Crime Stoppers

What Crime Stoppers does

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties is an Illinois nonprofit founded in 1983 that operates an anonymous crime tip reporting platform serving the Springfield metropolitan area. Its core function is to enable community members to submit information about criminal activity without revealing their identity, in exchange for cash rewards paid upon arrests. The organization operates as a three-sided intermediary between tipsters, local law enforcement agencies (Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, Petersburg Police Department, and Illinois State Police), and media/community partners.

The technology platform is built primarily around the third-party P3 Tips system, which provides web-based tip submission, a mobile application, and SMS routing via short code 274637 with keyword TIP672. This digital infrastructure complements a traditional 24/7 phone tip line (217-788-8427 local; 1-800-397-2288 toll-free). Case solicitation is driven by a recurring "Crime of the Week" content feature published weekly on cashfortips.us, a dedicated Cold Case program for unsolved homicides, and active social media presence including Facebook livestreams. Cash rewards are tiered: up to $2,500 standard, up to $5,000 for homicide cases, and enhanced amounts up to $10,000 for major cases such as the October 2025 triple homicide. Over its 30+ year history, the chapter has contributed to over 7,170 closed cases, 4,300+ arrests, and $7.56 million in recovered property, cash, and drugs.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and community fundraising — there is no commercial revenue stream. The principal fundraising events are an Annual Trivia Night (the largest in Central Illinois, with 1,100+ attendees at the 15th edition in January 2026), a "Take a Swing Out of Crime" Golf Outing, and a weekly Queen of Hearts raffle held at partner bars at $1 per ticket. Operations are lean, supported by an 11-50 person staff and a 30-member volunteer board backed by approximately 250 community volunteers. The organization operates independently from national Crime Stoppers organizations and other regional chapters.

Name

Crime Stoppers

Legal name

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties

Website

https://cashfortips.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties is a Springfield, Illinois nonprofit (founded 1983) that operates a multi-channel anonymous crime tip platform offering cash rewards for tips leading to arrests, serving community tipsters and partnering with local law enforcement agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crime Tip Reporting Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Crime Prevention & Community Policing Programs (EDALAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Anonymous tip reporting
• Cash rewards program
• Community crime prevention
• Nonprofit public safety
• Tip hotline services

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Nonprofit organization funded primarily through community donations and fundraising events. Operates fundraising activities including trivia nights, golf outings, Queen of Hearts raffle, and other community events to generate revenue for paying out rewards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties operates a multi-channel anonymous crime tip submission platform accepting tips via a 24/7 phone line, SMS short code, web form, and the P3 mobile app. Tips are forwarded to local law enforcement, and cash rewards (up to $2,500 standard, up to $5,000 for homicides and cold cases, up to $10,000 for major cases, and minimum $1,500 for fentanyl-dealing tips) are paid when tips lead to arrests. The organization sustains this service through community donations and fundraising events and supplements it with a weekly Crime of the Week feature and a dedicated Cold Case Program.

Product overview

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties operates a nonprofit anonymous crime tip reporting platform offering multiple submission channels (phone, web, mobile app, SMS text) with cash reward incentives. The core offering centers on the anonymous tip reporting service, complemented by a weekly 'Crime of the Week' feature highlighting specific cases, a dedicated Cold Case Program for unsolved homicides, and various fundraising initiatives including the Queen of Hearts raffle, Annual Trivia Night, and Golf Outing. The platform connects citizens with law enforcement while maintaining tipster anonymity and provides cash rewards ranging from standard ($2,500) to enhanced ($10,000) for actionable information leading to arrests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anonymous Tip Reporting Service Core service enabling citizens in Sangamon and Menard Counties to submit anonymous crime tips via a 24/7 phone line (217-788-8427 / 1-800-397-2288), web form on P3Tips, the P3 mobile app, and SMS text to short code 274637 (TIP672). Tips are forwarded to law enforcement and may result in tiered cash rewards — up to $2,500 standard, up to $5,000 for homicides and cold cases, up to $10,000 for major cases, and a $1,500 minimum for fentanyl-dealing tips.
• Crime of the Week Weekly featured case published every Wednesday on the Cash For Tips website and through local news partners, highlighting a specific unresolved crime (burglary, theft, homicide, arson, criminal damage, etc.) with suspect descriptions, images, and reward information to generate public awareness and solicit tips.
• Cold Case Program Dedicated program and website section focused on unsolved homicide cases from Sangamon County, featuring victim details, incident dates, locations, and case summaries, with an enhanced $5,000 reward for any arrest-leading information regardless of how long ago the homicide occurred.
• Queen of Hearts Raffle Weekly raffle fundraiser with drawings held at Weebles Bar & Grill, livestreamed on the Crime Stoppers Facebook page. Tickets priced at $1 each and sold at multiple partner bar/restaurant locations, with a grand prize paid if the Queen of Hearts card is revealed and present at the drawing and a half-prize if revealed but not present. Net proceeds fund Crime Stoppers cash reward payouts.
• Annual Trivia Night Annual fundraising event branded as the largest trivia night in Central Illinois, hosted at the BOS Center in Springfield and featuring competitive team trivia, food, drinks, and prizes; the 15th annual event was held on January 31, 2026 with over 1,100 attendees, and proceeds support crime tip reward payouts.
• Take a Swing Out of Crime Golf Outing Annual golf fundraiser held at Piper Glen with a shotgun start, lunch, and additional fundraising activities, organized to generate proceeds used to fund cash rewards for crime tips.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,170 cases closed and 4,300+ arrests over 30 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Electoral Commission (UK)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2026The Electoral Commission partnered with Crimestoppers for its annual 'Your vote is yours alone' anti-fraud campaign urging voters across Britain to safeguard their ballots ahead of local elections.
• FortinetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026Fortinet partnered with Crime Stoppers International on the Cybercrime Bounty program to financially disrupt criminal markets. The program offers financial rewards for information on cybercriminals. Fortinet's Chief Security Strategist Derek Manky participates in intelligence sharing panels with Europol and Cyber Threat Alliance at WEF.
• Green Family Stores / Storm Team 20minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 August 2016Monthly partnership where Storm Team 20 partners with Green Family stores for their 3-degree weather guarantee program. If forecasters correctly predict the next day's high within 3 degrees, a local charity receives money. Crime Stoppers received $2,000 donation in July 2016 through this program.
• Local Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships with Springfield Police Department, Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, Petersburg Police Department, Illinois State Police, and other local agencies for anonymous tip collection and crime solving assistance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/crime.stoppers.12

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Crime Stoppers