Communities In Schools of Atlanta

What Communities In Schools of Atlanta does

Communities In Schools of Atlanta (CIS of Atlanta) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 that operates a dropout prevention program for at-risk K-12 students across metro Atlanta. The organization's core product is its Integrated Student Supports (ISS) model, which places full-time site coordinators inside partner schools to deliver a three-tier system of services: school-wide interventions (Tier 1), targeted group support (Tier 2), and intensive individual case management (Tier 3). Site coordinators connect students with tutoring, mentoring, nutrition, mental health, emergency financial assistance, and basic-needs resources to address barriers to attendance and academic success.

CIS of Atlanta operates through formal partnerships with six metro Atlanta school districts — Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton County, DeKalb County, Clayton County, Griffin-Spalding County, and City Schools of Decatur — embedding staff in 73 schools. In the 2024-25 school year, the organization reached 46,259 students through school-wide initiatives and provided intensive case management to 4,136 students, with 99% retention and 97% graduation/promotion outcomes. The model is validated by Harvard-Cornell research showing 5.2% higher graduation rates and 4.3% higher earnings at age 27 for students with three years of CIS exposure, and an EMSI study demonstrating an $11.60 economic return per $1 invested.

The organization is funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants, providing all services free of charge to students and families. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate sponsorships (anchored by Coca-Cola at the Valedictorian level), an annual Choose Success Awards Dinner that raised over $600,000 in 2026, and a $4 million grant from MacKenzie Scott in 2022 — the largest private donation in the organization's history. CIS of Atlanta is an independent affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network and is governed by a board including executives from major Atlanta-based corporations. Additional service lines include an Alumni Division (established 2021, serving 370+ post-secondary alumni), Foster Care Services (launched 2017 in Fulton and DeKalb counties), and programs in mentoring, reading, food security, and risky-behavior prevention.

Name

Communities In Schools of Atlanta

Legal name

Communities In Schools of Atlanta Inc.

Website

https://cisatlanta.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Communities In Schools of Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that places site coordinators in 73 metro Atlanta schools to deliver evidence-based dropout prevention and integrated student supports for at-risk K-12 students across six school districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

• Dropout prevention services
• Integrated student supports
• School-based case management
• Youth mentoring programs
• K-12 wraparound services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts monetary contributions from individuals through its secure donation platform, with options for one-time or recurring contributions.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual Choose Success Awards Dinner serves as the primary annual fundraiser, raising over $600,000 in 2026. Corporate sponsors at various levels (Valedictorian, Salutatorian, Graduate, Honor Roll, Advocate) support the organization.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partners provide financial support as well as resources for students including food, clothing, and career opportunities.
4. Emergency Fund Donations: Dedicated COVID-19 emergency fund and general emergency fund accepting donations to support students in crisis situations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Communities In Schools of Atlanta places full-time site coordinators in 73 partner schools across six metro Atlanta school districts to deliver its evidence-based Integrated Student Supports (ISS) model. Services include case management, mentoring, reading programs, emergency aid, food pantry support, foster care services, and post-secondary alumni support, all provided free of charge to at-risk K-12 students.

