MembersAlliance Community Impact Fund
Expanding positive local impact by facilitating employee, MembersAlliance member, and community giving to local nonprofits.
Details
MembersAlliance Credit Union exists to inspire financial wellness and have an empowering impact on our community.
The long-time credit union motto of people helping people, means banking services designed to maximize the positive impact on members, but it also means making a positive impact in helping build and sustain a stronger community.
MembersAlliance's strength is our community. Since January 2021, through partnerships, sponsorships, and educational programs, MembersAlliance has partnered with over 50 local organizations, and contributed over $50,000 and 475 hours to making a difference in our community. Along with their corporate efforts, their Employee Enhancement Committee (EEC) selects local nonprofit organizations to which employees can donate time, money, or supplies. 
Alone, MembersAlliance can do some good, but together, we can make a real difference. In establishing the Community Impact Fund, they hope to help facilitate these efforts and expand the positive impact within our community. In addition to facilitating employee giving, MembersAlliance members and community members can now also help further this cause, by donating funds to this Impact Fund.
Below, MembersAlliance has highlighted some of the local nonprofits the EEC will be raising funds for 2025 and when those fundraising efforts will take place. The online donation date or the check date will determine to which campaign it will be applied. Please consider joining in supporting these worthwhile organizations. Join them in their commitment to being a positive force within our community.
Would you like to support MembersAlliance Community Impact Fund?
Use the orange "Donate" button to make a secure online donation!
Prefer to mail or drop off a check? Our mailing and physical address is:
Community Foundation of Northern Illinois
946 N Second Street
Rockford, IL 61107
Checks must be made out to the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. Please make sure the date of checks falls within the dates listed for the campaign you would like to support. Thank you!
2025 Scheduled Campaigns | |
January 1 - February 29 | Shatter our Silence | |
| Shatter Our Silence was founded in the Spring of 2016 after watching my oldest son Kalab wrestling with how to navigate his high school career mourning the loss of 3 out of 100 of his classmates who died to suicide. As his father and a counselor for over 25 years, it shook me to my core having to see my own child navigate through grief at such a young age. I knew at that point that change was needed and that I wanted to be the Light in the Darkness, not only for my own child, but for young adults who may be watching a loved one or friend struggle with suicidal ideations. I have been working in the counseling field for over 33 years and knew that I needed to do more to address this epidemic. I believed I needed to learn more, be willing to get more involved, and do whatever I could to be a Light in the Darkness surrounding young adult suicide. Over the past seven years, I brought together a group of individuals who wanted to see if we could make a difference and reduce the stigma around suicide and mental illness. We created Shatter Our Silence (Young Adult Mental Health Awareness Council) which is a nonprofit 503(c). The primary purpose is to raise awareness and educate youth and young adults, their significant others and the professionals that work with them on the factors that lead to young adult suicide. They learn tools and strategies on how to prevent suicide. Over the past 7 years, myself and other trained mental health advocates have provided hundreds of workshops at various schools, churches, and organizations. We have been asked to work with various schools after one of their students or staff have died as a result of suicide. We believe awareness and education are the essential keys to preventing another death by suicide. |
March 1 - March 31 | PAWS Humane Society | |
| PAWS is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization supported by donations. Founded in 1988 as a spay/neuter assistance operation, they have grown into a full-service humane society, even reaching into the local public-school systems to educate future animal owners. Their mission is to promote, support and provide for the humane treatment and welfare of animals in Winnebago County and the surrounding areas. They work towards a day when there is a home for every pet and domestic animals are no longer euthanized simply because they have no home. In 2016, they opened their first enclosure-based shelter in the Rockford area called the Sonal Puri Family Animal Rescue, located at 7282 N. Cherryvale Mall Drive. This facility was donated by First Midwest Group Founder and President Sunil Puri as a tribute to his family member Sonal, an animal lover. Their adoption fees include the cost of spaying/neutering, vaccinations (including rabies for cats over 4 months of age), flea prevention, worming, FeLV/FIV testing and microchipping. All PAWS Humane Society cats and dogs have been assessed for appropriate temperament so you can be assured your animals’ personality will be the best fit for your family. |
April 1 - April 30 | Farmers Rising | |
