Please ask family, friends, co-workers, or other trusted people to help you. You’ll need a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop to apply. If you need more help, please call one of the organizations on this list here.

No, Applying and receiving these services is not part of Public Charge. The project is funded by state and private funding both are exempt from the public charge rule.

The first lottery form to complete determines if you are eligible for the lottery. Those who are eligible can then complete the lottery entry application. This fund is limited to a one-time grant per household.

No. They must not be eligible for public benefits for themselves. (Other family members can receive public benefits.) They also must not be eligible for unemployment insurance or the federal subsidy under the CARES Act (Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,200 per adult f and $500 per child under 17 years old. Undocumented immigrants and their families were excluded from this assistance.)

The applicant’s eligibility is what is documented in the application. That person must be eligible. We do not ask about other household members, except when asking for the number of people in a household and about total household income.

If the applicant is undocumented, they must meet all the lottery eligibility criteria. If an ineligible person applies, they will not be able to complete the lottery application entry form. If one household member is eligible, that is the person who should apply to the lottery.

Income earned by each person in the household should be added together. Use income from March through August 2020 (when the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on work and wages) and multiply that by 2 to show annual income. (Example: Between March and August this year, I earned $7,000, my spouse earned $12,000, and our three children earned 0. 7,000+ 12,000 + 0 = 19,000 x 2 = $38,000 total annual household income.)

Complete the first lottery form: the Eligibility Form. If you are eligible, then complete the Lottery Entry Application and Submit it. Random selection and complete, accurate applications will determine who receives funding. Submission is NOT a guarantee of funds.

Proof of: (1) your identity, (2) that you live in Illinois and (3) income. If you cannot provide proof of one or more of these, you can complete an affidavit. (The Application explains more.)

Click here for the English version. For the Spanish version, click here. For other available languages, you may select from the dropdown menu above.

The application is open as of Thursday, October 1, 2020. It will close at 5:00 pm on Monday, October 19, 2020.

Yes, you can fill out the Eligibility Form yourself, and if you are eligible, please also complete the Lottery Entry Application. Once completed, click on the Submit button.

These are questions you must answer. If you don’t answer these questions, you will not be able to submit your application.

Please complete and submit another, correct application. We will only consider one application from any person. We will use the one that is most complete.

Eligible applicants whose application is selected will receive a one-time $1,000 grant. Funds will be based on eligibility, completion and accuracy of application submission, and are dependent on the availability of funds. Submitting a lottery entry application does NOT guarantee funds.

Applicants who are selected will be notified by ICIRR by text and/or email in late November. Keep the confirmation you receive after submitting your Application, so that you can check back on this webpage in late November, when we will list all selected application numbers.

No, this is a one-time $1,000 grant per household. We are prioritizing families that have not received emergency funds from other sources to be able to extend the reach of assistance. Only one application will be considered for each eligible household.

Unfortunately, we don’t expect to be able to select all those who apply, due to limited funding. To look for other possible resources, we encourage you to reach out to the following kinds of organizations that exist in your community or nearby communities: - Faith-based organizations (churches, mosques, temples) - Local United Ways, that may be able to refer you to help - Local nonprofit or informal community organizations

Funds will be distributed to selected applicants by a community-based organization near you. Details on the form of payment will be provided to the approved applicants.

If you are selected from the lottery, you can expect the funds to be distributed within 30 - 45 days. We will work to provide funds as quickly as possible.

Yes. The information you provide on the eligibility assessment and the application will not be shared outside of ICIRR and the community-based organization that distributes funds to those who are selected.

Yes, if you applied but did not receive the Chicago Resilience Fund.

No, each household can only receive one form of assistance.

No, you do not.

If you would like to make a donation, please contact Tuyet Ngo at tngo@icirr.org.

Email: covidfund@icirr.org. Because we expect to receive many questions, we ask that you read the FAQ to see if your question is answered here. If it is not, please ask by email. WE WILL NOT ANSWER PHONE CALLS ABOUT THE LOTTERY.