What Concordia Place does

Concordia Place is an Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981, operating four early childhood and family services centers in Chicago's North Side neighborhoods (Ravenswood, Milwaukee, Seeley, and Whipple), with administrative headquarters at 3300 N Whipple St. It delivers year-round learning, care, and enrichment programs across the full age spectrum from 6 weeks through teen years, structured around five core program lines: Early Childhood Programs (Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Preschool), School-Age 365 (After-School and Summer Camp for ages 5–12), Teen Leadership, Home Visiting (pregnancy through 36 months), and New Neighbor Family Resources for recently arrived migrant families. Curriculum is play-based, aligned with Creative Curriculum and NAEYC best practices, and the centers are NAEYC-accredited with bilingual staff, organic meals, and a sliding-scale tuition model that accepts CCAP subsidies.

The organization employs 101–250 staff and serves more than 1,200 children and families per year, with broader community engagement reported around 7,000. Revenue mechanics blend earned income (sliding-scale tuition billed monthly), contributions from individuals, corporate sponsorships at tiered levels from $250 to $20,000+, foundation grants, employer matching gifts, planned giving/bequests, Donor Advised Funds, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, and in-kind securities. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through on-site enrollment at the four centers, augmented by referral partnerships with Chicago Early Learning and Macaroni Kid, and cause-marketing tie-ups (Minted, MightNest, Usborne Books & More, Packed With Purpose, Thrivent Choice).

Strategically, Concordia Place operates as an autonomous nonprofit within the broader Concordia Ministries family, unified with the former Concordia Day brand in May 2021, and has recently extended into the new-neighbor/migrant services vertical in partnership with local shelters. Leadership comprises CEO Grace Araya and VP of Philanthropy & Marketing Katie Bernabei. The organization holds a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025) and is licensed and insured across all centers, with controlled-access security and formal parent-teacher conferences twice yearly.

Name

Concordia Place

Legal name

Concordia Place

Website

https://concordiaplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Concordia Place is an Illinois 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating four early childhood, school-age, teen leadership, and family support centers across Chicago's North Side neighborhoods, serving over 1,200 children and families annually through NAEYC-accredited, sliding-scale, bilingual programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD), Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• After-school programs
• Teen leadership development
• Home visiting programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Sliding-scale tuition fees for early childhood education and care programs including infants, toddlers, twos, preschool, after-school, summer camp, and home visiting services
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to serve children and families
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various levels ($250 to $20,000+) providing financial support in exchange for marketing benefits and logo placement
4. Employer Matching Gifts: Corporate employee matching gift programs where employers match employee donations to Concordia Place
5. Planned Giving and Bequests: Legacy giving through wills, estate plans, beneficiary designations, and charitable remainder trusts
6. Donor Advised Funds (DAF): Accepts donations through Donor Advised Funds allowing donors to manage charitable giving with tax advantages
7. IRA Charitable Rollover / QCD: Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs for donors 70½ or older, providing tax-free giving directly to Concordia Place
8. Securities and Mutual Funds: Accepts appreciated securities and mutual funds as charitable gifts, enabling donors to reduce capital gains taxes while supporting the mission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Concordia Place provides licensed early childhood education and care for children from 6 weeks through 5 years (Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Preschool), year-round school-age enrichment for ages 5–12 (After-School and Summer Camp), a Teen Leadership program with paid internships and college/career readiness, and Home Visiting services from pregnancy through 36 months. Programs are delivered at four North Side Chicago neighborhood centers on a sliding-scale tuition model, with bilingual staff, organic meals, and NAEYC-aligned Creative Curriculum instruction.

