What Center for Conflict Resolution does

Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) is an independent Illinois not-for-profit corporation founded in 1979 and headquartered at 11 E. Adams St., Chicago. The organization provides free mediation services to residents of Cook County across more than 20 program categories, including small claims, evictions, foreclosure, family/parenting matters, tenant-landlord conflicts, community disputes, and juvenile re-entry. CCR served over 15,000 clients in the most recent reporting year (2024-2025), delivered through a combination of 11-50 paid staff and approximately 180 trained volunteer mediators operating at sites throughout Cook County, with court referrals from small claims, eviction, and family/domestic relations divisions as the principal intake channel.

CCR's service model is built around a facilitative mediation methodology emphasizing interest-based negotiation, active listening, and party-directed resolution, with no proprietary software or technology platform. The training and credentialing line of business is anchored by the 40-Hour Mediation Skills Training, which is approved by Presiding Judges of the Cook County Law, Chancery, and Domestic Relations Divisions to satisfy court-mandated mediator certification, and by MCLE and Social Work CEU accreditation. Adjacent offerings include the Conflict Management Workshop, Customized Workshops, the Mediator Mentorship Program, and the Reflective Practice Group for practicing mediators.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through charitable donations and grants from a concentrated set of institutional funders (United Way, Chicago Bar Foundation, Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Polk Bros Foundation, JAMS), with supplementary fee income from training programs. Mediation services to end clients are provided at no charge. CCR does not disclose financial results in the available source material and operates without a parent entity, public listing, or institutional investment structure.

Name

Center for Conflict Resolution

Legal name

Center for Conflict Resolution

Website

https://ccrchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Conflict Resolution is a Chicago-based non-profit founded in 1979 that provides free mediation services across 20+ programs and trains 500+ professionals annually, serving over 15,000 Cook County clients each year through 180 volunteer mediators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a not-for-profit organization, CCR relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund free mediation services and training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) is an independent not-for-profit organization that provides free mediation services across Cook County, Illinois, operating more than 20 mediation programs including small claims, evictions, foreclosure, family/parenting, community disputes, and juvenile re-entry matters. CCR also delivers fee-based training programs, most notably the 40-Hour Mediation Skills Training approved for Cook County mediator certification, complemented by customized workshops, conflict management workshops, and a Mediator Mentorship Program.

Product overview

Center for Conflict Resolution offers a unified service model centered on free mediation services and professional training programs. The core offering is mediation services across over 20 different programs including small claims, evictions, foreclosure, family/parenting, community disputes, and tenant-landlord matters, serving 15,000+ clients annually. Complementing these services are training products: the 40-Hour Mediation Skills Training (approved for Cook County mediator certification, MCLE, and Social Work CEUs), Conflict Management Workshop, and Customized Workshops. The Mediator Mentorship Program provides post-training support with simulated role-plays and coaching, while the Reflective Practice Group offers ongoing peer learning for practicing mediators. Together, these offerings create a comprehensive pathway from foundational training through active practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mediation Services

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JAMS: Largest private ADR provider in the U.S. offering mediation, arbitration, and ADR training. Comparable as a broad ADR incumbent, though JAMS serves paying corporate clients while CCR provides free court-referred services. JAMS is also a current CCR funder.
• American Arbitration Association (AAA): Major not-for-profit ADR organization providing arbitration, mediation, and conflict resolution services nationwide. Comparable as a large-scale ADR incumbent operating alongside community mediation in the broader alternative dispute resolution ecosystem.

Direct peers

• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM): National membership association representing community mediation centers like CCR. Directly comparable as it represents peer organizations operating volunteer-driven, free or low-cost mediation services in local communities.
• Resolution Systems Institute: Illinois-based court ADR coordination and training organization. Most directly comparable peer given shared Illinois jurisdiction, court-affiliated mediation focus, and training/certification programs.
• Community Mediation Services: Community-based mediation organization providing free conflict resolution services, training, and court-referred programs. Directly comparable to CCR in mission, volunteer model, and target population.

Others

• Mediate.com: Leading online mediation referral directory of which CCR is a Premium Member. Comparable as ecosystem infrastructure — channeling clients to mediators — rather than directly delivering mediation services.

Regional players

• New York Peace Institute: Community-based mediation center serving New York City courts and residents with free services and volunteer mediators. Closely comparable operating model to CCR but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/ccrchicago.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccrchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-conflict-resolution
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccrchicago/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Center for Conflict Resolution