Chicago Area Project

What Chicago Area Project does

Chicago Area Project (CAP) is a nonprofit community development organization founded in 1934 by University of Chicago sociologist Clifford Shaw. Operating under a 501(c)(3) structure from headquarters at 55 East Jackson Boulevard in Chicago, CAP delivers a portfolio of youth, workforce, and prevention programs through a federated network of 30+ community-based affiliate committees spanning 30 communities across the Chicago metropolitan area, including Cook County and DuPage County. The organization employs between 101 and 250 staff and is governed by a board led by Chairman Donald Cox Bey, Secretary Mary Montgomery, and Treasurer Will Barnes, with Executive Director David E. Whittaker serving since 1986.

CAP's program portfolio is organized around three pillars: community & youth services (Teen REACH, Youth as Resources, City Wide Youth Committee, Youth Ambassadors), workforce development (CDTES, YMTE, WorkFirst), and prevention & wellness (Grand Boulevard Coalition, Say No and Know Why, Healthy Living Our #1 Goal), supplemented by the Juvenile Justice Diversion Program and Kops & Kids. CDTES serves over 2,000 TANF recipients and low-income individuals annually and places approximately 1,740 in employment across sectors including construction, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and retail. The Juvenile Justice Diversion Program reports a 6% recidivism rate versus the 91% statewide rate cited by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

Revenue is derived from Illinois state government contracts (Department of Human Services, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Corrections), federal pass-through grants (SAMHSA, Drug Free Communities), and individual donations processed through PayPal and GiveGab. All services are provided free of charge to participants. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; the only notable digital artifact is the Text2Survive HIV Screening Locator, a directory tool. CAP's model has been studied by delegations from over 50 countries and recognized by the American Society of Criminology (2012) and the Rand Corporation (1984 study).

Name

Chicago Area Project

Legal name

Chicago Area Project

Website

https://chicagoareaproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chicago Area Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit, founded in 1934, that delivers youth services, workforce development, and delinquency prevention programs through a network of 30+ community affiliates serving low-income families and at-risk youth across the Chicago metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: CAP receives funding from government sources including the Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Family and Community Services, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and the Department of Corrections for workforce development, youth programs, and delinquency prevention services.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support its community programs. Donations are processed through PayPal and GiveGab platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chicago Area Project is a nonprofit community development organization founded in 1934 by sociologist Clifford Shaw that delivers youth development, delinquency prevention, juvenile justice diversion, and workforce development services through a network of more than 30 community-based affiliates across the Chicago metropolitan area. Its three-pronged approach combines local committees, staff-led programs, and citywide organizing to address root causes of delinquency in high-need neighborhoods.

Product overview

Chicago Area Project (CAP) is a nonprofit community development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected youth and family service programs. The core offerings include four primary youth enrichment programs (Teen REACH, Youth as Resources, City Wide Youth Committee, and Youth Ambassadors), three workforce development programs (CDTES, YMTE, and WorkFirst), and three prevention initiatives (Grand Boulevard Coalition, Healthy Living Our #1 Goal, and Say No and Know Why). These programs are delivered through a network of 30 community-based affiliate organizations across the Chicago metropolitan area. CAP also offers targeted initiatives including Juvenile Justice Diversion and Kops & Kids. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a direct service provider using community organizing, direct services, and advocacy as its three-pronged approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Teen REACH
• Youth as Resources (YAR)
• Career Development Training and Employment Services (CDTES)
• Youth Mentoring Training and Employment (YMTE)
• WorkFirst
• Juvenile Justice Diversion Program
• Kops & Kids
• City Wide Youth Committee
• Youth Ambassadors Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of Juvenile Justice Diversion participants stay out of trouble and out of the juvenile justice system (compared to 91% recidivism rate statewide)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IPSOS Social Research / Dr. Clifford YoungminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Dr. Clifford Young (grandson of founder Clifford Shaw) facilitated exchange with Brazilian government officials to study CAP's methods for addressing crime and poverty in large cities.
• Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Illinois DHS for implementation of the Community Youth Employment Program (CYEP) through the YMTE program, providing subsidized work experience for transition-aged youth ages 16-24.
• Access Community Health NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for a series of online workshops on Healthy Relationships, HIV/AIDS and STDs, and other health topics of interest to youth.
• University of Illinois Health/HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for online workshop and information session on the COVID Virus and Vaccinations.
• Juvenile Court of Cook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to reinvigorate and reassess the Juvenile Justice Diversion program, providing systematic approach to involving youth who would otherwise receive no treatment.
• Cook County State's Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Juvenile Justice Diversion program providing intervention for youth referred by the State Attorney's Juvenile Bureau.
• University of Illinois Extension ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'All My Money: Change for the Better' Financial Literacy Program, a train-the-trainer financial management program adapted for youth presentation.
• National Louis UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for virtual internships, with college students serving as mentors and providing virtual college tours for CAP youth participants.
• Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institutions conducting virtual college tours and discussing college experience with Chicago Area Project youth through internship program.
• Boy Scouts of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership in the 1940s where CAP was asked to spearhead the Boy Scouts of America integration efforts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• After School Matters: Chicago nonprofit providing out-of-school programming and paid apprenticeships for teens; comparable Teen REACH-like portfolio and Chicago-only geographic focus.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit delivering integrated student supports, mentoring, and dropout prevention in schools; directly comparable in integrating wraparound social services with educational outcomes.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): National nonprofit providing juvenile justice, foster care, and community-based services; directly comparable on juvenile justice diversion and at-risk youth case management.
• Chicago Urban League: Chicago-based nonprofit focused on economic empowerment, workforce development, and youth services in African American communities; overlapping programs, geography, and funder base with CAP.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit providing youth development, delinquency prevention, and after-school programming in underserved communities; closest direct comparator on mission and target population, though operating at vastly greater scale.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Regional YMCA operating youth development, workforce, and community programs across Chicago; comparable portfolio breadth and geographic footprint.
• Instituto del Progreso Latino: Chicago-based nonprofit delivering workforce development, adult education, and immigrant services; directly comparable to CDTES on workforce programs and shared IDHS funding.
• BUILD, Inc. Chicago nonprofit providing gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development on the West Side; directly comparable on at-risk youth mission in the same metro.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Metropolitan Chicago: Large regional funder and convener of social services; comparable as an aggregator of the same community-based network and government-funded programs CAP operates.

Regional players

• Public Health Institute (Illinois): Illinois nonprofit delivering substance abuse prevention, HIV/AIDS services, and youth wellness programming; closely comparable to CAP's Healthy Living Our #1 Goal and SNAKW initiatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagoareaproj
• Facebookfacebook.com/theChicagoareaproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-area-project

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Area Project