CPO Ministries

What CPO Ministries does

CPO Ministries (legal name: Chicagoland Prison Outreach) is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit prison ministry founded in 1994 and headquartered in South Holland, Illinois, with a lean staff of 7 employees. The organization serves incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, and families impacted by incarceration across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, operating three integrated program departments. The Chaplaincy department delivers in-prison discipleship and the Life Learning Program inside facilities including Cook County Jail and Westville (Indiana). The Career and Life Development department runs the Outreach Career Center in Evanston, providing free vocational training in welding, carpentry, electrical work, OSHA safety, and solar panel installation, along with case management, trauma coaching, and job placement support. The Compassionate Care department houses the Angels of Hope family support program and its Women of Hope sub-program. Sub-brands include Outreach Career Center, Angels of Hope, Women of Hope, and Life Learning Program. Recent programmatic additions include the 'Level Up: Making Money with AI' bootcamp, which teaches returning citizens to monetize free AI tools for digital income.

The organization's technology footprint is consumer-grade and limited to marketing and operations tools: a WordPress website (cpoministries.org), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube profiles, Constant Contact for newsletters, Google Forms for event/bootcamp registration, and FundEasy/MinistrySync for golf tournament registration. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML infrastructure, patents, or software products are disclosed. Notably, 25 graduates secured union jobs in the most recent reporting year, contributing an estimated $2 million+ in community economic benefit; the organization cites external data showing employment reduces recidivism to roughly 16% versus 52% for those unable to sustain work.

CPO's business model is donation-driven and non-transactional. All vocational and chaplaincy services are provided free to participants. Revenue streams include individual charitable donations (via website and mail), planned giving and estate gifts (bequests, stock, real estate, IRA QCDs), and event fundraising — chiefly the annual Golf Tournament at Ravisloe Country Club (sponsorship tiers $250-$2,500; $175 per golfer) and the Evening of Thanksgiving banquet. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on church volunteer networks, speaking engagements at churches and conferences, newsletter communications, and Giving Tuesday campaigns. A recently hired Director of Advancement (May 2025) signals intent to professionalize fundraising, and the Board-approved 'Seeds of Hope' five-year strategic plan targets tripling impact across all three program departments. Leadership includes Executive Director Corey Buchanan, founder/Director of Ministry Dan Swets, and Director of Advancement David Sherwood.

Name

CPO Ministries

Legal name

Chicagoland Prison Outreach

Website

https://cpoministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CPO Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit prison ministry serving incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, and their families in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana through chaplaincy, free vocational training, and family support programs, funded by donations and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Prison Ministry and Reentry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Prison ministry services
• Vocational training programs
• Faith-based reentry support
• Family support services
• In-prison chaplaincy

Headquarters

HQ city

South Holland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute financial support through the website, mail, and other giving channels. CPO relies heavily on the generosity of supporters to fund all ministry operations including chaplaincy, vocational training, and family support programs.
2. Planned Giving & Estate Gifts: Donors can leave legacy gifts through wills, trusts, or planned giving arrangements. CPO offers various planned giving options including charitable bequests, stock gifts, real estate donations, and IRA qualified charitable distributions.
3. Event Sponsorships & Registrations: Annual golf tournament generates revenue through player registrations ($175 per golfer) and corporate sponsorships at various tiers ($250-$2,500). The Evening of Thanksgiving banquet also serves as a fundraising event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

CPO Ministries is a faith-based prison outreach nonprofit that delivers chaplaincy services inside correctional facilities, vocational and life-skills training through its Outreach Career Center, and post-release reentry and family support programming for incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, and their families in the Chicagoland region. Programming includes the Chaplaincy Program, Career and Life Development, the Compassionate Care (Angels of Hope) family initiative, Women of Hope, trauma coaching, and the Level Up: Making Money with AI workforce bootcamp.

