Next Door

What Next Door does

Next Door Foundation, Inc. is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit founded in 1969 that provides free early childhood education and comprehensive family support services to at-risk children from birth to age five and their families in central Milwaukee. The organization operates two center-based campuses (29th Street headquarters, opened 2005 as the third Educare school in the country, and Capitol Drive, opened 2014) delivering Infants and Toddlers, Preschool, and a K4 Charter School in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools. A Home-based Prenatal Services program delivers weekly 90-minute visits from Parent Educators in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese, and Karen for families unable to attend centers.

Revenue derives primarily from three federal Head Start and Early Head Start grants (05CH012624, 05CH011987, 05HP000431), state funding through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, and private donations and fundraising events such as Walk for Children and Read for Children. All services are provided at no cost to income-qualified families. The Early Head Start Child Care Partnership extends reach across 11 partner sites in Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties, directly reaching 330 children across 60 classrooms. Supporting infrastructure includes the Family Success Center (co-located healthcare, mental health, and family navigation services), the Books for Kids literacy program (over 1 million books distributed since 1990), and partnerships with Children's Wisconsin, Marquette University, Medical College of Wisconsin, and UW-Milwaukee.

The underlying technology consists of early childhood education curriculum (language, literacy, math, science, art, social-emotional development) delivered through the Educare research-driven model, with no proprietary AI/ML or digital platform products. The organization has no public API, no app, and no software product offering; service delivery is fundamentally human-intensive. Outcomes data includes 87% student attendance, 41% increase in math and 37% increase in reading for four-year-olds (2018-2019), and 75% of classrooms scoring in the top 10% nationally for CLASS teacher-student interaction assessment.

Name

Next Door

Legal name

Next Door Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://nextdoormke.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Next Door is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit founded in 1969 that provides free early childhood education and family support services to at-risk children from birth to age five in central Milwaukee, funded by federal Head Start grants, state funding, and donations across two campuses and 11 partner sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Family Support Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head Start programs
• Early childhood services
• Family support services
• Literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Head Start/Early Head Start Funding: Primary funding from federal grants through the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grant numbers include Head Start and Early Head Start (05CH012624), Early Head Start (05CH011987), and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (05HP000431).
2. State Funding: State funding through Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and Milwaukee Public Schools partnership for K4 Charter School operations.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Private donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and special events including Walk for Children and Read for Children annual campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Next Door provides free, high-quality early childhood education and family support services for at-risk children from birth to age five in central Milwaukee, operating center-based classrooms for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, a K4 Charter School with Milwaukee Public Schools, home-based prenatal and early-childhood visitation, a Books for Kids literacy program, and a Family Success Center hub offering healthcare, mental health, and family support services. Programs are delivered at no cost to income-qualified families through federal Head Start/Early Head Start grants, state funding, and donations.

Product overview

Next Door operates as a comprehensive early childhood education organization offering a portfolio of integrated programs. The core offerings include center-based programs for Infants and Toddlers and Preschool, the K4 Charter School (in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools), and a Home-based Prenatal Services & Early Childhood Education program for families unable to attend center-based services. Supporting these core programs are the Books for Kids literacy initiative and the Family Success Center, which provides healthcare, mental health, and employment services. Through the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership, Next Door extends its reach across 11 partner sites in Milwaukee County. All programs are offered at no cost to income-qualified families and focus on school readiness through academic and social-emotional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Books for Kids: A literacy program that collects and distributes new and gently-used donated books to Next Door students and children across Milwaukee to help build home libraries. Active since 1990, it has distributed over 1 million books.
• K4 Charter School
• Educare

