About
4
Laws Passed
>$250M
Raised for Scholarships
>35K
Scholarships Awarded
432
School Partners
empower illinois’ mission is to expand quality education options for low-income and working-class families of Illinois.
What We Do
Empower Illinois has a big, bold mission rooted in the simple belief that every child should have access to high quality education options.
Public education is rooted in the promise of equal opportunity, but for too many children who live near poverty or for students with certain special needs, those opportunities are out of reach. Empower Illinois formed to fight for children whose educational options are limited by household income, neighborhood, or learning style. Our scholarships, policy work, and advocacy provide families with options to help their children find success at a best-fit school.
Illinois’ Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Empower Illinois’ primary initiative is the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Empower Illinois is the state’s largest, most comprehensive scholarship granting organization (SGO). We have successfully raised the most donations, received the greatest number of applications, and awarded more scholarships than any other SGO in the state. Since the program’s inception in 2018, we have raised more than $200M. Empower Illinois partners with approximately 91% of all Illinois’ recognized private schools to ensure families have options to find their child’s best fit school. We support schools and school networks in their tax credit scholarship fundraising efforts while assisting students and their families through the scholarship process that can help make their dreams a reality.
