TACSC

What TACSC does

TACSC (The Association of Catholic Student Councils) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Catholic leadership organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Pasadena, California. The organization develops and delivers in-person leadership development programs for middle school (grades 5-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students enrolled in Catholic schools, founded originally by Marilyn Thickett with support from Grolier Education Services at the request of Catholic Superintendents of Schools in California. The core product set comprises Student Leadership Days (one-day on-campus workshops for middle schoolers), Middle School Summer Leadership Conferences (overnight and day-only programs currently hosted at Whittier College), High School Level Up Leadership Days, High School Summer Leadership Seminar (overnight program at Pepperdine University), and the Core Leadership Team — a regional program in which high school students mentor middle schoolers. The four foundational pillars — real-world strategic planning, effective communication, servant leadership, and lifelong mentorship — distinguish the curriculum from secular leadership programs and are taught through a peer-to-peer model that doubles as both pedagogy and alumni pipeline. Operational supporting infrastructure includes the TACSC Advisors Circle online community platform and a recurring webinar series for school administrators and student council moderators.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than technology-mediated. Distribution runs through direct partnerships with Catholic dioceses and individual Catholic schools, with named partners including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Diocese of Orange, Diocese of San Diego, and university venue partners such as Whittier College, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount University, Claremont McKenna College, and historically UCI and Chestnut Hill College. Reach metrics include 24,500+ Student Leadership Day participants, 37,200+ Summer Conference delegates, 1,240+ school partners, and 1,400+ scholarships awarded over the program's history; a 1995 peak membership reached 640 schools across approximately 32 states and 75 dioceses, with current delivery concentrated in California and Nevada. Marketing relies on diocesan referrals, school administrator webinars, the Advisors Circle community, email newsletter, alumni and parent testimonials, and word-of-mouth.

Revenue is generated through three streams: per-program registration fees paid by families (via Zeffy and JotForm ticketing), individual donations, and grants from foundations and corporate sponsors. Major institutional donors include the William H. Hannon Foundation (which has supported Summer Conference scholarships since 2003), Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Foundation, Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, The Green Foundation, The Robert Foster Family Foundation, Specialty Family Foundation, Construction Supply Specialist, and Wells Fargo Foundation, with Snap Raise supporting donor engagement. In 2024-2025, TACSC established the Marilyn Thickett Leadership Legacy Fund as an endowment designed to reduce dependence on short-cycle funding. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; core delivery is in-person, supported by lightweight community and registration tooling.

Name

TACSC

Legal name

The Association of Catholic Student Councils

Website

https://tacsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TACSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that delivers faith-based student leadership development programs — including Student Leadership Days, Summer Leadership Conferences, and the Core Leadership Team — to Catholic middle and high school students, primarily in California, via diocesan partnerships and foundation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDAJAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Student leadership programs
• Catholic youth development
• Leadership training workshops
• Summer leadership conferences
• Peer mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Fees charged to families for student participation in Summer Leadership Conferences and Leadership Days. Registration is conducted through online platforms with scholarship support available.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors support program operations and scholarships. TACSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (TAX ID # 95-4150657).
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Support from foundations including William H. Hannon Foundation, Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Foundation, and others for scholarships and program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TACSC delivers faith-based leadership development programs for middle and high school Catholic school students. Core offerings include day-long Student Leadership Days for grades 5-8, overnight and day-only Summer Leadership Conferences for middle school students at Whittier College, Level Up Leadership Days and Summer Leadership Seminars for high school students at Pepperdine University, and a Core Leadership Team program in which high school students mentor middle school peers. Supporting services include the TACSC Advisors Circle online community and webinar-based professional development for school administrators and student council moderators.

