The Illinois Opportunity Project (IOP) was founded in 2011 as a right-of-center advocacy organization focused on Illinois, especially Chicago. The project advocates reduced taxes and educational freedom, and opposes the adoption of ranked-choice voting. ^{1 2 3}

Policies and Projects

Ranked Choice Voting

The Illinois Opportunity Project opposes the adoption of ranked-choice voting in Illinois. It argues that ranked-choice voting is overly complicated and leads to voter confusion. ⁴

Tax Policy

The Illinois Opportunity Project is critical of Illinois’s high level of taxes and attempts by leaders, such as Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), to further increase taxes. It notes that the state has been losing population and attributes this loss to its high taxes and the state government’s left-of-center push for policies such as expanded abortion. ⁵

Educational Freedom

The Illinois Opportunity Project has urged its activists to support the Invest in Kids Act that provides scholarships for families to pay for their children’s education at schools of their choosing. ⁶ It has similarly celebrated School Choice Week and urged that the Invest in Kids Act be renewed by the state legislature permanently. ⁷  The organization has stated that school choice is the biggest civil rights issue of the current generation. ⁸

Public Safety

The Illinois Opportunity Project characterizes left-of-center attempts to alter crime and policing practices as undermining public safety. It is highly critical of legislation such as the ‘SAFE-T’ Act that would eliminate cash bail requirements. It argues that such legislation will lead to more violent criminals on the streets as they await felony trials. It also opposes the Protect Illinois Communities Act that would ban the sale of a variety of firearms and require registration of already owned arms with the Illinois State Police. ⁹

IOP has also been highly critical of the Chicago city government over its handling of crime. It noted in 2022 that under the mayorship of Lori Lightfoot the city saw a reduction in the size of the police force while also seeing a crime spree that led to the closure of thousands of businesses. ¹⁰ IOP has also noted the disparate effect that unsafe streets have on women and notes that 67 percent of Chicago women feel unsafe. ¹¹

Finances

In 2020, the Illinois Opportunity Project reported $4,855,585 in revenue, of which $146 was derived from investment income and the rest from contributions and grants. IOP had $4,418,917 in expenses, of which $1,679,000 was paid out in grants and contributions and $986,593 paid out in salaries and compensation. It ended the year with a surplus of 436,668 and net assets of $733,566. ¹²

Leadership

Matthew Besler is the current Chairman and CEO of the Illinois Opportunity Project, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to this role, he was a vice president with the Zocalo Group, the director of public relations for Experian from 1999 to 2011, and an assistant legislative liaison with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for four years. ¹³

Mark Cavers is the president of the Illinois Opportunity Project. He has worked for the project since 2012 and has held the roles of government relations and outreach and vice president before his current role. From 2010 to 2012 he worked as a research associate at the Illinois Policy Institute. ¹⁴

Patrick Hughes cofounded the Illinois Opportunity Project. He also co-founded the Liberty Justice Center, a right-of-center public interest law firm, and was president of the center from 2011 to 2022. ¹⁵

1. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Stop Ranked-Choice Voting.” Illinois Opportunity Project. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/stop-ranked-choice-voting/.
2. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Quick Take on Pritzker’s Progressive Priorities.” Illinois Opportunity Project, May 4, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/quick-take-on-pritzkers-progressive-priorities/.
3. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Save the Invest in Kids Act!” Illinois Opportunity Project. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/savetheinvestinkidsact/.
4. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Stop Ranked-Choice Voting.” Illinois Opportunity Project. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/stop-ranked-choice-voting/.
5. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Quick Take on Pritzker’s Progressive Priorities.” Illinois Opportunity Project, May 4, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/quick-take-on-pritzkers-progressive-priorities/.
6. ^[1] Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Save the Invest in Kids Act!” Illinois Opportunity Project. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/savetheinvestinkidsact/
7. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Celebrating Empowered Families.” Illinois Opportunity Project, February 7, 2022. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/celebrating-empowered-families/.
8. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Empower Families Now.” Illinois Opportunity Project. Illinois Opportunity Project, March 23, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/empower-families-now/.
9. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “The Ideological Battle Threatening Public Safety.” Illinois Opportunity Project, January 6, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023.  https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/the-ideological-battle-threatening-public-safety/.
10. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “What Kind of Chicago Do We Want to Live In?” Illinois Opportunity Project, March 1, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/what-kind-of-chicago-do-we-want-to-live-in/.
11. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Public Safety Is A Women’s Issue.” Illinois Opportunity Project, March 29, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/public-safety-is-a-womens-issue/.
12. Illinois Opportunity Project, return of an organization exempt from taxation (IRS form 990). 2020 Part I
13. “Matthew Besler | LinkedIn.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewbesler/.
14. “Mark Cavers | LinkedIn.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcavers/.
15. Project, Illinois Opportunity. “Patrick Hughes.” Illinois Opportunity Project. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.illinoisopportunity.org/patrick-hughes/.