Product overview

Communities In Schools of Atlanta operates as a single unified nonprofit program focused on dropout prevention through integrated student supports (ISS). The organization places full-time site coordinators in partner schools who deliver tiered support services including school-wide interventions (Tier 1), targeted group support (Tier 2), and intensive individual case management (Tier 3). The core ISS program is supplemented by specialized services including an Alumni Program for post-secondary support, Emergency Aid, Mentoring, Reading Programs, Foster Care Services, Food Pantry, Community Service, and Risky Behavior Programs. All services are designed to remove barriers to education by addressing students' academic, social, and emotional needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Integrated Student Supports (ISS) Evidence-based model placing trained site coordinators in schools to connect K-12 students with whole-school and individualized supports such as tutoring, mentoring, nutrition, health services, and housing supports to enable regular attendance and academic success.
• Alumni Program Post-secondary support program for high school graduates providing financial support (tuition assistance, summer fees, supplies, clothing, groceries, housing, technology), resource linkage, professional mentoring, and social-emotional support for college, career, military service, or entrepreneurship pathways.
• School-Based Site Coordination Full-time site coordinators embedded in 73 partner schools who implement the CIS model, providing day-to-day academic, emotional, and financial support to students.
• Emergency Aid Services Mini grants to stabilize homes so students can concentrate on learning, including utility assistance, grocery support, and crisis intervention for families facing economic challenges.
• Mentoring Program Partnership with businesses and nonprofits connecting students with positive role models who serve as mentors, reading coaches, lunch buddies, and STEAM project facilitators during the school day.
• Reading Programs Individual tutors and partnerships with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Page Turners Make Great Learners providing books and reading events at elementary schools.
• Foster Care Services Integrated student supports serving students in Fulton and DeKalb County foster care, providing additional services for the most vulnerable youth in select schools.
• Food Pantry Program Partnership with local food pantries and food providers (including Atlanta Community Food Bank and Goodr) to ensure each school served has onsite supply of food items for families in need.
• Community Service Program Program enabling students to give back to their communities through unique projects addressing critical needs in their specific communities.
• Risky Behavior Programs Programs addressing real-world issues including peer pressure, trauma, and leadership development, featuring partners like the U.S. Attorney's office and ex-offenders discussing incarceration and justice system effects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of caseload students stayed in school during 2024-2025 school year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Alma FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner providing support services to students and families.
• Atlanta Community Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides food resources through partnership with local food pantries to ensure onsite supply at schools for families in need.
• Atlanta Metropolitan State CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting student pathways to higher education.
• Carter'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing clothing resources for students in need.
• Clark ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting CIS of Atlanta initiatives.
• Clayton State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting student pathways.
• Covenant HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing services for homeless youth.
• Creating Connected CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting community initiatives.
• DeloittecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services firm partner providing resources and support for students. Also involved with Deloitte MADE Academy for diversity and equity initiatives.
• Delta Community Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCredit union partner providing financial literacy resources.
• Furniture Bank of Metro AtlantaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing furniture assistance to families in need.
• Georgia Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency partner supporting district-level initiatives.
• Georgia-PacificcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting CIS of Atlanta initiatives and programs.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting student pathways to STEM education.
• Girl Scouts Of Greater AtlantaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization partner.
• Girls Of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting girls' education and development.
• GoodrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood waste reduction company providing surplus food to schools.
• Hartsfield Jackson International AirportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting CIS of Atlanta initiatives.
• Just Be Beautiful Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting youth development.
• Latin American AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization partner supporting Latinx community and students.
• Leap YearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting youth programs.
• Margie's HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing support services to families.
• Mercedes-Benz USAflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough their Driving Your Future corporate social responsibility mission, Mercedes-Benz USA provides dedicated support for educational equity and youth empowerment. CEO Adam Chamberlain received the Anne Cox Chambers Champion for Kids Award in 2026.
• Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner coordinating services for children in the foster care system.
• New Georgia ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner focused on civic engagement and education.
• Project Connect (Caron)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent assistance program partner addressing substance abuse and mental health.
• Real Talk About The LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Attorney's Office partner providing legal education and real-world perspectives about the justice system.
• RoarkflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerRoark Capital Group, a private equity firm, received the Corporate Partner Award in 2026. Partner providing resources and investment in CIS of Atlanta's work, with focus on education and community impact.
• Sandy Hook PromiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partner working to prevent gun violence and protect children.
• Ser Familia Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily services organization partner supporting Latinx families.
• Soccer In the StreetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization using soccer to engage and support young people.
• The Coca-Cola CompanyflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor at the Valedictorian level for the Choose Success Awards Dinner. Provides resources and support for students across metro Atlanta schools.
• Vision To LearnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing vision services and glasses to students in need.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• NewTeacherCenter: Nonprofit focused on teacher development and retention in high-need schools. Indirect peer addressing school-level outcomes through a different lever (teacher quality) but serving overlapping student populations and funders.
• TNTP (The New Teacher Project): Education nonprofit working to improve teacher effectiveness and expand access to excellent classrooms. Tangentially comparable as a K-12 outcomes-focused nonprofit with strong research practice and corporate funder relationships.

Direct peers

• City Year: Nonprofit that places near-peer AmeriCorps members inside K-12 schools to drive attendance, math, and social-emotional outcomes — directly overlapping CIS of Atlanta's in-school student-support model and serving similar at-risk populations.
• Communities In Schools (National): National parent organization operating the same Integrated Student Supports model across the country. CIS of Atlanta is an independent affiliate sharing methodology, brand, research evidence, and corporate relationships — the most directly comparable peer.
• Reading Partners: Nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer tutors to provide literacy intervention in under-resourced K-12 schools. Directly comparable to CIS of Atlanta's Reading Programs and school-embedded delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National charter-school network serving low-income K-12 students; runs KIPP Atlanta Schools locally. Shares the college-readiness, dropout-prevention mission with CIS of Atlanta, though via a direct-instruction delivery model.
• Junior Achievement USA: National nonprofit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programming in K-12 schools. Overlaps with CIS of Atlanta's college/career preparation and the corporate-partnership funding model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest US youth-mentoring nonprofit. CIS of Atlanta's mentoring program is one of several service lines; BBBS focuses exclusively on mentoring but addresses the same at-risk-youth, school-linked outcomes space.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit serving at-risk K-12 youth with after-school programming. Operates Atlanta-area affiliates with overlapping mission, funder relationships, and dropout-prevention outcomes focus.

Regional players

• United Way of Greater Atlanta: Regional United Way chapter operating in metro Atlanta with similar funder relationships, school-district partnerships, and youth-focused initiatives. Strongly comparable from a regional impact and corporate-underwriting perspective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cisatlanta
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CISAtlanta
• Facebookfacebook.com/CISAtlanta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communities-in-schools-of-atlanta
• Instagraminstagram.com/CISAtlanta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Communities In Schools of Atlanta