| At Farmers Rising, they lift up the people doing local and regenerative farming. They create space to learn alongside other growers and farmers, improve business and production skills, and connect with eaters, partners, and local food advocates of all ages and walks of life. The work to build sustainable local food and farm systems honors the people working the land, recognizes healthy food as a human right, and dismantles extractive food systems… putting them and the forefront of farmer training. |
May 1 - May 31 | The LIAM Foundation | |
| The LIAM Foundation is the Stateline’s first and only LGBTQIA+ resource center. “The LIAM Foundation provides services for all persons within our LGBTQIA+ community by offering safe and welcoming facilities and by providing support, services, and resources that take special consideration to the needs of those around us.” While they have a focus on youth, they also support everyone within the LGBTQIA+ community. They have an adult support group of 18+, youth-led groups ages 13-19, and an elders’ brunch for ages 45+. The foundation offers diversity training to help organizations and businesses provide quality educational training on diversity and LGBTQIA+ issues in order to help companies become more inclusive. They also educate the community and provide mentoring for life skills for persons with special needs and/or at-risk behaviors and circumstances. The Liam Foundation creates a safe place for people who do not always feel safe and welcome at home. |
June 1 - July 31 | Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A) | |
| B.A.C.A. exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, we stand ready to be that obstacle. |
August 1 - August 30 | Jaimie Cox Foundation | |
| The mission of the Jaimie Cox Foundation is to harness the power of community to better the lives of first responders, veterans, underprivileged youth and those pursuing higher education. On November 5, 2017 our lives were turned upside down when Officer Jaimie Cox of Rockford, IL Police Department was killed in the line of duty. We lost a great man far too soon. Jaimie was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, and co-worker. The Jaimie Cox Foundation was established in 2019 by friends and family of Jaimie. He led a life of service; always placing the welfare of others before his own. Our goal is to harbor the support of all who bear Jaimie’s sacrifice and continue serving others in Jaimie’s name; simply because Jaimie deserves that. |
September 1 - September 30 | Nikolas Ritschel Foundation (Nik's Wish) | |
| The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation also known as Niks Wish is about bringing Joy to young adults (18-24), and their loved ones, fighting cancer. Nik was diagnosed with cancer just before his 18th birthday and was granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This wish meant the world to him. It gave him hope and happiness in a time of struggle and pain. When Nik discovered that kids over 17 do not qualify, he wanted to help. The night before cancer took his life in 2012, he asked to help them have a wish too. The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation was born. We have seen wishes to celebrate the end of treatment, wishes to encourage patients to keep fighting during treatment, and even last wishes to bring families together to create precious moments of joy. A Nik's Wish carves out a joyful time to laugh, love, and be together - And to forget about cancer for a while. |
October 1 - December 15 | Rockford Barbell & The Pregnancy Care Center | |
| At Rockford Barbell the mission is to improve the social and emotional well-being of youth through mindful movement and trauma-informed practices. Rockford Barbell youth programs align with CASEL’s framework to provide trauma-informed practices to develop and grow social/emotional skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Social and Emotional Learning is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. |
| The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford is a Christian ministry that provides pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and STI Testing, plus mentoring and education for women and men about pregnancy, options, and parenting. They also provide mentoring for post-abortive healing—physical, emotional, and spiritual. No Judgement, No Shame, Just Help! Classes offered by The Pregnancy Care Center include Preparing for Childbirth, New Baby – Now What?, Breastfeeding, The ABC’s and 123’s of Infant and Toddler Nutrition, Your Child 0-12 Months, and Occupational Therapy. The center also offers Positive Choices. Positive Choices is a sexual risk avoidance program that uses a holistic approach to teach and empower students to live a life of sexual integrity and to make healthy choices based upon life-sustaining values. Sexual risk avoidance education addresses the risks of teen sexual activity using the same effective public health approach most often followed in addressing other youth risks such as tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. The goal of positive choices is to invite students to see life change as they turn away from risky behaviors and say “yes” to healthy relationships, emotional and sexual health, and their future goals. |
Would you like to support the MembersAlliance Community Impact Fund? You can make a donation directly to this fund, to help grow its impact and ability to provide educational resources for students in our community — forever!
