Ingenuity

What Ingenuity does

Ingenuity, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that operates as a backbone organization advancing equitable access to arts education across Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The organization was created to carry out the Chicago Arts Learning Initiative's (CALI) vision, convened by the Wallace Foundation and RAND in 2008, and now serves 645 CPS schools (100% participation in 2024-25) and connects them to a network of 400+ arts organizations and 1,100+ teaching artists. Its mission is to ensure every student, in every grade, in every CPS school has access to the arts as part of a well-rounded education.

Ingenuity's product portfolio centers on the artlook® data platform, which houses the Creative Schools Survey and a five-tiered Creative Schools Certification (CSC) measurement system used by CPS since 2012-13, now in version 2.0 with refined access and quality metrics. The organization publishes the annual State of the Arts (SOTA) Report, an interactive Dashboard launched in 2022-23 with customizable filters, and a Toolkit, complemented by school-specific Creative Schools Roadmaps and topical Data Snapshots. These tools produce 13 years of longitudinal arts education data covering 90%+ of CPS schools annually, with 100% participation achieved in recent cycles. Professional learning offerings include the Arts Partner Standards of Practice (APSP) and self-assessment tools for teaching artists and program managers.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: Ingenuity receives funding from 14+ foundations (MacArthur, Polk Bros., Chicago Community Trust, Gates, Crown, Pritzker Traubert, Zell, etc.), 12+ corporate sponsors (Lollapalooza/C3 Presents, William Blair, Grainger, Capital Group, etc.), Illinois Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual donors. The Creative Schools Fund is a public-private partnership with CPS and the City of Chicago that deploys competitive grants of up to $10,000 directly to schools, plus $1,000 Arts Essentials grants for survey completion. The Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund committed $2.2M over 2021-2026. Cumulative deployment since 2013 exceeds $26M, with 1,500+ grants reaching 460+ schools and 800,000+ students. Distribution is direct-to-school via annual grant cycles (August-September applications) and digital platform self-serve access to data tools.

Name

Ingenuity

Legal name

Ingenuity, Inc.

Website

https://ingenuity-inc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ingenuity is a Chicago-based nonprofit that operates as the data backbone for arts education in Chicago Public Schools, running the artlook platform, Creative Schools Certification, and the Creative Schools Fund grant program. It serves 645 CPS schools, 400+ arts organizations, and major philanthropic funders with 13 years of longitudinal data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Gradebook, Transcripts, Credits & Academic Records Management (EDAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Arts education nonprofit
• Education data analytics
• School grantmaking
• Arts partnership programs
• Creative learning advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Major foundation funding from Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,Builders Initiative Foundation, Caerus Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Crown Family Philanthropies, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, The Harris Family Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Zell Family Foundation, and many others listed as supporters.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate funding from Ariel Investments, C3 Presents (Lollapalooza), Capital Group, GCM Grosvenor, HOK, Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science & Industry Chicago, Ledgers, Inc., McMaster-Carr Supply Company, Venable LLP, W.W. Grainger, Inc., William Blair & Company, and others.
3. Government Funding: Government support from Illinois Arts Council Agency and National Endowment for the Arts.
4. Individual Donations: Individual donor contributions from board members and community supporters.
5. Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund: Partnership with C3 Presents/Lollapalooza committing $2.2 million over five years (2021-2026) to enhance arts education in CPS, administered through the Creative Schools Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ingenuity is a Chicago-based nonprofit backbone organization that drives arts education access in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by operating data-collection and reporting platforms (artlook®, Creative Schools Certification, State of the Arts, Roadmaps, Data Snapshots), directly awarding competitive grants to schools through the Creative Schools Fund and Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund, and delivering professional learning and partnership-matching services for CPS educators and arts organizations. Its products and services are provided free of charge to schools and are funded by philanthropic foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individual donors.

