What Will County Governmental League does

Will County Governmental League (WCGL) is a non-profit intergovernmental organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Plainfield, Illinois. It serves 33 member municipalities across Will and Grundy Counties, representing a combined population of more than 694,000. WCGL operates with a small staff of three and functions as the statutorily designated Will Council of Mayors in coordination with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), consolidating municipal input on regional transportation and planning decisions.

WCGL's core service lines are: (1) legislative and regulatory advocacy before state and federal bodies; (2) transportation funding coordination with IDOT, Metra, Pace, NITA, and FHWA; (3) the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), a pooled procurement program operated centrally by WCGL since 2007 that serves 156 municipalities; (4) member training programs including the Illinois Municipal Electric Training (IMET) program and an annual Planning and Zoning Commissioner Training launched in 2018; and (5) an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) delivered in partnership with Morneau Shepell.

The business model combines membership dues from the 33 municipalities, grants, a tiered Corporate Partnership Program with six sponsorship levels ranging from $2,000 (Bronze) to $15,000 (Emerald), and fees from special events. WCGL does not develop or sell technology products; its competitive position rests on its designated regulatory role, multi-municipality procurement leverage, and established relationships with state and regional planning agencies.

Name

Will County Governmental League

Legal name

Will County Governmental League

Website

https://www.wcgl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Will County Governmental League is a 1983-founded non-profit intergovernmental organization serving 33 municipalities in Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois. It provides legislative advocacy, transportation funding coordination, pooled procurement, and member training through its designated role as the Will Council of Mayors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Advocacy and Shared Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK)

Keywords

• Intergovernmental advocacy
• Legislative advocacy services
• Transportation funding coordination
• Municipal joint purchasing
• Shared government services

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainfield

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Municipal members pay membership dues to participate in WCGL programs, receive technical assistance, and access shared services including purchasing cooperatives, investment funds, and employee assistance programs.
2. Grants: WCGL receives grant funding to support transportation planning, coordination activities, and member services.
3. Corporate Partnership Programs: Annual corporate partnerships at multiple levels (Emerald $15,000 to Bronze $2,000) provide visibility among municipal members through events, meetings, and sponsorships.
4. Special Event Fees: Registration fees for Golf Outing ($200-$250), Lobby Day ($100), Legislative Brunch ($30), and Holiday Reception ($60-$90) for members and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Will County Governmental League (WCGL) is a not-for-profit intergovernmental organization that delivers legislative advocacy, federal transportation funding programming (via STP-L through CMAP), and shared member programs—including joint purchasing, employee assistance, municipal investment pooling, training, and surplus-equipment auctions—to 33 member municipalities in Will and Grundy Counties, Illinois. The organization also runs annual networking and advocacy events such as Lobby Day, Golf Outing, Legislative Brunch, and Holiday Reception.

