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Small Dollar — Big Impact

Reducing work interruptions for employers by helping nearly 800,000 Chicago adults access affordable, same-day emergency cash — while building savings and credit.

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78%
of U.S. families live paycheck to paycheck
2x
more likely to miss work under financial stress
~50%
of adults skipped a necessary expense in 2025
THE CHALLENGE

Financial fragility is a workplace problem

Nearly 800,000 Chicagoans can't cover an unexpected $400 expense. This isn't limited to low-wage workers—it spans the income spectrum, affecting employees and the companies that rely on them. Those with low or no credit have few options that don't trap them in cycles of debt, leaving real consequences for households and businesses alike.
CHALLENGE

Trauma and toxic stress create extraordinary challenges.

70%

of Americans experience a traumatic event in their lives.

39%

of employees say their manager is equipped to support their mental health.

4.3m

people quit their jobs in August 2021.

10m

roles remain open—the highest number ever reported.

$4

Return for each dollar organizations spend on mental health treatment.

Chicagoland residents are particularly hard-hit.

Proximity to violence increases symptoms of trauma.

43%

for those who live within 7.5 blocks of a violent event.

69%

for those who live within 4.5 blocks of a violent event.

Opportunity

Companies have a unique ability to help employees address this gap, without hitting their balance sheets. By partnering with one of the Corporate Coalition’s financial partners—made up of banks and credit unions in the Chicago region—companies can provide access to same-day, low-interest loans to their staff to reduce workplace interruptions, while strengthening their financial stability.
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Loans are offered at half the market rate without a credit check
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Repayments are completed through simple payroll deduction
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Repayments happen over 6-12 months, so employees only repay a small amount per pay period
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Once loans are repaid, employees can keep contributing into a savings account.
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How It Works

Company-Lender Partnerships

Companies select the benefit provider among the Corporate Coalition’s partners. Often, companies can partner with banks with whom they already have a relationship.

Payroll Deductions

Once a partner is selected, they work together to facilitate the payroll deduction protocol. Because this is built into the companies’ pre-existing processes, it is a quick setup.

Communication to Employees

Once the benefit is operational, companies communicate it to prospective and existing employees – differentiating it from other financial benefits like earned wage access.
Learning
Cohort members participate in a learning series twice per month, building skills and a foundational understanding of resilience practices.
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Multi User
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Unlimited Viewers
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Pro Insights
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Integrations with Figma, Jira, Dropbox
Whitelabelling
Sharing
Cohort members share their own experiences, challenges, solutions, and resources in meetings and smaller affinity groups to accelerate shared progress.
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Multi User
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Unlimited Viewers
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Pro Insights
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Integrations with Figma, Jira, Dropbox
Whitelabelling
Taking Action
Cohort members take action in ways that work for their organization, based on ideas in the learning series, a customized assessment, and a catalog of services and expertise.
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Multi User
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Unlimited Viewers
A white checkmark inside of a red circle.
Pro Insights
A white checkmark inside of a red circle.
Integrations with Figma, Jira, Dropbox
Whitelabelling
IMPACT

Taking care of people is taking care of business—the two rise and fall together.

Stronger workforce retention.
Employers see up to 20% higher retention as employees experience greater financial stability, reducing stress-driven turnover and strengthening workforce reliability.
A benefit that differentiates employers in a competitive talent market.
Two-thirds of employees say access to this benefit makes their employer stand out, supporting attraction, engagement, and loyalty in a competitive labor market.
Improved financial security that leads to long-term stability.
Nearly all participating employees build emergency savings (95%) and improve their credit (96%), helping them manage unexpected expenses today, save for unexpected future shocks, and open doors to homeownership, car loans, and other wealth-building assets.

This is just the beginning.

The Chicago Resiliency Network will revolutionize the way organizations pursue business success.
Core Initiatives
Chicago Resiliency NetworkCorporate ConnectorEPICFair Chance Hiring
Discovery Phase
Invest TogetherFair Chance Contracting
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