LEAP

What LEAP does

LEAP (Learning through an Expanded Arts Program, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization founded in 1977 and headquartered at 535 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The organization delivers arts-based learning programs to K-12 students in approximately 140 New York City public schools across all five boroughs, reaching roughly 20,000 students annually and operating afterschool programs at 28 of those school sites serving nearly 2,000 students. LEAP is led by Executive Director Rich Souto with a senior team including a Chief Finance and Operations Officer, Chief People and Culture Officer, and Directors across Strategy & Impact, Signature Theater Programs, Afterschool, Arts Residencies, and Operations; the organization also employs approximately 200 teaching artists across disciplines including dance, theater, visual arts, music, and new media.

LEAP's product portfolio is structured around three delivery channels: in-school Arts Residencies (and Custom Residencies under the "LEAP Your Way" banner), Afterschool Programs, and Signature Programs that include LEAP OnStage (a year-long playwriting residency whose student works are published by Samuel French, Inc.), LEAP Literacy (K-5 arts-based literacy), Public Art (a 19-year poster-design program for grades 5-12), and Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs (a STEAM program culminating in an Innovation Fair). LEAP Artists LIVE! is the organization's professional touring theater troupe, and Family Engagement Workshops extend reach to caregivers. The underlying methodology is "The LEAP Way," a proprietary framework integrating arts with the 4Cs (Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration), and outcomes are externally evaluated through a partnership with Hello Insight; in FY24, 100% of students met the National Growth Benchmark and 80% advanced in social-emotional learning outcomes.

LEAP operates a donation- and grant-funded business model: programs are free to students and schools, and revenue is sourced from individual donations (including the LEAP Champions monthly giving program), grants from more than 40 foundations (Applebaum, Axe-Houghton, Booth Ferris, Keith Haring), corporate sponsorships (Goldman Sachs, Google, Con Edison, Bank of America, Macquarie, McKinsey), and government funding from NYC DYCD, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Council on the Arts, NYS Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Empire State After-School Program. The legal entity is incorporated in New York under the name Learning through an Expanded Arts Program, Inc. (Tax ID 13-2925233), operating the "LEAP" trade name, and is governed by an independent Board of Directors.

Name

LEAP

Legal name

Learning through an Expanded Arts Program, Inc.

Website

https://leapnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LEAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 that delivers arts-based education programs to 20,000 K-12 students annually across 140 NYC public schools. Programs are funded through foundations, corporate sponsors, government grants, and individual donations, with services provided free to students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAC

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAJAFAK

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDAJAJAE

Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Extracurriculars & Athletics (School-Run)

SECONDARYEDAJAJAF

Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Extracurriculars & Athletics (School-Run)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Youth development services
• Creative learning programs
• Afterschool enrichment
• School arts residencies

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: LEAP receives donations from individuals through its website, including monthly giving program (LEAP Champions). Tax-deductible contributions support program operations.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Applebaum Foundation, Axe-Houghton Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, and over 40 other foundation supporters.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor schools, culminating events, and creative programs. Partners include Goldman Sachs, Google, Con Edison, Bank of America, and others.
4. Government Funding: Programs supported by NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Empire State After-School Program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LEAP delivers arts-based education programs to New York City public school students through professional teaching artists. Offerings include in-school arts residencies, afterschool enrichment programs, and signature programs (playwriting, literacy, public art, STEAM) that integrate arts with 4Cs skills (Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration) and social-emotional learning. Programs are provided free to schools and students, funded through donations, grants, and government support.

