Altus Academy

Name

Altus Academy

Legal name

Altus Academy

Website

https://altusacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Altus Academy operates primarily through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The school accepts various donation methods including cash, credit cards, donor-advised funds, securities, recurring gifts, and planned gifts. The organization also receives support through pledge campaigns and annual giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Altus Academy is a private, tuition-free, faith-based nonprofit elementary school providing college-preparatory education to students in grades 1-8 from low-income and underrepresented families on Chicago's west side. Instruction is organized around five pillars — Academic, Moral, Physical, Intellectual, and Spiritual development — and is supplemented by enrichment programs, individualized support, university-based health and wellness resources, and long-term mentoring that extends from elementary school through college via the Altus Connect alumni platform.

Product overview

Altus Academy is a private, independent, nonprofit elementary school providing tuition-free college preparatory education for grades 1-8. The institution offers a single unified educational offering centered on academic excellence, character formation, and college-preparatory preparation. Its sole named digital product/service is Altus Connect, an online alumni and mentor community platform that enables alumni engagement, career resources, and mentorship connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Altus Connect: An online alumni and mentor community platform powered by software that serves as a central hub for Altus Academy alumni and volunteer mentors. Through the platform, alumni can reconnect with classmates, access career resources, and stay informed about events and school news. Mentors can connect with alumni, share opportunities, and support students through key academic and career transitions.

Products and services

• Altus Connect Online alumni and mentor community platform for Altus Academy graduates and volunteer mentors, enabling alumni to reconnect with classmates, access career resources, and stay informed about events and school news, while mentors connect with alumni, share opportunities, and support students through key academic and career transitions.
• Tuition-Free College-Preparatory Elementary Education (Grades 1-8) Tuition-free, faith-based college-preparatory education for students in grades 1-8 from low-income and underrepresented families in Chicago, structured around five developmental pillars: Academic, Moral, Physical, Intellectual, and Spiritual. Includes individualized academic support, enrichment programs such as rowing and STEM, on-site health and wellness services through university partnerships, and a long-term mentoring pipeline that extends through high school and college.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77 students currently enrolled with 100% eligible for Federal Free/Reduced Lunch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Illinois University (NIU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013NIU has been in partnership with Altus Academy since its inception in 2013. NIU has helped founders construct the Altus educational model, provided teacher training preparation and ongoing professional development, curriculum support, and college trajectory project activities across multiple departments including College of Education, Department of Engineering, and University Libraries. NIU President Lisa Freeman serves on the Board of Directors, and EVP Laurie Elish-Piper serves on the Board of Advisors.
• University of Illinois Chicago, College of Applied Health SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create a health and wellness academy at Altus Academy. UIC staff and students visit weekly to teach nutrition and physical wellness. Students learn healthy recipes and prepare meals for the entire school. Monthly family dinners are jointly hosted. Exploring ways to address broader health and wellness needs of students, families, and community.
• University of Illinois Chicago, College of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site health clinic at Altus Academy, collaboratively run by the Department of Physical Therapy in College of Applied Health Sciences and College of Nursing. Located in recently renovated space at Altus, offers nurse practitioner appointments for eight hours weekly, wellness classes, and behavioral/mental health support.
• United StandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic not-for-profit agency in Chicago, affiliated with Felician Sisters of North America, founded in 1987 to provide counseling services. Felician Sister Kim Mis, pursuing doctorate in clinical psychology, founded the agency with Mary Lou Cragg to support Chicago youth dealing with stress, conflict, and violence. Initial grant awarded by Reverend James Close of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NativityMiguel Network of Schools: A coalition of 65+ faith-based, tuition-free middle schools serving low-income students, with a similar mission of preparing students for college-preparatory high schools; the closest structural peer to Altus's K-8 model.
• Chicago Hope Academy: A tuition-free, faith-based private school in Chicago serving underrepresented families with a similar college-preparatory mission, although it operates primarily at the high school level.
• High Jump: A Chicago nonprofit providing tuition-free academic enrichment and college-prep programming to middle-school students from low-income households; highly comparable in target demographic and grade range, though supplemental rather than a full school.
• St. Malachy School: A Catholic, tuition-supported K-8 school on Chicago's near west side; comparable faith-based, college-preparatory elementary model serving a similar demographic, with overlapping geographic catchment.

Others

• Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund: A Chicago scholarship program placing underrepresented students into select private high schools; a downstream partner and outcome validator for Altus graduates (12 named scholars), making it a comparable peer in the educational-equity pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Public Charter Schools: A large national network of tuition-free charter K-12 schools serving predominantly low-income communities; comparable in mission and demographic but operates as a charter school at significantly greater scale.
• Cristo Rey Network: A national network of 38 Catholic, college-preparatory high schools serving low-income students; comparable to Altus in faith-based, tuition-supported model and demographic focus, though at the high school level and at much larger network scale.
• Uncommon Schools: A nonprofit charter management organization operating K-12 schools in underserved urban communities; shares Altus's college-prep-for-low-income mission but with much broader geographic reach and enrollment.

Regional players

• Urban Prep Academies: A Chicago-based charter high school network serving African American young men from low-income backgrounds; geographically overlapping with Altus and serving a similar pipeline to selective high schools and colleges, though focused on high school only.
• Erie Elementary Charter School: A Chicago-based tuition-free charter elementary school serving a predominantly low-income, minority student population on the city's west side; directly comparable in geography, demographic, and mission to Altus, though operating as a public charter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AltusAcademyChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altus-academy-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Altus Academy