SIDS of Illinois, Inc.

What SIDS of Illinois, Inc. does

SIDS of Illinois, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1968 that serves Illinois families affected by sudden, unexpected infant death and works to reduce infant mortality through safe sleep education. The organization delivers bereavement support to families who have experienced a loss and runs prevention-focused programs that train professionals and educate caregivers on infant safe sleep practices. Its core programmatic offerings include the Project Safe Sleep Crib Referral Program, which has distributed 644 cribs to families in need, the MySafeBaby educational resource, and the Special Beginnings Program operated in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. The organization reports having educated 2,150 families and trained 968 professionals, and offers services in English and Spanish to broaden reach across Illinois communities. Nancy Maruyama has been affiliated with the organization since 1985, indicating long-tenured institutional knowledge.

The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees, consistent with a community-scale nonprofit. It supplements its program staff with a board that was expanded in 2024 with three new directors (Sarah Lemanski, Allyson Howard as Vice President, Lucas McChristian), and hired Lisa Weygand as Special Beginnings Program Manager in 2024 to deepen execution capacity. The organization maintains HIPAA compliance to handle confidential family health information, enabling partnerships with hospitals and insurers. Its reach extends through relationships with birthing hospitals, public health agencies, and community organizations across Illinois.

As a nonprofit, SIDS of Illinois is funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events such as the Alexis Olmstead Memorial Golf Outing rather than through commercial pricing. Revenue mechanics rely on institutional partners (notably BCBS Illinois), philanthropic contributions, and event proceeds underwriting the cost of cribs, educational materials, bereavement services, and professional training. The organization's business model is therefore grant- and donation-funded rather than transaction-based, and its 'customers' in the operational sense are a mix of insured families reached through BCBS channels, bereaved families receiving direct support, and professionals receiving training.

Name

SIDS of Illinois, Inc.

Legal name

Sudden Infant Death Services of IL, Inc.

Website

https://sidsillinois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SIDS of Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1968 that provides bereavement support and safe sleep education to Illinois families affected by sudden, unexpected infant death, operating programs like Project Safe Sleep and Special Beginnings in partnership with BCBS Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Maternal and Infant Health Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAAACAB

Overnight Newborn Care & Sleep Support (NCS)

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) Services

Keywords

• Safe sleep education
• Infant bereavement support
• Crib referral programs
• SIDS prevention services
• Nonprofit maternal health

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SIDS of Illinois operates entirely on donations and grants. Every dollar raised goes back into community programs including crib distribution, safe sleep education, and bereavement support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SIDS of Illinois is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides bereavement support to families who have lost an infant under age one and delivers evidence-based safe sleep education to expectant and new parents and to healthcare, childcare, and law enforcement professionals throughout Illinois. It distributes free cribettes through Project Safe Sleep and the BCBS Illinois Special Beginnings Program, and ships free safe sleep brochures and postcards to Illinois hospitals and organizations.

Product overview

SIDS of Illinois, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a community-focused resource rather than a software product company. The organization offers a suite of services centered on safe sleep education and bereavement support, including MySafeBaby (an educational resource section), Project Safe Sleep (crib referral program with safe sleep education), Training for Professionals, Bereavement Support Services, Brochure Ordering for Illinois organizations, Special Beginnings Program for BCBS Medicaid clients, and donation/memorial donation options. All programs are designed to reduce sleep-related infant deaths and support bereaved families in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MySafeBaby: An informational guide to safe sleep education providing resources on making sure babies get rest in the safest way possible, including safe sleep education, product reviews, AAP guidelines, and recalls information.

Products and services

• Bereavement Support Services Support services for Illinois families who have lost a baby under age one, including bilingual (English/Spanish) family packets, one-on-one peer support from volunteers with personal loss experience, and memorial events.
• Safe Sleep Education Evidence-based safe sleep education aligned with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, delivered via blog articles, downloadable educational cards, baby shower safe sleep checklists, telephonic education, and in-person training sessions for Illinois parents, families, and professionals.
• Project Safe Sleep (Crib Referral Program) Referral-based program providing free cribettes to eligible Illinois families who complete telephonic safe sleep education from qualified educators.
• Training for Professionals Safe sleep education training delivered to healthcare professionals, childcare providers, law enforcement officials, and first responders throughout Illinois.
• Brochure Order Program Free distribution of safe sleep brochures and postcards in English and Spanish to Illinois hospitals and organizations that work with new and expectant mothers, ordered via email, fax, or mail.
• Special Beginnings Program Insurance-channel program operated in partnership with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois to provide cribettes to Medicaid clients through their care coordinators, with program management by Lisa Weygand.
• MySafeBaby Informational educational guide providing safe sleep education, product reviews, AAP-aligned guidelines, and product recall information for parents and caregivers of infants.
• Donations and Memorial Donations General donation and in-memory-of memorial donation program supporting SIDS of Illinois operations, with acknowledgment letters and family notification cards provided to bereaved families.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIDS rates have dropped by more than 50% since the 1990s due in part to public health campaigns like safe sleep education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Special Beginnings Program allows BCBS Illinois Medicaid clients to receive cribettes through their care coordinator. This program ensures that insured families have access to safe sleep surfaces for their infants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Safe Kids Worldwide: National nonprofit focused on unintentional childhood injury prevention including safe sleep. Overlaps with SIDS of Illinois on safe sleep messaging and professional training for childcare providers, though broader in scope.
• Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep: National nonprofit providing professional bereavement photography to families experiencing the loss of a baby, including SIDS. Adjacent bereavement-services player with a more narrow service offering but overlapping audience.

Direct peers

• Bereaved Parents of the USA: National peer-support organization for parents who have lost a child of any age. Overlaps with SIDS of Illinois on bereavement community building, memorial events, and peer-contact support for families with infant loss.
• Charlie's Kids Foundation: Nonprofit focused on safe sleep education for new parents, creators of the 'Sleep Baby Safe and Snug' board book and accompanying curriculum. Operates in the same safe sleep education niche, distributing materials through hospitals nationwide.
• MISS Foundation: National nonprofit providing counseling, advocacy, and support to families experiencing the death of a child including SIDS. Directly comparable bereavement support function serving as a peer-network counterpart to SIDS of Illinois' bereavement programming.
• First Candle: National nonprofit dedicated to reducing SIDS, SUID, and sleep-related infant deaths through education, advocacy, and bereavement support. Offers direct parallel programming to SIDS of Illinois across the safe sleep education and bereavement continuum at a national scale.
• Cribs for Kids: National nonprofit that provides cribs and safe sleep education to families in need, mirroring SIDS of Illinois' Project Safe Sleep program. Operates a national affiliate network and runs the National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative, making it the closest direct competitor in safe sleep education and crib distribution.
• SHARE Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support: National nonprofit supporting families grieving the loss of pregnancy or infant, including SIDS. Operates a peer-support model and bereavement resources comparable to those offered by SIDS of Illinois for Illinois families.

Others

• Healthy Children (AAP parenting site): American Academy of Pediatrics' parent-facing educational site that publishes the safe sleep guidelines SIDS of Illinois uses. Functions as a content and standards authority rather than a direct competitor, but shapes the education landscape SIDS of Illinois operates within.

Regional players

• Nicholas Pedone Foundation: Smaller SIDS-focused family support and education nonprofit operating outside Illinois. Comparable regional peer in mission and programming model, demonstrating both the potential and limitation of geographically scoped SIDS nonprofits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sids-of-illinois-inc.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIDS of Illinois, Inc.