Carriers of Light

What Carriers of Light does

Carriers of Light is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit Islamic school operating in the Chicago western suburbs, with a current headquarters at 1607 Taft Ave, Wheaton, IL and a new 49,000 sq ft purpose-built campus under development in Lombard, IL. The organization delivers a Quran-centered K-8 educational program in which approximately 40% of the school day is dedicated to Quran, Arabic, Tajweed, and Islamic Sciences, with the remaining academic block aligned to Common Core standards including Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The curriculum is custom-built and supported by a multi-layered quality assessment system with separate Memorization, Testing, and Review teachers, differentiated instruction with a 4:1 upper elementary student-to-Quran teacher ratio, and integrated Honors Quran Track options. The school produces tangible outcomes including 26 Huffadh and 4 Ijaza holders since 2010, an 83rd National Percentile ranking in overall academic achievement, and +4 academic achievement points across core subjects in one year.

The organization enrolls students across Preschool through 7th Grade on a full-time basis with annual tuition of $8,300 (Preschool through Kindergarten), $8,100 (1st-5th Grade), and a $450 registration fee for 6th-7th Grade Full Time. A Part-Time Quran Track is offered at $5,000 with a $350 registration fee. The go-to-market is a sales-led annual enrollment cycle opening in February with applications reviewed in March and April, prioritizing returning students and relying on a waitlist (currently 150+ students) and community word-of-mouth. Beyond core academics, Carriers of Light operates an Enrichment Program (36 programs since 2023 serving 700+ students, including sports, arts, summer camps, and teen programs), a Hot Lunch Program in partnership with Signature Lunches, and accepts donations across Zeffy, PayPal Giving Fund, stock, and cryptocurrency channels. The school is governed by a Board of Directors and is not backed by venture capital or private equity.

Name

Carriers of Light

Legal name

Carriers of Light

Website

https://carriersoflight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carriers of Light is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Quran-centered K-8 Islamic school in the Chicago western suburbs, serving families with integrated Quranic and Common Core-aligned academics across Preschool through 7th Grade, with a 49,000 sq ft Lombard campus expansion underway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheaton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Annual tuition fees for full-time enrollment across different grade levels from Preschool through 7th Grade.
2. Registration Fees: One-time registration fees for new students.
3. Hot Lunch Program: Partnership with Signature Lunches providing fresh, nutritious meals delivered to school, ordered daily by families.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Federal non-profit 501(c)(3) accepting donations via credit/debit card, PayPal, Zelle, stock donations, cryptocurrency, and Donor Advised Funds.
5. Enrichment Programs: Summer camps, enrichment programs, and special activities including teen programs, culinary sessions, and sports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carriers of Light is a Quran-centered K-8 Islamic school that delivers integrated education where 40% of the school day is dedicated to Quran, Arabic, Tajweed, and Islamic Sciences, paired with a Common Core-aligned academic curriculum. It sells full-time and part-time enrollment across Preschool through 7th Grade, plus after-school and summer enrichment programs. The organization operates as a federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is funded by tuition, registration fees, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Carriers of Light is a Quran-centered K-8 Islamic school offering a unified educational program that integrates Quranic studies (40% of school day) with rigorous Common Core-aligned academics. The core offerings include the Quran Program (with memorization, Tajweed, Arabic, and Islamic Sciences), the Academic Program (spanning Early Childhood through 6th Grade), specialized Quran Tracks (Full-Time and Part-Time), an Enrichment Program (sports, arts, summer camps), and support services (Hot Lunch, Financial Aid). The school is expanding from temporary facilities to a purpose-built 49,000 sq ft campus in Lombard, IL, with capacity for 400 students across 20+ classrooms. Middle school expansion to grades 7-8 is planned for Fall 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 83rd National Percentile in overall Academic Achievement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Signature LunchesminorOthersPartnership providing fresh, nutritious, and delicious hot meals delivered directly to school. Families place orders daily by 7:00 AM or order in advance. New menus posted each Thursday for the following week.
• ZeffyminorOthersDonation platform enabling credit/debit card donations with 0% fees to Carriers of Light.
• PayPal Giving FundminorOthersEnabling donations through PayPal with 100% of processing fees covered by The PayPal Giving Fund.
• donatestock.comminorOthersPlatform enabling stock donations and cryptocurrency donations to Carriers of Light, maximizing tax benefits for donors.
• TADSminorOthersFinancial aid application platform for need-based financial aid processing.
• TickettailorminorOthersEvent ticketing platform used for enrollment in enrichment programs and special events.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: Global K-12 education conglomerate; comparable only as a broader incumbent operating faith-and-academic private schools at scale, but very different model (for-profit, international) versus Carriers of Light's nonprofit K-8 community school.

Direct peers

• Islamic Foundation School (IFS): Full-time Islamic K-12 school in Villa Park, IL (also a Chicago suburb) offering integrated Quran-centered academics; near-identical operating model and directly competes for the same Chicago Muslim families seeking a faith-integrated K-8 pathway.
• Universal School: Full-time Islamic K-12 school in Bridgeview, IL with an integrated Quran memorization and academic program; serves the same Chicago-area Muslim family demographic with the same nonprofit, tuition-driven model.
• Community School of the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB): Full-time Islamic K-12 school in Boston area combining rigorous academics with Quran and Arabic instruction; operates on the same nonprofit tuition-driven model as Carriers of Light in another major U.S. metro.
• MCC Academy: Chicago-area full-time Islamic K-12 school combining rigorous college-prep academics with Quran and Arabic instruction; directly comparable operating model, with overlapping market geography (Chicagoland Muslim families) and similar tuition-driven nonprofit structure.
• Zawiya Academy: Sunni K-12 Islamic school in Bolingbrook, IL (western Chicago suburb) emphasizing Quran memorization with classical curriculum; directly competing for similar Lake/West suburbs Muslim families with comparable model and pricing tier.
• ICC (Islamic Community Center) Academy: Full-time Islamic K-12 school in the Chicagoland area with integrated religious and academic instruction; comparable operating model and competing for overlapping Illinois Muslim-family demand.
• Bayan Claremont (Claremont School of Theology Islamic School): Full-time Islamic K-8 school in California emphasizing Arabic and Quran alongside a college-prep curriculum; comparable mission and operating model, serving a U.S. Muslim family segment outside the Chicago geography.
• Minaret Academy: Full-time Islamic K-12 school in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area with strong Quran memorization and academic focus; comparable faith-integrated tuition model targeting Muslim-American families.
• Al-Sadiq School: Chicago-area Islamic school offering K-12 education with strong Quran memorization focus; competes with Carriers of Light for Chicago Muslim families and shares the same nonprofit, tuition-based, faith-academic integrated mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/carriersoflightschool
• Xx.com/CarriersLight
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarriersofLight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carriersoflight

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Carriers of Light