UpTogether Illinois Community Fund
The UpTogether Illinois Community Fund provides $500 in unrestricted monthly cash payments to 52 families across downstate/central Illinois, outside the Chicago metro area, for 12 months. It is run by UpTogether (formerly Family Independence Initiative), a national nonprofit that, since 2020, has distributed more than $210 million to over 200,000 people and families. The fund is financed by a single private donor rather than government or corporate funding. Families choose how to spend the money, using it for needs like housing, car repairs, childcare, and school. Most enrolled participants have household incomes below the federal poverty line, and about two-thirds work an average of 34 hours per week.
Guaranteed Income, Downstate Illinois, Rural/Small-City Coverage, Excludes Chicago, Private Donor-Funded, UpTogether Platform
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- UpTogether
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.uptogether.org/
- media@uptogether.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Number of recipients
- 52
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 6,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Check, Digital/Virtual payment card, Direct deposit to bank account, Pre-paid debit card, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay
- Benefit details
Each of the 52 selected families receives $500 per month for 12 months, distributed through UpTogether's standard digital/virtual payment platform (one recipient described receiving a payment card). Funds are unrestricted, and recipients have used them for items such as winter coats, car repairs, and reducing extra work hours to focus on school or caregiving. Payment amount and frequency are fixed for the full duration; no variable-payment structure was found in available sources.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligibility centers on residing in Illinois outside the Chicago metro area and experiencing financial hardship; most enrolled participants have household incomes below the federal poverty line. Roughly two-thirds of participants are employed, averaging about 34 hours of work per week, but no specific income cap, asset limit, or other numeric threshold was published. Selection is administered through UpTogether, which operates a member-application platform; one recipient reported being approved and issued funds the day after applying in October 2024. No further eligibility detail (age, family status, housing status, etc.) was found in public sources.
Geography
- US states covered
- Illinois
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Carbondale, Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Normal, Champaign, Rockford, Belleville, East St. Louis
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
Application process not fully documented in available public sources; UpTogether generally enrolls members through its own online platform/app, and one recipient reported applying in October 2024 and receiving her payment card the following day.
- Selection process
Not detailed in available public sources.
