Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization

What Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization does

Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization (CIACO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Bloomingdale, Illinois (with a Stone Park mailing footprint). The organization operates exclusively in the Chicagoland area and serves three primary beneficiary groups: college-bound students (via a scholarship program awarded regardless of race, gender, religious affiliation, or national origin), needy families (via the annual Baskets of Love Thanksgiving food crate program, targeting 800 crates in 2025 and historically ~600 crates annually at ~50 lbs each), and wounded war veterans (via recognition and support, including through the Festa Della Famiglia e Amici). A fourth ancillary program, the Christmas Party, provides gifts to over 800 children annually.

CIACO's operating model is community-led and event-driven. Funding flows from member dues (with a separate Young Men's Division for members aged 18-24 that charges no dues), personal and corporate donations, and two anchor annual fundraisers: the July Festa Della Famiglia e Amici held at Casa Italia in Stone Park, and the August Golf Outing held at Bloomingdale Golf Club (priced at $200 per participant and $150 for hole sponsorship). Distribution of charitable assistance is conducted directly by member volunteers and through partner organizations including Wayne Township Food Pantry, local churches, shelters, Greco & Sons Warehouse (assembly venue), and Casa Italia, Venuti's Restaurant, and Bloomingdale Golf Club (event venues). A bocce tournament partnership with UNICO National and a Neckbone Dinner monthly social event round out the program calendar.

The organization is led by President Lou Scaramuzzo, has a staff/headcount band of 11-50, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds (consistent with a dues-and-donation-funded non-profit), and operates with no disclosed revenue. Its technology footprint is minimal — a WordPress website (ciaco.org), a Facebook page, email communications, and PayPal donation processing. CIACO explicitly self-identifies as a growing organization but acknowledges a geographic restriction to the Chicagoland area while signaling openness to broader expansion in the future.

Name

Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization

Legal name

Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization

Website

https://ciaco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIACO is a 501(c)(3) Italian American non-profit in the Chicagoland area that provides scholarships to college-bound students, Thanksgiving food baskets to needy families, and support to wounded veterans, funded by member dues, donations, and two annual fundraisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Community Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Charitable community programs
• Scholarship awards
• Food assistance services
• Community fundraising events
• Nonprofit veteran support

Headquarters

HQ city

Stone Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Annual membership dues from organization members, with separate Young Men's Division that has no dues or membership fees
2. Donations: Personal and corporate sponsorships and donations to support charitable activities
3. Fundraising Events: Two major annual fundraisers - the July Festa Della Famiglia e Amici and the August Golf Outing - that contribute to operating funds and support CIACO's charitable endeavors throughout the year

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CIACO is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs scholarship awards for college-bound students, an annual Thanksgiving food-basket distribution program (Baskets of Love) for needy Chicagoland families, and charitable programs that honor and assist wounded war veterans. The organization sustains these activities through annual member dues, donations, and two major fundraisers: the July Festa Della Famiglia e Amici and the August Golf Outing.

Product overview

The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization (CIACO) operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization offering a portfolio of community-focused programs and events rather than technology products. Its core offerings include: the Festa Della Famiglia e Amici (annual festival with scholarship presentations), the Annual Golf Outing (fundraising event), Baskets of Love (Thanksgiving food distribution), Christmas Party with gift program for children, Columbus Day Parade participation, Neckbone Dinner social gatherings, CIACO UNICO Bocce tournaments, scholarship awards for college students, and a Young Men's Division membership program. These programs are funded through member dues, donations, and two major annual fundraisers (Festa and Golf Outing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 800 children receive Christmas presents annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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 minor and core.

• UNICO NationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIACO collaborates with UNICO for bocce events and tournaments, strengthening ties within the Italian American community
• Wayne Township Food PantrycoreOthersWayne Township Food Pantry receives and distributes CIACO Baskets of Love food baskets to families in need in the local community
• Greco & Sons WarehousecoreOthersGreco & Sons Warehouse in West Chicago serves as the distribution location for the Baskets of Love food drive event
• Local Churches, Shelters and CharitiescoreOthersLocal charitable organizations reserve crates of food from CIACO's Baskets of Love program to deliver to families in need
• Casa ItaliaminorOthersCasa Italia in Stone Park, Illinois serves as the venue for the annual Festa Della Famiglia e Amici event
• Venuti's RestaurantminorOthersVenuti's in Addison, IL serves as the venue for monthly meetings, Christmas Party, Columbus Day Parade bus departure, and Neckbone Dinner events
• Bloomingdale Golf ClubminorOthersBloomingdale Golf Club hosts the annual CIACO Golf Outing fundraiser

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Italian American War Veterans of America: A national Italian American veterans service organization focused on veteran support and remembrance - directly comparable to CIACO's wounded-veterans programming pillar.
• Italian Charities of America: An Italian American charitable organization based in the New York region that distributes grants and supports community causes. Similar 501(c)(3) ethnic-charity model, though geographically distinct.
• Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA): A national Italian American fraternal benefit society with lodge-based charitable giving, scholarships, and cultural events. Closely parallels CIACO's ethnic-membership-plus-scholarship model.
• UNICO National: The largest Italian American service organization in the U.S., running scholarships, charitable giving, and community events. UNICO is also CIACO's actual bocce-tournament partner, making it the closest active peer in mission, structure, and programming.
• Italic Institute of America: A national Italian American cultural and educational organization running scholarships and grants. Comparable to CIACO's scholarship and heritage-preservation mission.

Regional players

• Italian American Museum of Chicago: A Chicago-area Italian American cultural institution running exhibits and community programming in the same metropolitan market as CIACO, sharing the Italian American community base.
• Italian American Community Center (Chicago area): A suburban Chicago Italian American community hub hosting events, dinners, and member activities. Operates in the same regional community as CIACO and shares a similar membership-driven, event-based model.

Broad incumbents

• National Italian American Foundation (NIAF): A national Italian American nonprofit that funds scholarships, cultural preservation, and commemorative programs. Comparable to CIACO in scholarship and community focus but operates at a national scale with a broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CIACO.org
• Xx.com/with_replies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization