Parent Network of Western New York

What Parent Network of Western New York does

Parent Network of Western New York (PNWNY) is a Buffalo-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 that provides education, advocacy, and direct support services to families of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood, as well as to the professionals who serve them. Its service portfolio spans 1-on-1 support, family behavior support and advocacy, the Family Empowerment Series, the Family Support and Advocacy Program, OPWDD eligibility navigation, Medicaid 1115 Waiver screening, support groups, online learning, and the REAL Transition Partners program for youth transitioning to adulthood. The organization maintains designated roles as a Technical Assistance Parent Center (USDOE Office of Special Education), a Community Parent Resource Center for the City of Buffalo, and the Family and Community Engagement Center (WESTFACE) for Western New York under NYSED, and operates the Help Me Grow WNY Early Childhood Centralized Access Point.

The organization is funded through a mix of federal and state government grants (USDOE OSE, NYSED OSE, OPWDD, RSA), foundation grants (Peter and Elizabeth Tower Foundation, John R. Oishei Foundation, The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, Variety Buffalo, Children's Guild Foundation, United Way), individual donations, and fundraising events. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. It reaches approximately 10,000 children, family members, educators, and professionals annually across Western New York, with expanded post-secondary transition reach into the broader Northeast and Caribbean via the RSA-funded Real Transition Partners collaborative.

The organization operates a community-centered go-to-market model reliant on direct service delivery, workshops, and referrals through a network of over 80 partner organizations spanning schools, BOCES, healthcare systems, county government, and disability service agencies. Its differentiator is a staff and board predominantly composed of parents of children with disabilities, providing lived-experience credibility. The technology stack is minimal — a MailChimp email integration, Click & Pledge donation/workshop registration tool, and a WCAG 2.0 AA-compliant website — with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities identified.

Name

Parent Network of Western New York

Legal name

Parent Network of Western New York

Website

https://parentnetworkwny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parent Network of Western New York is a Buffalo-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1986, that provides free 1-on-1 support, advocacy, and education to families of individuals with disabilities and to the professionals who serve them across Western New York, reaching approximately 10,000 beneficiaries annually under multiple federal and state designations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Special education advocacy
• Parent resource center
• Family empowerment services
• Disability transition support

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: The organization receives funding from federal and state government sources including the U.S. Department of Education (OSE), NYSED Office of Special Education, Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). These grants support their role as a Technical Assistance Parent Center, Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), and Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE).
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations including Peter and Elizabeth Tower Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (William F Thiel Grants), The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, Variety The Children's Charity of Buffalo and WNY, and The Childrens' Guild Foundation.
3. Individual Donations: The organization accepts charitable contributions from individuals. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
4. Fundraising Events: The organization holds fundraising events including gift card raffles to generate additional revenue for operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Parent Network of Western New York is a not-for-profit agency providing education, 1-On-1 support, and resources to families of individuals with disabilities (birth through adulthood) and to professionals who serve them. The organization delivers direct services including Family Behavior Support and Advocacy, Family Empowerment Series workshops, Support Groups, OPWDD Eligibility assistance, Medicaid 1115 Waiver Screening, Online Learning, and the REAL Transition Partners post-secondary transition program, complemented by an extensive library of printable tip sheets, newsletters, and disability-specific resources.

Product overview

Parent Network of Western New York is a not-for-profit agency providing education and resources for families of individuals with special needs (birth through adulthood) and for professionals. The organization offers a unified portfolio consisting of direct support services (1-On-1 Support, Family Behavior Support and Advocacy, Family Empowerment Series, Family Support and Advocacy Program, Support Groups, WESTFACE) and specialized programs (Medicaid Initiative, OPWDD Eligibility, Online Learning, REAL Transition Partners). Complementing these services is an extensive digital resource library including Printable Tip Sheets, Newsletters, Youth Empowerment resources, Special Education materials, Transition Planning resources, Behavior resources, and Disability-Specific resources—all designed to help families understand disabilities and navigate the support service system. The organization serves as a Technical Assistance Parent Center and Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) for Western New York, reaching approximately 10,000 children, family members, educators, and professionals annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1-On-1 Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches approximately 10,000 children, family members, educators, and professionals annually across Western New York

