Sparkyouth Nyc

What Sparkyouth Nyc does

SparkYouth NYC is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1994 and headquartered at 444 Madison Avenue in New York City. The organization operates a "venture capital for nonprofits" model, investing in emerging community-based youth development organizations serving New York City youth aged 1-24. Its core product is a triennial cohort offering built on three interconnected pillars: Capital (three years of unrestricted grant funding, recently in the $50,000-$80,000 per year range, to approximately 15 selected organizations), Capacity (the proprietary Cofactor Lab program, which delivered 725 hours of consulting and professional development across leadership coaching, strategic planning, board development, financial management, and fundraising in 2024), and Community (a cohort-based peer network fostering cross-grantee collaboration and resource sharing).

SparkYouth does not sell goods or services and operates a donation-driven revenue model combining individual one-time and recurring giving, corporate partnerships (TPG, GTIS Partners, Paul Hastings, Van Barton Group), foundation grants (The Lawrence Foundation, ECMC Foundation), and planned giving via wills, trusts, annuities, and gifts of stock or securities. Go-to-market is a triennial enterprise-style selection process targeting 501(c)(3) organizations under 10 years old with operating budgets of $150,000 to $1.5 million, supplemented by outbound individual donor cultivation through board networks, the Annual Awards Gala, email, social media, and volunteer interest forms.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors of approximately 30 senior professionals from the NYC real estate and finance ecosystem, including representation from Blackstone, TPG Angelo Gordon, Cushman & Wakefield, Lubert Adler, L&L Holding, Kramer Levin, EY, BGO, Centerbridge, Cerberus Capital Management, Enterprise Community Partners, and the Robin Hood Foundation, with an additional Cofactor Council of 20+ mid-career professionals. Over its 30-year history SparkYouth has supported 85+ youth development programs serving more than 3 million young people, with 85% of funded organizations still active and documented grantee growth ranging from 2x to 15x across budget, staff, and youth-served metrics. Current leadership is Executive Director Suzy Myers Jackson, with Rachael Abbick as Director of Engagement.

Name

Sparkyouth Nyc

Legal name

SparkYouth NYC

Website

https://sparkyouthnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SparkYouth NYC is a New York City 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1994 that invests in emerging community-based youth development organizations serving youth aged 1-24, delivering three-year unrestricted grants alongside its proprietary Cofactor Lab capacity-building program to a cohort of 15 grantees per triennial cycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Grantmaking / Youth Development Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Youth development funding
• Capacity building services
• Nonprofit cohort programs
• Community foundation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (One-time and Monthly): SparkYouth accepts online donations via credit/debit card and digital wallets (ApplePay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo), as well as monthly recurring gifts. Donors are cultivated through email newsletters, events, and board member networks.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners (GTIS Partners, Paul Hastings, TPG, Van Barton Group) provide philanthropic support in exchange for employee volunteer opportunities, brand visibility, and community impact. Partnerships are managed as a distinct engagement tier.
3. Planned Giving and Gifts of Assets: SparkYouth accepts planned gifts via wills, trusts, and annuities, as well as gifts of stock, securities, and wire transfers. These are solicited through direct outreach by the Director of Engagement.
4. Foundation Grants: The organization receives grants from foundations such as The Lawrence Foundation. Foundation funding is part of the revenue mix.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SparkYouth NYC is a nonprofit grantmaker that invests in emerging New York City youth development organizations through three-year unrestricted funding (approximately $50,000–$80,000 per grantee per year), the proprietary Cofactor Lab capacity-building program (delivering 725 hours of consulting and professional development in 2024 across leadership, operations, and financial management), and a cohort model connecting nonprofit leaders for peer learning and collaboration. Each three-year cohort currently includes 15 organizations serving youth aged 1–24 with operating budgets between $150,000 and $1.5 million.

Product overview

SparkYouth NYC operates as a nonprofit foundation providing youth development funding and capacity-building services rather than a technology product company. The organization offers three interconnected service pillars: Capital (multi-year unrestricted funding grants of $50,000-$80,000 per year), Capacity (operational support through the Cofactor Lab providing 725 hours of consulting and professional development annually focused on People, Practices, and Resources), and Community (a cohort model connecting nonprofit leaders for collaboration and peer-to-peer learning). SparkYouth supports a cohort of 15 emerging youth development organizations poised for growth, selected through a rigorous three-year funding commitment. Over its 30-year history, SparkYouth has invested in 85 youth development programs serving over 3 million young people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Year Unrestricted Grants (Capital)
• Cofactor Lab Capacity-Building Program
• Cohort Community Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of SparkYouth-funded organizations remain active and positively impacting young people (vs. 1/3 of nonprofits closing in the first five years)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Lawrence FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lawrence Foundation (Trustees Audrey Bernstein & Lawrence Bernstein) is a foundation funder that supports SparkYouth. The foundation cited SparkYouth's model as enabling them to support multiple high-impact, community-based organizations at once, with assurance that each program has been carefully vetted and given operational support to become sustainable.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Social Venture Partners: Global network of philanthropic venture capital funds that engage professional donors in venture-style investing (capital + engaged support) in early-stage, high-impact nonprofits — shares SparkYouth's engaged-donor and capacity-building philosophy.
• Venture Philanthropy Partners: Mid-Atlantic venture philanthropy organization that uses the "venture capital approach" — multi-year unrestricted funding paired with management support — to grow high-impact youth-focused nonprofits. Conceptually aligned with SparkYouth's VC-for-nonprofits model, though operating in a different region.
• The Pinkerton Foundation: NYC-based private foundation focused exclusively on developing and supporting programs for disadvantaged and at-risk young people. Directly comparable in mission (youth development) and geography (NYC), with a similarly narrow portfolio approach.
• Edna McConnell Clark Foundation: One of the most direct comparables; ECCF pioneered the "venture capital for nonprofits" approach of multi-year unrestricted funding plus intensive capacity-building support for high-impact youth and poverty-focused organizations. Closely mirrors SparkYouth's Capital + Capacity + Community model.
• The Tow Foundation: Family foundation with programs that include youth justice and pathways to opportunity — closely aligned with SparkYouth's youth focus. Comparable as another restricted grantmaker capacity-building emerging nonprofits.
• The Heckscher Foundation for Children: NYC-based foundation focused on advancing the welfare of children, with a portfolio that includes youth development, education, and family support. Operates in the same NYC geography and youth-focused mission as SparkYouth.

Emerging players

• Nonprofit Finance Fund: Provides financing and consulting to help nonprofits build financial health and operational resilience. Comparable to the Cofactor Lab's "Resources" pillar (financial management, scenario planning) but does not focus exclusively on youth.

Regional players

• Robin Hood Foundation: Prominent NYC-based poverty-fighting foundation that funds and builds capacity for high-impact programs serving low-income New Yorkers, including youth. Operates in SparkYouth's geography with similar funder/fundee relationships though at a much larger scale.
• The William Penn Foundation: Philadelphia-based foundation supporting children, families, and communities through capacity-building grants to nonprofits. Shares SparkYouth's approach of pairing multi-year funding with organizational development support, though geographically separate.

Broad incumbents

• The James Irvine Foundation: California-based foundation with a portfolio that includes youth and workforce development, using multi-year grants and capacity-building support. Broader geographic and thematic scope but analogous funder philosophy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sparkyouthnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sparkyouthnyc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sparkyouthnyc
• Xx.com/sparkyouthnyc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Sparkyouth Nyc