Products and services

• Infants and Toddlers Program Center-based early childhood education program for infants and toddlers (six weeks to three years) at Next Door's two Milwaukee campuses, featuring small class sizes of 8 students per at least 2 teachers, language and literacy development, medical and dental screenings, and family engagement activities. Provided at no cost to income-qualified families.
• Preschool Program Preschool programming for children at Next Door's two Milwaukee campuses featuring small class sizes of 17 students per at least 2 teachers, with instruction in language, literacy, math, science, art, and social-emotional activities, offered in year-round and school-year options. Provided at no cost to income-qualified families.
• K4 Charter School Full-day K4 Charter School operated in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools, offered at both Next Door's 29th Street and Capitol Drive campuses, with curriculum in language, literacy, math, science, social-emotional development, art, music, field trips, and STEAM learning, with class sizes of 20 students per at least 2 teachers.
• Home-based Prenatal Services & Early Childhood Education A home visitation program providing weekly 90-minute visits from Next Door Parent Educators for prenatal expectant mothers and children birth through age four whose families cannot access center-based care, including two monthly socializations at Next Door, in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese, and Karen.
• Books for Kids Program A literacy program collecting and distributing new and gently-used donated books to Next Door students and children across Milwaukee, including free books through community libraries, mobile library services, Little Free Libraries, and the Read with Me volunteer reading program.
• Family Success Center A hub of services at Next Door's 29th Street campus offering basic healthcare screenings, autism diagnoses for children, employment support, family navigation services, mental health services, and healthcare referrals through partnerships with Children's Wisconsin, Maximus, Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Next Step Clinic.
• Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (CCP) A federal grant program deploying instructional coaches and Family Advocates at 11 early childhood partner sites across Milwaukee County, directly reaching 330 children across 60 classrooms and indirectly supporting 1,400 additional children at partner sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% student attendance rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Educare Learning NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Door joined the Educare Learning Network in 2005 with the opening of Educare Milwaukee school, the third Educare school in the country. The network of 25 schools nationwide offers a best practice, research-driven model for high quality early childhood education for children from under-resourced families. Next Door spread the Educare model across its entire early childhood programming.
• Children's WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Door collaborates with Children's Wisconsin to help improve access to medical and dental care. In 2011, Children's Hospital opened a full-service clinic called Next Door Pediatrics at the 29th Street campus, offering services to families and the community. Children's Wisconsin also provides a Family Navigator at the Family Success Center.
• Marquette UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Door collaborates with Marquette University on research including effectiveness of mindfulness programming on children. The 414 Fellows program from AmeriCorps and Serve Wisconsin features Marquette students serving in Next Door classrooms. Marquette is also a key player in the Next Step Clinic and jointly leads the Family Success Center.
• Medical College of WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MCW School of Pharmacy runs a community-based health screening and care referral service at Next Door's Family Success Center. Faculty and pharmacy students offer services for children, families, staff, and neighborhood residents. MCW also supports staff trainings and family engagement programs.
• Milwaukee Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Door operates a full-day K4/K5 Charter School in collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools. Program began in 2005 at the 29th Street location and expanded to Capitol Drive in fall 2016. Partnership includes MPS support for students with special needs, field trips, and teacher training.
• Next Step CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Next Step Clinic opened in 2019 as part of Next Door's Family Success Center. Led by Mental Health America of Wisconsin and Marquette University, the clinic offers high quality mental health and developmental services for families and underserved area residents. Team includes licensed psychologists, graduate students in psychology, and family navigators.
• University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext Door partners with UWM to support student assessments across early childhood programming. Research provides critical data to evaluate learning experiences. Professors and graduate students participate in research on literacy concepts like letter naming, vocabulary, rhyming, and social emotional learning through reading.
• COA Youth & Family CenterssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site. Founded in 1906, COA provides high-quality early childhood education rooted in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. Accredited by NAEYC and holds a 5-star Young Star rating.
• Malaika Early Learning CentersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site at Harambee and ThriveOn King locations. Provides transformative, high-quality early childhood education since 2003, building strong foundations for lifelong learning.
• Neighborhood HousesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site serving Milwaukee children and families since 1945. Offers wide range of community service programming from early childhood education to refugee family support.
• St. Francis Children's CentersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site. Serves children with and without special needs across Milwaukee County. Founded in 1968, serves over 1,200 children annually through various programs.
• St. Joseph AcademysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site affiliated with Felician Sisters, serving Milwaukee's South Side since 1907. Offers educational programming from infants to 6th grade.
• TenderCare Christian Child Care CentersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership site providing warm and supportive classrooms for children of all abilities and backgrounds with flexible scheduling options.
• YMCA of Metropolitan MilwaukeesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly Head Start Child Care Partnership at two locations: YMCA Northwest and YMCA Northside. YMCA works to create a healthier, stronger, safer city through educational and recreational programs for families.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee: Regional nonprofit serving youth and teens in the Milwaukee area with after-school, summer, and teen programming. Regional player because both serve at-risk central-city children in the same geography, but Boys & Girls Clubs focuses on school-age youth rather than birth-to-five early childhood.

Broad incumbents

• Parents as Teachers National Center: National home-visiting model organization supporting early childhood development from prenatal through age five. Comparable as a broader incumbent because Next Door's home visitation/Prenatal program operates on a similar Parent Educator delivery model that Parents as Teachers pioneered and certifies.
• Jumpstart (Jumpstart for Young Children): National early childhood education nonprofit focused on language and literacy development for preschool-age children in under-resourced communities. Broader incumbent because both target school-readiness gaps via structured early-childhood programming, though Jumpstart operates at a national scale versus Next Door's Milwaukee focus.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee: Regional nonprofit offering early childhood education among a broader portfolio of youth, recreation, and family services across two Next Door CCP sites (Northwest and Northside). Broader incumbent because YMCA's ECE is one program within a much larger community-services footprint.

Direct peers

• Malaika Early Learning Center: Milwaukee nonprofit operating high-quality early childhood education centers (Harambee and ThriveOn King). Direct peer given identical Head Start child care partnership structure with Next Door and similar income-qualified, central-city families.
• COA Youth & Family Centers: Milwaukee-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, youth development, and family services since 1906. Direct peer because it serves overlapping Head Start/Early Head Start populations in central Milwaukee and is an active Next Door Child Care Partnership site.
• St. Francis Children's Center: Milwaukee-area nonprofit serving children with and without special needs, serving over 1,200 children annually. Direct peer because it is a Next Door CCP partner site and operates comparable Head Start/early childhood programming across Milwaukee County.
• Neighborhood House of Milwaukee: Milwaukee-based nonprofit offering early childhood education, refugee services, and family support since 1945. Direct peer given shared Head Start child care partnership with Next Door and similar at-risk, urban family population.
• Educare Learning Network (e.g., Educare of Omaha): Network of 25 high-quality early childhood schools nationwide using the same research-driven Educare model that Next Door has implemented since 2005. Direct peer at the program/curriculum level because all member schools share common standards, assessments, and outcomes methodology.

Others

• United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County: Regional funder and convener for health, education, and financial stability programs including early childhood initiatives. Other because United Way is a potential donor, convener, and grant partner rather than a direct service competitor, but operates within the same ECE funding ecosystem as Next Door.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NextDoorMil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NextDoorMilwaukee1
• Facebookfacebook.com/NextDoorMKE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-door-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nextdoormke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Next Door