Holy Family Ministries

What Holy Family Ministries does

Holy Family Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 that delivers faith-based educational and youth development programming to children, youth, and families in Chicago's under-resourced North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods. From a 45,000 square foot facility on the historic Homan Square campus, the organization operates four integrated programs: Little Learners Academy (full-day early childhood education for ages 3-5), Holy Family School (K-8 faith-based education with STEM emphasis, trauma-informed teaching, and on-site counseling), Adventures in Learning (after-school and summer enrichment), and The Peace Exchange (violence prevention and teen leadership development). Across these programs, Holy Family serves nearly 600 students directly and, through its Speaking Peace curriculum, has reached 11,000 additional students across 60+ schools in 30+ communities since 2017.

The organization is funded through a hybrid model in which donors (individuals, churches, and foundations) provide 70% of the operating budget, with the remainder drawn from sliding-scale tuition paid by families, state day care subsidies and government grants supporting Little Learners Academy and Adventures in Learning, proceeds from the wholly-owned Lucille Resale Store in Arlington Heights, and planned giving through the Securing Futures Endowment Fund. Tuition is not publicly fixed; every enrolled family pays a portion based on financial need and receives a scholarship funded by donors. The technology stack is intentionally light: Blackbaud powers donor forms, Edlio hosts the public website, and an in-house e-learning platform supports lesson-plan distribution, with no proprietary AI or algorithmic systems referenced.

Holy Family is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from TCP Capital, PwC, Kirkland & Ellis, Abbott Laboratories, Bain & Company, American Airlines, and other institutional partners, with a separate Fellowship Alliance Board of young professionals focused on next-generation fundraising. The organization holds Charity Navigator's 4-star rating and Candid (GuideStar)'s 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency, placing it in the top 0.1% of nonprofits on the platform. Audited financial statements are published for FY2020 through FY2025, though specific revenue figures were not provided in the source material.

Name

Holy Family Ministries

Legal name

Holy Family Ministries

Website

https://hfm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Holy Family Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that operates Little Learners Academy, Holy Family School (K-8), Adventures in Learning, and The Peace Exchange from a 45,000 sq ft facility on Chicago's Homan Square campus, serving nearly 600 students in under-resourced North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods through faith-based education, with 70% of its budget funded by donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Faith-Based Education (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF)

Keywords

• K-8 faith education
• Early childhood education
• After-school enrichment
• Violence prevention programs
• College prep placement

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Parents pay a portion of tuition based on family size and financial resources. All students receive tuition assistance/scholarships from donors. The amount varies based on financial need assessment.
2. Individual and Church Donations: Generous donors provide 70% of the operating budget. Individual donors, churches, and organizations contribute to tuition assistance and program funding.
3. Lucille Resale Store: The resale store in Arlington Heights sells gently used furniture, clothing, home goods, and jewelry. Proceeds provide scholarships for children served by Holy Family Ministries.
4. Government Grants and Subsidies: Little Learners Academy and Adventures in Learning programs receive state day care subsidies and government grants as part of their funding model.
5. Planned Giving and Endowments: Securing Futures Endowment Fund Campaign supports permanent funding. Donors can make planned gifts through wills, trusts, gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts. Stock and securities donations accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Holy Family Ministries provides faith-based educational programs for children, youth, and families in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods, operating Little Learners Academy (early childhood education for ages 3-5), Holy Family School (K-8 academic education with STEM emphasis), Adventures in Learning (after-school and summer enrichment), and The Peace Exchange (violence prevention and teen leadership). All enrolled students receive tuition assistance funded largely by individual and church donations, with 70% of the operating budget supported by donors.

Product overview

Holy Family Ministries operates four interconnected educational programs serving nearly 600 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods. The portfolio includes Little Learners Academy (early childhood education ages 3-5), Holy Family School (faith-based K-8 with STEM emphasis), Adventures In Learning (after-school and summer enrichment), and The Peace Exchange (teen leadership and violence prevention). All programs emphasize the organization's faith-based approach, strong family partnership, and comprehensive support including counseling, tuition assistance, and college prep preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Holy Family School: Faith-based K-8 school serving children in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods with enhanced STEM, counseling, and family involvement programs.
• Little Learners Academy
• Adventures in Learning
• The Peace Exchange

