Equity through Literacy

Literacy is foundational to every measure of personal and community well-being – health, safety, economic development, and civic engagement.

As many as 52% of Illinois adult residents read and write English with less than 6th grade proficiency.

Positioned at the intersection of the interests of literacy service providers, libraries, and state government, the Illinois Literacy Foundation raises awareness of adult education initiatives statewide, collaborates with partners to assess and address the areas of greatest need, increases support for frontline educators, and challenges the stigma of low literacy.

What we do

The Illinois Literacy Foundation was established by statute as a not-for-profit corporation in 1993 by the Illinois Literacy Act. The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3).

The foundation’s mission is to promote literacy awareness and support literacy programs throughout the state to benefit all residents of Illinois. It aims to accomplish this by:

Raising awareness about the need for adult literacy and English language instruction and promoting the programs and resources available to Illinois residents through the State Library and its grantees.
Securing the resources necessary to increase the capacity and expand the reach of existing adult literacy and English language instruction programs and establish new programs to meet the unique and varied needs of Illinois residents.

In 2024, the Illinois Literacy Foundation will raise a quarter million dollars to support literacy initiatives across the state.

Literacy Network

The ILF operates within an ecosystem of more than 100 literacy service providers, 640 public library systems, and 852 public school districts to serve a population exceeding 12.5 million residents.