Since its inception in 2012, the Illinois Immigration Funder Collaborative (IFC) has grown from a handful of founders to more than 20 foundation partners and has made more than $12 million in grants to serve immigrants throughout Illinois, and the CBF is proud to have been there from the start.
The IFC was formed in 2012 by the CBF, The Chicago Community Trust, and Polk Bros. Foundation as a vehicle for coordinated foundation giving in support of the then new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA allowed younger immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to apply for a temporary shield from the legal limbo they otherwise faced, enabling them to live and work legally in the United States. IFC originally concentrated its grantmaking on legal services that helped DACA applicants ensure their eligibility and apply for protection.
In response to the changing immigration policy environment, the purpose of IFC grew to strengthen the infrastructure for legal and other critical services for low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers in Illinois. IFC’s core grants have expanded to support community outreach, advocacy, and broader immigration legal services. Occasionally, IFC has also supported special initiatives.
Today, IFC is a strong partnership of more than 20 foundations. IFC recently awarded grants to 34 nonprofit organizations serving immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers throughout Illinois, and to date has made over $12.2 million in grants.
2021 IFC GRANTEES
Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE)
Arab American Action Network
Arab American Family Services
ARISE Chicago
Beyond Legal Aid
Centro De Trabajadores Unidos Immigrant Workers Project
Centro Romero
Chicago Religious Leadership Network
Enlace Chicago
Erie Neighborhood House
The HANA Center
Hispanic American Community Education and Services (HACES)
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
The Immigration Project
Immigrant Solidarity DuPage
Latinos Progresando
Latino Union
Logan Square Neighborhood Association
Mano a Mano Family Resource Center
Mujeres Latinas en Accion (Latin Women in Action)
National Immigrant Justice Center
Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors
North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic
P.A.S.O – West Suburban Action Project
RefugeeOne
Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Southwest Organizing Project
Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project
Spanish Community Center
United African Center
Vietnamese Association of Illinois
World Relief Chicagoland
YMCA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Right
IFC FUNDING PARTNERS
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
The Chicago Bar Foundation
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago Foundation for Women
Crossroads Fund
Field Foundation
Healthy Communities Foundation
Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation
Julian Grace Foundation
Peter Kinney & Lisa Sandquist Foundation
Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Albert Pick Jr. Fund
Polk Bros. Foundation
John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation
Walder Foundation
Wieboldt Foundation
Woods Fund Chicago
Three partners that prefer to be anonymous