Chicago Direct Housing Grant (CDHG) Overview

The Chicago Direct Housing Grant (CDHG) is a non-governmental organization funded by private donors committed to providing innovative Grants. By avoiding traditional nonprofit outreach methods, CDHG reduces overhead costs, streamlines operations, and minimizes fraud and abuse, ensuring that resources go directly to those in need.

To ensure accountability, CDHG employs a third-party Vendor for application verification and payout distribution. A $5.99 processing fee is required for all applications. Paying this processing fee does not guarantee you will be awarded a Grant.

CDHG also offers multiple payout methods to ensure recipients can quickly and easily access their funds. These include Cash App, Venmo, Chime, ACH direct deposit, and gift cards. These options address challenges like delinquent bank accounts, fees, or lack of current identification, making the process seamless and effective. We aim to eliminate barriers and deliver funds as swiftly and efficiently as possible, empowering recipients to use the grants for their intended purpose.

WHY AM I PAYING A PROCESSING FEE ?:

  1. Verification of Applicants:
    The fee helps fund a verification process to confirm applicants’ eligibility, ensuring grant funds are sent to those who qualify.

  2. Fraud Prevention:
    Processing fees Pay for the third-party Vendor and systems that detect and prevent fraudulent applications, protecting the grant program's integrity. (Which makes it more complicated for scammers to exploit the application process.)

  3. Administrative Costs:
    The program aims to minimize overhead administrative costs for handling applications, processing payments, and managing payouts.

  4. Ensuring Equal Access:
    A nominal fee, the program can sustain the tools and resources required to handle applications and provide various payout options Cash App, Venmo, Chime, ACH, or gift cards.

The fee is deliberately kept low to make it affordable for most applicants while ensuring the smooth operation of the grant program.

The $5.99 processing fee is managed and collected by an independent third-party Vendor, not the Chicago Direct Housing Grant (CDHG). This Vendor is responsible for verifying applications, ensuring fraud prevention, and maintaining the integrity of the grant distribution process. CDHG does not directly manage or oversee these fees, which are intended to cover the operational costs associated with application management and verification.