The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance

What The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance does

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization operating as a hosted program under the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) since 2019. Headquartered at 180 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the organization employs approximately 6 staff and serves LGBTQ+ youth, students, educators, and families across the state of Illinois. Its mission centers on creating safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments for LGBTQ+ students through youth organizing, policy advocacy, and educator training.

Its core programs include Youth Organizing (with the annual Action Camp and GSA support), Policy + Advocacy (covering gender inclusion, athletics, and violence prevention under the Prevent School Violence Act), the bilingual Know Your Rights! resource library (English and Spanish), and Professional Development training for school staff. The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its "products" are programmatic services and educational resources delivered via its website, advocacy intake forms, in-person training, and community events. Distribution is direct and free of charge to Illinois schools and youth.

The business model is nonprofit grant- and donation-funded under the PHIMC umbrella. There are no commercial product sales, no pricing tiers, and no disclosed investors. Customer segments are schools/educators (primary) and LGBTQ+ youth/student leaders (primary), with parents, families, and community allies serving as a secondary segment. Revenue figures, headcount trends, and board composition are not disclosed in the available source material.

Name

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance

Legal name

Illinois Safe Schools Alliance

Website

https://illinoissafeschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is a Chicago-based nonprofit advocacy organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth across Illinois through youth organizing, policy advocacy, educator training, and bilingual Know Your Rights resources, operating as a hosted program of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ youth advocacy
• School safety training
• Professional development services
• Policy advocacy support
• Community organizing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit funding and grants: The organization operates as a non-profit under the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC). Revenue appears to derive from grants, donations, and organizational funding rather than commercial product sales. The organization provides free services to schools, youth, and educators.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization that delivers free programs and resources to create safe, supportive school environments for LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois. Core offerings include youth organizing and Action Camp leadership development, state and local policy advocacy with intake support, Gender Inclusion/Transgender Advocacy resources, GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) support, Violence Prevention resources under the Prevent School Violence Act, Athletics Advocacy, and bilingual Know Your Rights! educational materials.

Product overview

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization (housed at the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago since 2019) offering a suite of programs and resources to create safe, supportive school environments for LGBTQ+ youth. Rather than a single product, it operates as a service organization providing Youth Organizing and Action Camp programs for youth leadership development, Policy + Advocacy services with intake forms for direct support, Gender Inclusion/Transgender Advocacy, GSA support, and Violence Prevention resources. The Know Your Rights! program provides bilingual educational materials, while Professional Development training services equip school staff to implement inclusive practices. These offerings work together to serve students, families, educators, and policymakers across Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Organizing

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is housed under the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago since 2019. PHIMC serves as the host organization, providing administrative infrastructure and organizational support. PHIMC is a public health organization focused on community health improvement and health equity in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GSA Network: National youth-led organization supporting Gay-Straight Alliances and queer youth leadership. Directly comparable to ISSA's GSA support and Action Camp programming.
• National Center for Transgender Equality: National advocacy organization advancing transgender equality through policy, education, and community organizing. Directly comparable to ISSA's gender inclusion and transgender advocacy programs.
• Advocates for Youth: National organization advancing youth sexual health, rights, and inclusive education. Comparable on youth-led advocacy, inclusive school curriculum, and educator training.
• GLSEN: National LGBTQ+ K–12 advocacy organization focused on safe schools, GSAs, educator training, and policy advocacy. GLSEN is the most direct national analog to ISSA's mission, programming slate, and target constituents.
• PFLAG National: National organization supporting LGBTQ+ people, families, and allies with chapters, education, and advocacy. Comparable mission focus on school safety and family/ally engagement, though national in scope.

Others

• Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is itself a program of PHIMC; comparable nonprofit host models include the Los Angeles LGBT Center (regional LGBTQ+ youth services) and Center on Halsted (Chicago LGBTQ+ community center). Out-of-scope peer placeholder — omitted from final list.

Broad incumbents

• Lambda Legal: National legal organization advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights, including litigation on school policies affecting transgender and LGBTQ+ students. Adjacent to ISSA's gender inclusion and athletics advocacy work.
• Human Rights Campaign: Largest U.S. LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization. Operates at federal/state policy level and overlaps on school inclusion policy and youth advocacy.
• The Trevor Project: National LGBTQ+ youth organization providing crisis intervention, mental health, and advocacy. Broader in mission but overlapping on youth safety, mental health, and policy advocacy in schools.

Regional players

• Equality Illinois: Statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in Illinois focused on policy, lobbying, and civic engagement. Operates in the same Illinois policy ecosystem as ISSA and shares overlapping advocacy networks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-illinois-safe-schools-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance