The CENTRAL ILLINOIS ORGANIZING PROJECT (CIOP) is an ecumenical, faith-based community organization.  It encompasses 12 counties in central Illinois and includes the communities of Springfield Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Peoria, and rural Logan county. The mission of CIOP is to help its membership work collectively for justice in local communities and throughout the Central Illinois region.

CIOP works with local grassroots and faith leaders on wide variety of justice issues they themselves identify. Currently these issues are obtaining evening bus service in Springfield (obtaining universal access for all residents regardless of physical ability, age or income), Living Wage 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.

CIOP is the largest faith-based community organization in all of downstate Illinois - it has 34 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 (Regional office) and site offices in Springfield and Champaign.  Each member organization of CIOP 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 CIOP Board (which meets bi-monthly). CIOP is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

CIOP is the largest faith-based community organization in all of downstate Illinois - it has 34 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 (Regional office) and site offices in Springfield and Champaign.  Each member organization of CIOP 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 CIOP Board (which meets bi-monthly). CIOP is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

CIOP always needs people willing to give their time and talent.  Please either call the Bloomington office (309-827-9627) or the Springfield office (217-525-6942).

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!