WHAT IS IPA?
Illinois People’s Action (IPA) is an ecumenical, faith-based community organization. It encompasses 12 counties in central Illinois and includes the communities of Springfield, East Saint Louis, Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Peoria, and rural counties of central Illinois. The mission of IPA is to help its membership work collectively for justice in local communities and throughout Illinois’ urban and rural communities.
IPA works with local grassroots and faith leaders on wide variety of justice issues they themselves identify. Currently these issues focus on community and family economic security (saving families from home foreclosure, holding big banks accountable, stopping 400% payday lending, and faith-based economic development).
Over the last 15 years IPA obtained evening bus service in Springfield (obtaining universal access for all residents regardless of physical ability, age or income), Living Wage referendum in Bloomington (securing a decent wage for city and city subcontracted workers – city hall janitors, school crossing guards, arena workers – beyond that of poverty wages), helping family farms and farm communities protect their livelihood from mega-farm interests,saving families from predatory lenders and foreclosure , and increasing community reinvestment (CRA) opportunities for first-time homeowners and emerging markets.
We are a member of National People¹s Action. NPA is a Network of metropolitan, regional, and statewide organizations that build grassroots power. NPA works to build the collective political will to advance racial and economic justice.
WHO ARE WE?
IPA is the largest faith-based community organization in all of downstate Illinois – it has 43 formal institutional members which represent over 34,000 families. Membership is representative of the region’s geography and is inclusive of race, gender and religious affiliation.
The organization has offices in Bloomington, Illinois. Each member organization of IPA has a commitment to justice, participates in organizing leadership training and pay annual dues. Member groups each organize local leadership teams with two leaders on the IPA Board (which meets quarterly). IPA is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
HOW DO WE ORGANIZE?
IPA works with faith and grassroots organizations on a wide variety of justice issues they themselves identify. IPA provides leadership training and development, staff support and consultation, and access to institutional and financial resources. IPA uses the democratic power of the people to engage in civic dialogue with decision-makers.
HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER, WHAT CAN I DO?
IPA always needs people willing to give their time and talent. Contact the IPA office.
Your involvement can take the form of helping families over the phone who are interested in buying their first home, researching bank lending in your community, to helping our growing public affairs campaign – like our newsletter and this web site!