About IJF
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Illinois Joining Forces (IJF) was launched in 2012 through an inter-governmental agreement between the Illinois Departments of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and Military Affairs (IDMA) as a statewide, public-private network of military and veteran-serving organizations working together to improve services for Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF).
As a stand-alone nonprofit organization, IJF helps service members, Veterans, and their families navigate the "sea of goodwill" to find the support they need, when they need it. No one organization can do it all, but Veterans shouldn’t have to wander from office to office – or website to website – to determine who does what and which organization can best meet their needs.
Vision
Make Illinois the most welcoming and supportive state in the Nation for all service members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF) – a place where SMVF find growth, wellness, and community.
Mission
Bring together public, private, and government stakeholders to collaboratively support SMVF – to include caregivers and survivors – regardless of status.
Goals
- Develop regionally based community hubs of support, or partner with existing ones, and foster increased capacity and collaborations to better support the SMVF Community.
- Establish a system to help connect service members, Veterans, and their families to services they need in the most efficient and expedient manner possible.
- Provide high-touch, holistic care to those in need by connecting them with resources in their community.
- Foster cross-collaboration amongst service providers at the community level.
- Ensure that no Veteran or family member, regardless of status, is left behind, and ensure SMVF members have access to the right resources at the right time.