Products and services

• Little Learners Academy Early childhood education program for children ages 3-5, offering full-day, year-round care with play-based learning and enrichment activities (music, art, STEM, meditation) to prepare children for kindergarten success. Funded through parent fees, state day care subsidies, government grants, and individual donor support.
• Holy Family School Faith-based K-8 school providing rigorous academics with enhanced STEM initiatives, a tech maker space, on-site counseling services, and trauma-informed teaching practices. Serves children in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods with strong family involvement (parent honor roll, parent university). Graduates are accepted at near 100% rate into college prep, selective enrollment, charter, magnet, and suburban high schools.
• Adventures in Learning After-school and summer enrichment program serving children during critical out-of-school hours (3:00-6:00 PM daily during school year; 8 weeks of full-day summer camp). Offers homework support, technology access, athletics, creative arts (dance, theater, music), field trips, and swimming lessons. Summer camp fees: $600 for 6 weeks for K-8 students; $450 for 6 weeks for preschoolers.
• The Peace Exchange Violence prevention and youth leadership development program with two initiatives: Peace Builders (year-long curriculum with international travel for teen leaders) and Speaking Peace (4-session conflict resolution and nonviolent communication program for grades 5-8). Since 2017, has reached 11,000+ students across 60+ schools in 30+ Chicagoland communities.
• Lucille Resale Store Physical retail location in Arlington Heights (1101 E. Rand Road) selling gently used donated furniture, clothing, home goods, and jewelry. Proceeds fund student scholarships for Holy Family Ministries programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% of 8th-grade graduates accepted into college-prep, selective enrollment, charter, magnet and suburban high schools
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Episcopal Diocese of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ecumenical partnership formed after 2010 merger with St. Gregory Episcopal Boys School. Holy Family serves as demonstration model of Called to Common Mission agreement between Episcopal Church and ELCA, sharing resources to support ministry including equitable education. Many Episcopal churches and individuals contribute time, talent, and treasures.
• Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership during 1990s where Holy Family recruited large number of private volunteers to rehabilitate public housing apartments in Cabrini, funded by HUD.
• Five Suburban Churches (Founding Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive suburban churches joined with Holy Family Lutheran Church in Cabrini to found the school in 1985 and provide ongoing support.
• Phillips Exeter AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop boarding school in New Hampshire that has accepted Holy Family students for special programs, including five-week programs for students like Mbahgwie Mudov (class of 2011).
• Illinois Center for Violence PreventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch from this center supports the effectiveness of after-school programs in reducing youth violence and crime, with 72% of Illinois law enforcement believing after-school programs are most effective strategy.
• FocalPoint CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVice Chair David Fisher from FocalPoint Coaching provides board leadership and strategic guidance.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Shoulders Fund: Chicago-based nonprofit that provides scholarships, professional development, and operational support to Catholic K-8 schools serving children from low-income families on Chicago's South and West sides — the closest geographic and mission peer to Holy Family Ministries.
• Communities In Schools of Chicago: Chicago affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network, placing social workers and coordinators inside public schools to deliver wraparound support — comparable as a school-embedded youth services operator targeting the same neighborhoods.
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of 39+ Catholic college-prep high schools serving low-income students through a corporate work-study model; comparable as a faith-based, mission-driven K-12 operator targeting underserved urban families and delivering college-prep outcomes.
• UCAN: Chicago nonprofit supporting at-risk youth and families through counseling, trauma-informed care, and youth development — comparable in mission to Holy Family's trauma-informed practices and family-support approach.
• Marillac St. Vincent Family Services: Chicago-based Catholic nonprofit serving children and families in West Side neighborhoods with early childhood, after-school, and family support services that mirror Holy Family's four-program cradle-through-teen pipeline.
• Noble Schools: Chicago charter school network specifically named as a receiving school for HFM graduates; operates college-prep high schools in the same West-side footprint, making it both a competitor for grades 9-12 and a downstream placement destination.
• KIPP Chicago: Chicago-region charter K-8 network serving predominantly Black and Latinx students from low-income communities on the city's South and West sides; competes for the same demographic pool as Holy Family School.
• A Better Chance: National nonprofit placing high-achieving students of color into top independent and boarding schools — directly comparable to Holy Family's 100% college-prep placement track record and its Phillips Exeter partnership.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Operates after-school, summer, and teen leadership programming across Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods — directly comparable to Holy Family's Adventures in Learning and Peace Exchange lines targeting the same school-age demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of Chicago: Larger, diversified Catholic social services umbrella for the Chicago archdiocese, operating early childhood, family, and youth programs across a broader portfolio — broader incumbent in the same faith-based nonprofit space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDJ04jP4BXt0Qemzfk6wAlQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HolyFamilyChi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-family-ministries

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Holy Family Ministries