IMANI

What IMANI does

IMANI Programs (legal name: IMANI Programs) is a New Jersey-based 501(c)(3)-style educational nonprofit founded in 2000 and headquartered at 73 South Fullerton Avenue (2nd floor), Montclair, NJ. Its mission is to narrow the achievement gap for students of color in Montclair Public Schools through a continuous K-12 academic-support pipeline spanning eight integrated programs: Mini IMANI (Grades K-5 literacy led by certified teachers and trained volunteers); Summer Transition to 6th Grade; the Middle IMANI Coding & Technology Club (delivered in partnership with CodeAdvantage for students from all three Montclair middle schools); Summer Transition to 9th Grade; Study Groups (Grades 9-12 in Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, English, and History); SAT Prep (delivered in partnership with Smart Learner); the College Advocacy Center (free college admissions and financial-aid guidance); and Parent Education workshops. Reported outcomes include SAT score gains of up to 200 points, study-group participants improving by a letter grade or more, and hundreds of minority students gaining admission to college, including selective private schools, state colleges, and HBCUs. The organization has 1-10 employees and is led by Executive Director JoAnn McCullough, whose 25 years of leadership were formally honored at IMANI's 25th Anniversary Benefit on November 13, 2025.

IMANI is structurally embedded into Montclair Public Schools: programs are delivered at school facilities, the Montclair Public Library, Montclair High School, and IMANI's own College Advocacy Center; acquisition runs through school-counselor referrals, parent networks, community events, and word-of-mouth. Strategic partnerships underpin delivery, including Montclair Public Schools and the Office of School Counseling (joint NACAC attendance, co-delivered admissions conferences), Smart Learner (SAT Prep), CodeAdvantage (Coding Club), Montclair Public Library, and university partners Wesleyan, Drew, and Carnegie Mellon (admissions workshops). Outreach is supported by social media (Facebook, Instagram), the imaniprograms.org site, and fundraising events such as the annual benefit gala and the Dumpling Diplomacy third-party fundraiser.

IMANI's revenue model is donation-led: individual donations, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events (annual benefit, Dumpling Diplomacy, Liberation Literacy), and grant funding form the primary income stream. Programmatic fees are minimal — Summer Transition to 9th Grade is priced at $50 per student — and are waived for free/reduced-lunch-qualifying families, with scholarships available; College Advocacy services are free. No pricing tiers or fee-driven scale metrics are publicly disclosed, and financial figures are not disclosed. The marketing mix relies on referral and community-ecosystem channels rather than paid acquisition.

Name

IMANI

Legal name

IMANI Programs

Website

https://imaniprograms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMANI Programs is a Montclair, NJ-based educational nonprofit that delivers a K-12 academic-support pipeline — literacy, coding, study groups, SAT prep, and college admissions guidance — to students of color in Montclair Public Schools, funded primarily through donations and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Intervention & Differentiated Instruction (Tiered Supports) (EDAJAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

English Language Arts (ELA) Enrichment (Integrated Reading/Writing) (EDAMAJAF), First-Year Experience & Transition Programs (EDALABAE)

Keywords

• K-12 academic support
• College preparation services
• Literacy tutoring programs
• SAT test preparation
• Community education nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Montclair

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: IMANI relies on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and fundraising events such as their annual benefit gala and third-party fundraisers like Dumpling Diplomacy.
2. Program Fees: Some programs charge minimal fees (e.g., $50 for Summer Transition to 9th Grade), which are waived for students qualifying for free/reduced lunch.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMANI Programs is a nonprofit organization that delivers a continuous K-12 academic support and college preparation pipeline for students of color in Montclair, New Jersey. Its offerings include Mini IMANI (K-5 literacy), Summer Transition to 6th Grade, Middle IMANI Coding & Technology Club, Summer Transition to 9th Grade, Study Groups (grades 9-12 in AP/Honors subjects), SAT Prep (with Smart Learner), a College Advocacy Center, and Parent Education. Programs are offered at no cost or minimal cost to Montclair Public School students and their families.

