A gift of $1,000 or more to the Illinois Recycling Foundation goes straight to work for Illinois communities: convening the field, teaching what works, and helping local recycling programs succeed.
501(c)(3) nonprofitBased in Geneva, IllinoisServing communities statewide
The case for support
Illinois throws away too much, and our towns can't fix it alone.
Every Illinois community is trying to recycle more, waste less and keep up with new rules on packaging, electronics and batteries. Most of the people doing that work are one-person recycling offices in a city hall or county health department. They have small budgets and no one to call when the rules change.
The Illinois Recycling Foundation (IRF) is the statewide nonprofit that answers that call. We are a 501(c)(3) charity based in Geneva, serving recycling coordinators, local governments, schools and businesses from Chicago to Carbondale.
What we do
Four ways your gift works.
01 / Convene the field
The Illinois Circularity Conference
ICC brings local governments, haulers, processors, manufacturers and state agencies together each year. In 2027 it comes to the Northfield Inn in Springfield on June 2-3.
02 / Teach what works
Practical training
Our webinar series gives practitioners practical, no-cost training on topics like plastic film recycling, run with industry and agency partners.
03 / Support local programs
Help for local governments
More than two dozen Illinois cities, counties and solid waste agencies belong to IRF. We help them plan, troubleshoot and share what works, with particular attention to smaller and rural communities.
04 / Reach the public
Recycling where people are
With a 2026 award from Can'd Aid, IRF will run "Game Day, Every Can Counts," a recycling program at Fighting Illini home games in 2027 that shows fans how easy it is to get it right.
Why your gift matters now
A lean foundation, so every major gift counts.
IRF runs lean, with one staff member and a volunteer board of Illinois recycling professionals. Our annual budget is under $100,000, so a single major gift can underwrite a whole program for a year: a conference scholarship fund for small towns, a season of webinars, or hands-on help for a rural county starting its first collection event.
Philanthropic support lets us say yes to the communities that need us most but can least afford to pay.
What your support makes possible
Your gift, at work in Illinois.
$1,000
Sends recycling coordinators from small or rural communities to the Illinois Circularity Conference.
$5,000
Underwrites a training webinar series for practitioners statewide.
$10,000
Funds direct technical help for local governments planning new or better recycling programs.
$25,000
Sustains IRF's statewide education and local-government support for a year.
Giving levels
Find your circle.
Annual gifts of $1,000 or more. Each level includes the recognition of the levels before it.
Loop Circle
$1,000 to $2,499
Name on the IRF website donor list and in the annual report
Year-end impact letter from the Executive Director
Closed Loop Circle
$2,500 to $4,999
All of the above
Recognition at the Illinois Circularity Conference (slide or program listing)
Invitation to the ICC field-trip tour
Circularity Circle
$5,000 to $9,999
All of the above
Twice-yearly briefing call with the Executive Director on Illinois recycling and policy trends
Leadership Circle
$10,000 to $24,999
All of the above
A named program year, for example "ICC Small-Community Scholarships, supported by..."
Site visit to an IRF program
Founders' Circle
$25,000+
All of the above
Naming of a signature program for one year, such as the webinar series or rural technical-assistance fund, by agreement
Major gifts are separate from Illinois Circularity Conference sponsorship packages. Interested in sponsoring ICC instead? See sponsorship opportunities ↗.
Join us
Let's talk about your major gift.
Recycling works when communities have the knowledge, partners and support to make it work. Your gift keeps materials in use and out of landfills, and keeps Illinois communities moving toward a circular economy.
Nathan MihelichExecutive Director, Illinois Recycling Foundation
Illinois Recycling Foundation · PO Box 411 · Geneva, IL 60134 The Illinois Recycling Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
$1,000
$5,000
$10,000
$25,000
