any meals or snacks, you must put N/A.

This document should be reviewed annually and updated accordingly. ACA Accredited camps may recognize this document as its part of the Accreditation process and requires being annually reviewed. 

Click to download the Risk Management Plan and Exposure Chart 2025. 

Referral Information Form

This is a required document. All camps and agencies receiving DFI Title XX funding must participate in our Referral Services. Be sure to complete both tabs of the form:

The ACA Illinois staff accept calls from clients of IDHS throughout the year and makes referrals to summer camp programs. During these calls, we work individually with families to determine which camp and program would best fit their needs. We use the information provided on this form to determine eligibility requirements such as gender or age, explore activity offerings, address any special needs, and location. Once a referral is made, ACA Illinois staff will share the contact information for the camp with the client. The client then will contact the camp directly to ask any questions and speak about the registration process. 

Please be detailed on this document as it's used to determine the best placement for the campers. We want to be sure its a good match.

Click here to download the Referral Information Form 2025. 

Summer 2025 Session Plans Form

This is a required document. This form shares the number of campers you expect to serve for each session of your program. This is the basis we use for creating your summer allocation.

For the purposes of this form, a session can be defined as the days that a camper will register for and attend a program at your camp. During a session, you may split your campers into smaller groups based on age or grade, but you don't need to share those specific details with us.

Typically, this program will fund 1-2 week sessions for day and overnight camp. If your sessions are longer, it might be wise for you to split them up so that you can bill for the full session. 

While not required, you can also include year round programming that could qualify for this funding.

What you put on this form does not guarantee full funding.

Click here to download the Summer 2025 Session Plans Form. 

Other Information to Have Ready

• Knowledge of what counties you serve.
• Names and District Numbers for your State and Federal Representatives.
• Address of the main agency office.
• How many seasonal staff are employed by your agency.
• How many year round staff are employed by your agency.
• Who to make the check out to and where to mail it. 
• A brief description of how your camp program helps campers work toward the four established outcomes as listed below:

• Name and contact information (phone and email) for the following people/positions:
• CEO / Executive Director
• CFO / Finance Director
• Camp contacts involved in the DFI Title XX process including Camp Director, your contact that processes billing, and your Camp Registrar.

Reminder: If any contacts on you provide on your application change, you are required to inform ACA Illinois of any of these changes with 15 days of them taking place.

Step 2.B: Submit the Application

Follow these tips to ensure that you complete the application correctly and fully:

• Ensure you have completed all the documents found under Step 3.A. There are several individual documents that must be complete and you will be prompted to upload them during the application process. Check to be sure they are complete and that all required fields are complete - including signatures and dates. Incomplete documents will be sent back for completion and delay the allocation process.
• Make sure you are using the current forms provided on this webpage. Old versions of the form will not be accepted.  Look in the footer for the words Summer 2025 to be sure you are using the most current version of the form. 
• Label all the documents you will be uploading with your agency name, year, and document title. Example: ACA Illinois 2025 Referral Information Form.
• Have a question or don't know how to complete a form? Call or email your Camp Advocate before submitting the application if you need help. Asking for help prior to submitting your application will speed the process for your allocation and limit frustration later down the road. 

Reminder: Applications that include blank documents, incomplete documents, missing uploads, or missing required information will not be accepted or considered. Any agency that is missing these items or submits an incomplete application will have to start the process over by the deadline.

Click Here to Access the Online Application

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