Product overview

IMANI is an educational nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of academic support programs designed to level the playing field for students of color in Montclair Public Schools. The organization operates multiple programs across grade levels: Mini IMANI (K-5 literacy program), Summer Transition to 6th Grade, Middle IMANI Coding & Technology Club (6-8), Study Groups (9-12 in AP/Honors subjects), SAT Prep (partnered with Smart Learner), College Advocacy Center, Summer Transition to 9th Grade, and Parent Education. These programs work together as a unified ecosystem providing academic enrichment, college preparation, and family support services to help minority students excel academically and gain admission to competitive colleges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mini IMANI
• Summer Transition to 6th Grade A summer academic enrichment program that eases the transition from elementary to middle school through intensive academic support from certified teachers, helping students retain skills and prepare for more challenging academic requirements.
• Middle IMANI Coding & Technology Club A coding club providing technology education to students from all three Montclair middle schools, offered in partnership with CodeAdvantage, featuring project-based coding classes that develop skills critical for success in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
• Summer Transition to 9th Grade A summer academic enrichment program at Montclair High School designed to support students as they complete summer assignments and make the transition to high school, including reading, algebra skills, and campus familiarization.
• Study Groups Organized study groups for students in Grades 9-12 providing additional instruction to help students of color succeed academically in Advanced Placement and Honors level courses, covering subjects including Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, English, and History.
• SAT Prep Intensive SAT test preparation offered in partnership with Smart Learner, providing classes, practice exams, and homework assignments to help students develop skills and mental focus to perform well on the SAT exam.
• College Advocacy Center A free college admissions support service working with Montclair High School to guide students through every step of the college admissions process, including college search, applications, essay writing, scholarships, and financial aid.
• Parent Education A program that helps parents and guardians become effective advocates for their children by providing information about educational issues, course selection, academic support resources, and navigation of the public school system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many students who complete the IMANI SAT Prep course and required homework have increased their scores by as much as 200 points
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montclair Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner. IMANI programs are integrated with Montclair Public Schools curriculum and aligned with district-wide initiatives. Partnership includes access to school facilities and coordination with guidance counselors.
• Montclair High School Office of School CounselingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration on college admissions process. Joint student conferences, application review, and financial aid decision support. Annual joint attendance at NACAC Conference.
• Smart LearnercoreTechnology or IntegrationSAT test prep program provider. Smart Learner provides instructors who have scored in the top 1% of test takers. Program includes classes, practice exams, and homework assignments.
• CodeAdvantagecoreTechnology or IntegrationCoding and technology education partner for Middle IMANI Coding Club. Provides project-based coding classes for students from all three Montclair middle schools.
• Montclair Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy groups meet at Montclair Public Library (50 South Fullerton Ave). Library also hosts Liberation Literacy events for preschool and elementary students.
• Montclair State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trips for coding club students to understand technology in context of real-world activities and careers.
• Montclair Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding club field trips help students understand technology in context of real-world activities and careers.
• Dumpling DiplomacyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial enterprise that donated 100% of proceeds from their First Annual Patricio Fundraiser to IMANI. Supports educational initiatives to narrow the achievement gap.
• Wesleyan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with college admission offices for workshops and guest speakers on college admissions.
• Drew UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with college admission offices for workshops and guest speakers on college admissions.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with college admission offices for workshops and guest speakers on college admissions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing underrepresented high school students with mentors for college readiness and application support - closely aligned with IMANI's mentorship-driven, college-access approach.
• College Possible: Nonprofit delivering near-peer coaching for college admission, SAT prep, and persistence for low-income high school students - directly overlaps with IMANI's SAT Prep and college advising offerings.
• Year Up: Nonprofit delivering intensive workforce and postsecondary training to young adults from underserved communities - comparable education-to-opportunity mission with similar measurable outcome focus.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing intensive college application, financial aid, and persistence coaching to first-generation students from urban communities - directly comparable to IMANI's College Advocacy Center mission.
• The Eagle Academy Foundation: Network of schools and programs supporting young men of color through secondary and postsecondary education - directly comparable minority-targeted academic enrichment mission.
• Harlem Children's Zone: Long-running nonprofit providing cradle-to-college educational pipeline services to underserved students in a single NYC community - the closest analogue to IMANI's hyperlocal K-12 support model for minority students.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit providing one-to-one mentoring that frequently includes academic and college-readiness components - adjacent peer in community-based nonprofit youth services delivery.

Broad incumbents

• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): Established nonprofit providing scholarships and college-readiness programming for African American students - comparable mission around college access for minority students at much greater institutional scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit offering academic enrichment, college prep, and tutoring at neighborhood club sites - a broader, established analogue to IMANI's community-based academic support model.
• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit charter network serving predominantly low-income, minority K-12 students with college-prep focus - comparable mission and target demographic at much greater geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IMANIMONTCLAIR
• Instagraminstagram.com/imaniprograms
• Xx.com/IMANIInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 IMANI