James R. Jordan Foundation

What James R. Jordan Foundation does

The James R. Jordan Foundation (JRJF) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that delivers four integrated educational programs to underserved youth in four partner Chicago Public Schools (William H. Brown STEM Magnet School, R. Nathaniel Dett Elementary School, Sherman School of Excellence, and Jordan Community Elementary School). Its four programs are A-Team Scholars (a grades 4-12 scholarship that pays $50 per A and $25 per B in core subjects, redeemable for college tuition), S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics enrichment delivered via summer sessions, pop-ups at corporate venues, Saturday sessions, and Family Space Camp), Read with Me! (small-group early literacy for Pre-K through 4th grade), and Vision for Families (monthly family engagement workshops covering financial literacy, housing, health, and parenting). Programs rely on a lean staff of 1-10 employees and a network of roughly 45 professional content experts and 66 volunteers/mentors, supplemented by enterprise technology partners (IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, AT&T), a core academic partner (Northwestern University TIDAL Lab), and financial supporters (PNC, Northern Trust, Home Depot, Gatorade, Nike/Jordan Brand). The foundation reports serving 1,405 students and 306 parents/guardians during the 2019-2020 program year, with documented literacy gains (100% of Read with Me! students in 2018-2019 reading at or above grade level) and 90-146 high school graduates per recent A-Team cohorts.

The foundation has no proprietary technology platform; instruction is delivered using third-party tools (TunePad, Scratch, p5.js) and partner-provided facilities. Revenue is entirely donation-based and is not publicly disclosed. Streams include individual one-time and recurring donations ($1,000, $100, and recurring tiers), corporate partnerships and matching gifts (covering program endowments, events, and scholarships), planned-giving vehicles (gift annuities, charitable remainder/lead trusts, bequests, beneficiary designations), and in-kind gifts of stock/securities and physical goods (iPads, school supplies, branded merchandise). All programs are delivered free of charge to students and families. Marketing and donor acquisition run through the foundation's website, monthly email newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, supplemented by community events, Facebook Fundraisers, and earned media. Distribution is regional (Midwest U.S.), with virtual delivery layers added during the COVID-19 pandemic and limited exposure visits to Washington D.C. and Huntsville, Alabama.

Name

James R. Jordan Foundation

Legal name

James R. Jordan Foundation

Website

https://jamesjordanfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The James R. Jordan Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit that runs four integrated programs (A-Team Scholars, S.T.E.A.M., Read with Me!, Vision for Families) for underserved Pre-K through 12 students at four partner Chicago Public Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Non-Profit Foundation

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• Educational scholarship funding
• Early childhood literacy
• STEAM enrichment programs
• Family literacy workshops

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting educational programs for underserved youth. Donation tiers include $1,000 for program support with name recognition, $100 for single program funding, and recurring donor options.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships providing funding for specific programs such as A-Team Scholars endowments, Vision for Families event hosting, and space camp scholarships. Includes matching gift programs from employers.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy giving vehicles including gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, charitable bequests, and beneficiary designations.
4. In-Kind Donations: Gifts of stock or securities, and in-kind contributions such as iPads, school supplies, and other materials from corporate partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The James R. Jordan Foundation delivers four free educational programs to underserved Chicago Public School students and their families: A-Team Scholars (cash scholarship rewards of $50 per A and $25 per B for grades 4-12 in Reading, Math, Writing and Science), S.T.E.A.M. enrichment (summer sessions, pop-ups, Saturday sessions, Space Camp), Read with Me! (small-group literacy instruction for Pre-K through 4th grade), and Vision for Families (monthly family engagement workshops).

