What Project Oz does

Project Oz is a 501(c)-style nonprofit youth services organization founded in 1973 in Bloomington, Illinois, by Illinois State University students Chris Carlton and Peter Rankaitis as an alternative to out-of-state child welfare placements. The organization serves youth ages 10-23 and their families across McLean and Livingston Counties through a comprehensive wraparound model that spans crisis intervention, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, school-based services, and preventive education. Core service lines include the Youth Empowered Schools (YES) program with embedded counselors in District 87 and Unit 5 schools, the National Safe Place network (all fire stations and city buses in Bloomington and Normal), Host Homes temporary shelter, transitional living apartments for ages 17-23, the NAMI Ending the Silence mental health curriculum, evidence-based substance use prevention (Too Good for Drugs), the Parents Forever court-approved co-parenting course, and the Community Youth Employment Program.

The underlying operating model is human-delivered and program-based rather than technology-based; the technology stack comprises evidence-based curricula, a WordPress web platform, Network for Good donation infrastructure, and BambooHR for hiring, with no proprietary software or AI capabilities. Reach has scaled to approximately 8,000 youth annually, with measurable outcomes including a 93% on-time graduation rate among YES seniors, 86% of underclassmen on track to graduate, and over 25,000 students receiving mental health education since 2016. The organization is led by CEO Lisa Thompson, who began as an intern in 1995 and assumed the role in 2018 after co-founder Peter Rankaitis's retirement.

Project Oz generates revenue primarily through government grants (Illinois Department of Human Services, federal runaway and homeless youth funding, R3 state grants), foundation and United Way support (McLean County United Way, State Farm Foundation, John M. Scott Health Care Commission, Healing Illinois), and individual and corporate donations channeled through annual campaigns and events such as the Keys of Hope dueling piano night. All youth-facing services — counseling, crisis intervention, housing, and school support — are provided free of charge; the only fee-based offering is the Parents Forever course at $125 per attendee ($175 for private sessions) with partial scholarships available. The organization is currently constructing a new Youth Education and Support Center to expand service capacity.

Name

Project Oz

Legal name

Project Oz

Website

https://projectoz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Oz is a nonprofit founded in 1973 that provides crisis intervention, emergency shelter, counseling, school-based services, and prevention education to approximately 8,000 youth ages 10-23 and families annually across McLean and Livingston Counties in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Suicide Prevention, Self-Harm Prevention & Threat Assessment Programs (EDAKAMAI), Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12) (EDAJALAG), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Youth crisis intervention
• Youth housing services
• School counseling programs
• Substance abuse prevention
• Mental health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from government sources including Illinois Department of Human Services, federal grants for runaway and homeless youth programs, and state grants for school-based services.
2. Parents Forever Course Fees: Court-approved parenting education program with a course fee of $125 per attendee; private classes available for $175. Limited partial scholarships available.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations including annual #GivingTuesday campaigns and event fundraising such as Keys of Hope dueling piano nights.
4. Foundation and United Way Funding: Support from McLean County United Way, State Farm Foundation, John M. Scott Health Care Commission, and other foundations for specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Project Oz is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive portfolio of programs for youth ages 10-23 and families in McLean and Livingston Counties, Illinois. Core services include 24/7 crisis intervention and emergency shelter, transitional housing and Host Homes, individual and family counseling, school-based restorative practices (Youth Empowered Schools), substance use prevention education, mental health and suicide prevention education through the NAMI Ending the Silence program, and a court-approved Parents Forever co-parenting course.

