Live Free Illinois

What Live Free Illinois does

Live Free Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an additional legislative advocacy presence at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. The organization is mission-driven to mobilize Black churches and faith communities to improve public safety and transform the criminal justice system, focusing on ending gun violence and mass incarceration across Illinois. Its primary accountability targets are Chicago's sheriffs, prosecutors, police chief, mayor, city council members, and county commissioners. The organization also operates under the trade name Live Free Chicago.

The organization's core programmatic portfolio includes six interconnected social programs: Decarceration (reentry support and criminal justice reform advocacy), Gun Violence Prevention (community-based intervention and survivor support), Police Accountability (policy reform), Community Healing Resource Centers or CHRCs (healthcare-based violence intervention providing trauma-informed care), LIVE FREE Organizing Trainings (capacity-building for community activists), and the Fund Peace Chicago Campaign (advocacy for community violence prevention funding over punitive policing). Additionally, the organization produces the Chicago Office of Gun Violence Reduction (OGVR) Analysis, a research publication assessing gun violence reduction strategies. Underlying infrastructure consists of standard nonprofit technology tools — EveryAction for donation processing and email communications, Paragon as payment processor, and Squarespace for web presence — with no proprietary technology products.

The business model is donation-based: the organization generates revenue through charitable contributions processed via the EveryAction/Paragon platform, with services provided at no cost to beneficiaries. Distribution occurs through direct community engagement, physical program locations (CHRCs), advocacy events at the state capitol, the Annual Statewide Convening (400+ attendees), and coalition partnerships with organizations including the Chicago Faith Leaders Coalition, Fund Peace Chicago Campaign, ACLU of Illinois, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, and the Fully Free Campaign. Customer segments include gun violence survivors and families, system-impacted individuals (approximately 3.3 million Illinois residents affected by permanent punishments), faith communities, and local government officials — with go-to-market executed through community organizing, faith-based mobilization, and grassroots advocacy campaigns.

Name

Live Free Illinois

Legal name

Live Free Illinois

Website

https://livefreeillinois.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Live Free Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes Black churches and faith communities across Illinois to end gun violence and mass incarceration through organizing, policy advocacy, and direct service programs like Community Healing Resource Centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Advocacy and Gun Violence Prevention Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Gun violence prevention
• Criminal justice reform
• Community organizing
• Mass incarceration
• Trauma-informed care

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts donations through its website (EveryAction platform), with donor contact details and contribution amounts processed via Paragon payment processor. Donations support gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform programs.
2. Community Healing Resource Centers: Healthcare-based violence intervention program providing quality services and resources to survivors of intentional trauma. Services include trauma-informed care, mental health support, and community healing resources.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Live Free Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes Black churches and faith-based communities to advance public safety and criminal justice reform in Illinois. Its core offerings include healthcare-based violence intervention through Community Healing Resource Centers, organizing trainings for community advocates, and policy advocacy campaigns focused on decarceration, gun violence prevention, and police accountability. All programs and services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries and funded through charitable donations.

Product overview

Live Free Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a social advocacy coalition rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected social programs and initiatives focused on ending gun violence and mass incarceration in Chicago and across Illinois. Core programs include: Decarceration (reentry support and criminal justice reform), Gun Violence Prevention (community-based intervention and survivor support), Police Accountability (policy reform advocacy), Community Healing Resource Centers (trauma-informed care for violence survivors), LIVE FREE Organizing Trainings (capacity building for activists), and the Fund Peace Chicago Campaign (advocacy for violence prevention funding). The Chicago Office of Gun Violence Analysis produces research reports on gun violence reduction strategies. These programs operate independently and collectively to advance the organization's mission of public safety transformation through community organizing, policy advocacy, and direct services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.3 million people in Illinois affected by permanent punishments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACLU of IllinoisminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2022Alliance member opposing proposed gang asset forfeiture ordinance; coalition of faith-based and anti-violence community leaders joined with policy organizations to call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to drop civil asset forfeiture plan.
• Shriver Center on Poverty LawminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2022Alliance member opposing proposed gang asset forfeiture ordinance as part of broad coalition of policy organizations.
• Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair CourtsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2022Alliance member in broad coalition opposing gang asset forfeiture ordinance.
• Law Office of the Cook County Public DefenderminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2022Alliance member in coalition opposing gang asset forfeiture ordinance.
• Chicago Faith Leaders CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Chicago Faith Leaders Coalition to prepare OGVR (Office of Gun Violence Reduction) analysis report reviewing current and past administrations' approaches to gun violence in Chicago.
• Fund Peace Chicago CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fund Peace Chicago campaign to review gun violence reduction strategies and make recommendations for comprehensive citywide approach to reducing gun violence.
• Fully Free CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Fully Free Campaign to end permanent punishments in Illinois. The campaign is working to pass The FREE (Families Right to Estate Equality) Act.
• Community Healing Resource Centers (CHRC) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of healthcare-based violence intervention centers providing trauma-informed care to survivors of intentional trauma across Illinois neighborhoods.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Community Bond Fund: Chicago-based organization focused on decarceration, cash bail reform, and reentry support, overlapping Live Free Illinois' Decarceration program and advocacy for system-impacted individuals.
• Shriver Center on Poverty Law: Illinois-based anti-poverty and racial justice legal organization explicitly identified as a Live Free Illinois coalition partner; comparable for policy advocacy on asset forfeiture, criminal justice reform, and economic justice in Illinois.
• ACLU of Illinois: State-level civil liberties organization explicitly named as a Live Free Illinois coalition partner on the asset forfeiture fight; comparable as an Illinois-focused advocacy organization pursuing criminal justice reform and police accountability.
• Faith in Action: National faith-based community organizing network that mobilizes congregations for criminal justice reform and public safety, directly comparable to Live Free Illinois' faith-led organizing model targeting black churches.
• Cure Violence (CeaseFire): Public health approach to gun violence reduction through violence interruption and community-based intervention, comparable to Live Free Illinois' CHRC model that reframes violence as a public health issue.

Broad incumbents

• Everytown for Gun Safety: National gun violence prevention advocacy organization and parent of Moms Demand Action; comparable to Live Free Illinois as a leading voice on firearm policy reform and survivor engagement, though operating at a much larger national scale.
• Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: Established national gun violence prevention organization that combines policy advocacy, lobbying, and grassroots organizing; comparable to Live Free Illinois in mission focus on gun violence reduction and accountability for elected officials.
• Moms Demand Action: Grassroots gun violence prevention movement under Everytown with comparable survivor engagement, volunteer mobilization, and policy advocacy work overlapping Live Free Illinois' gun violence prevention programs.

Others

• Live Free USA: National parent affiliate network referenced on Live Free Illinois' own website footer; comparable as the umbrella movement for faith-led criminal justice reform organizing, of which Live Free Illinois is a state chapter.

Emerging players

• Fund Peace Chicago: Campaign partner initiative led by Live Free Illinois itself that advocates for community violence prevention funding over punitive policing; included as a peer because it is referenced as a Core-tier strategic partner with overlapping programmatic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-free-illinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Live Free Illinois