Product overview

The James R. Jordan Foundation operates as a unified set of four core educational programs: A-Team Scholars (a scholarship program for grades 4-12 rewarding academic achievement), S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics enrichment), Read With Me! (early literacy instruction for Pre-K through 4th grade), and Visions for Families (family engagement workshops). These programs work together to provide holistic educational support, scholarship funding, and enrichment opportunities to students and families in Chicago's underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-Team Scholars: Scholarship program for students in grades 4-12 awarded based on academic achievement, character and integrity
• S.T.E.A.M.
• Read With Me!
• Vision for Families
• Sunshine for Students

Products and services

• A-Team Scholars Cash scholarship program that awards money to students in grades 4-12 at four partner Chicago Public Schools based on academic achievement, character and integrity. Students earn $50 for every A and $25 for every B earned per quarter in Reading, Math, Writing and Science, with funds withdrawable upon high school graduation for college tuition.
• S.T.E.A.M. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics enrichment program that exposes underserved Chicago youth to S.T.E.A.M. resources and experiences and builds educational capacity and professional possibilities. Delivered through summer sessions, pop-up sessions with corporate partners, Saturday Sessions, Family Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama, and field trips to universities (e.g., Northwestern University campus labs) and museums.
• Read with Me! Early childhood literacy program providing small-group reading instruction (groups of 3-4 students) at four partner Chicago Public Schools to equip students from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade with improved literacy skills and increased reading motivation, assessed using the Edward Fry Readability Test.
• Vision for Families Family engagement program that strengthens ties between school and home through once-a-month meetings with speakers who address challenges affecting parents and the community, treating education as a holistic process. Includes financial literacy, budgeting (with Seaway/Self-Help FCU), affordable housing (with CEDA), healthy eating and cooking (with Kendall College), home gardening and Sip & Paint workshops (with Home Depot), and career exploration (with BOMA).

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Read with Me! students in 2018-2019 were reading at or above their grade reading level
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northwestern University (TIDAL Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2021Northwestern University is a core strategic partner providing S.T.E.A.M. programming through the TIDAL Lab (School of Education and Social Policy and Department of Computer Science, McCormick School of Engineering). Dr. Michael Horn serves as Advisory Board Member. Graduate student Izaiah Wallace leads Coded Beats Club sessions. Summer S.T.E.A.M. program held at Northwestern campus.
• BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2021BOMA partnered with JRJF to host Home Career workshops teaching parents and students about career paths in commercial real estate, property management, and building engineering. 46 parents, 73 students, and 12 A-Team High School students attended.
• Nike / Jordan BrandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Nike and Jordan Brand donated Jordan Brand gear (hats, t-shirts, hoodies, bags) for middle school students during Holiday Celebration. Also provided 150 Museum of Science & Industry gift cards for families.
• 2112 Chicago / Center for Creative EntrepreneurshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20212112 Chicago hosted inaugural Street Code Jam Fest celebrating talent and creativity of young people at intersection of music and computer code. Saudia Davis (CCE Director) and music producer Johnny 'Bravo' Rayborn participated in Coded Beats Club sessions.
• Seaway (Division of Self-Help FCU)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Seaway provides Managing Your Money bilingual budgeting resources including presentations, budget worksheets, and budget activities for A-Team and Vision for Families programs.
• PNC BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020PNC Bank supports Read with Me! program and provided donations including 3 brand new iPads with cases and iTunes gift cards. PNC volunteers participated in virtual Read with Me! Day reading to over 60 students from Pre-K to 3rd Grade.
• Northern TrustminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Northern Trust continues to support Read with Me! program as a financial supporter.
• Home DepotcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Home Depot provides materials for Vision for Families workshops including boards, paint, and paint brushes for virtual Sip & Paint events. Also hosted home gardening workshops with 112 total attendees across four partner schools. Conducts monthly raffles to encourage family participation.
• GatorademinorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Gatorade donated water bottles, bags, and towels for Holiday Celebration events and S.T.E.A.M. pop-up sessions including sports nutrition presentation.
• Diamond AssetsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Diamond Assets provided access to affordable iPads for purchase and donated 8 mini-iPads for students during COVID-19 remote learning transition.
• Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Rotary Club participated in Read with Me! Day at Sherman School of Excellence with 12 volunteers reading to over 90 Pre-K through 3rd grade students. Rotary Club President Kevin McQuillan participated.
• IBMcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2019IBM provides engineering education through S.T.E.A.M. pop-up sessions. 6th grade students at Sherman School of Excellence learned design, build, test, and communicate engineering approach from IBM volunteers. Students designed shoes to solve problems or add value to existing products. Also hosted Summer Session at IBM on enterprise design thinking.
• Microsoft ChicagocoreTechnology or Integration · 28 June 2019Microsoft Chicago partners through HACEMOS Chicago Chapter for S.T.E.A.M. pop-up sessions teaching students to build joysticks with cardboard and copper tape, sensors for hand control, and Microsoft PowerPoint presentation skills. Used Microsoft Surface devices and Excel for data visualization.
• Urban Initiatives Work to PlayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Urban Initiatives program encouraging academic achievement for soccer participation. A-Team Scholar Christian Gordon participated in the program at Sherman School of Excellence.
• Family Space Camp (U.S. Space Camp, Huntsville Alabama)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 May 2018Family Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama provides 4-day space exploration experience for students and their mothers. Students build and launch rockets, complete missions, and train on multi-axis chair.
• Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017IMSA partners with JRJF and CISCO for Saturday Sessions, providing volunteer high school students from IMSA to mentor elementary students in S.T.E.A.M. activities.
• CEDA (Community Economic Development Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017CEDA explains affordable housing topics through Vision for Families workshops at partner schools.
• Kendall CollegeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Kendall College provides healthy eating and cooking education through Vision for Families Health & Wellness sessions.
• Orland Park Area Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Debi Ross, current JRJF Board Chair, served as President of Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce in 2017, serving 550 enterprises.
• CiscocoreTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2016Cisco provides S.T.E.A.M. curriculum through Get Connected Curriculum teaching computer and internet navigation skills. Cisco representative Dave Termunde leads Saturday Sessions teaching students to dismantle and reassemble laptops and electronics. Also presented Virtual Computer Challenge.
• Bernie's Book BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Bernie's Book Bank donates books to Read with Me! Festival and Thanksgiving events for student distribution.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Chicago Schools: Part of the national KIPP charter network operating schools in Chicago serving predominantly low-income students. Comparable as a youth education organization serving underserved Chicago families with extended programming.
• United Way of Metro Chicago: Large Chicago-based funder and convener channeling corporate donations to youth and education nonprofits. Comparable as a corporate-dependent funding intermediary in the Chicago education ecosystem.
• NewSchools Venture Fund: National nonprofit venture philanthropy funding innovative education organizations serving underserved students. Comparable as a funder of equity-focused education nonprofits serving low-income communities.

