Lake County Center for Independent Living

What Lake County Center for Independent Living does

Lake County Center for Independent Living (LCCIL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, consumer-controlled disability rights organization founded in 1990 in Lake County, Illinois, with service operations expanded to McHenry County in 2012. The organization is one of 354 Federally Certified Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in the United States and one of 22 in Illinois, and is required to maintain a board and staff composition where at least 51% are individuals with disabilities — a structural feature of its consumer-controlled governance model. LCCIL delivers a comprehensive suite of independent living services organized around five core areas: Information & Referral, Independent Living Skills Training, Peer Mentoring, Advocacy, and Transition Services, plus targeted programs including Older Blind Services, Adult and Youth Employment Readiness, Voyager Internship, Pre-Employment Transition Services (delivered in schools), Personal Assistant Services, and amplified phone distribution through the ITAC partnership.

The organization operates from two physical offices — a headquarters at 377 N. Seymour Avenue in Mundelein and a regional office at 5400 W. Elm Street in McHenry — supplemented by virtual/Zoom service delivery and community-based outreach including nursing home transition services. Supporting technology consists of assistive devices (screen readers, magnification programs, amplified phones, Braille training materials) rather than proprietary AI/ML systems or software products. Services are provided free of charge to consumers across all disability types and ages.

LCCIL's revenue model is grant-and-donation based, with the Illinois Department of Human Services as the primary government funding source, supplemented by Thrivent Choice grants, corporate sponsorships (including Medline Industries, AbbVie, Wipfli, and multiple community banks), individual donations, and nominal affiliate programs (iGive, GoodSearch, GoodShop). Distribution combines direct in-person services, school-based programming, community outreach, and virtual delivery, with go-to-market driven by word-of-mouth referrals, community events, and partnerships rather than paid marketing. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Kelli Brooks and a voluntary board of directors.

Name

Lake County Center for Independent Living

Legal name

Lake County Center for Independent Living

Website

https://lccil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lake County Center for Independent Living is a federally certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free independent living services — including skills training, peer mentoring, advocacy, and transition support — to people with disabilities across Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Independent Living Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGACAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAKANAJ

Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Transition Services (Post-Secondary, Employment & Independent Living)

Keywords

• Independent living services
• Disability advocacy support
• Peer mentoring programs
• Assistive technology training
• Community transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mundelein

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: LCCIL receives funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services to operate its programs and services. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, the organization depends on this government funding along with grants and community support.
2. Donations and Grants: The organization accepts donations from individuals, businesses, and private foundations. They participate in the Thrivent Choice program for grant funding and receive fee-free donations through Thrivent Action Teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lake County Center for Independent Living (LCCIL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that provides free cross-disability independent living services to people of all ages with disabilities in Lake and McHenry counties, Illinois. Core services include information and referral, independent living skills training, peer mentoring, individual and systems advocacy, assistive technology and Braille training, older blind services, personal assistant services, employment readiness programs, youth and adult transition services, and peer-led support groups. The organization is consumer-controlled, with a majority of its board and staff being people with disabilities.

Product overview

Lake County Center for Independent Living is a cross-disability non-profit organization providing a comprehensive suite of independent living services organized around five core service areas: Information & Referral, Independent Living Skills Training, Peer Mentoring, Advocacy, and Transition Services. The organization operates programs including the Amplified Phones Program (via ITAC partnership), assistive technology and Braille training, employment readiness classes (adult and youth), Voyager Internship, and various support groups (Heads Up, Words of Wisdom). Transition services encompass community transition from nursing homes, pre-employment transition services in schools, and youth transition services. All programs are free to consumers and delivered by staff and peer mentors, the majority of whom have disabilities themselves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Information & Referral
• Independent Living Skills Training
• Peer Mentoring
• Individual & Systems Advocacy
• Assistive Technology and Braille Training
• Older Blind Services
• Personal Assistant Services
• Amplified Phones Program
• Youth and Adult Employment Readiness Programs
• Transition Services (Youth, Adult, and Community)
• Peer-Led Support Groups (Heads Up & Words of Wisdom)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Access Living: Chicago-based federally certified Center for Independent Living delivering the same five core CIL services (I&R, IL Skills Training, Peer Mentoring, Advocacy, Transition). Operates in the same Illinois CIL network as LCCIL with a comparable cross-disability, consumer-controlled model.
• Progress Center for Independent Living: Federally certified CIL serving the south suburbs of Chicago from Blue Island, Illinois. Directly comparable in mission, funding mix (state + donations), and service portfolio to LCCIL, and competes for the same Illinois DHS funding pool.
• Options Center for Independent Living: Bourbonnais, Illinois-based federally certified CIL serving Kankakee, Iroquois, and Ford counties. Comparable in scale, service mix, and consumer-controlled governance model to LCCIL.
• Springfield Center for Independent Living: Springfield-based federally certified CIL offering the same five core CIL services across central Illinois. Direct comparable in scope, federal certification, and reliance on Illinois DHS funding.
• RAMP (Regional Access & Mobility Project): Rockford-area federally certified Center for Independent Living serving north-central Illinois. Direct comparable as a cross-disability CIL operating in the same Illinois CIL network.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability and rehabilitative services at far greater scale. Overlaps with LCCIL on employment readiness and independent living supports but offers a much broader portfolio (medical, child development, workforce) rather than specializing in CIL core services.
• The Arc of the United States: National advocacy and direct-service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Compares on the disability rights and advocacy dimension but operates at national scale across a narrower disability subset than LCCIL's cross-disability model.

Regional players

• Equip for Equality: Illinois's designated Protection & Advocacy system, providing legal advocacy and disability rights services statewide. Comparable on systems advocacy and disability rights but delivers legal/casework rather than direct independent living skills training.

Others

• National Council on Independent Living: National membership association representing CILs and individuals with disabilities. LCCIL is a member of this ecosystem; comparable as an industry-shaping body rather than a service-delivery competitor.
• Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois (IL SILC): State council mandated under federal law to plan independent living services in Illinois. Comparable as a coordinating/oversight counterpart rather than a direct service peer, but shapes the funding environment in which LCCIL operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LakeCountyCenterforIndependentLiving
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lccil

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Lake County Center for Independent Living