What Tutoring Chicago does

Tutoring Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1965 as the Cabrini Green Tutoring Program by Montgomery Ward employees and rebranded to its current name in 2012 as its service area expanded city-wide. It delivers free, long-term, one-to-one tutoring to economically disadvantaged 1st-12th grade students in the Chicago metropolitan area through four grade-banded programs (Elementary School Tutoring, Literacy Intensive Tutoring, Middle School Tutoring, High School Tutoring), each combining weekly 90-minute academic instruction with social-emotional learning and executive functioning support. The organization serves over 1,300 students weekly with a goal of 1,400 for the 2025-26 program year, supported by roughly 1,400 volunteer tutors recruited from the community and matched one-to-one with students for the duration of the school year, with approximately 60% of pairs remaining together for two or more years.

The core product is the relationship-based tutoring model itself rather than a technology platform. Tutoring Chicago operates no proprietary software; instead it relies on Zoom for digital tutoring delivery (approximately half of enrolled students are served virtually), a web-based student portal for enrollment and tutor applications, and third-party digital learning tools including Khan Academy, Raz Kids, Phonics Hero, IXL, BookSmart Worldreader, and Google Workspace. Tutoring is delivered in person at seven Chicago and Evanston locations (Lincoln Park, Uptown, Logan Square, Chatham, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, Evanston) on Monday-Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30 PM CST, plus digitally city-wide via Zoom.

The business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating: all programs are provided at zero cost to families, and operating funds come from individual donations, a four-tier corporate and foundation partnership program (Champion, Benefactor, Premiere, Supporting) with 30+ named partners, matching gift programs, stock and DAF contributions, and signature annual fundraising events including the Celebrity Spelling Bee (which has grossed approximately $160,000 in both 2025 and 2026), Jingle Mingle, and the Read the Greens Golf & Pickleball Tournament. A 25+ person paid staff handles operations, with the remainder of program delivery executed by community volunteers.

Name

Tutoring Chicago

Legal name

Tutoring Chicago

Website

https://tutoringchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tutoring Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free, long-term one-to-one tutoring to economically disadvantaged 1st-12th grade students in Chicago since 1965. It operates seven in-person sites plus digital Zoom tutoring, supported by approximately 1,400 volunteer tutors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Tutoring Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mathematics Tutoring (Arithmetic–Calculus & Beyond) (EDANAAAA)

Keywords

• Free tutoring services
• Nonprofit education
• Literacy intervention
• Youth mentoring
• Academic tutoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tutoring Chicago relies entirely on charitable contributions from individuals. Donations fund tutoring resources, tutor training, learning materials, and program expansion. Donations are accepted online via the organization's fundraising platform and by check. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, and all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
2. Corporate & Foundation Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and foundations provide financial support at Champion, Benefactor, Premiere, and Supporting tiers. Corporate partners include organizations such as Abra-Prentice Foundation, Caerus, IMC, Capital One, PwC, Marshall, and others. Many employers sponsor matching gift programs, and the organization accepts stock donations and DAF contributions.
3. Special Events: The organization raises funds through signature events including the annual Celebrity Spelling Bee (which grossed nearly $160,000 in 2025 and 2026), the Jingle Mingle holiday fundraiser, and the Read the Greens Golf & Pickleball Tournament.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Tutoring Chicago provides free, long-term one-to-one tutoring to economically disadvantaged 1st through 12th grade students in the Chicago area, pairing each student with a single adult volunteer tutor for the full school year. Programs are offered both in-person at seven Chicago-area locations and digitally via Zoom, covering elementary literacy and math, intensive reading intervention, middle school subject support, and high school college/career readiness.

