About IJF

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.

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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.

Anchor 1

Mission

Bring together public, private, and government stakeholders to collaboratively support SMVF – to include caregivers and survivors – regardless of status.

Goals

To ensure Illinois Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) can access a gateway to connect and navigate to the services and resources they need; where and when they need them.
To eliminate barriers to accessing care for the Illinois SMVF community and reduce risk factors that contribute to suicide.
To expand our access to service and resource providers by creating partnerships that ensure we meet the needs of the Illinois SMVF community.
To develop, engage, and partner with regionally based community hubs of support, and to foster local collaborations to better support the Illinois SMVF Community.
To convene service providers and the SMVF community for the purpose of education, collaboration, and connection.
To ensure that no Service Member, Veteran, or family member, regardless of status, is left behind.