Product overview

Will County Governmental League is a not-for-profit intergovernmental organization that provides a platform of member programs and services for 33 municipalities across Will and Grundy County. The organization operates as a unified council offering legislative advocacy, transportation funding coordination (including STP-L programming through CMAP), and shared member programs. Core programs include the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) for joint purchasing, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Morneau Shepell, Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund (IMET) for municipal investments, and Municipal Auction Program with Manheim. Additional offerings include training programs (GATA, Webcast, Planning & Zoning Commissioner Training), the Transportation Master Plan Grant Strategy Project, and special events (Legislative Brunch, Lobby Day, Golf Outing, Holiday Reception). The organization serves as the Will Council of Mayors, programming federal transportation funds and coordinating regional infrastructure projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) A joint purchasing program sponsored by multiple municipal conferences that combines resources and purchasing power of 156 municipalities and townships in northeastern Illinois to negotiate advantageous contract terms on products.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) A confidential counseling program contracted with Morneau Shepell that helps municipal employees whose personal issues affect job performance, covering depression, stress, relationships, addictions, work/life balance, and financial/legal questions.
• Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund (IMET) A local government investment pool offering two investment funds—the IMET 1-3 Year Series and IMET Convenience Series—for finance officers and treasurers of municipal funds with intermediate-term and high-liquidity investment needs.
• Municipal Auction Program A partnership with Manheim's Arena Auto Auction in Bolingbrook that enables municipal members to auction surplus vehicles and public works equipment on a regular weekly or monthly basis.
• Planning & Zoning Commissioner Training An annual county-wide training session for planning and zoning commissioners to sharpen skills, ask questions, and discuss how to best serve their communities.
• GATA Trainings A series of eight webinars hosted at WCGL offices covering the Illinois GATA (Grant Accountability and Transparency Act) process for municipal grant administration.
• Webcast Trainings Training opportunities delivered through the American Public Works Association, Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and Transportation Research Board, intended for Public Works Directors, Staff, and Engineers.
• Transportation Master Plan Grant Strategy Project A partnership program with the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority (JADA) providing municipalities with tools to prepare competitive Federal grant applications, including Phase I reports and Phase II Grant Preparedness workshops.
• Surface Transportation Program (STP) Coordination Coordination and programming of federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds using FAST Act monies to cover up to 80% of project costs for road, transit, and bicycle facility improvements, administered through CMAP's eTIP platform with bi-annual calls for projects.
• Electrical Aggregation Program A collective purchasing program that procures electrical supply on behalf of Will County residents and small businesses to secure better rates through combined buying power.

Quantifiable outcome

• Population represented: over 694,000 residents across 33 municipalities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joliet Arsenal Development Authority (JADA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024JADA partnered with WCGL on the Transportation Master Plan Grant Strategy Project to provide municipalities with tools for preparing competitive Federal grant applications. This includes Phase I deliverables and Phase II Grant Preparedness workshops.
• Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWMC centrally operates the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) since 2007, with shared program oversight by SPC Governing Board and SPC Technical Review Committee including WCGL.
• DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference (DMMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMMC is a co-sponsor of the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), jointly negotiating contract terms for 156 municipalities across northeastern Illinois.
• South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSMMA co-sponsors the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), combining purchasing power of governments for advantageous contract terms.
• Manheim's Arena Auto AuctionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCGL and Manheim's Arena Auto Auction in Bolingbrook allow municipal members to auction surplus vehicles and public works equipment on a regular weekly or monthly basis.
• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMAP is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Chicago region. WCGL serves as the Will Council of Mayors, one of 11 subregional councils programming federal STP funds through CMAP.
• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCGL collaborates with IDOT on transportation project coordination, grant applications, and ensuring federal eligibility requirements are met.
• MetracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCGL collaborates with Metra to coordinate regional infrastructure projects and ensure Will County priorities are reflected in long-term transportation plans.
• Pace Suburban BuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCGL works with Pace to coordinate regional infrastructure projects and ensure Will County priorities are represented in transportation planning.
• Morneau ShepellminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCGL has contracted with Morneau Shepell to provide a low-cost Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for member municipalities, offering counseling services for personal issues affecting workplace performance.
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHWA provides federal funding through the FAST Act for the Surface Transportation Program (STP). WCGL coordinates with FHWA District 1 for project oversight and compliance.
• CN (Canadian National Railway)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCN is an Emerald level Corporate Partner, operating a 20,000-mile network across Canada and Mid-America. Kevin Donahue serves as US Government Affairs Manager.
• Union Pacific RailroadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnion Pacific Railroad is a Diamond level Corporate Partner, operating 8,300 locomotives over 32,000 route miles in 23 U.S. states.
• ComcastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerComcast is a Platinum level Corporate Partner providing media and technology services. David Pietryla serves as Manager of Government & Regulatory Affairs.
• Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLRS is a Platinum level Corporate Partner offering residential, commercial waste, recycling, and organic collection services. Katie Neary serves as Director of Government Affairs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wcgovtleague
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/will-county-governmental-league

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 Will County Governmental League