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# Legislative Strategy & Coalition Growth: PEER IL
- URL: https://forthemanystrategies.com/statewidecoalition/
- Published: 2026-10-15T15:44:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-20T15:37:10.000Z
- Description: How do we build a coalition that moves together and wins together?
- Author: Jianan Shi
- Tags: Legislative & Advocacy Strategy, Campaigns & Coalitions, #project

Illinois public schools are underfunded by billions of dollars, and federal cuts are widening the gap. Closing it takes more than good policy and intentions; it takes a coalition with the reach and discipline to move legislators across the state. That means building collective power deliberately, and growing it where it matters most.

Over the last 2 years, we have partnered with [PEER Illinois](https://www.peerillinois.org/?ref=forthemanystrategies.com), a statewide school funding coalition, to expand the coalition, build the infrastructure, and craft the campaign strategy needed to win transformative changes. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7f/7f/7f7fbccd-5b25-4150-af6a-e47075692f9d/content/images/2026/10/EE655000-063E-4B59-B19D-9E6192AAE8C6_1_105_c-1.jpeg)

Working alongside coalition staff, member organizations and leaders, we supported PEER IL by:

#### ****Creating Shared Landscape & Political Analysis**

- Through qualitative interviews and close partnership with coalition staff, we researched and curated materials and facilitation that made complex fiscal and political information accessible, so coalition members could make campaign decisions with confidence.
- We helped design and facilitate landscape scans, power analyses, SWOT analyses, and state and federal fiscal research, and trained coalition staff to lead this work going forward.

#### ****Targeted Coalition Growth** 

- With a clearer north star, campaign goals, and clear constraints, we supported the research and outreach to expand the coalition beyond Chicago. This included identifying priority regions, mapping them to target legislators and researching over 100 prospective partners, and supporting outreach across 12 counties across Illinois to build power where it could move key votes.
- We helped grow PEER IL from 8 member organizations, mostly in Chicago, to roughly 20 active partners from Waukegan to Rockford to East St. Louis.

#### ****Coalition** ****Legislative Strategy**

- Supported the creation and adoption of the last 2 years’ legislative strategy. This included direct lobbying of electeds, training community members on grassroots lobbying, supporting lobby days, and advocating for specific coalition supported bills.
- Facilitated the coalition’s “Defend and Advance” legislative platform, which was in response to the direct federal attacks on education.