Upward Mobility Action Plan Release Event

Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois will release our Upward Mobility Action Plan to the community on October 2nd, along with City of Rockford Mayor Thomas McNamara, Winnebago County Board Chairman Joseph Chiarelli and members of our Mobility Coalition.

Upward Mobility, also referred to as Economic Mobility, refers to the ability of an individual, family, or group to improve their social or economic status within a society. It often means moving from a lower to a higher social class, income bracket, or level of education and occupation.

In 2024,Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois initiated a comprehensive planning process aimed at increasing upward mobility from poverty and addressing racial inequities in our region. This initiative was grounded in data and best practices from the Urban Institute’s Boosting Upward Mobility from Poverty and Advancing Equity project, which helped us identify key disparities and systemic barriers that hinder economic advancement, particularly among communities of color.

Through strong collaboration with nonprofit organizations, businesses, philanthropic partners, anchor institutions, and faith-based leaders, we have developed an Upward Mobility Action Plan to drive systems-level change.

A core component of this planning phase was the formation of a Mobility Coalition, comprised of 20 community leaders, who engaged in this planning process for 18 months. This cross-sector group met with both community stakeholders and individuals with lived experience of poverty to identify the highest-impact strategies for increasing upward mobility and was tasked with identifying actionable strategies to promote upward mobility and reduce poverty in Winnebago County.

We hope you will join us for this momentous occasion to learn more about our process, the projects we will implement going forward, and to celebrate the creation of our community’s first ever comprehensive strategy to create upward mobility and reduce poverty.

Host or Publisher Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois