What YouthZone does

YouthZone is a 501c3 nonprofit social services organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, that delivers juvenile justice diversion and youth/family support services across Colorado's 9th Judicial District (Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties). Its core service is court-referred Juvenile Diversion, which channels youth into assessment-driven contracts and tailored programming — substance use education, restorative justice, mental health counseling, life skills training, community service, and parent services — as an alternative to formal adjudication. Approximately 70% of clients are court-referred, with an additional 17% referred by schools and law enforcement; the organization reports a 92% non-reoffense rate against a 49% national average. The organization also operates The Space, an LGBTQIA+ peer support program, and a Parent Support Program launched in 2023, distributed across offices in Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and by-appointment satellite sites in Aspen, Basalt, Parachute, and Rio Blanco County.

The underlying platform is human-service delivery rather than technology: case management, intake forms, and standardized assessments administered by a team that includes a Clinical Director (overseeing Certified Addiction Therapist training), a Restorative Justice Coordinator, Youth Advocates, and program alumni in staff roles. No proprietary software or AI-driven tooling is described. The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: donations from individuals and businesses (a 2022 annual report cites $1.85 million raised from hundreds of valley donors), foundation and corporate grants (Colorado Health Foundation, Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, Wyoming Community Foundation, Chevron, Aspen Community Foundation, Denver Broncos Foundation, among others), municipal contributions, fee-for-service assessments ($150–$200 per client with a no-refusal policy), branded merchandise sales, and planned space-rental income from a recently expanded headquarters. The 2018–2019 $1.7 million capital campaign funded the purchase of the former Glenwood Springs Public Library and renovation of dedicated program space. Outreach relies on community partnerships, local earned media (Post Independent, Aspen Times, KMTS and KDNK radio), a monthly newsletter, and community events such as the Spring Gala and the upcoming May 2026 50th Anniversary Gala.

Name

YouthZone

Legal name

YouthZone

Website

https://youthzone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YouthZone is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1976 in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, delivering juvenile diversion, restorative justice, mental health, and family support services across the 9th Judicial District, with most clients court-referred and outcomes well above national non-reoffense averages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Juvenile diversion programs
• Substance use prevention
• Restorative justice services
• Youth counseling support
• Family mediation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenwood Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: YouthZone generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations, as well as government and private grants. The organization is a 501c3 nonprofit eligible for tax-deductible contributions. Major funding sources include municipal grants, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations through campaigns like Colorado Gives Day and the Spring Gala.
2. Client Fees: YouthZone charges assessment fees to clients. Students referred to services pay $150 for a two-hour assessment. A $200 assessment fee is noted in referral forms. The organization emphasizes that fees are accessible and that services provide thousands of dollars worth of value compared to what clients pay.
3. Merchandise Sales: YouthZone sells merchandise including crewneck sweatshirts ($75) with proceeds supporting services. Merchandise is sponsored by local businesses like Bighorn Toyota.
4. Capital Campaign Donations: The organization conducts capital campaigns for facility purchases and renovations, such as the $1.7 million capital campaign for office expansion and the $900,000 building purchase in 2018.
5. Space Rental Revenue: YouthZone plans to diversify revenue by renting space to community partners and collaborators, generating rental income from the multi-purpose facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

YouthZone is a nonprofit social services organization that delivers juvenile diversion programs, substance use prevention and intervention, restorative justice circles, mental health counseling, life skills training, community service, and LGBTQIA+ peer support to at-risk youth and their families in Colorado's 9th Judicial District. Services are primarily delivered through court, school, and law enforcement referrals and include a parent support program with family counseling, education, and mediation.