Product overview

Concordia Place is an early childhood education and care organization providing year-round learning, care, and enrichment programs across four North Side Chicago neighborhoods. The organization operates as a unified portfolio of programs including Early Childhood Programs (Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Preschool), School-Age 365 (After-School and Summer Camp for ages 5-12), Teen Leadership, Home Visiting services, and New Neighbor Family Resources. Programs serve children from 6 weeks through teen years, with a focus on play-based curriculum, sliding-scale tuition, and bilingual/culturally responsive care. The organization unified the Concordia Place and Concordia Day brands under a single identity starting May 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Programs Year-round early learning and care for children from 6 weeks to 5 years across Infants (6 weeks–15 months), Toddlers (15–24 months), Twos (24–36 months), and Preschool (3–5 years), following NAEYC standards and Creative Curriculum with individualized developmental milestone tracking, bilingual staff, and organic meals.
• School-Age 365 Year-round enrichment for children ages 5–12, combining After-School (7:30 am–5:30 pm coverage with homework help, healthy snacks, school pickup, and indoor/outdoor play) and Summer Camp (full-day programming with weekly field trips and organic meals) at the Seeley and Whipple locations.
• Teen Leadership Program Program for teens that combines paid internships, mentoring relationships, leadership development, and college and career readiness training, designed to help participants discover potential and build real-world skills.
• Home Visiting Home-based family support program for expectant parents and families with children from birth through 36 months, providing developmental guidance, family needs assessments, and direct in-home services.
• New Neighbor Family Resources Support services for Chicago's newest neighbors, including enrollment assistance in early childhood and school-age programs, comprehensive family needs assessments, and connections to community resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 children and families served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Irving Park Community Food PantryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2024Community resource partnership for food security support during community events
• Lurie Children's HospitalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Community baby shower partnership providing resources and support for new families in the community
• Illinois Department of Children and Family ServicesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Government partnership supporting child welfare and family services at community events
• Senator Natalie TorominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Organizing partner for community baby shower events supporting new families
• Bright Start College SavingsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership providing college savings information and resources to families
• Chicago CommonsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner organization for community events supporting immigrant families
• After School MattersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for youth programming and community events supporting teens and families
• Metropolitan Family ServicesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for community resource events supporting immigrant families
• Advocate Aurora HealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Healthcare partner for Welcome to Chicago event providing health resources and support for new arrivals
• Local Shelters (for migrant family services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partnership with two local shelters to enroll Chicago's newest neighbors in early childhood, home visiting, and school-age programs
• Concordia ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner organization; Concordia Place originated in the basement of Concordia Lutheran Church in 1981 and continues collaborative partnership for worship events, welcome events, and community support
• Humble Design ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing furniture to families who were formerly experiencing homelessness. Concordia Place refers families monthly to receive home furnishings
• Chicago Early LearningcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner channel for early childhood enrollment, directing families to Concordia Place programs
• MintedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromo code partnership (FUNDRAISECP) where Minted donates a portion of proceeds to Concordia Place
• MightNestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership where users select Concordia Place in the schools dropdown and a portion of purchases is donated
• Usborne Books & MoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBook fair partnership where users select Whipple location and a portion of purchases is donated to Concordia Place
• Packed With PurposeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGifting company partnership featuring Ruckus Entrepreneurs products in gift boxes, creating social impact through teen-made body care products
• Thrivent ChoiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrivent members can recommend Concordia Place to receive charitable outreach funds through Thrivent's giving program

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Primrose Schools: National franchise network of private early childhood education schools serving infants through pre-K and after-schoolers. Comparable as a multi-site operator with a play-based, accredited curriculum model, though private-pay rather than sliding-scale.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Large regional YMCA offering licensed child care, preschool, before- and after-school, and summer camp programs across the Chicago metro. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping early childhood and school-age programming across multiple sites.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Chicago nonprofit providing after-school, summer, and teen leadership programming at multiple club locations. Comparable as a broader incumbent serving school-age children and teens with educational and enrichment programming in Chicago neighborhoods.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National for-profit provider of employer-sponsored child care, early education, and back-up care. Comparable as a large, multi-site ECE operator with overlapping infant, toddler, preschool, and after-school programs, though primarily serving employer-paid segments.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest U.S. private early childhood education provider operating hundreds of centers nationally. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering infant through pre-K and before/after-school programs at scale, though primarily fee-based rather than sliding-scale.

Direct peers

• Chicago Child Care Society: Historic Chicago nonprofit providing early childhood education and family services, including Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Comparable as a long-standing nonprofit ECE operator in Chicago emphasizing access and family support.
• Metropolitan Family Services: Chicago-area nonprofit providing early childhood education, youth, and family support services. Directly comparable as a community-based, multi-site nonprofit operating early learning and family strengthening programs for Chicago families.
• Chicago Commons: Chicago nonprofit delivering early childhood education, youth development, and adult supportive services across multiple neighborhood sites. Directly comparable as a multi-site, multi-program nonprofit family services operator working with immigrant and low-income families.
• After School Matters: Chicago nonprofit providing out-of-school-time programming and paid teen internships. Comparable as a Chicago-based nonprofit partnering with Concordia Place (and a $20K+ donor) and overlapping on teen leadership and youth development programming.
• Mary Crane Center: Chicago-based nonprofit offering early childhood education, school-age, and family support programs across multiple centers. Directly comparable as a nonprofit, multi-site, multi-age ECE provider serving low- and middle-income Chicago families with sliding-scale tuition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConcordiaPlace
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConcordiaPlace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concordia-place
• Instagraminstagram.com/concordiaplace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Concordia Place