What Friends Seminary does

Friends Seminary is a private K-12 Quaker day school operating as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit at 222 East 16th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1786 through a bequest from Robert Murray, it describes itself as the oldest continuously operating coeducational school in New York City, serving approximately 1,000 day students across three divisions: Lower School (Kindergarten through Grade 4), Middle School (Grades 5-8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12). The school is governed by a Board of Trustees with the 36th Head of School, Chris Singler, leading daily operations, and currently employs 101-250 staff. Programming is anchored in six codified Quaker testimonies (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship) and reinforced through weekly Meeting for Worship and a published Faith & Practice document.

The product portfolio covers core academics plus a series of ancillary offerings: Extended Programs (before/after-school care, run through ACTIVE Network), a Mariana Wright Chapman Academic Center providing learning support and peer tutoring, College Counseling, an Athletics program of 33 teams across Varsity, JV, and Middle School levels, Visual Arts and Performing Arts (15+ classes, 9 annual productions), Global Education with international travel (Morocco, Iceland, South Africa, Civil Rights in the American South, Vancouver), and the Center for Peace, Equity & Justice (CPEJ) consolidating diversity/equity/belonging, community engagement, global education, and Quaker life. Technology infrastructure consists of off-the-shelf SaaS and one proprietary layer: Ravenna Hub for admissions, Clarity for financial aid, GiveCampus for donations, Hudl for athletic video and livestream, LibGuides for the library, and a proprietary mySchoolApp portal for family login and communications. No AI/ML capability is in evidence; the stack is conventional and transaction-oriented rather than intelligence-driven.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition (annual rates not publicly disclosed), with five supplementary revenue streams supplementing the cost of education: The Fund for Friends annual fund, planned giving (bequests, charitable lead/remainder trusts, retirement beneficiary designations), gifts of appreciated securities processed through Goldman Sachs, the Benefit Auction, and endowment returns. The school reports that 20% of students receive financial aid via Clarity applications. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: families recruit through admissions tours, open houses, and webinars, apply via Ravenna Hub, and primarily enter at Kindergarten and Grade 9 from a 80+ zip code catchment spanning New York City, northern New Jersey, and Connecticut. Marketing channels are predominantly organic (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), supplemented by the printed Meetinghouse Magazine and alumni referrals from a 4,650-strong active alumni network.

Name

Friends Seminary

Legal name

Friends Seminary

Website

https://friendsseminary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1786

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Friends Seminary is a private K-12 Quaker day school founded in 1786 in Manhattan, serving approximately 1,000 students across Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions with a values-based curriculum, athletics, arts, and global education programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments for K-12 day students. The school covers costs not met by tuition through annual giving.
2. Annual Giving (The Fund for Friends): Annual fund that bridges the gap between tuition and full cost of education, supporting financial aid, academic programming, faculty compensation, arts, and athletics. Touches every corner of school life with 20% of students receiving financial aid support.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, retirement plan assets, life insurance policies, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts that provide long-term financial support to the school's endowment and mission.
4. Gifts of Stock and Securities: Donors can contribute appreciated securities to avoid capital gains tax, with transfers processed through Goldman Sachs as broker.
5. Special Events: Fundraising events including the Benefit Auction (largest annual fundraiser), Paul Taylor Dance Company event, Lunar New Year Celebration, and other community gatherings that raise critical resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Friends Seminary is a K-12 Quaker independent day school serving approximately 1,000 students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 at its Manhattan campus. The school delivers college preparatory academics grounded in Quaker values, with three divisions (Lower School K-4, Middle School 5-8, Upper School 9-12) supplemented by arts, athletics, global education, college counseling, learning support, and extended day programs.

Product overview

Friends Seminary is a K-12 Quaker independent day school serving approximately 1,000 students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school offers a unified educational program built on Quaker values (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship), with three divisions: Lower School (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12). The product portfolio includes core academic programs across all divisions supplemented by Extended Programs (before/after-school care), Academic Center & Learning Support, College Counseling, Athletics (33 teams), Visual Arts, Performing Arts (15+ classes, 9 annual productions), Global Education (travel programs), and the Center for Peace, Equity & Justice (CPEJ). The school also operates fundraising programs including The Fund for Friends annual fund, endowment, and planned giving. The school emphasizes small class sizes, individual attention, 5 world languages, an Independent Science Research Program, and a diverse community representing over 80 zip codes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lower School (Kindergarten-Grade 4)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of graduates accepted to one of their top three college choices
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ravenna HubcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline admissions application portal used by independent schools for managing applications, including Friends Seminary's application process for prospective families.
• ClaritycoreTechnology or IntegrationFinancial aid application platform used by Friends Seminary for families to apply for tuition assistance. Financial aid applications due December 15, 2025.
• Friends Council on National LegislationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuaker advocacy organization through which Upper School students engage as lobbyists on national issues as part of global education and civic engagement programming.
• ISAAGNY (Independent Schools Association of New York)minorOthersProfessional association for independent schools in the greater New York area. Listed as an organizational member on Friends Seminary's footer.
• NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools)minorOthersState association supporting independent schools. Friends Seminary is a member and participates in NYSAIS Athletic Association.
• Athletic Conference of Independent Schools (ACIS)minorOthersAthletic conference for NYC independent schools. Friends Seminary participates in ACIS for athletics.
• Institute for Global LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Global Student Dialogue program. Middle School students in Grades 7 & 8 participate in intercultural dialogues with students globally through this program.
• EDU AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation travel partner that designed the 2024-2025 South Africa Global Travel Program for 18 Upper School students and three educators.
• GiveCampuscoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline fundraising platform used for The Fund for Friends annual giving and special donations. URL: givecampus.com/campaigns/24824/donations/new

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• George School: Quaker day and boarding school in Bucks County, PA serving grades 9-12. Comparable on Quaker mission and college-prep outcomes, though residential model differs from Friends Seminary's day-only model.
• Sidwell Friends School: Quaker K-12 day school in Washington, D.C. with similar college-prep outcomes and a comparable Quaker values-based mission. Highly comparable institutional profile to Friends Seminary despite different metro.
• The Dalton School: Manhattan elite K-12 progressive day school with strong college placement and a similarly diverse, values-oriented community. Direct NYC peer competing for the same high-academic-outcome families.
• The Calhoun School: Manhattan progressive K-12 day school on the Upper West Side with a similarly diverse student body and progressive pedagogy. Direct NYC peer competing for the same family segment.
• Westtown School: Quaker K-12 school (day and boarding) near Philadelphia with a long Quaker heritage and college-preparatory focus. Comparable on values-driven curriculum and historic Quaker identity.
• Friends Academy: Long Island Quaker K-12 day school with progressive pedagogy and a values-based mission. Closest geographic Quaker day school peer to Friends Seminary within the greater NYC region.
• Germantown Friends School: Philadelphia Quaker K-12 day school emphasizing progressive education, social justice, and intellectual curiosity. Directly comparable on mission, governance, and product mix.
• Fieldston School: Riverdale-based NYC independent K-12 school affiliated with the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, emphasizing progressive education and ethical values. Direct competitor for NYC progressive families.
• Friends Central School: Quaker K-12 day school in the Philadelphia suburbs serving a similar progressive, values-driven student body. Closest mid-Atlantic analogue to Friends Seminary's Quaker K-12 model.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity School: One of NYC's most prestigious K-12 day schools with elite college placement. Sets the competitive ceiling on outcomes and pricing that Friends Seminary benchmarks against in NYC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/showcase/10089036
• Facebookfacebook.com/FS1786
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/friends-seminary
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsseminary
• Xx.com/friendsseminary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Friends Seminary