Product overview

YouthZone is a nonprofit service organization offering a comprehensive suite of youth and family support programs in Colorado's 9th Judicial District. The organization operates a unified service model centered on Juvenile Diversion as its core offering, supplemented by specialized programs including Restorative Justice, Substance Use Prevention & Intervention, Mental Health Services, Life Skills training, and Community Service. Additional services include The Space LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Group and a Parent Services program featuring CRAFT training. Services are delivered through offices in Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and satellite locations, with the majority of clients referred through courts (70%) and schools (17%). The organization also sells branded merchandise with proceeds supporting programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Space: LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Group program providing support for LGBTQIA+ youth
• The Space

Products and services

• Juvenile Diversion

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of YouthZone clients do not reoffend while working with the organization (compared to 49% national average for youth who do not receive similar services)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado Department of Public Health and EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024New partnership announced in October 2024 for public health programming and collaborative work on youth health initiatives.
• Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Collaboration with OGVP, a unit within the Colorado Department of Public Safety, for Safe Pathways Program providing support for youth affected by gun violence.
• Colorado Division of Criminal JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partnership for juvenile justice programming and diversion services.
• Colorado Attorney General Phil WeisercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with state attorney general's office for juvenile justice initiatives.
• District Attorney Jeff CheneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local district attorney for diversion programming.
• City of Glenwood SpringscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership allowing YouthZone to offset costs and make programs accessible regardless of financial situation.
• City of RiflecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for youth services in the Rifle community.
• RE1 School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey educational partnership enabling school-based referrals and services; partnership helps offset costs for accessibility.
• 9th Judicial DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary judicial partnership for diversion and court programs serving Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties.
• Colorado Youth Detention Continuum Planning CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in state-level planning committee for youth detention alternatives.
• Post IndependentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal newspaper partnership providing media coverage and visibility for YouthZone.
• Bookcliffs Art CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for mural projects in Rifle, supporting teen artistic expression and community art.
• Vallee NooneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artist who mentored teens on mural projects 2015-2019.
• 9th Judicial Diversion TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for professional development on Motivational Interviewing to enhance youth support.
• Natural HighminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for professional development session on Motivational Interviewing.
• City of AspenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Community Pride Celebration event supporting LGBTQIA+ community.
• Aspen Chamber Resort AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Community Pride Celebration event.
• AspenOneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Community Pride Celebration event.
• Aspen Music School & FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue and partner for Community Pride Celebration event.
• Aspen Public RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio station hosting Lawn Bash event with Nonprofit Volunteer Fair.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mile High Youth Corps: Colorado-based youth development nonprofit serving youth through workforce, conservation, and diversion-adjacent programs. Comparable as a Colorado nonprofit serving at-risk youth with court and school referrals.
• Tennyson Center for Children: Colorado nonprofit providing behavioral health, residential, and community-based services for at-risk children and adolescents. Comparable on the youth behavioral-health and wraparound-services axis of YouthZone's portfolio.
• Urban Peak: Denver-area nonprofit serving youth experiencing homelessness and at-risk youth with shelter, drop-in, and case-management services. Comparable as a Colorado nonprofit addressing justice-involved and at-risk youth populations.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places coordinators inside K–12 schools to connect at-risk students to services. Comparable to YouthZone's school-based referral model across 15 partner schools.
• Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains: Colorado-based nonprofit offering refugee, family, and youth services including counseling and case management. Comparable as a regional nonprofit delivering wraparound youth and family services.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children: National nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in court. Comparable as a court-linked youth advocacy organization with a similar volunteer-driven operating model.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): National nonprofit providing community-based services for at-risk and justice-involved youth including foster care, behavioral health, and diversion. Comparable as a direct peer in the at-risk youth services category.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit operating affiliate chapters across the U.S. Comparable on the youth-mentoring and positive-youth-development components of YouthZone's programming.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit with afterschool and mentoring programs at club sites. Comparable as a broader, better-funded incumbent in the youth-services space, though not focused on juvenile justice diversion.

Regional players

• Hilltop (Latimer House / Hilltop Community Resources): Western Colorado human services nonprofit (Grand Junction area) serving youth, families, and individuals. Comparable as a Western Colorado regional player in the youth/family services space, though operating in a different sub-region than YouthZone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YouthZone1
• Facebookfacebook.com/YouthZoneGlenwood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthzone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 YouthZone