The Nonprofit Resilience Hub is a confidential, collaborative resource for Illinois nonprofits with operating budgets of $10 million or less that are affected by federal actions. It offers a structured starting point to help organizations, assess challenges inherent in a changing federal landscape, and identify pathways forward.

Nonprofits are navigating increasing complexity and ongoing uncertainty as federal actions require them to revisit established norms and gain clarity on emerging requirements and pressures. The Hub is designed to be a resource for organizations that are dealing with significant challenges or emerging risks. It aims to help organizations resolve whatever adversity has surfaced and improve capacity to weather similar challenges in the future.

The Hub was created to normalize asking for help—whether an organization is proactively seeking support or navigating a challenging moment. To that end, the Hub embraces dialogue itself as a crucial resiliency tactic. Through discreet, candid, empathetic conversations, Hub representatives can ascertain needs more precisely and prescribe the best next steps.

Behind the Hub is a partnership of four organizations with ample experience navigating the new pressures stemming from changes at the federal level:

BDO Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory is a national practice focused on nonprofit financial management and capacity-building. Informed by decades of nonprofit expertise, we support the sector by providing training, coaching, and consulting services related to nonprofit financial management and operations.

The Chicago Bar Foundation coordinates the development of legal tools and resources, convenes the Legal Advisory Committee, provides grant support, and leads pro bono strategy and engagement for the Hub.

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is a civil rights legal advocacy organization that brings extensive litigation, compliance, and nonprofit legal services experience to the Hub, delivering brief counseling, extended services, and litigation support to nonprofits facing legal threats.

Forefront Illinois’ statewide membership association for nonprofits and grantmakers, serves as the Hub’s central intake, coordination, and referral engine, providing strategic guidance, online resources, prospect research, and partnership/restructuring support.

No. Participation in the Nonprofit Resilience Hub is provided at no charge to eligible nonprofits.

The Hub exists to remove barriers to seeking support and to encourage early engagement. There is no cost to participate and no obligation to continue. The Hub is made possible by a generous group of funders.

Yes. All conversations are confidential. Information you share with the Hub will not be disclosed without permission. When we report on program outcomes to funders, results will be expressed in aggregate, generic terms. Any details that could be traced to a specific organization will be omitted. Hub partners may share information within the network to coordinate services.

No. Contacting the Hub does not impact funding decisions and is not shared with funders.

The Hub can help with donor research that may identify new funding opportunities, but it does not broker funder relationships or match nonprofits with funders.

The Hub provides a range of services on a scale commensurate with an assessment of your needs and our available capacity. We encourage you to contact the Hub as soon as you have a known or potential federal‑related issue, so we can support you early in the process.
Our dialogue with you begins after you fill out an initial intake form to amply on the issues that have prompted you to seek support from the Hub. We review that information and conduct a follow-up consultation with you to analyze your situation more closely.
The hub consolidates a range of critical aid for non-profits at one centralized destination, providing connections to experts and advice in four core subject areas:

Legal Assistance Legal information, advice, and assistance to assess risk and compliance across key nonprofit areas, including DEI, 501(c)(3) compliance, and federal funding certification requirements.

Financial Management Expertise on financial planning, monitoring, and operations with a focus on strengthening nonprofit financial resilience.

Strategic Partnerships Expertise on mergers, collaborations, and strategic partnership development, helping nonprofits explore, assess, and structure partnership opportunities that strengthen mission impact.

Prospect Research Data driven strategy and research support based on your organization’s unique goals and funding needs, by subject expert librarians and leading databases.

No. Many organizations reach out before a crisis occurs. Early conversations often lead to better outcomes.

The Hub is designed for leaders of nonprofits with operating budgets of $10 million or less that are navigating the uncertainty, strain, or transition that can result from federal actions.

Our dialogue with you begins after you fill out an initial intake form – available on the Hub’s website – to amply on the issues that have prompted you to seek support from the Hub. We review that information and conduct a follow-up consultation with you to analyze your situation more closely.

The Hub is strictly non-partisan. We focus on the impact of federal actions.

The Nonprofit Resilience Hub currently serves nonprofits based in Illinois.

Simply reach out. There is no cost, no obligation, and no pressure.

Hub services can take many different forms, depending on your needs and our available capacity. In some cases, we may share tailored resources from our library. In others, we may connect you with a Hub partner for one‑on‑one support. All Hub partners also offer educational sessions.

If you are only in need of legal assistance you can apply directly to the Chicago Lawyers Committee by using this form.

If you are a current Forefront member and only in need of prospect research, please connect with the Forefront Library at [email protected].