Product overview

CPO Ministries operates as a faith-based prison ministry offering a multi-component service portfolio organized into three core departments: Chaplaincy (in-prison discipleship and the Life Learning Program), Career and Life Development (the Outreach Career Center providing free vocational training in carpentry, welding, electrical work, OSHA, and solar installation, with case management, trauma coaching, and job placement), and Compassionate Care (Angels of Hope family support including the Women of Hope sub-program). The organization also runs a Digital Marketing / AI bootcamp for returning citizens and hosts annual fundraising events (golf tournament and banquet). Programs are free to participants and are funded through donations, sponsorships, and planned giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Outreach Career Center: A vocational training school for ex-offenders providing Christ-centered education and trades training including carpentry, welding, and electrical work.
• Angels of Hope
• Women of Hope
• Life Learning Program

Products and services

• Chaplaincy Program In-prison chaplaincy and ministry services delivered to incarcerated individuals through partnerships with correctional facilities in the Chicagoland area. Provides spiritual care, worship, and discipleship inside prisons.
• Career and Life Development Program Structured career-readiness and life-skills curriculum for incarcerated and returning citizens covering job preparation, soft skills, and reintegration planning.
• Outreach Career Center Community-based vocational training center providing hands-on workforce skills, job-readiness coaching, and employment pathways for returning citizens.
• Compassionate Care Program (Angels of Hope) Faith-based support program for families of incarcerated and returning citizens, offering encouragement, caregiver support, and family restoration services.
• Women of Hope Specialized ministry and reentry support program for women impacted by incarceration, including their children and families.
• Trauma Coaching One-on-one and group trauma-informed coaching to help returning citizens process incarceration-related trauma and stabilize during reentry.
• Life Learning Program Ongoing life-skills education covering practical topics such as personal finance, relationships, and daily living for program participants.
• Level Up: Making Money with AI Bootcamp Workforce training bootcamp teaching returning citizens and program participants how to use AI tools to generate income, build micro-businesses, and access modern digital-economy roles.
• Reentry Resources Hub Online hub of curated reentry resources, articles, and self-help content for returning citizens and their families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 graduates secured union jobs in one year, contributing over $2 million in community economic benefit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Exodus ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the Annual Golf Tournament alongside CPO. The Exodus Projects and CPO share the charity golf event to raise funds for both organizations' prison ministry work. Event held at Ravisloe Country Club with joint sponsorship opportunities.
• Barnabas FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstate planning partnership providing donors access to trusted financial planning support. Through CPO's partnership with Barnabas Foundation, supporters can speak with planners at no cost to develop giving strategies that honor God and care for families.
• Evanston NowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal news outlet that featured CPO's carpentry training program in Evanston, highlighting the impact of 'Building Houses, Rebuilding Lives' in the community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Televerde Foundation: Nonprofit offering career-readiness training and life skills for incarcerated and previously incarcerated women, including sales/marketing career pipelines. Comparable to CPO's combined vocational + life skills + mentorship approach, though focused on women.
• Offenders for Christ (OFC) Ministries: Faith-based prison and reentry ministry providing chaplaincy, mentoring, and transitional support for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Closely mirrors CPO's mission and program structure across chaplaincy, life skills, and reentry pillars.
• The Exodus Projects: Faith-based reentry organization and existing CPO partner (co-hosts annual golf tournament). Operates in similar Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana geography with prison ministry and reintegration programming for the formerly incarcerated.
• Jobs for Life: Faith-based nonprofit offering job-readiness training and mentoring for unemployed and underemployed individuals, including those with criminal backgrounds. Comparable to CPO's Outreach Career Center in combining biblical principles with vocational preparation.
• Hope for Prisoners: Faith-based nonprofit offering reentry services including mentoring, life skills, and workforce development for formerly incarcerated individuals. Operates as a comprehensive reentry program similar to CPO's chaplaincy-career-compassion model.

Broad incumbents

• InnerChange Freedom Initiative: Faith-based reentry program operated by Prison Fellowship, offering in-prison Bible study, mentoring, and post-release support. Directly comparable to CPO's chaplaincy + life development model, though operating primarily in state prison systems.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): Large nonprofit providing immediate paid employment, job coaching, and retention services for people returning from incarceration. Comparable to CPO's vocational training and job placement mission but operates nationally with government contracts.
• Prison Fellowship: Largest faith-based prison ministry in the U.S., founded by Chuck Colson. Operates nationwide in-prison programs, reentry services, and advocacy—directly comparable to CPO's chaplaincy and reentry model but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Safer Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit providing employment-focused reentry services for people with criminal records. Comparable to CPO's Outreach Career Center but operates with substantially larger vocational training infrastructure and Illinois state contracting.

Emerging players

• 4KIRA4MOMS: Smaller-scale nonprofit supporting families impacted by incarceration, particularly mothers. Comparable to CPO's Angels of Hope and Women of Hope family support programs, though narrower in family-member focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmAcxNnXVcUM_BjmN-HUPLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicagolandPrisonOutreach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicagoland-prison-outreach
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagolandprisonoutreach
• TikToktiktok.com/@cpoministries?lang=en

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 CPO Ministries