Illinois School Counselor Association

What Illinois School Counselor Association does

The Illinois School Counselor Association (ISCA) is a 501(c)-style professional membership association serving school counselors in Illinois, operating as the state division of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Founded in 1958 and disaffiliated from the Illinois Counseling Association in 2021 to sharpen its school-counselor-specific identity, ISCA reports membership of more than 2,100 school counselors and reaches approximately 4,000 counselors and 6,000 school administrators through its weekly e-newsletter. The organization delivers professional development via an annual two-day conference in Bloomington-Normal (500-600 attendees), a Summer Institute Series rotated across three Illinois regional locations co-hosted with Regional Offices of Education, and an RAMP recognition program aligned to the ASCA National Model.

ISCA monetizes membership through five disclosed streams: recurring annual membership dues, conference and Summer Institute registration (one-time fees ranging $99-$449), a tiered sponsorship program for partner organizations (Tradewing community sponsorship $1,000-$2,500 annually, conference sponsorships up to $5,000, newsletter ads $300/issue or $1,000 for five issues), pass-through grant administration (Schultz, Rawlins, Tollerud, and Nejedlo grants up to $1,000-$1,500), and a $1,000 student scholarship program. Its technology stack is built on Wild Apricot membership management software with a Tradewing-powered online community layer. Distribution relies on local chapters aligned to Illinois's 39 Regional Offices of Education, plus formal advocacy partnerships with ISBE and peer associations (IASCA, IASN, IASSW, IEA, ISPA, ISLA, IACAC, Speaking 4 Children).

Leadership is provided by Executive Director Lisa Krotiak and Communications Director Leslie Goines, with a Board of Directors governing the organization. ISCA is a private nonprofit with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed parent company; it operates as a membership-funded association with revenue entirely tied to Illinois K-12 education sector activity.

Name

Illinois School Counselor Association

Website

https://ilschoolcounselor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois School Counselor Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving over 2,100 school counselors in Illinois. It delivers annual conferences, regional professional development, advocacy, and RAMP recognition as the state division of the American School Counselor Association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional development services
• School counseling membership
• Continuing education programs
• Advocacy association services
• Professional recognition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for professional school counselors, graduate students, school counselor educators, and affiliate members. Membership provides access to professional development, conferences, forums, advocacy, and local chapter/region engagement.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Annual 2-day ISCA Conference with 500-600 school counselors in attendance. Registration tiers include Ambassador (Graduate Students $99, School Counselors $199), Members Early Bird ($329), and Non-Members ($449, including one-year ISCA membership).
3. Summer Institute Professional Development: One-day professional development institutes held at multiple regional locations across Illinois. Pricing tiers: Graduate Students $129, ISCA Members $169, ISCA Non-Members $249, with group rates of $20 off per person for groups of 3 or more.
4. Partnership/Sponsorship Programs: Various sponsorship opportunities including newsletter advertisements ($300 per issue or $1,000 for 5 issues), Tradewing Community Sponsorship (Lite $1,000 to Premium $2,500 annually), Conference Exhibitor ($600), and Conference Sponsorships (Level 1 $1,000 to Level 4 $5,000).
5. Grant Administration: ISCA administers multiple grant programs including the Merlin W. Schultz Professional Development Grant (up to $1,000 individuals, $1,500 groups), Melanie E. Rawlins Research Grant (up to $1,000), Toni R. Tollerud School Counselor Grant (up to $1,000), and Robert J. Nejedlo Social Emphasis Grant for larger projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISCA is a professional membership association that delivers leadership, advocacy, and collaborative opportunities to Illinois school counselors. It sells annual memberships, paid event registration (annual conference and Summer Institute series), the RAMP recognition program, scholarship and grant programs, and access to professional resources, licensure guidance, and an online member community.