Direct peers

• Communities In Schools of Chicago: Embeds staff in Chicago Public Schools to deliver integrated student support services. Highly comparable as a CPS-focused nonprofit integrating school-based services for underserved youth.
• Chicago Public Education Fund: Chicago nonprofit focused on driving resources and partnerships to CPS schools. Comparable as a CPS-focused intermediary that channels corporate and philanthropic support into school-based programs.
• Ingenuity: Chicago nonprofit working to ensure equitable access to arts education across CPS schools. Comparable as a CPS-focused arts/S.T.E.A.M. education nonprofit reliant on corporate and institutional partners.
• Bernie's Book Bank: Chicago-area nonprofit distributing books to underserved children, including at CPS schools. Already a JRJF partner, and directly comparable as a CPS-aligned literacy/education nonprofit with corporate volunteer support.
• After School Matters: Chicago-based nonprofit providing out-of-school S.T.E.A.M., arts, and sports programming to high school teens. Directly comparable as a Chicago youth nonprofit offering S.T.E.A.M. enrichment with corporate and city partnerships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Operates multiple club sites across Chicago serving low-income youth with academic, S.T.E.A.M., and family programming. Comparable as a multi-site youth development nonprofit serving CPS-area families.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Chicago-based youth mentoring nonprofit serving low-income students through school and community-based programs. Directly comparable as a youth development nonprofit operating in CPS schools with volunteer-driven delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jrjfi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JRJFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/jamesrjordanfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-r--jordan-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/jamesrjordanfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about James R. Jordan Foundation