Product overview

TACSC offers a portfolio of Catholic leadership development programs for middle and high school students. The core offerings include Student Leadership Days (day programs for grades 5-8), Middle School Summer Leadership Conference (overnight and day options at Whittier College), High School Level Up Leadership Days (conflict resolution, team building, service, communication), and High School Summer Leadership Seminar (overnight at Pepperdine University). The Core Leadership Team (CLT) serves as a regional program where high school leaders mentor middle school students. Supporting infrastructure includes the TACSC Advisors Circle online community platform for school administrators, administrator webinars, and the Marilyn Thickett Leadership Legacy Fund for scholarship support. Programs are delivered across California with partnerships in the Dioceses of Orange and San Diego.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Leadership Days Day-long programs for middle school students (grades 5-8) that inspire students to become real-world strategic planners, effective communicators, servant leaders, and lifelong mentors through hands-on workshops and activities led by local high school leaders. Held at Catholic school campuses and venues such as the LA Cathedral.
• Middle School Summer Leadership Conference Overnight and day-only summer programs for current fifth, sixth, and seventh graders that help students grow as confident leaders rooted in faith, values, and service while forming lifelong friendships through a supportive peer-to-peer experience at university venues.
• High School Level Up Leadership Days One-day programs for high school students focusing on conflict resolution, team building, service, and communication, taught by senior TACSC staff members through workshops and team building activities.
• High School Summer Leadership Seminar In-person, overnight program for rising freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school that levels up leadership skills with essential leadership skills for lifelong success.
• Core Leadership Team (CLT) A regional program of talented and passionate high school leaders who develop their own leadership skills while teaching and mentoring middle school students, with real-time public speaking, communication, and problem-solving skill development.
• TACSC Advisors Circle

Quantifiable outcome

• 24,500+ Student Leadership Day participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grolier Education ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded TACSC in 1982 at the request of the Catholic Superintendents of Schools in California with support from Grolier Education Services. Grolier was an exclusive sponsor of TACSC from 1982-1989, paying for the administration of TACSC and establishing an office in Downey, CA.
• Diocese of OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner diocese with new partnership driving strong growth. Diocese of Orange schools have dedicated registration processes for TACSC programs. Dr. Erin Barisano serves as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Diocese of Orange.
• Diocese of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner diocese with new partnership driving strong growth for TACSC programs.
• Loyola Marymount UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner hosting TACSC Student Leadership Conferences and providing academic programming. TACSC has delivered programs at LMU since 2011.
• Claremont McKenna CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner hosting TACSC Summer Leadership Conference since 2011. Programs have been delivered at CMC for multiple years.
• Whittier CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity venue partner hosting TACSC 2026 Summer Leadership Conferences (Overnight and Days Only programs).
• Pepperdine UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity venue partner hosting TACSC 2026 High School Summer Leadership Seminar.
• University of California, Irvine (UCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner that hosted TACSC Summer Conference Expansion from 2014-2017.
• Chestnut Hill College, PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastern university partner that hosted TACSC's first Summer Leadership Conference on the East coast in 1986.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement delivers leadership, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship education to K–12 students through school partnerships; comparable in audience, school-based delivery model, and nonprofit/donor funding structure.
• Student Leadership Network (formerly known as NAHP): Student Leadership Network runs leadership development and college access programs for underserved high school students; comparable in youth leadership mission and school partnership delivery model, though non-faith-based and urban-focused.
• Catholic Youth Organization (CYO): CYO runs Catholic parish- and school-based youth sports, leadership, and service programs; directly comparable to TACSC in faith-based youth programming within Catholic schools and parishes, often with athletics adjacent offerings.
• California Association of Student Councils (CASC): CASC runs student council and leadership development programs for California middle and high school students; directly comparable to TACSC in mission, audience, and state footprint, though secular rather than faith-based.
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY): HOBY is a youth leadership nonprofit running ambassador seminars and leadership programs for high school students; comparable in mission, nonprofit funding model, and target demographic to TACSC.

Emerging players

• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): FOCUS runs faith-based leadership formation programs on US Catholic university campuses; comparable in Catholic formation mission and leadership development curriculum, but serves college rather than K–12 students.
• Life Teen / Edge: Life Teen and its middle school arm Edge run Catholic youth ministry and leadership formation programs; comparable in faith-based youth formation mission and Catholic school partnerships, though typically parish-rather-than-school delivered.

Broad incumbents

• National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA): NCEA is the umbrella membership and advocacy organization for US Catholic schools; comparable as a Catholic education institution serving TACSC's same school ecosystem, though its mission is broader (policy, accreditation, advocacy) rather than direct student leadership delivery.
• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) – Student Activities: NASSP oversees National Honor Society, National Association of Student Councils, and broader student leadership programming; a broader incumbent serving K–12 student leadership with overlapping curriculum but a much wider portfolio than TACSC.

Others

• Tony Robbins Foundation – Youth Leadership Programs: The Tony Robbins Foundation funds youth leadership and empowerment programs and partners with nonprofits; comparable as an adjacent funder and ecosystem participant rather than a direct program operator, sharing TACSC's leadership-development audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tacsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 TACSC