Product overview

The Illinois School Counselor Association (ISCA) is a professional membership organization for school counselors, chartered in 1958 and operating independently since 2021. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of programs and services including membership with professional development, an annual conference, the Summer Institute Series for continuing education, RAMP certification support, clinical supervision resources, scholarship programs, grant opportunities, advocacy resources, and a graduate programs directory. ISCA serves over 2,100 school counselors across Illinois and operates as the state division of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISCA Membership Annual professional membership for Illinois school counselors, graduate students, school counselor educators, and affiliate members. Provides access to professional development, conferences, forums, advocacy resources, local chapter and region engagement, and ISBE-approved PD opportunities.
• Annual ISCA Conference Annual two-day professional development conference with 500-600 school counselors in attendance, featuring breakout sessions, networking, exhibitor showcases, and awards ceremonies. Registration tiers include Ambassador ($99 graduate student, $199 school counselor), Member Early Bird ($329), and Non-Member ($449, including one-year ISCA membership).
• Summer Institute Series One-day regional professional development institutes providing 6 ISBE-approved Professional Development Hours each, focused on Tier 2 Done Right: Proactive Supports for Student Success via the MTSS framework. Held at three Illinois locations: Lisle, Galesburg, and Ina. Pricing: $129 graduate student, $169 ISCA member, $249 non-member, with $20 off per person for groups of 3+.
• ISCA Scholarship Program $1,000 scholarships awarded to students across Illinois whose school counselors are current ISCA members.
• RAMP Recognition Program
• Clinical Supervision Resources Directory
• Illinois Developmental Model
• Graduate School Counseling Programs Directory
• School Counselor Grants Program
• Tradewing Online Community Platform
• School Counselor Licensure Resources

Named customers14 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• American School Counselor Association (ASCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISCA is the Illinois division of ASCA. Benefits include access to ASCA National Model, RAMP recognition program, advocacy resources, professional standards, and national conference recognition. Members have access to ASCA School Counselors of the Year and national professional development resources.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with ISBE for advocacy and policy initiatives affecting school counseling. Access to professional educator license information, licensure requirements, professional standards for student support personnel, and unfilled positions data.
• Illinois Counseling Association (ICA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously a division of ICA (formerly Illinois Guidance and Personnel Association) until disaffiliation in 2021. Now operates independently to better align with school counselor identity.
• Illinois Association of College Admission CounselorsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with ISCA on advocacy for college/career readiness and supporting students' post-secondary preparation.
• Illinois Association of School NursesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on advocacy initiatives and student wellness programs affecting the whole child.
• Illinois Association of School Social WorkersmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on advocacy and policy initiatives for student support services.
• Illinois Education AssociationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on advocacy for education professionals and policy initiatives affecting school counselors.
• Illinois School Psychologists AssociationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on advocacy initiatives and professional development for student support personnel.
• Illinois Speech and Language AssociationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on advocacy and policy initiatives for student support services.
• Speaking 4 ChildrenmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on advocacy for children and youth support services.
• IgnitED! ConsultingmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitates the Summer Institute professional development series on Tier 2 Done Right: Proactive Supports for Student Success. Led by Megan Gruis and Terri Tchorzynski with nearly 50 years of combined experience in MTSS implementation.
• Illinois Regional Offices of EducationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Summer Institute events at regional locations across Illinois (Lisle, Galesburg, Ina) to make professional learning more accessible statewide.
• Universal Technical Institute (UTI)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Summer Institute Series, providing meal sponsorship and supporting professional learning for Illinois school counselors.
• MultiviewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPosts 2 direct marketing advertisement scrolling banners on the ISCA website as a partnership/sponsorship opportunity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): Large national education employee association that provides adjacent PD, advocacy, and benefits to school counselors, functioning as a broader incumbent in ISCA's space.
• American School Counselor Association (ASCA): National parent organization of which ISCA is the Illinois state division. Operates the RAMP recognition program, ASCA National Model, and national advocacy that ISCA localizes in Illinois.
• American Counseling Association (ACA): Largest national professional association for the broader counseling profession; relevant because ISCA competes for members and attention against ACA's school-counseling content.

Direct peers

• New York State School Counselor Association (NYSSCA): New York state-level school counselor association running comparable membership, conference, and advocacy programs to ISCA in another large state.
• Texas School Counselor Association (TSCA): Texas state school counselor association; ISCA's closest structural peer given similar statewide advocacy, annual conference, and membership dues model.
• Wisconsin School Counselor Association (WSCA): Wisconsin state-level school counselor association with similar Midwestern scope, ASCA alignment, and conference-based model to ISCA.
• Ohio School Counselor Association: Ohio's statewide professional association for school counselors, with a comparable focus on PD, advocacy, and ASCA-aligned programming.
• Illinois Counseling Association (ICA): Former parent of ISCA; ISCA disaffiliated in 2021. ICA is a broader Illinois counseling association covering multiple counselor specialties, making it the closest direct comparator and competitor for Illinois members.
• Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA): Florida's state school counselor association; mirrors ISCA's model of state-level membership, annual conference, and licensure advocacy for school counselors.
• California Association of School Counselors: California state school counselor association offering membership, conferences, and PD — directly comparable structure and revenue model to ISCA, serving the largest state counselor workforce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-school-counselor-association

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 Illinois School Counselor Association