Product overview

Ingenuity operates as an arts education nonprofit offering a suite of interconnected data tools, grant programs, and professional development resources for Chicago Public Schools. The core product portfolio centers on the artlook® data platform, which houses the Creative Schools Survey and Creative Schools Certification measurement system. The annual State of the Arts (Report, Dashboard, and Toolkit) provides comprehensive landscape analysis. The Creative Schools Fund and Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund represent grant programs that distribute funding to schools. Supporting tools include Creative Schools Roadmaps, Data Snapshots, Arts Partner Standards of Practice, and Professional Learning Plan Assessments for teaching artists and program managers. Together, these products form a data-driven ecosystem supporting equitable arts education across 600+ CPS schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creative Schools Fund (CSF): The largest philanthropic investment directly into schools each year, providing grants to schools to support increased access to high-quality arts education through teacher-led arts programs in Chicago Public Schools.
• Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund (LAEF)
• artlook
• Creative Schools Certification (CSC)
• State of the Arts (SOTA)

Products and services

• artlook® Platform Online hub for CPS arts education school-level and organization-level data providing detailed profiles, partnership facilitation, and a platform for Creative Schools Survey data collection. For CPS schools, arts organizations, and the public.
• Creative Schools Certification (CSC) Five-tiered shared measurement system providing a comprehensive quantitative summary of arts education access and quality for each CPS school. For CPS, schools, and the broader arts education sector.
• State of the Arts Report, Dashboard & Toolkit Annual landscape analysis of arts education in Chicago Public Schools comprising a detailed report, interactive dashboard with customizable data filters, and toolkit for stakeholders. For CPS leadership, funders, schools, arts organizations, and policymakers.
• Creative Schools Roadmaps Customized reports for each CPS school detailing its Creative Schools Certification rating, performance on each metric, comparisons to network and district peers, and tailored recommendations with available supports. For CPS school leaders and educators.
• Data Snapshots Focused analyses on specific topics that complement the State of the Arts reports, including reports and interactive data visualizations on teaching artist compensation, high school arts offerings, and BIPOC representation. For CPS, schools, arts organizations, funders, and policymakers.
• Creative Schools Fund (CSF) Largest direct philanthropic investment in CPS arts education, providing competitive grants of up to $10,000 directly to schools to support teacher-designed partnership residencies with arts organizations. For CPS schools (and their students); funded by philanthropic, corporate, and government sources.
• Lollapalooza Arts Education Fund (LAEF) $2.2 million commitment from Lollapalooza/C3 Presents administered through the Creative Schools Fund, delivering arts education residencies, field trips, and teacher professional learning to CPS schools rated Developing or Emerging. For CPS schools (and their students).
• Creative Schools Survey Annual survey administered through artlook® collecting arts staffing, courses, instructional minutes, and arts partnership data from CPS schools; used to rate schools on the Creative Schools Certification. For CPS schools.
• Arts Partner Standards of Practice (APSP) Standards framework with tools, processes, and a self-assessment quiz to help arts organizations and teaching artists improve arts program outcomes and establish consensus values on quality. For arts organizations and teaching artists working with CPS schools.
• Professional Learning Plan Assessment for Teaching Artists Self-assessment tool helping teaching artists and arts educators reflect on their practice and identify targeted professional learning needs, with a framework to build personalized, growth-oriented plans. For teaching artists and arts educators.
• Professional Learning Plan Assessment for Program Managers Assessment helping arts organizations evaluate and strengthen internal systems for supporting arts instruction, identifying key growth areas and guiding program managers in creating strategic, sustainable professional learning plans. For program managers at arts organizations.
• District Reports Custom reports allowing exploration of district-specific State of the Arts data, comparing selected schools alongside district-wide CPS data to identify trends, strengths, and gaps in arts education. For district leaders, network leaders, and school support staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180% increase in percentage of CPS schools rated as Excelling in arts education access and quality since 2012-13
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts Alliance IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Statewide arts advocacy organization. Co-chaired the Illinois Arts Indicator Work Group with Ingenuity that created the innovative, data-informed proposal leading Illinois to become the first state to include arts as a distinct, weighted indicator in its ESSA state plan.
• Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Ingenuity partnered with the Kennedy Center's Any Given Child program and Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) in 2019 to expand artlook® to six new communities: Maryland, Houston TX, Jacksonville FL, New Orleans LA, Portland OR, and Sacramento CA.
• University of Chicago Consortium on School ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Research partnership producing the report 'Arts Education and Social-Emotional Learning Outcomes Among K-12 Students: Developing A Theory of Action' to support educators in arts and other subject areas.
• The Wallace Foundation and RAND CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Published 'Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination' in 2008 on the state of arts education, noting Chicago's public schools remained weak in planning and provision of the arts. This report catalyzed the Chicago Arts Learning Initiative (CALI).
• Chicago Public Schools (CPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS is the primary beneficiary and partner. Ingenuity collects arts education data on behalf of CPS, manages the Creative Schools Certification system, and serves as key advisor on the CPS Arts Education Plan 2.0. The Creative Schools Fund is a public-private partnership between Ingenuity, CPS, and the City of Chicago.
• City of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Chicago is part of the public-private partnership funding the Creative Schools Fund. Mayor Rahm Emanuel led creation of the first city-wide Cultural Plan in 2012 which called for more arts in CPS schools.
• Porchlight Music TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching artist provider for George Westinghouse College Prep through Creative Schools Fund grants. Facilitated theater technology support and annual productions with sets, costumes, lighting, and sound.
• Old Town School of Folk MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Edward A. Bouchet Math & Science Academy ES through Creative Schools Fund grant to introduce dance education, expanding students' weekly arts engagement beyond visual arts.
• Chicago Human Rhythm ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School through LAEF grant to introduce tap dance instruction for the first time.
• South Chicago Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts education partner through CSF grants at Ida B. Wells Preparatory Elementary, Thorp Scholantic Academy, and Hirsch Metropolitan High School. Offers Black History Month performances reaching 10,000+ students, mentorship from professional dancers, and student-led choreography.
• Uniting Voices ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts partner through CSF grant at Peter Cooper Elementary Dual Language Academy, launching new choir program blending choral music with existing mariachi band. Program achieves 100% graduation rate among participants.
• PlayMakers LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts education partner through CSF grants at multiple CPS schools. Uses 4-teacher approach with creative writing workshops. 90% of students showed improvement in writing skills; 100% of teachers reported increased student confidence.
• Intonation MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education partner through CSF grants at John J. Pershing STEAM Magnet Elementary School and others. Partners with schools lacking traditional music programs, providing instruments and rock band instruction. Empowered nearly 7,500 students with 94% achieving proficiency.
• Forward Momentum ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance education partner through CSF grants, prioritizing south and southwest Chicago neighborhoods. Founded by former Joffrey Ballet dancer Pierre Lockett. Served 45,000+ children with programs including the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.
• Urban GatewaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts partner through CSF grant at Benjamin E. Mays Elementary. Building student confidence, igniting creativity, and connecting students to cultural roots through sustained arts programming.
• Morten GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational consulting firm based in Chicago specializing in racial equity. Partnered with Ingenuity to develop its first organizational Equity Action Plan, providing training, support, and guidance.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NewSchools Venture Fund: Education-focused venture philanthropy that funds and incubates innovative schools and edtech. Shares the data-driven, equity-focused nonprofit model targeting public-school improvement.
• The Wallace Foundation: Major arts education funder whose 2008 RAND report catalyzed Ingenuity's founding. Operates nationally across arts, education, and community development — broader scope but overlapping mission in arts education coordination.
• Arts Education Partnership (now EDC): National coalition housed at Education Development Center focused on arts education policy and research. Comparable mission around advancing arts access and producing national research, but operating at the policy/research layer rather than direct district delivery.
• United Way of Metropolitan Chicago: Large Chicago-area nonprofit aggregator that funds education, arts, and human services. Comparable funder-distribution and policy-advocacy model at greater scale, but with broader program scope beyond arts.