Named customers3 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

71 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• U.S. Department of Education - Office of Special Education (OSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY serves as a Technical Assistance Parent Center through the USDOE. Operates a Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) for the City of Buffalo, providing direct support and training to young adults, families, and organizations, primarily for Spanish-speaking communities.
• New York State Education Department, Office of Special Education (NYSED OSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY is funded by NYSED as the Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) for Western New York, promoting meaningful family involvement within the educational system.
• Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY receives OPWDD Family Support Services funding and provides information about Front Door eligibility process, self-directed services, and developmental disability support.
• Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY is part of the RSA-funded Real Transition Partners collaborative alongside Starbridge, SPAN Advocacy, IncludeNYC, and Federation for Children with Special Needs, providing post-secondary transition support across the Northeast and Caribbean.
• Help Me GrowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY serves as the Early Childhood Centralized Access Point Coordination for Help Me Grow WNY, connecting families with young children to developmental support services.
• StarbridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNWNY is a subcontractor for Starbridge Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) for the Western Region. Also partner in Real Transition Partners collaborative.
• Say Yes Buffalo / Fair Futures NYCsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support students and families through Say Yes Buffalo initiative.
• Live Well Erie / Department of Social ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Erie County government programs to support families and community engagement.
• Buffalo Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner providing access to students and families in the Buffalo school district.
• Erie 1 BOCEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing support services for students with disabilities.
• Erie CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner supporting community programs and services.
• People Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal disability services provider and employer of board member Julie Barber.
• Canisius UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner providing collaborative educational opportunities.
• Daemen UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner in Western New York.
• Buffalo State College (SUNY)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner providing collaborative opportunities.
• D-Youville CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner.
• Mount Saint Mary CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner.
• DDAWNY (Developmental Disabilities Alliance of WNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional alliance of developmental disabilities organizations providing collaborative support.
• Beyond Support NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity support organization serving Western New York.
• EPIC - Every Person Influences ChildrensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild and family services organization.
• Mental Health Association of WNYsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health services organization partnership.
• Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting prenatal and perinatal health.
• Spectrum Health and Human ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partnership.
• Jericho Road Community Health CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare services partnership.
• Care Management Coalition of WNYsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of care management organizations.
• Community Services for Every1secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability services organization.
• Explore and More Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's museum partnership for inclusive programming.
• CCNY Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner.
• EmpowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization in Western New York.
• Center for Self AdvocacysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf-advocacy organization for people with disabilities.
• Family Help CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily services organization.
• ECE SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood education solutions provider.
• INCLUDEnyccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Real Transition Partners collaborative providing resources for families.
• Near East and West Side Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity task force in Buffalo.
• WNY Service Learning CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition supporting service learning opportunities.
• Alliance of Information and Referral SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization for information and referral services.
• The Resources CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource center for community services.
• Legal Aid Bureau of BuffalosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal services organization partnership.
• Person Centered ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability services organization providing community resource tools.
• Oishei Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare partner; board member Dr. Michelle Hartley-McAndrew serves as Medical Director at Oishei.
• Child and Family ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily services organization.
• Proactive CaringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare services organization.
• Kaleida HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare system partnership.
• Buffalo Olmsted Parks ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for inclusive recreational programming.
• Broadway PediatricsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric healthcare provider.
• SANYS (Self Advocates of NYS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf-advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities.
• Unique Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre organization for inclusive programming.