Product overview

Tutoring Chicago offers a single unified tutoring service, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization provides free, long-term one-to-one tutoring for 1st-12th grade students facing economic barriers through four programs differentiated by grade level: Elementary School Tutoring (EST) for grades 1-5, Literacy Intensive Tutoring (LIT) for grades 1-5 struggling readers, Middle School Tutoring (MST) for grades 6-8, and High School Tutoring (HST) for grades 9-12. All programs operate as in-person sessions at Chicago-area locations or digitally via Zoom, with consistent program structure (90-minute sessions, Monday-Wednesday evenings) across offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elementary School Tutoring (EST) Program A tutoring program for 1st through 5th graders focused on Social Emotional Learning, Mathematics, Accountability, Reading, and Technology. Delivered through weekly one-to-one sessions that combine homework review, executive functioning skills, and developmental experiences combining learning and reflection. Offered in-person and digitally via Zoom to enrolled students facing economic barriers.
• Literacy Intensive Tutoring (LIT) Program A literacy intervention program for 1st through 5th grade struggling readers, identified by assessment and parent/teacher feedback. Provides customized one-to-one weekly reading intervention including leveled readers, phonics development, sight word recognition, reading for comprehension, and creative writing. Offered in-person and digitally via Zoom.
• Middle School Tutoring (MST) Program A tutoring program for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Curriculum emphasizes social emotional learning, executive functioning, academic coursework across four core subjects (English, Math, Social Studies, and Science), and high school readiness including test prep and career exploration. Offered in-person and digitally via Zoom.
• High School Tutoring (HST) Program A tutoring program for 9th through 12th grade students covering executive functioning, organizational skills, academic course success, college and/or career readiness, self-management, and social awareness skills. Delivered one-to-one with a volunteer tutor in-person or digitally via Zoom.
• Digital Tutoring via Zoom A virtual delivery channel that allows volunteer tutors and enrolled students to meet remotely via Zoom for weekly one-to-one tutoring sessions across all four program tiers (EST, LIT, MST, HST), providing city-wide access regardless of proximity to in-person locations.
• One-to-One Volunteer Tutoring Service The foundational service pairing each enrolled 1st-12th grade student with a single adult volunteer tutor for the duration of the school year, combining weekly academic instruction with the developmental benefits of a steady, supportive relationship. Free of charge to families and funded entirely through donations and grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of 9th grade students were proficient in grade-level math by end of year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• St. Vincent de Paul CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary in-person tutoring location partner in Lincoln Park, Chicago. The largest and most popular site serving the highest number of in-person students. Tutoring Chicago operates out of the center's facility.
• Union League Boys & Girls Clubs of ChicagocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Union League Boys & Girls Clubs provides in-person tutoring sites at Club One (Pilsen) and Barreto (Humboldt Park) locations, expanding access to students on the West Side of Chicago.
• Hope Ignites ChicagocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner site in Evanston offering tutoring exclusively to middle and high school students already enrolled in Hope Ignites' programs, providing community-centered academic support.
• Shine Bright (Discover) Community CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-person tutoring location in Chatham on Chicago's South Side, actively seeking additional volunteer tutors.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Hope Ignites Chicago: Chicago-area nonprofit that operates an Evanston partner site for Tutoring Chicago. Comparable regional community-based academic support program; serves overlapping economically disadvantaged student population.
• Literacy Chicago: Chicago-based nonprofit providing free literacy tutoring to adults. Regionally adjacent Chicago nonprofit with a comparable free, volunteer-driven tutoring model but focused on adults rather than K-12.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Federated Chicago-area youth development nonprofit providing after-school programming, academic support, and mentorship at multiple sites. Comparable Chicago nonprofit delivering academic enrichment to economically disadvantaged youth through community-based sites.

Direct peers

• Reading Partners: National nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteer tutors to deliver one-to-one literacy tutoring to K-12 students in under-resourced schools. Directly comparable volunteer-driven, free, long-term tutoring model targeting economically disadvantaged students.
• Saga Education: Nonprofit that provides high-dosage, in-person math tutoring to high school students in Chicago and other cities. Directly comparable Chicago-presence, free, outcomes-focused tutoring nonprofit serving economically disadvantaged high schoolers.
• City Year: Nonprofit placing near-peer mentors in schools to provide in-school tutoring, attendance support, and social-emotional coaching to K-12 students. Comparable relationship-based, in-school academic and developmental support model.
• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with volunteer adult mentors for long-term college and career readiness support. Comparable long-duration, one-to-one volunteer matching model for college/career readiness.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Chicago Schools: Chicago charter school network serving low-income K-12 students with extended instructional time and academic support. Comparable mission of academic outcomes for economically disadvantaged Chicago students, but delivered via a formal school model rather than supplemental tutoring.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National workforce-development nonprofit combining skills training, mentoring, and wraparound support for young adults. Comparably structured around long-term mentoring relationships and outcome-based programming for opportunity-gap populations.

Others

• The BASE Chicago: Chicago community partner of Tutoring Chicago providing youth development and academic enrichment on the South and West sides. Adjacent ecosystem partner with overlapping student population and complementary programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TutoringChicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Tutoring Chicago