Product overview

Project Oz is a nonprofit youth services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for youth ages 10-23 and families in McLean and Livingston Counties, Illinois. The organization operates as a unified service model combining crisis intervention (24/7 emergency shelter and Safe Place text service), housing support (transitional apartments and Host Homes), counseling and therapeutic services, and preventive education. Core programs include Youth Empowered Schools (YES) for school-based counseling and restorative practices, Substance Use Prevention & Education with the Youth Action Board, and Mental Health Education through the NAMI Ending the Silence partnership. Additional services include Parents Forever (court-approved co-parenting course), Community Youth Employment Program, and the Learning & Leading summer internship. All services aim to keep youth safe, prevent substance abuse, support mental health, and strengthen families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing & Support Resources Provides safe housing, outreach support, transitional housing apartments, and life skills classes for youth ages 17-23 experiencing housing crises. Includes survival aid, job assistance, educational support, safety planning, and connections to permanent housing.
• Crisis Intervention Services 24/7 crisis response and emergency shelter for youth experiencing housing or family crises. Includes emergency shelter hotline, Safe Place text service, and immediate access to safe shelter for youth ages 10-23 in McLean and Livingston Counties.
• Mental Health Education Suicide prevention and mental health education program delivered in partnership with NAMI Mid Central Illinois. Includes NAMI Ending the Silence program teaching coping skills, recognizing warning signs, and connecting students to resources. Reaches approximately 3,000 students annually.
• Substance Use Prevention & Education Evidence-based drug prevention education taught in schools covering consequences of drug use, refusal skills, decision-making, and goal setting. Includes Youth Action Board (YAB) for teen-led prevention activities and community coalitions, reaching over 2,200 middle school students annually.
• Youth Empowered Schools (YES) School-based counseling and restorative practices program with counselors embedded in District 87 and Unit 5 schools. Provides conflict resolution, college preparation, HYPE youth groups, and home visits to support student achievement and well-being. 93% of seniors graduate on time.
• Counseling & Therapeutic Services Individual and family counseling services, community-based youth services, and therapeutic mentoring for youth ages 10-17 at risk of involvement with child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Provides weekly or bi-weekly sessions.
• Parents Forever Court-approved 4-hour co-parenting education program for parents going through divorce or separation. Teaches stress management, understanding how separation affects children, and healthy communication. Fee is $125 with limited scholarships available; private sessions are $175.
• Youth Action Board (YAB) Leadership program for high school students in McLean County focused on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use prevention. Develops community service skills, creates prevention campaigns, and organizes activities like Prescription Take-Back Days.
• Host Homes Temporary shelter program placing youth (1-3 nights) with trained, state-licensed host families during family crises. Provides families time to resolve conflicts while ensuring youth safety. Host homes receive training and ongoing support from Project Oz staff.
• Community Youth Employment Program (CYEP) State-funded employment program bridging low-income and at-risk youth to successful, long-term employment. Provides job coaching, life skills training, career exploration, and paid work experience. Serves approximately 20 youth annually.
• Learning & Leading Program Eight-week paid summer internship program for Bloomington-Normal high school students. Places participants at employers including State Farm, Country Financial, Growmark, and Illinois Farm Bureau. Includes soft skills training, financial literacy, and one-on-one mentoring.
• Safe Place Emergency response network allowing youth under 18 to text SAFE and their location to 44357 (4HELP) to find the nearest safe location. All fire stations and city buses in Bloomington and Normal serve as Safe Places where trained staff connect youth to Project Oz.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of YES program seniors graduated on time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NAMI Mid Central IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to provide NAMI Ending the Silence program, an evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention program taught at every public middle and high school and several private schools in McLean County.
• Bloomington District 87coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnership for YES program with embedded counselors in high schools, expanding to elementary and junior high schools. Joint funding of school youth specialists.
• Normal Unit 5 School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnership for YES program providing school-based counseling and support services to students.
• National Safe PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network providing Safe Place designation to fire stations and city buses where youth can access immediate crisis support and connection to Project Oz services.
• Normal Police DepartmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on National Prescription Drug Take Back events and Safe Place locations.
• Bloomington Police DepartmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on prescription drug disposal and community safety initiatives.
• National Runaway SafelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for runaway prevention month campaigns and hotline services connecting youth to local resources.
• IIDA Illinois Central IL City CentersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts annual Keys of Hope dueling piano fundraising event benefiting Project Oz's Ending the Silence suicide prevention program.
• Youth CollaboratorysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational youth services organization; one of Project Oz's young people was selected for Youth Catalyst team representing youth leaders from across the country.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and wraparound services for homeless and trafficked youth ages 18-24. Directly comparable to Project Oz's housing/crisis intervention offerings for the same demographic.
• Youth Villages: Large national nonprofit providing residential, counseling, and crisis services for at-risk youth and families. Comparable to Project Oz's wraparound model combining counseling, housing, and prevention - though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• National Safe Place: National network designating fire stations, transit locations, and other sites as youth crisis access points (text SAFE to 44357). Directly comparable to Project Oz's Safe Place operations - Project Oz is actually a local affiliate of this network.
• National Runaway Safeline: National 24/7 crisis hotline and resource network for runaway and homeless youth. Directly comparable to Project Oz as an existing partner; both operate crisis intervention and referral services for the same youth population.
• Boys Town: National nonprofit offering youth crisis intervention, family support, residential care, and school-based services. Directly comparable service mix to Project Oz (crisis hotline, housing, counseling, school programs) but at national scale.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit placing dedicated site coordinators inside K-12 schools to provide case management, counseling, and dropout prevention - directly mirrors Project Oz's embedded YES counselor model and student outcome focus (graduation rates).
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit providing one-to-one mentoring, school-based programming, and youth development services. Comparable to Project Oz's Learning & Leading internship/mentoring components and overall youth-development focus.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: Major national community-services organization offering youth development, family services, counseling, and crisis-related programming. Comparable overlap in youth mental health, prevention, and community-based services though much broader in scope.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large established national youth-development nonprofit offering after-school programs, mentoring, and prevention education. Comparable in mission and youth-services focus but operates at much broader scale and includes dedicated facility-based programming.

Regional players

• StarHouse (Illinois youth services): Comparable Illinois youth-services nonprofit providing crisis intervention, shelter, and counseling to at-risk youth in surrounding counties. Strong functional and regional parallel to Project Oz but operates in a different Illinois geography (Champaign County).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/projectozyouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4030386
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectoz
• Xx.com/projectozyouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Project Oz