Thanks to the generous support of founding sponsor Nicor Gas, Illinois Dollars for Scholars® formally launched as a Region with an already impressive number of Dollars for Scholars chapters, predominantly in Northern Illinois. Since 1997, Nicor Gas has granted more than a quarter of a million dollars to help establish more than 140 chapters and make Illinois Dollars for Scholars the fastest-growing region in America.

“Our investment in Illinois Dollars for Scholars represents a sound investment in today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders,” said Russ Strobel, President and CEO of Nicor Gas, founding sponsor of Illinois Dollars for Scholars. “Our investment will pay off greatly in the future with an educated workforce.”

Nicor Gas provides start-up funding to each new Illinois Dollars for Scholars chapter, as well as training and development support for volunteers. Scholarship America honored Nicor Gas with its 2002 National Trustees Award, awarded annually to an organization exemplifying outstanding support for education.

At the outset of the partnership, former Illinois Dollars for Scholars Executive Director Dick Dystrup said, “With the continued support of Scholarship America, our parent organization, and Nicor Gas, our founding sponsor, Illinois Dollars for Scholars is poised to create additional chapters throughout Illinois and brighter futures for our youth." That dedication to Illinois students is as strong today as it was then.

Nicor Gas grants each new Illinois Dollars for Scholars chapter $500 in start-up funding. For the first 135 Illinois Dollars for Scholars chapters created, Nicor Gas also pledged an additional $1,000 grant when each chapter reached their $1,000 mark in fundraising. Further, Nicor Gas agreed to match an additional $1,000 for these first 135 chapters upon reaching fundraising levels of $10,000, $20,000 and $35,000. If all 135 chapters reach the top fundraising benchmark, Nicor Gas will have distributed $607,500 to deserving students in Illinois.