Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids

What Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids does

PEAK (Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by two Notre Dame graduates, Eileen Cavanaugh Bender and Maria Madigan Kelly, along with Father Tom Walsh at Holy Trinity High School. The organization's mission is to provide opportunities for underserved Chicago youth with average academic profiles to achieve academic and personal success by combining a four-year, values-based private high school education at Holy Trinity with a long-term adult mentorship program. PEAK targets students from under-resourced communities (more than 60% of scholars come from neighborhoods designated as "high vulnerability" by the city), selecting candidates for demonstrated grit, ability, and desire to succeed rather than top academic credentials. Since inception, PEAK has served more than 300 scholars and reports a 100% college acceptance rate since 2006, with scholars 60%+ more likely to graduate than their CPS peers.

The program model integrates two tightly coupled components: a full-tuition scholarship to Holy Trinity High School (a Brothers of the Holy Cross school) and a four-year structured mentorship pairing each scholar with an adult mentor. PEAK employs a proprietary mentor-scholar matching methodology that considers deeper-level dimensions (attitudes, values, perspectives, beliefs) rather than demographics, and the program requires 5,400+ hours of relationship-building activities annually.

PEAK operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees and generates revenue through three primary streams: individual donations (partial scholarships of $2,500–$10,000 and full four-year scholarships of $40,000), corporate sponsorships ($10,000 per scholar per year or $40,000 for four years), and flexible programmatic support donations. Distribution occurs through direct outreach to individual donors, corporate engagement (events, lunch-and-learns, employee volunteer programs), and signature events including the annual Breakfast with PEAK at the Palmer House Hilton, which contributes more than 20% of annual budget. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and maintains a Charity Navigator 4-star rating.

Name

Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids

Legal name

Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids

Website

https://peakchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PEAK is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides full-tuition scholarships to Holy Trinity High School paired with a four-year adult mentorship program for underserved Chicago youth, serving 300+ scholars since 1998 with a 100% college acceptance rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Mentorship Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJALAL

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYBPAGADAB

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Education scholarships
• College preparation services
• Mentor matching programs
• Nonprofit youth education

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Scholarships: PEAK generates revenue through individual donations ranging from partial scholarships ($2,500-$10,000) to full four-year scholarships ($40,000). Individual donors can give via mail, electronic funds transfer, stock gifts, and Donor Advised Funds.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide financial support through educational program sponsorship ($10,000 per scholar per year, $40,000 for four years), event sponsorship for the annual Breakfast with PEAK, and employee volunteer programs.
3. Programmatic Support Donations: Flexible donations that support mentorship training, program development, delivery of high-impact services to scholars, and operational improvements and leadership development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PEAK provides a four-year full-tuition scholarship to Holy Trinity High School paired with a one-on-one adult mentorship program for underserved Chicago middle school students transitioning to high school. The integrated program combines academic support, life skills development, college preparation, and experiential learning events, with mentors and scholars matched on shared attitudes, values, perspectives, and beliefs rather than demographics. Programming is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual fundraising breakfast, and serves scholars exclusively through the Holy Trinity High School partnership.

Product overview

PEAK (Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids) is a nonprofit scholarship and mentorship organization offering a single integrated program that combines full-tuition private high school scholarships at Holy Trinity High School with a four-year award-winning mentorship program. The core offering consists of the scholarship program paired with ongoing mentoring services, supplemented by corporate sponsorship opportunities and an annual fundraising event. There are no separate standalone software products, platforms, or modules—the organization provides educational support services rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Tuition Scholarship Program Four-year full-tuition scholarship to Holy Trinity High School (a Brothers of the Holy Cross School) covering academic expenses for underserved Chicago middle school students nominated into the program. Funded through $10,000 per-scholar annual sponsorships or $40,000 four-year commitments from individual donors and corporate sponsors.
• PEAK Mentorship Program Award-winning four-year adult mentor matching program pairing PEAK scholars with caring adult mentors who serve as life coaches, role models, and friends. Matches are made using a proprietary methodology based on deeper-level dimensions including attitudes, values, perspectives, and beliefs, with mentors investing 5,400+ hours annually in relationship building.
• PEAK Scholar Experience Comprehensive four-year support program for PEAK scholars combining the full-tuition Holy Trinity High School scholarship, one-on-one adult mentorship, college acceptance preparation (100% college acceptance rate since 2006), personal development and life skills, structured challenge-navigation support, and access to experiential learning events. Scholars graduate 60%+ more often than CPS peers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate since 2006
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 and minor.

• Holy Trinity High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Since inception in 1998, PEAK has partnered with Holy Trinity High School, a Brothers of the Holy Cross School, where all PEAK scholars receive a rigorous values-based education in a nurturing and academically challenging environment. All of our scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend this school.
• Signature BankminorOthersSignature Bank serves as the banking institution for Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) for PEAK donations. Account details provided on website for wire and ACH transfers.
• Charles Schwab & CominorOthersCharles Schwab serves as the receiving institution for stock gift donations to PEAK, allowing donors to transfer stock gifts to support the organization.
• Palmer House HiltonminorOthersPalmer House Hilton hosts PEAK's annual signature Breakfast with PEAK event in the Empire Room, a major fundraising event for the organization.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National scholarship foundation for high-achieving low-income students covering K-12 through college. Comparable in scholarship and educational-support function but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network serving underserved K-12 students with a college-prep mission. Comparable education-equity mission and target demographic, but operates schools rather than scholarships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Chicago-based youth development organization providing mentoring, educational programming, and college readiness. Comparable mentorship and college-access mission, but at much larger scale and broader programmatic scope.

Direct peers

• Big Shoulders Fund: Chicago-based nonprofit providing scholarship support to underserved students attending Catholic schools. Highly comparable to PEAK's partnership model with Holy Trinity High School and Chicago youth focus.
• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing adult volunteer mentors with high school students from underserved communities, with a strong college-completion focus. Directly comparable to PEAK's one-on-one mentorship approach.
• Chicago Scholars: Chicago-based nonprofit providing college access programming, scholarships, and mentoring to underserved high school students in the same metro area. PEAK and Chicago Scholars share the scholarship-plus-mentorship model and target population.
• A Better Chance: National scholarship nonprofit placing high-achieving students of color into leading independent and public schools. Comparable scholarship-to-private-school pathway and emphasis on college access for underserved youth.
• Horizons for Youth: Chicago-based nonprofit providing long-term mentoring, scholarships, and enrichment to underserved youth. Operates a very similar scholarship-plus-mentor model for Chicago students.
• Christo Rey Network: National network of Catholic high schools serving low-income youth through scholarship-supported private education and corporate work-study. Directly mirrors PEAK's Catholic-school scholarship model for underserved students.
• Hope Chicago: Chicago-based scholarship and mentorship program providing debt-free college pathways to underserved youth and parents. Operates a comparable scholarship-plus-mentor model for the same Chicago demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/peakchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partnership-to-educate-and-advance-kids-peak-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Partnership to Educate and Advance Kids