Urban Initiatives

What Urban Initiatives does

Urban Initiatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 that delivers sport- and play-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programming to youth across Chicago. Its core technology is an evidence-based, healing-centered SEL curriculum delivered through soccer, structured recess, summer camps, leadership development (Take the Lead), and college/career readiness programming spanning pre-K through high school. Programming is implemented by trained, trauma-informed coaches (in partnership with We Coach) directly inside 80+ Chicago Public Schools and through the city's Community Schools Initiative, reaching over 100,000 youth annually, 87% of whom come from families who qualify based on financial need.

The organization monetizes entirely through contributed revenue: tax-deductible individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Nike, IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation, Belvedere Trading, ADM Cares, Target, PwC, Amazon, Allstate), foundation grants (Laureus Sport for Good, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Polk Bros Foundation), government and school contracts (CPS, Chicago Department of Family Support Services), and signature fundraising events (Game On Gala, Soccer Ball, Corporate Challenge Cup, Community Play Cup, Traders Poker Tournament). All youth programming is free to participants; the organization states that 87 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to programs and 84% of expenses support programs.

Go-to-market is community-led: Urban Initiatives accesses youth through CPS school partnerships, recruits families and community members via events and word-of-mouth, and converts corporate relationships into program sponsorships. Strategic partnerships with Chicago professional sports franchises (Chicago Stars FC for the Goal Getter P.E. curriculum, Chicago Cubs for Cubs Jr. All-STAR Game, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation for the Work to Play Program) extend curriculum reach and credibility. The organization is led by Co-Founder & CEO Jim Dower, COO Julie Chelovich, and Chief Program Officer Tiffany Wilson-Washington, with a 101-250 person staff headquartered at 650 W. Lake St., Chicago.

Name

Urban Initiatives

Legal name

Urban Initiatives, Inc.

Website

https://urbaninitiatives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Urban Initiatives is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, sport- and play-based social-emotional learning programming to over 100,000 youth annually across 80+ Chicago Public Schools, serving primarily low-income families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Physical Activity & Motor Development Programs (Health-Focused) (EDACAMAI), School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Sport-based social emotional learning
• School-based recess coaching
• Community youth soccer programs
• Trauma-informed coaching training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting youth sports and play programming. The organization states that 87% of every dollar donated goes directly to programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors fund specific programs, events, and general operations. Major sponsors include Nike, IMC Chicago Charitable Foundation, Belvedere Trading, ADM Cares, Amazon, Target, PwC, and various financial/insurance firms.
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Laureus Sport for Good, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Polk Bros Foundation, and others supporting specific programs.
4. Event Revenue: Annual fundraising events including the Soccer Ball gala (20th Anniversary in 2025), Game On Gala, Corporate Challenge Cup, Community Play Cup, and Traders Poker Tournament. The 2026 Game On Gala raised $1.5 million.
5. Program Fees (Government/Schools): Funding from Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Department of Family Support Services for programming delivered in schools, including 21st Century programming and Community Schools Initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Urban Initiatives delivers free, sport- and play-based social-emotional learning programs to Chicago youth from Pre-K through high school. Core offerings include the Recess Program, multi-year Continuum Soccer, Summer Camp, Take the Lead leadership development, Parent Workshops, Professional Development training, and Community Schools Initiative integration, all delivered through Chicago Public Schools and supported by corporate, foundation, government, and individual donations.