Product overview

LEAP (Learning through an Expanded Arts Program) is a nonprofit arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs through multiple delivery channels: in-school residencies, afterschool programs, and signature programs. The core offerings include Arts Residencies and Custom Residencies (LEAP Your Way) providing visual arts, music, dance, theater, and new media programming; Afterschool Programs for sustained participation in specific disciplines; Signature Programs including LEAP OnStage (playwriting), LEAP Literacy, Public Art, and Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs (STEAM). The LEAP Artists LIVE! component provides professional touring performances and workshops. Additional offerings include Family Engagement Workshops. The organization serves PreK-12 students across NYC's 140 schools, reaching approximately 20,000 students annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts Residencies In-school arts-based residencies that expand creative thinking and support positive behavior through student-centered art making and social skill-building activities integrated into classroom academics, co-taught with classroom teachers.
• Afterschool Programs Sustained participation in particular disciplines including dance, theater, visual arts and others that culminate in group performances, projects, and public events while building learning and innovation skills. Operates in 28 schools serving nearly 2,000 students.
• LEAP Artists LIVE! Award-winning theater troupe consisting of professional performing and teaching artists providing in-person and virtual residencies, workshops, and touring performances for students, NYCDOE staff, and communities.
• LEAP OnStage Intensive playwriting residency that immerses young people in storytelling, linear thinking, and creative expression. Year-long program (October-May) where students write their own 10-minute plays that are published by Samuel French, Inc. Serves more than 700 students annually in 10-15 schools.
• LEAP Literacy Arts integration model dedicated to rejuvenating literacy education for Grades K-5, led by professional teaching artists who prioritize students' cultures and experiences through arts-based literacy learning.
• Public Art Visual art-based poster design program (now in its 19th year) for Grades 5-12 that invites students to cultivate identity, civic responsibility, and social wellness through creation of Public Service Announcement posters.
• Family Engagement Workshops Arts-based workshops conducted in single-session and extended-series formats, tailored to school and population needs, serving caregivers or caregivers and children together.
• Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs STEAM program for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students where they create inventions or business ventures that solve community problems, culminating in an Innovation Fair.
• Custom Residencies Tailored in-school and afterschool programs in visual arts, music, dance, theater, and new media, designed to align with unique goals and needs of students and school communities.
• LEAP Your Way Flexible residency offerings including Visual Arts, Music, Theater, New Media Arts, and Dance disciplines that can be customized for school communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of LEAP youth advanced in one or more social and emotional learning outcomes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• All Stars Project, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2025LEAP partners with All Stars Project for events including MLK Day 2025 celebration and collaborative programming. The All Stars Project is a national nonprofit focused on creative youth development. Joint programs include the Liberty and Justice production and MLK Day performances at Symphony Space.
• NYC Department of Youth & Community DevelopmentcoreOthersGovernment funding partner providing program support through DYCD programs including Empire State After-School Program funding.
• NYC Department of Cultural AffairscoreOthersGovernment funding partner providing public funds in partnership with NYC City Council for arts programming.
• NYC Department of EducationcoreOthersPrimary program delivery partner. LEAP programs operate in NYC DOE schools across all five boroughs.
• ExpandED SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit educational organization supporting expanded learning time and arts integration in schools.
• Hello InsightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational evaluation platform for measuring student Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). LEAP partners with Hello Insight for external program evaluation and impact measurement, tracking outcomes like National Growth Benchmark achievement.
• Corporate Partners (Goldman Sachs, Google, Con Edison, Bank of America, etc.)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 40 corporate sponsors provide financial support, sponsor schools, culminating events, and creative programs. Includes foundations and companies like Goldman Sachs Gives, Google, Macquarie Group, and McKinsey & Company.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall (Weill Music Institute): Major NYC cultural institution whose Weill Music Institute delivers free music-education programs in NYC public schools. Comparable as a large NYC-based arts-education provider serving DOE students, but operates as a much larger institutional player with broader portfolio beyond K-12 education.
• The Juilliard School (K-12 / Pre-College Programs): Premier performing-arts conservatory with K-12 outreach and pre-college programs serving NYC students. Comparable as a performing-arts education provider in NYC, but operates primarily as a higher-education institution rather than a dedicated nonprofit arts-education provider.
• Roundabout Theatre Company (Education): Major NYC theater company with a substantial education and community-engagement program serving NYC students and teachers. Comparable as a theater-focused NYC K-12 arts-education provider, but operates as part of a larger Broadway institutional entity rather than a dedicated arts-education nonprofit.
• BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Education: Education arm of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, running in-school residencies, student performances, and teaching-artist programs across NYC. Comparable as a performing-arts education provider to NYC school communities, but part of a larger performing-arts institution.
• Lincoln Center Education: Education arm of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, providing arts programming and performances to NYC public school students. Comparable as a citywide NYC K-12 arts-education provider, but anchored to a single major performing-arts venue rather than a school-based residency model.

Direct peers

• ArtsConnection: NYC-based nonprofit providing in-school and afterschool arts programs in NYC public schools across multiple disciplines including visual arts, music, dance, and theater. Directly comparable to LEAP on target customers (NYC DOE schools), funding model (government + foundation + corporate), and program delivery (residencies).
• Studio in a School Association: NYC-based nonprofit that places professional teaching artists in NYC public schools to deliver visual arts education, reaching tens of thousands of students annually. It is the closest direct peer to LEAP — same city, same NYC DOE delivery model, same nonprofit/grant-funded structure, and same focus on professional-artist residencies.
• Young Audiences New York: NYC chapter of the Young Audiences national network, delivering arts-in-education programming to NYC public schools through teaching artists. Overlaps with LEAP on school-based delivery, multi-discipline arts programming, and dependence on public + private arts funding.
• New Victory Theater (New 42nd Street): NYC's only performing-arts theater dedicated to kids and families, running education programs in NYC public schools including theater residencies and student matinees. Comparable to LEAP's performing-arts programs (LEAP OnStage, LEAP Artists LIVE!) targeting the same NYC K-12 audience with theater-specific programming.
• Marquis Studios: NYC-based nonprofit delivering multi-discipline arts residencies and afterschool programs in NYC public schools. Strongly comparable to LEAP on nonprofit structure, NYC DOE school-based delivery, and multi-discipline arts program portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@leapnyc1
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEAPNYC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leapnyc
• Instagraminstagram.com/LEAPNYC
• Xx.com/LEAPNYC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 LEAP