Chicago Lights

What Chicago Lights does

Chicago Lights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, founded in 1964 as a tutoring program for youth in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood and incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 1991 before being renamed in 2004. The organization delivers four interconnected programs serving Chicago's underserved youth and adults: Tutoring (one-to-one academic mentoring for grades 1–12 with career development, internships, and scholarships), Summer Day (six-week summer enrichment for grades 1–9), Urban Farm (urban agriculture, workforce development, and food distribution in the Cabrini-Green area), and Social Service Center (food pantry, clothing shop, case management, housing support, street outreach, and the Open Doors Program for adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness).

The organization's service portfolio is free to participants; the only paid offering is community garden plot rental at $120 per season at the Urban Farm. Revenue is generated exclusively through charitable channels: individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Bank of America, Kirkland & Ellis, Ulta Beauty, Conagra, Comcast NBCUniversal, Aetna, Ballard Spahr), foundation grants (Greer, Caerus, Dancing Skies), planned giving, in-kind contributions, and special events including the Gala of Hope (raising $600,000+ in 2026) and Summer Soiree. Operations rely on a lean staff of approximately 15 full-time employees plus volunteers, with Fourth Presbyterian Church providing close to half of all volunteers and a majority of overhead costs.

Service delivery uses Salesforce as its primary CRM for volunteer, participant, and outcome tracking, and Zoom for virtual tutoring. Chicago Lights reports serving 3,000+ people annually and 50,000+ since 1964, with documented outcomes including a 100% high school graduation rate among participants versus a 76% Chicago Public Schools average. The organization holds a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal and Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating.

Name

Chicago Lights

Legal name

Chicago Lights

Website

https://chicagolights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Lights is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with Fourth Presbyterian Church that delivers youth development (tutoring, summer enrichment, urban farming) and adult social services (food, clothing, housing, case management) to underserved Near North and Cabrini-Green communities, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Social Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Social services nonprofit
• Tutoring and mentoring
• Urban farming education
• Homeless outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through the website, mail, and planned giving programs. The organization runs direct donation campaigns and year-end giving appeals.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial sponsorships, in-kind contributions, workplace giving, volunteer grants, and event sponsorships. Companies like Kirkland & Ellis, Ulta Beauty, Conagra, Bank of America, and others support programs.
3. Foundation and Grant Funding: Foundation grants from organizations such as Greer Foundation, Caerus Foundation, Dancing Skies Foundation, and others provide programmatic funding.
4. Special Events: Annual events including Gala of Hope and Summer Soiree generate significant revenue. The 2026 Gala raised over $600,000.
5. Planned Giving: Bequests, retirement assets, charitable gift annuities, and other planned giving vehicles provide long-term sustainable revenue.
6. In-Kind Donations: Donations of goods (clothing, food, Amazon Wish List items) and services support Social Service Center and program operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Chicago Lights provides free youth development programs (one-to-one tutoring for grades 1-12, six-week Summer Day enrichment, and Urban Farm workforce development) and adult social services (food pantry, clothing shop, case management, housing support, and street outreach). All programs are delivered to Chicago youth and adults, particularly those from under-resourced communities including the Cabrini-Green neighborhood.

Product overview

Chicago Lights is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of four interconnected youth development and adult social service programs. The core offerings include: Tutoring (one-to-one academic mentoring for grades 1-12), Summer Day (six-week summer enrichment), Urban Farm (urban agriculture with workforce development), and Social Service Center (food, clothing, and case management for adults). These programs share a unified mission of building brighter futures by providing academic support, career development, job training, and basic needs services to youth and adults in Chicago's underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tutoring
• Summer Day
• Urban Farm
• Social Service Center
• Community Garden Plot Rental
• Gala of Hope
• Summer Soiree

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% high school graduation rate for participants (vs. 76% Chicago Public Schools average)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fourth Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago Lights is the youth development and adult social services nonprofit at Fourth Presbyterian Church. The church provides significant operational support including volunteers, funding, and overhead costs. The organization grew from the church's commitment to social justice and compassionate service.
• After School MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago nonprofit that provides out-of-school time programs. Partnership supports youth programming and workforce development opportunities.
• Greater Chicago Food DepositorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank supplying the Social Service Center's food pantry through bi-monthly deliveries. Partnership ensures consistent food supply for distribution to those in need.
• Winfield Moody Health CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health clinic partnered with Urban Farm for produce distribution to diabetes prevention patients in Cabrini-Green.
• AmeriCorpssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational service program partnering with Illinois Justice Corps for volunteer fellows.
• Illinois Bar FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal nonprofit partnering with AmeriCorps and Chicago Bar Foundation for Illinois Justice Corps program.
• Chicago Bar FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal nonprofit partnering for Illinois Justice Corps program providing filing assistance to self-representing individuals.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• After School Matters: Chicago-based nonprofit providing out-of-school-time programming and workforce development for teens — directly comparable youth development mission and explicitly listed as a Chicago Lights partner for shared programming.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Chicago affiliate of the national youth development network offering after-school academic support, mentoring, and enrichment — competing for similar donor and volunteer pools serving similar K-12 youth populations.
• Inspiration Corporation: Chicago nonprofit addressing homelessness and poverty through workforce training and social services — directly comparable to Chicago Lights' Social Service Center wraparound support for adults experiencing housing insecurity.
• Growing Home: Chicago-based nonprofit operating urban farms with workforce development for individuals with employment barriers — directly comparable to Chicago Lights Urban Farm's dual food-production and youth job-training mission.
• Thresholds: Chicago nonprofit serving individuals with mental health and substance use challenges, including homelessness services — comparable Social Service Center adult programming; Chicago Lights has hired from Thresholds, evidencing close labor-market overlap.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Large established Chicago nonprofit offering youth development, summer programming, and community services at scale. Overlaps with Chicago Lights' tutoring, summer day, and social service offerings, with broader geographic reach.
• Chicago Urban League: Established Chicago civil rights and youth empowerment nonprofit offering education, workforce, and social service programs — comparable multi-program community development model with broader scale and national affiliation.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Chicago's regional food bank supplying the Chicago Lights Social Service Center food pantry through bi-monthly deliveries — comparable anti-hunger mission operating at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Chicago arts organization providing youth programming and where Chicago Lights' Foundation Relations Officer previously worked — comparable Chicago nonprofit in youth arts enrichment and shared grant-making ecosystem.

Regional players

• Teen Parent Connection: Chicago-area nonprofit supporting young parents through education and life-skills programming — comparable youth life-skills, transition support, and case management model serving similar Near North/near-West Side populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagolights
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCc5xfkWKZ4Mm9y4hhfeF3XQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagolights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-lights
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicago.lights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Chicago Lights