Public Accountability Report Public Accountability Report

2025 Awards/Grants/Records Section
Mission Statement This section administers numerous awards and state grants to assist veterans with their financial responsibilities, physical disabilities, employment opportunities, and other special services. Service includes grants for special adapted housing; awards and scholarships for primary, secondary, and postsecondary education at many state schools, colleges, and universities for veterans' dependents; bonus payments for wartime service for Illinois veterans and their families; and free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans, as well as free camping permits for certain disabled veterans and payments for setting a government headstone or marker for a deceased veteran. It also assists veterans with overcoming PTSD, homelessness, disability, long-term care, and health insurance by awarding grants to organizations that address these issues.
Program Goals and Objectives
  1. Administration of awards and grants as mandated by state statute.
    1. Number of grant applications received from veterans is subject to dwindling eligibility pools.
    2. The Veterans' Assistance Fund (VAF) target was adjusted to reflect the Grant Committee goal of granting for impact rather than granting to large numbers of organizations.
Source of Funds General Revenue Fund, Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund, Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Manteno Veterans Home Fund Statutory Authority 20 ILCS 2805/2
Fiscal Year 2026 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2025 Actual Fiscal Year 2025 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2024 Actual Fiscal Year 2023 Actual
Input Indicators
Total expenditures - all sources (in thousands) $ 9,407.4 $ 5,571.3 $ 6,436.3 $ 4,968.4 $ 5,260.9
Total expenditures - state appropriated funds (in thousands) $ 9,407.4 $ 5,571.3 $ 6,436.3 $ 4,968.4 $ 5,260.9
Average monthly full-time equivalents 4.0 3.5 6.0 4.0 5.0
Output Indicators
Number of bonus claims 500.0 492.0 500.0 410.0 438.0
Number of cartage and erection of headstones 1,200 1,196 1,600 1,561 1,931
Number of POW/MIA scholarships 300.0 770.0 300.0 602.0 491.0
Number of specially adapted housing exemptions 2.0 2.0 7.0 7.0 1.0
Number of state education claims (for students ages 10 - 18) 600.0 827.0 600.0 569.0 421.0
Number of SOS special license plates 30.0 31.0 80.0 79.0 131.0
Number of imaged documents 85,000 84,304 100,000 95,206 101,128
Number of correspondence 750.0 739.0 1,500 2,129 2,477
Number of emails and faxes 4,500 4,607 6,000 3,149 1,954
Number of phone inquiries 1,500 1,561 3,000 1,567 933.0
Outcome Indicators
Amount awarded for veterans' cash grants (in dollars) (a) $ 1,800,000.00 $ 1,200,143.00 $ 2,000,000.00 $ 1,978,392.00 $ 1,090,223.00
Amount awarded to address veterans' homelessness (in dollars) (a) $ 700,000.00 $ 324,710.00 $ 450,000.00 $ 445,854.00 $ 393,401.00
Amount awarded to veterans' disability benefits (in dollars) (a) $ 200,000.00 $ 200,000.00 $ 200,000.00 $ 200,000.00 $ 200,000.00
Amount awarded to veterans' long-term care (in dollars) (a) $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 50,000.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Amount awarded to address veterans' behavioral health (in dollars) (a) $ 600,000.00 $ 429,250.00 $ 750,000.00 $ 734,813.00 $ 388,757.00
Amount awarded to emergency financial assistance (in dollars) (a) $ 150,000.00 $ 0.00 $ 100,000.00 $ 76,305.00 N/A
Amount awarded to veterans' employment (in dollars) (a) $ 150,000.00 $ 246,183.00 $ 450,000.00 $ 521,420.00 $ 130,000.00
Amount awarded to organizations from Central Illinois (in dollars) (a) $ 630,000.00 $ 330,000.00 $ 540,000.00 $ 587,761.00 $ 271,800.00
Amount awarded to organizations from Northern Illinois (in dollars) (a) $ 1,080,000.00 $ 870,143.00 $ 1,360,000.00 $ 1,390,631.00 $ 818,434.00
Amount awarded to organizations from Southern Illinois (in dollars) (a) $ 200,000.00 $ 0.00 $ 100,000.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Footnotes
The Veterans' Cash Grant program was paused for the last six months of fiscal year 2025.

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