David took his staff in his hand, picked five smooth stones from the river bed, put them in his shepherds bag, and with his sling in his hand he went to meet the Philistine. - 1 Samuel 17:34

Dear Friend,

Do you want to be part of progressive social and economic change? Like David, the Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP) is a small but confident faith-based organization that is actively fighting injustice in our region.

Your personal contribution can make a huge difference to CIOP. We are an organization with a big heart engaged in David vs. Goliath campaigns. We are asking you to arm us with enough smooth stones to bring each Goliath down!

Since its inception in 1996, CIOP has:

• Helped over 6,000 low and moderate income families achieve the American Dream of home ownership.  Think of that...6000 families who had previously not qualified for a home mortgage have moved from being renters to owning their own homes.  This is not only great for those 6000 families; it is good for our neighborhoods and communities.
• Helped write and pass legislation to prevent predatory lenders from engaging in immoral practices that far too often lead to home foreclosure.  Predatory lending is one of the leading causes of the home foreclosure crisis across the United States.  Predatory lending is essentially loan-sharking.  It is the practice of offering individuals home refinance mortgage loans with conditions the individual cannot afford.  Predatory lenders tend to target the elderly and minority populations.   CIOP helped write and sponsor legislation that makes certain types of loans, predatory loans, illegal in the state.  The bill was so popular that it crossed party lines and passed unanimously in the Illinois legislature.  It is the toughest anti-predatory lending bill in the country.
• Initiated a campaign to help save family farms.  In the last 20 years, 300,000 family farms have gone under.  This leads to depression in rural communities, increased dollars going to middlemen instead of farmers themselves, increased environmental pollution as well as increased additives and chemicals in our food, and, finally, an increased corporate stronghold on our farming industry.  CIOP is organizing on this issue right now. 

We accept credit card and PayPal donations through the "Donate" button on the left of the page.  By clicking the button, you will be transferred to a secure Paypal website for a safe and secure transaction.

If you would prefer to send a check, you may send it to:
The Central Illinois Organizing Project
P.O. Box 5611
Bloomington, IL  62703-5611

To discuss other giving options, please call: (309)827-9627 or e-mail: ciop@comcast.net

Remember, CIOP is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization.  Your contribution is tax deductible. 

Please contribute what you can.  And please encourage your friends to visit our website and send their contributions too.  With your help, we truly can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Don Carlson
Executive Director