Direct peers

• EdReports: Nonprofit that provides independent, educator-led reviews of instructional materials, including arts curricula. Operates a district-facing data and quality signal model similar to Ingenuity's Creative Schools Certification.
• Education Resource Strategies (ERS): Nonprofit partnering with school districts on resource allocation, data-driven strategy, and equity. Operates as a backbone advisor to large urban districts, comparable to Ingenuity's role with CPS.
• Chicago Public Education Fund: Chicago-focused education nonprofit supporting CPS leadership, teacher pipelines, and school investment. Comparable district-embedded grantmaking and data-advocacy model within the same CPS ecosystem.
• DonorsChoose: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform that channels donations directly to teachers and schools for classroom needs, including arts supplies. Operates a national school-grantmaking infrastructure analogous to Ingenuity's CSF model.

Emerging players

• The Kennedy Center (Any Given Child): National cultural institution whose Any Given Child program partners with districts (including via Ingenuity) to expand arts access. Closely comparable as both funder and direct service partner in arts education equity.

Others

• Grantmakers for Education: Membership organization of education funders providing research, convening, and advocacy. Comparable as a backbone-supporting infrastructure in the same funder and education-policy ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuY5an-c-r6nlmfHUvDU0-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/IngenuityChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ingenuity-incorporated/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/ingenuitychgo/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Ingenuity