Illinois Principals Association

What Illinois Principals Association does

Illinois Principals Association (IPA) is a 501(c) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1971 and headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, serving school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders across the state of Illinois. The organization delivers a comprehensive suite of professional development, networking, advocacy, and resource services organized around a proprietary "School Leader Continuum" framework spanning four career stages (Aspiring, Launching, Building, Mastering) and anchored by the co-developed School Leader Paradigm evaluation framework.

IPA's core product surface includes the Ed Leaders Network (ELN) on-demand learning platform offering courses, micro-credentials, live webinars, and state-mandated training; Admin Academies delivered both in-person across multiple Illinois locations (Springfield, Naperville, Granite City, Bethalto) and virtually via Zoom; the IPA Connect online community platform powered by Higher Logic; the School Leader Evaluation Plan digital tool; and resources such as the Model Student Handbook and AP Playbook. The annual conference, AP/Dean Summits, I-Grow Summit, and WELL Summit anchor the events calendar.

The revenue model combines individual membership dues (subscription/recurring), paid professional development registrations (per-event), and corporate partnership sponsorships structured in Platinum ($15,000+), Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers. Distribution is primarily direct-to-member through the website and IPA Connect, complemented by a formalized GTM channel through Platinum-tier partners (Horace Mann, ECRA Group, AMBA, Books Are Fun). IPA operates an exclusive ISBE partnership granting free ELN access to all Illinois public school educators, and maintains an affiliated charitable arm, the Illinois Principals Foundation, which funds scholarships and crisis aid.

Name

Illinois Principals Association

Legal name

Illinois Principals Association

Website

https://ilprincipals.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Illinois Principals Association is a 501(c) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1971 that serves Illinois school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders through professional development (Admin Academies, Ed Leaders Network platform), networking (IPA Connect), state-level advocacy, and career-stage resources organized around the School Leader Continuum and Paradigm frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for principals and assistant principals providing access to professional development, resources, advocacy, and networking platforms.
2. Professional Development Services: Revenue from Administrator Academy registrations (both in-person and online), evaluator training programs, and professional development courses. Includes group discounts for districts sending multiple participants.
3. Events and Conferences: IPA Annual Conference, AP/Dean Summits, I-Grow Summit, WELL Summit generate revenue through registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IPA is a nonprofit professional membership association that sells annual memberships to Illinois school principals and assistant principals, granting access to professional development workshops (Administrator Academies), an on-demand learning platform (Ed Leaders Network), a member community platform (IPA Connect), the School Leader Paradigm leadership framework, evaluator training, mentoring and coaching, advocacy resources, and a member assistance program. It also hosts the IPA Annual Conference, regional summits, and operates the affiliated Illinois Principals Foundation for scholarships and crisis aid.

Product overview

The Illinois Principals Association offers a comprehensive suite of professional development and leadership support services organized around a School Leader Continuum framework spanning four career stages: Aspiring, Launching, Building, and Mastering. The core offerings include the Ed Leaders Network (ELN) platform providing on-demand courses and micro-credentials, Admin Academies delivering in-person and virtual workshops, the IPA Connect community platform for member collaboration, the School Leader Paradigm framework for leadership development, and various resource tools including the Model Student Handbook, School Leader Evaluation Plan, and AP Playbook. Additional services include annual conferences, mentoring and coaching programs, a member assistance program through ComPsych, legislative advocacy via the IPA Action Center, and the Illinois Principals Foundation for scholarship support. The organization also coordinates regional summits (AP/Dean Summit, I-Grow Summit, WELL Summit) and publishes video series (IPA Talks, IPA Stories, Plugging In & Breaking Out).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ed Leaders Network: A partnership with ISBE providing free professional learning access to all public school educators in Illinois
• Illinois Principals Foundation

Products and services

• Ed Leaders Network (ELN)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Principals AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliate relationship providing connection to broader principal advocacy and professional development resources at the national level.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free ELN (Ed Leaders Network) access to all public school educators in Illinois. IPA delivers professional development aligned to state requirements.
• Ed Leaders NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationOn-demand professional learning platform offering courses, micro-credentials, webinars, and state-mandated training for educators.
• ComPsych GuidanceResources WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Member Assistance Program offering confidential social-emotional support, work-life solutions, financial solutions for IPA members and their households.
• Illinois Principals FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting principal scholarships, mentoring in high-need communities, and crisis aid. Supported by donations and Team 180 monthly giving program.
• Higher LogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationPowers IPA Connect community platform for member networking, discussions, and resource sharing.
• Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner providing insurance and benefits products for IPA members including retirees and professionals.
• Books Are FunminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner with Book Blast program donating $100 to IPA's Member Assistance Program for each event held in Illinois. Literacy-focused initiative.
• Horace MannminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner offering auto, home, life insurance and retirement strategies for educators.
• ECRA GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner - ISBE approved IL-Empower professional learning partner providing research and analytics consulting for educational leaders.
• School Leader CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of 14 state principal associations that developed the School Leader Paradigm framework used by IPA for evaluation and professional development.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA): Illinois statewide membership association for school superintendents and district-level administrators. Closest functional peer within Illinois, serving the same K-12 administrative market with overlapping PD, advocacy, and conference offerings.
• Illinois Education Association (IEA): Illinois statewide educator association (primarily teachers). Comparable as a K-12 membership organization in Illinois with overlapping advocacy and PD functions, competing for the same educator dues wallet.

Regional players

• Indiana Association of School Principals (iASP): Statewide principal association serving Indiana administrators. Highly comparable operating model — membership dues, academies, conferences, advocacy — making it one of the closest cross-state analogs to IPA.
• Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP): Texas statewide association for secondary school principals, part of the Texas Association of School Administrators. Comparable service portfolio (training, recognition, advocacy) at larger scale in a different state.
• Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA): Wisconsin statewide association for school leaders. Comparable in scope and service mix (professional development, advocacy, member benefits) to IPA, and serves an adjacent Midwestern administrative market.
• Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA): Ohio statewide association for secondary school administrators. Comparable as a state-level principal/administrator membership body offering professional development and legislative advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP): The national umbrella body for middle and high school principals and IPA's named national affiliate. Highly comparable as the federation-level counterpart that sets national frameworks and partners with state associations like IPA.
• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA): One of the largest statewide K-12 administrator associations in the U.S. Comparable in mission and product mix (PD, advocacy, conferences), though at materially greater scale than IPA.
• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP): National professional association for elementary and middle-level principals. Comparable to IPA as a peer-tier membership organization serving the same principal persona at the national level.

Others

• School Leaders Collaborative: Coalition of 14 state principal associations that co-developed the School Leader Paradigm framework used by IPA. Functionally a peer consortium rather than a competitor, but its member associations collectively shape the frameworks IPA depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilprincipals
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRs_ei-q97RiDmb49o4rHcA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ilprincipals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-principals-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Illinois Principals Association