Product overview

Urban Initiatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a comprehensive suite of youth sports and play-based social-emotional learning programs across Chicago. The organization offers structured programming including the Recess Program, Continuum Soccer (spanning Pre-K through high school), Summer Camp, and the Take the Lead leadership development program. These core programs are delivered through partnerships with Chicago Public Schools (80+ schools), the Community Schools Initiative, and professional sports partnerships including Chicago Stars FC (Goal Getter P.E.) and Chicago Cubs. Urban Initiatives also hosts signature annual events including the Community Play Cup, Game On Gala, Corporate Challenge Cup, and Soccer Ball to engage the broader community and raise funds. The organization reaches over 100,000 youth annually, providing caring coaches trained in trauma-informed practices to instill teamwork, empathy, and stress management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recess Program Structured play-based social-emotional learning programming delivered during school recess, where trained Recess Coaches lead fun, play-based games and activities for K-8 CPS students.
• Continuum Soccer Program Multi-year soccer programming spanning Pre-K through high school, building leadership skills and social capital through team sports for Chicago youth.
• Summer Camp Daily sports and play-based summer camp program staffed by trained coaches and enhanced by community partnerships, serving over 700 Chicago students annually.
• Parent Workshops Family engagement programming that builds healthy community connections and empowers students to develop SEL skills at home.
• Professional Development Workshops Play-based professional development training for educators, coaches, and youth workers focused on social-emotional learning facilitation and trauma-informed coaching.
• Take the Lead Middle and high school leadership development program where Team Captains mentor younger students, participate in group mentoring sessions, and receive college/career readiness support through partnerships with Chicago's professional community.
• Community Schools Initiative (CSI) Comprehensive out-of-school-time programming at CPS schools providing academic enrichment, sports, arts, and family engagement through Resource Coordinators and external vendor partnerships.
• Goal Getter P.E. Program Partnership with Chicago Stars FC offering a 12-session adaptable P.E. curriculum introducing elementary students to soccer skills integrated with social-emotional learning competencies, delivered through trained CPS P.E. teachers.
• Community Play Cup Annual culmination event bringing together over 1,000 students, families, volunteers, and staff for soccer scrimmages, team-building activities, and community celebration.
• Game On Gala Biennial fundraising gala celebrating the power of sport and youth potential, featuring fireside chats and paddle raise donations; the 2026 event raised $1.5 million.
• Corporate Challenge Cup Adult soccer tournament bringing together Chicago companies for team-building competition with corporate sponsorship opportunities.
• 20th Anniversary Soccer Ball Annual gala event featuring silent auction, dancing, and fundraising celebrating Urban Initiatives' mission and impact; the 2025 Soccer Ball marked the organization's 20th anniversary.
• Traders Poker Tournament Annual poker tournament hosted by Chicago's trading community to raise funds for Urban Initiatives' free sports programs.
• Cubs Jr. All-STAR Game Annual event celebrating middle school students' leadership and sportsmanship through baseball-themed activities and cross-neighborhood connections, run in partnership with Chicago Cubs/Cubs Care.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of UI participants come from families who qualify based on financial need
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago Stars FCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership delivering the Goal Getter P.E. program to Chicago Public Schools. UI trains P.E. teachers to implement a 12-session soccer unit introducing elementary students to soccer skills and SEL concepts like teamwork, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution. Professional player visits (Leilanni Nesbeth) provide inspiration and mentorship to students.
• We CoachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally recognized leader in trauma-informed coaching. Partnership provides training to prepare parents, guardians, and community participants to immediately organize and implement sport and play sessions for healing, connections, and resiliency.
• Chicago Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education partner for program delivery. UI operates recess programming, continuum soccer, SEL retreats, and summer camps in 80+ CPS schools across the city. Partnership supports school improvement goals through SEL-focused strategies.
• Chicago Cubs (Cubs Care)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supports Cubs Jr. All-STAR Game program combining baseball and social-emotional learning skills. P.E. teachers nominate students based on SEL competencies for the culminating field trip event.
• Common ThreadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides healthy cooking workshops for families at Faraday Elementary, teaching nutritious, affordable cooking techniques and building community connections.
• The BlocminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoxing and mentorship partnership at Piccolo Elementary helping middle school students develop discipline, emotional control, and lasting friendships in a safe environment.
• Camp ManitowaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Out for Kids program provides middle school captains with week-long camp experiences including swimming, climbing, and friendship-building activities.
• DePaul University Hay ScholarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmersive visit bridging academic leadership and nonprofit sector through sport-based play, speed networking, and career pathway discussions for Hay Scholars students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Right To Play: Right To Play is the global incumbent in sport-for-development, partnering with schools and NGOs worldwide to deliver play-based SEL programs. It is comparable to UI on the sport-and-SEL-through-play thesis and serves as a useful proxy for funding trends and impact measurement practices in the space.

Direct peers

• Playworks: Playworks is the closest direct peer: a national nonprofit that places trained coaches in low-income elementary schools to run structured recess, sports, and SEL programming during the school day — the same core model Urban Initiatives delivers in 80+ CPS schools.
• Street Soccer USA: Street Soccer USA is a sport-for-good nonprofit that uses soccer and the Street Soccer methodology to build life skills, employability, and community for adults and youth. It is a direct sport-based youth development peer overlapping on healing/teamwork-centered coaching.
• Soccer Without Borders: Soccer Without Borders uses soccer as a vehicle for refugee and immigrant youth development, integrating SEL, English-language support, and family engagement. It mirrors UI's soccer-as-SEL-delivery-mechanism approach with a similarly vulnerable-youth focus.
• Up2Us Sports: Up2Us Sports trains and deploys coaches in under-resourced communities to deliver sport-based youth development and is a direct peer in the coach-pipeline + SEL-through-sport niche that UI operates in.
• America SCORES: America SCORES combines soccer programming, poetry/writing, and service-learning in urban public schools for low-income youth — matching Urban Initiatives' soccer-plus-SEL-plus-community-service model. It is one of the clearest sport-based youth development comparables in the nonprofit sector.

Others

• Aspen Institute Project Play: Aspen Institute Project Play is a thought-leadership and convening initiative that defines the sport-based youth development category in which UI operates. It is non-competitive but shapes funder priorities, evaluation frameworks, and policy toward UI's model.
• Laureus Sport for Good Foundation: Laureus Sport for Good is a major sport-for-development funder that funds UI and a global network of similar organizations (America SCORES, Right To Play). It is adjacent rather than competitive, but its portfolio is the closest peer-set validation for UI's model.

Regional players

• Girls in the Game: Girls in the Game is a Chicago-based nonprofit providing year-round sports, health, and leadership programs for girls, including school-based and community programming — a same-city peer focused on a different youth population (girls) but with overlapping school-distribution and SEL model.
• Chicago Run: Chicago Run is a Chicago Public Schools-focused nonprofit that uses running and physical activity to promote health and social-emotional development for CPS students. It competes for the same school partners, the same donor pool, and the same SEL positioning as Urban Initiatives inside Chicago.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbaninitiative
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/urbaninitiatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/uisoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-initiatives-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Initiatives