• Buffalo Museum of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum partnership for educational programming.
• WNY Education AlliancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation coalition in Western New York.
• UB Clinical and Translational Science InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity research partnership.
• GiGi's Playhouse BuffalominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDown syndrome achievement center partnership.
• BRICK EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation organization in Buffalo.
• Prime Care CoordinationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare coordination services partnership.
• YMCA of Buffalo and NiagarasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFitness and community organization partnership; board member Amanda Newton is active with YMCA.
• HillsidesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren and family services organization.
• GLYS (G Lutheran Youth)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organization partnership.
• Collaborative Community MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization.
• Seneca Nation of IndianssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership serving Native American families and communities.
• Wyoming County Social ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty social services partnership extending beyond Erie County.
• Neurodiversity NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting neurodivergent individuals.
• Autism Society of WNYsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutism support and advocacy organization.
• 211 WNYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity information and referral services.
• Ardent SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity solutions provider.
• Open BuffalominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity empowerment organization.
• SinergiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization.
• SASIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization.
• Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner; Community Care Specialist Keana Sherlock works at Erie 2 BOCES.
• Special Education Task ForcesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for special education services.
• BPS Parent CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative of parent centers within Buffalo Public Schools.
• Buffalo Schools FACE CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily and Community Engagement Center within Buffalo Public Schools.
• Lockport Family and Community EngagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily engagement center in Lockport schools.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Starbridge: Starbridge operates the Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) for the Western Region of New York and is a subcontractor partner of PNWNY. It provides the same family/parent training, advocacy, and special-education support services for individuals with disabilities, making it the most direct comparator in the same geography.
• INCLUDEnyc: INCLUDEnyc is a New York City-based Parent Center providing 1-on-1 support, workshops, and advocacy for families of children and youth with disabilities. It is a fellow partner in the REAL Transition Partners collaborative with PNWNY and operates under the same federal Parent Center framework.
• SPAN Parent Advocacy Network: SPAN is New Jersey's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center and a partner with PNWNY in the REAL Transition Partners collaborative. It delivers parent training, advocacy, and disability navigation services comparable to PNWNY's core offering, just within a different state territory.
• Federation for Children with Special Needs: Federation for Children with Special Needs is Massachusetts's Parent Training and Information Center and a fellow partner of PNWNY in the RSA-funded REAL Transition Partners collaborative. It provides comparable parent education, advocacy, and transition support services to families of children with disabilities.
• Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York (DDAWNY): DDAWNY is a regional alliance of developmental disabilities organizations serving the same Western New York geography as PNWNY and is explicitly listed as a core partner. Its member organizations deliver overlapping disability services, family support, and advocacy, making it a tightly comparable regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Parent to Parent USA: Parent to Parent USA is a national umbrella network of state Parent to Parent organizations that provide emotional and informational support to families of individuals with disabilities. PNWNY's support-group and parent-empowerment programming parallels its model, making P2P USA a thematic national peer.
• Family Voices: Family Voices is a national family-led organization supporting children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities through advocacy and navigation support. Its focus on helping families access Medicaid, waivers, and special-education services is closely aligned with PNWNY's OPWDD eligibility and 1115 waiver screening work.
• Center for Parent Information and Resources: CPIR is the federally funded central hub for the Parent Center network under OSEP, providing resources and coordination for Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers including PNWNY. It is the closest umbrella/incumbent organization in PNWNY's federal funding family.
• NYSARC: NYSARC is the statewide umbrella for Chapters of the Arc, providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including OPWDD-related services. It operates on a much larger scale than PNWNY but intersects with PNWNY's work around OPWDD eligibility, family support, and transition services.

Regional players

• Disability Rights New York: Disability Rights New York is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization for New York State, providing legal and advocacy services to individuals with disabilities. While its focus is more legal-rights-oriented than PNWNY's family support, it overlaps significantly in the disability advocacy and systems-navigation space in the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pnwny
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ParentNetworkWNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/parentnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parent-network-of-wny
• Instagraminstagram.com/parentnetworkwny
• Pinterestpinterest.com/parentnetworkny
• TikToktiktok.com/@pnwny

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Parent Network of Western New York