Blurb about why Forefront rocks, caption for photo

Forefront plays a very hands-on role with policy and advocacy at the state level, employing registered lobbyist(s), aiming to pass proactive legislation and defend the sector when needed. On specific policy proposals, Forefront may serve as a champion, supporter, or convener. For more information, contact [email protected].

Jump to: Policy Priorities • Watchlist • State Lobbying Rules • Related Resources

Policy Priorities

Community Partner Fair Contracting Act – HB2746 / SB1778

PURPOSE: Make improvements to how the State conducts business with nonprofit community partners who are managing State grants/contracts, with an emphasis on improving the timeliness and predictability of payments
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, IL Health and Human Services Coalition
IMPACT: Codifies timeframes ensure state contractors receive grant agreements, contracts, payments, and communications in a timely manner to ensure the continuity of service delivery; Aims to improve workforce stability by ensuring grants/contracts don’t arbitrarily allocate costs; Streamlines Court of Claims process for all parties.
EQUITY NOTE: Organizations with the smallest budgets and serving Communities of Color are the most likely to face challenges with the State’s contracting and payment systems per 2023 survey
FACT SHEET

Nonprofit Lobbying Fee Waiver – HB 1169 / SB1196

PURPOSE: Allow the Secretary of State to grant a waiver to the lobbyist registration fee for qualifying 501c3 nonprofit organizations, including a fee waiver for any lobbyist registered to lobby under that entity
SUPPORTED BY: For a full list of supporters, see Fact Sheet below
IMPACT: Illinois grants no waivers to nonprofits and has no time or exemption thresholds before registration or fees apply, making Illinois’ fees the highest in the country. (See fees in other states.) This is particularly hard on nonprofits, who often rely on grants, contracts, and charitable donations that cannot be used for lobby fees. Waiving fees for 501c3s also aligns the state with the City of Chicago, which already provides a nonprofit fee waiver for lobbyist registration fees. Read more about lobbying rules in IL
EQUITY NOTE: The bills provide the fee waiver for the smallest 501c3s only. Small nonprofits are more likely to be led by, and serve, people of color
FACT SHEETS:
- HB1169 Fact Sheet
- SB1196 Fact Sheet

Watch List

This space will be updated for the Spring 2026 session.

Accomplishments

104th General Assembly

Court of Claims – HB1576 / SB1177 – Enacted (Public Act 104-0188)

PURPOSE: Modernizes the Court of Claims by allowing e-filing and remote participation in hearings
SUPPORTED BY: Secretary of State, Forefront
IMPACT: Effective 1/1/26, those filing claims may pay fees and file claims electronically, and may participate in hearings remotely with judge’s permission. These small but meaningful changes will help make a convoluted Court of Claims process more efficient for all parties.
FACT SHEET

Electronic Filings – SB1599 – Not Enacted, But Online System Now Live

PURPOSE: Would amend the Solicitation for Charity Act and the Charitable Trust Act to require the Attorney General to accept required annual reports electronically by 1/1/26
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront
IMPACT: Makes the reporting process more efficient for public charities in Illinois when filing annual financial review/audit and annual registration reports
FILE ONLINE HERE

Nonprofit Investment Pool – HB1437 / SB246 – Passed Both Chambers/Vetoed

PURPOSE: Would have allowed nonprofit organizations to invest money through the Illinois Funds program, gaining access to higher interest rate investment opportunities, while keeping money safe and liquid.
SUPPORTED BY: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Forefront (also see Joint Letter signers, below)
IMPACT: Potential benefits would have been aimed at primarily at small-to-medium sized NPOs (i.e., $1-10M) and would have included increased liquidity and lower fees than a private bank. In exchange, nonprofits would have achieved slightly lower returns than they might in an investment fund managed by a private bank (but higher returns than a normal checking account). The Treasurer manages a similar program currently for units of local government in IL.
EQUITY NOTE: The investment opportunity would have allowed smaller and medium size nonprofits to access better investment opportunities than they are able to access on their own. Smaller nonprofits are more likely to be led by people of color.
Press Release
Fact Sheet
Joint Letter to Governor
Veto Letter
Forefront Response to Veto

103rd General Assembly

GATA Cleanup – HB5889 / SB3983 – Enacted under HB817

PURPOSE: Cleans up the Government Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) for first time since its creation in practical ways
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Illinois Health and Human Services Coalition
EQUITY NOTE: Organizations with the smallest budgets and serving Communities of Color are the most likely to face challenges with the State’s contracting and payment systems per 2023 survey
Fact Sheet

Illinois Gives Act – HB 1241 / SB 172 – Enacted (P.A. 103-0592 – effective 1/1/25)

PURPOSE: Incentivize local charitable giving and permanent community endowments
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations
IMPACT: Would authorize a state income tax credit equal to 25% of contributions made to a permanent endowment at a qualified community foundation. Would bolster resources available to nonprofits in Illinois statewide in perpetuity. See a similar program in Iowa (Endow Iowa).
EQUITY NOTE: The bill stipulates that taxpayers at all income levels are eligible. At least 25% of the total tax credits available in one tax year would be reserved for small individual gifts (up to $25,000 each) and no single taxpayer could receive more than $100,000 in tax credits. Further, no more than 15% of the credit may go to any one community foundation, making it more accessible statewide in rural and urban communities.
Download a Fact Sheet
Download an infographic explaining the program
Read our FAQs and Press Release
Learn more on our page about this bill

