What Advance Illinois does

Advance Illinois is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization (Tax ID 26-2052733) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It champions evidence-based policies across the full Birth-20 continuum, organizing its work around eight policy areas: Learning Renewal and Rebuilding, Early Childhood Education and Care, Higher Education, Equitable Funding and Resources, Strong and Diverse Educator Pipeline, Engaged Families and Whole Student Supports, Data Assessments and Accountability, and Standards, Rigor and Strong Transitions. The organization produces a curated Research Hub anchored by the biennial flagship publication The State We're In (2025 edition most recent), and conducts proprietary longitudinal analysis of Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) scale scores and KIDS kindergarten readiness data to surface equity gaps.

Its core products and programs include Policy and Advocacy across the eight thematic areas, the Research Hub, the Action Center (a CongressWeb-powered grassroots mobilization tool that drives constituent communications to Illinois state legislators), the Educator Advisory Council (a two-year cohort of educators from early childhood through postsecondary), the Illinois Education and Career Success Network, and the Educator Pipeline Group. The underlying technology stack is off-the-shelf nonprofit tooling — Squarespace for the website, HubSpot Forms for newsletter signup, CongressWeb for advocacy alerts, and Nonprofit Soapbox for donation processing — with no proprietary core platform.

Advance Illinois generates revenue through tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, foundation and philanthropic grants (documented grants include $200,000 from Lumina Foundation in March 2022 and co-presented convenings with The Joyce Foundation), and event sponsorships including the November 1, 2023 15th Anniversary Celebration at the University Club of Chicago. The organization serves 850+ K-12 school districts across Illinois, public universities and community colleges, educators and aspiring educators, students and families, and the Illinois General Assembly and state education agencies (IBHE, ICCB, ISBE, IDEC). It is led by Executive Director Robin Steans (as of 2025-2026, succeeding Ginger Ostro who served in the role as of 2018), with Board Co-Chairs John Edwardson and Marin Gjaja (as of 2018) and founding co-chairs William M. Daley and former Governor Jim Edgar.

Name

Advance Illinois

Legal name

Advance Illinois

Website

https://advanceillinois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advance Illinois is a Chicago-based 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2008 that conducts research-driven education policy advocacy across Illinois's Birth-20 continuum, serving K-12 districts, public universities, educators, families, and state legislators through policy research, coalition convening, and grassroots mobilization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK), First-Year Experience & Transition Programs (EDALABAE), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Education policy advocacy
• Public education research
• Education funding equity
• Nonprofit policy research
• Education coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and corporate donations (501(c)3 tax-deductible): Advance Illinois is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (Tax ID 26-2052733). Revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations solicited via the Donate page, dedicated 15th Anniversary fundraising campaigns, and year-round appeals from the Development Director. Donations are explicitly described as tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
2. Foundation and philanthropic grants: Advance Illinois receives grant support from education-focused philanthropies to underwrite research and policy initiatives. The organization sits within the Illinois education policy ecosystem alongside major foundations, and explicit foundation partnerships (e.g., co-presented summits with The Joyce Foundation) are documented.
3. Event sponsorships and milestone campaign support: Special events — including the 15th Anniversary Celebration at the University Club of Chicago on November 1, 2023, and convenings such as the Elevate Teaching Summit — generate contributed revenue via sponsorships, table purchases, and dedicated campaign microsites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Advance Illinois is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization that conducts cradle-to-career (Birth-20) research and advocacy for Illinois public education. Its core work centers on producing the biennial State We're In data report, curating a Research Hub across eight policy areas, convening an Educator Advisory Council, and mobilizing grassroots advocacy via its Action Center to advance equitable funding, educator pipelines, and student outcomes across more than 850 Illinois school districts and public universities.