Workforce Development Through Charitable Loan Repayment – HB 4736 / SB 3273 – Enacted (P.A. 103-0592 – effective 1/1/26)

PURPOSE: Private sector solution for workforce needs + student debt; Address workforce gaps in target areas by matching charitable loan repayment with locally needed workers; Implements the partnership that was described and called for in HR26 (2021). No GRF impact.
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, Illinois Economic Development Association, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
IMPACT: Would subtract charitable loan repayment from state income tax for eligible workers. In Illinois: 13.2% of the population has federal student loans; student loans are 8.5% of personal income; the average borrower has $38,473 in debt; 18% of borrowers are enrolled in income-driven repayment plans (Pew). Would benefit Illinois economy in that when loans are forgiven, the workers’ income that would otherwise be spent on debt service begins circulating in the local economy instead
EQUITY NOTE: Eligibility geographies are an Enterprise Zone, Opportunity Zone, Underserved Area, Distressed Area OR “any area that has a bachelor’s degree attainment rate for the population that is below the state or national average. Eligible jobs are at a Qualified new business venture, Targeted Growth Industry, a Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities, OR Not-for-profit corporation as defined by 805 ILCS 105/101.75(m). Black students are more likely to borrow to pay for college (90%) compared to White students (68%); more than a decade after graduation, 66% percent of Black borrowers hold more student loan debt than the amount they originally borrowed; 50%+ Black households holding student loan debt have a zero or negative net worth, compared to 32% of non-Black households (Brookings).
Download a Fact Sheet
See related Executive Order 2019-03
Read Forefront’s Testimony
See Pew Research

Audit Threshold – HB 1197 / SB 72 – Enacted (P.A. 103-0121 – effective 1/1/24)

PURPOSE: Reduced financial and administrative burden for the smallest nonprofits in Illinois
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Arts Alliance Illinois, Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Illinois Partners for Human Service, Illinois CPA Society
IMPACT: Illinois had the most burdensome nonprofit audit threshold in the US, requiring a full audit once a nonprofit receives solicited contributions in excess of $300,000. This law will set the threshold for a full audit at $500,000 in annual contributions. The law includes a sunset date of January 1, 2029, at which time the audit threshold may be revised again to reflect cost of living changes or revert to the current level. Forefront is working with accounting experts and the Attorney General’s office to develop guidance for impacted nonprofit businesses (i.e., only those that collect charitable contributions between $300,000 – $500,000).
EQUITY NOTE: Full audits are costly and this is an undue burden on the smallest nonprofit businesses in Illinois. Many small nonprofits are led by Black, Indigenous, Latinx/o/a, and Persons of Color (BIPOC), serve persons of color, and/or conduct advocacy on behalf of BILPOC groups.
Fact Sheet
Forefront Testimony
Implementation Guide

102nd General Assembly

Charitable Trust Fund – HB4544 – Enacted (P.A. 102-699, effective 4/19/22)

PURPOSE: Makes improvements to grant program for small nonprofits in Illinois
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Illinois Municipal League, Illinois State Treasurer
IMPACT: Ensures more grant funds are distributed to the smallest nonprofits in Illinois by raising the required allocation for grants from 50% to 80% of the fund balance. Read more and apply here.
EQUITY NOTE: Gives special attention to applications from areas in which there is pervasive poverty, unemployment, and economic distress.
Download a Fact Sheet

Post-Graduation Scholarship Programs – HR26 – Adopted (4/23/21)

PURPOSE: Affirms support by the State for post-graduation scholarship programs hosted by Illinois community foundations. A post-graduation scholarship is a type of charitable grant that foundations may make to attract individuals with career skills needed in a particular region by paying off a portion of the individual’s student loans.
SUPPORTED BY: Forefront, Association of Illinois Community Foundations

Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program – HB4438 / SB3740 – Included in FY 23 Budget

PURPOSE: Appropriates $8 million in FY23 for grants and administration of this program for 501c3 nonprofit organizations at risk for hate crimes, which funds security projects such as training, equipment, cybersecurity and related staff.
SUPPORTED BY: Safeguard Illinois Communities Coalition (see fact sheet; includes Forefront)
IMPACT: This program was enacted in 2017 but has never been funded. Doing so will save lives in the face of rising hate-crime incidents. Nonprofits statewide have trouble getting funding to cover security costs, with existing federal programs oversubscribed and unable to meet demand. Provisions of this bill, including a $20 million appropriation, were included in the enacted FY 23 budget. IEMA is currently developing rules and a NOFO for the program, which Forefront will be monitoring in support of the coalition.
EQUITY NOTE: Hate crimes targeting Latinx, Black, LGBTQ, Asian, and Jewish residents of Illinois have increased in recent years.
Download a Fact Sheet

Resources

Blog Posts

State Offices

Attorney General – Charitable Advisory Council
Attorney General – Online Filing System for Charities
State Treasurer – Charitable Trust Grant Program
Governor’s Office of Management and Budget
Secretary of State

Key Statutes

Charitable Trust Act

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*
First Last
Title
Organization Name*
Email*
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
I work at a*
- Nonprofit Organization
- Grantmaker Organization
- Advisor/Consultant Organization
- Other
- I would like to receive @the Forefront newsletters.
CAPTCHA