Product overview

Advance Illinois is a 501(c)3 education policy and research nonprofit, not a software vendor. Its offering is structured around a core policy advocacy and research portfolio rather than a unified software platform. The core program is Policy & Advocacy, organized into eight thematic policy areas (Learning Renewal & Rebuilding, Early Childhood Education & Care, Higher Education, Equitable Funding & Resources, Strong & Diverse Educator Pipeline, Engaged Families & Whole Student Supports, Data Assessments & Accountability, and Standards, Rigor & Strong Transitions), which is supported by the Research Hub — a curated repository of data, briefs, and reports aligned to those same areas and anchored by the flagship annual publication The State We're In. Engagement products layer on top: the Action Center (advocacy campaigns and legislator contact via CongressWeb), the Advance Illinois Newsletter (HubSpot-powered), the Educator Advisory Council, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network, and the Educator Pipeline Group. The news and media outputs (Statements, Press Releases, In the News, From the Desk, Blog, Archive) and the Celebrate 15 Years anniversary program round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy & Advocacy Program Eight policy-area tracks (Learning Renewal & Rebuilding, Early Childhood Education & Care, Higher Education, Equitable Funding & Resources, Strong & Diverse Educator Pipeline, Engaged Families & Whole Student Supports, Data Assessments & Accountability, and Standards, Rigor & Strong Transitions) under which Advance Illinois identifies, evaluates, and shapes evidence-based Illinois education legislation for policymakers, educators, and advocates.
• Research Hub Curated research repository organized by eight policy areas, providing data, briefs, and reports to inform stakeholders and policymakers, plus a link to archived reports. Anchored by the flagship annual publication The State We're In.
• The State We're In (Annual Report Series) Advance Illinois' signature biennial data-driven assessment of public education in Illinois across the Birth-20 continuum, used to track progress and advocate for evidence-based policy. The 2025 edition is the most recent release.
• Action Center Online hub that lets supporters register, sign up for campaigns, and contact state legislators about education policy issues; integrates with CongressWeb for advocacy alerts targeting Illinois state legislators.
• Educator Advisory Council (EAC) Two-year cohort of educators from early childhood through postsecondary serving as thought partners and advocates, sharpening Advance Illinois' policy work with frontline classroom and campus perspectives. The 2025-2027 cohort is the current iteration.
• Illinois Education and Career Success Network Network convening partners focused on advancing college and career success across the Illinois education continuum.
• Educator Pipeline Group Working group dedicated to strengthening and diversifying Illinois' educator pipeline, supporting recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention.
• Advance Illinois Newsletter Curated newsletter (subscribed via HubSpot forms) delivering education news, field events, reports, and resources to supporters and advocates.

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stand for Children: Multi-state education advocacy organization with an active Illinois chapter focused on parent-led advocacy, school funding equity, and legislative engagement. Listed as a recurring coalition partner of Advance Illinois, with overlapping policy priorities and constituent engagement approach.
• ExcelinEd: State-focused education reform policy organization founded by Jeb Bush that develops model legislation and partners with state advocacy networks on K-12 funding, accountability, and choice policies. Comparable in operating model to Advance Illinois as a state-policy-focused advocacy nonprofit.
• Teach Plus: National teacher-leadership and policy advocacy organization with Illinois programming that runs educator fellowships and trains teacher policy advocates. Partner organization of Advance Illinois with overlapping policy priorities on educator pipeline, diversity, and equitable funding.
• Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice: Research and policy organization focused on college student basic needs, mental health, and success, with direct relevance to Advance Illinois' higher education student support advocacy. Operates national data and policy products that inform state-level postsecondary funding debates.
• Partnership for College Completion: Chicago-based Illinois higher-education policy and advocacy nonprofit focused on equitable postsecondary completion, funding, and student success. Direct peer to Advance Illinois' higher education policy work, with overlapping constituencies and shared MAP grant advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Education Trust: National education equity policy and advocacy organization operating across multiple states with state offices conducting cradle-to-career research, policy analysis, and advocacy on funding equity and student outcomes — directly comparable mission to Advance Illinois but at significantly larger national scale.
• Center for Reinventing Public Education: Research and policy organization at Arizona State University studying K-12 systemic reform, school funding, and equity. Comparable to Advance Illinois as a research-driven education policy voice, with broader national scope and academic affiliation.

Others

• The Joyce Foundation: Major Chicago-based education philanthropy that has funded Advance Illinois work and co-presents convenings like the Elevate Teaching Summit. Functions as both a funder and ecosystem convener in Illinois education policy, with overlapping priorities on funding equity and educator diversity.

Emerging players

• A Kids Company About: Education advocacy and content organization focused on teaching children about social justice, equity, and inclusion. Adjacent to Advance Illinois' equity-focused K-12 mission but operates primarily through children's media rather than direct policy advocacy, representing a complementary ecosystem actor.

Regional players

• Illinois Education Association: Illinois statewide teachers' union representing K-12 educators and advocating on funding, working conditions, and student supports. Overlapping Illinois education policy priorities with Advance Illinois but operating as a labor/union organization rather than an independent advocacy nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/advanceillinois
• YouTubeyoutu.be/NBecxMFiphI
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdvanceIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advance-illinois

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advance Illinois