Chess In The Schools
Chess in the Schools is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 that delivers free chess instruction, tournaments, teacher training, and college-readiness programs to approximately 6,000 low-income public school students annually across 48 NYC schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chess In The Schools does
Chess in the Schools is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 that delivers chess education to low-income public school students. The organization operates a five-pillar program portfolio: (1) a School Program embedding chess instructors in approximately 48 NYC public schools (primarily Title I) serving roughly 6,000 students annually in the 2025–2026 program year; (2) a Summer Program serving 1,000+ children at school sites and partner locations including Camp Ramapo; (3) a College Bound Program for 100+ low-income high school students from all five NYC boroughs, reporting a 100% high school graduation rate and 95% college matriculation rate; (4) a Professional Learning / Teacher Training Institute that has trained over 2,000 NYC public school educators, funded in part by the New York City Council; and (5) a Digital Program delivered in partnership with Chesskid.com that provides free online training resources. A Scholastic Tournament Program runs 25+ free competitive events per year in NYC public schools, with 400–700 participants per event and a Grand Prix funding system supporting regional and national competition. The organization also operates the College Success Program (launched 2021) for alumni support and the Andy Lerner Award for Excellence in Chess Education, a nationwide annual recognition program established in 2022.
The organization's business model is entirely philanthropic. All programs and tournaments are provided free of charge to students and schools; revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate and foundation sponsorships, NYC Council grants (specifically for Professional Learning), Title I funding routed through participating schools, and special events such as the annual Charity Poker Night. Customer-facing channels are limited to organic social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn), a website and blog, an email newsletter, and an annual report. The organization describes itself as "America's original chess education organization" and reports having taught 500,000+ students cumulatively. Geographic operations are confined to New York City, though national reach is asserted through the Andy Lerner Award.
Operationally, CIS maintains its headquarters at 520 Eighth Avenue, 22nd Floor in Midtown Manhattan, employs between 11 and 50 staff, and delivers instruction through dedicated instructors placed in each participating school. Key partnerships include the New York City Council (financial), Chesskid.com (technology), Camp Ramapo (summer programming for special-needs children), and the J & K Pi Family Foundation (sponsorship of the All Girls NYC Chess Championship). The organization does not have any disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or ownership by venture capital or private equity.
Chess In The Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chess In The Schools
- Legal name
- Chess in the Schools
- Website
- https://chessintheschools.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chess in the Schools is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 that delivers free chess instruction, tournaments, teacher training, and college-readiness programs to approximately 6,000 low-income public school students annually across 48 NYC schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chess In The Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Chess Education Services
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Math Games, Puzzles & Recreational Math Programs (EDAMAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics) (EDAMAGAE), Math Competition Administration Services (Proctoring, Grading, Logistics) (EDAMAEAO)
Keywords
Where Chess In The Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chess In The Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Chess in the Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through donations, charitable contributions, and fundraising activities. The organization offers multiple giving options including online donations, mail/fax giving, corporate challenges, adopt-a-school programs, and support-a-student initiatives.
- Government and Council Funding: Professional Learning program has been funded by the New York City Council, supporting teacher training workshops. Title I funding supports school participation in the program.
- Special Events Revenue: Charity events such as Charity Poker Night generate revenue for the organization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Programs for Students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Chess In The Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chess In The Schools delivers free chess instruction, training, and tournament programs to NYC public schools, students, and teachers. Offerings span an in-school chess program, summer chess programs, a college-readiness program for low-income high school students, a teacher training institute, a digital chess program, and a scholastic tournament series with a Grand Prix funding mechanism. All programs are offered at no cost to participants and are sustained through donations, grants, and special events.
Product overview
Chess In The Schools operates as a chess education nonprofit offering a multi-program portfolio. The core offerings include: the School Program (chess instruction in approximately 48 NYC public schools serving ~6,000 students), the Summer Program (1,000+ children annually), the College Bound Program (college readiness for low-income high school students with 100% graduation/95% college matriculation rates), the Professional Learning/Teacher Training Institute (having trained 2,000+ teachers), and the Digital Program (free digital chess training with Chesskid.com access). The organization also runs a Scholastic Tournament Program with free tournaments (400-700 students per event) featuring a Grand Prix system, plus the College Success Program for alumni support. The annual Andy Lerner Award recognizes excellence in chess education nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% high school graduation rate for College Bound alumni
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Chess In The Schools
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chess In The Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Chess In The Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Camp RamapocorePartnership with Camp Ramapo in Rhinebeck, New York - a summer camp for disadvantaged New York City children with special needs. CIS provides chess instruction as part of the camp program.
- Chesskid.comcoreOnline chess learning platform partnership providing free one-year gold memberships to all students in the Digital Program. Includes lessons, videos, puzzles, and chess games.
- J & K Pi Family Foundation Inc.minorSponsor of the All Girls NYC Chess Championship tournament, supporting female participation in competitive chess.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chess In The Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chess4Life: Chess education organization running after-school chess programs, summer camps, and tournaments for youth. Comparable as a chess education provider focused on youth enrichment and competitive tournament pathways.
- Kasparov Chess Foundation: Nonprofit promoting chess education in schools nationwide, including programs targeting low-income and underserved communities. Directly comparable as a nonprofit chess-in-schools provider with similar curriculum and tournament focus.
- Saint Louis Chess Club / Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis: Major nonprofit chess education organization offering in-school chess programs, tournaments, and youth chess development. Comparable as a nonprofit delivering chess instruction to students and operating tournament infrastructure, though concentrated in St. Louis rather than NYC.
- America's Foundation for Chess: Nonprofit focused on bringing chess curriculum to schools nationwide, particularly in underserved communities. Comparable as a chess-in-schools nonprofit targeting Title I and similar low-income student populations.
- Marshall Chess Club: Historic NYC-based chess club and nonprofit offering youth chess instruction, tournaments, and educational programming in New York City. Comparable as a NYC chess education nonprofit serving students with similar tournament and instruction offerings.
Regional players
- Harlem Children's Zone: NYC-based nonprofit providing comprehensive educational enrichment, after-school programs, and college access support to low-income children in Harlem. Comparable as a NYC nonprofit serving Title I students with enrichment and college readiness programming, though broader in scope than chess-only.
- After-School All-Stars: National nonprofit providing after-school enrichment programming in Title I schools across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as a nonprofit delivering supplemental enrichment to low-income public school students through school partnerships, with similar funding model and government-grant dependency.
Broad incumbents
- Chess.com: Largest online chess platform, offering lessons, puzzles, tournaments, and school partnerships including curriculum tools. Comparable as a chess education content and tournament provider serving many of the same youth constituencies, though as a commercial entity rather than nonprofit.
- US Chess Federation: National governing body for chess in the United States, managing scholastic chess programs, national tournaments, and rating systems. Comparable as the broader umbrella organization serving many of the same youth chess constituencies as Chess in the Schools.
Emerging players
- Spark Chess Foundation: Chess education nonprofit bringing chess instruction to underserved students in schools. Comparable as a school-embedded chess education nonprofit with a similar Title I / underserved student focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chess In The Schools social profiles
Digital presenceChess In The Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chess In The Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Chess In The Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chess In The Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chess In The Schools
What does Chess In The Schools do?
Chess In The Schools delivers free chess instruction, training, and tournament programs to NYC public schools, students, and teachers. Offerings span an in-school chess program, summer chess programs, a college-readiness program for low-income high school students, a teacher training institute, a digital chess program, and a scholastic tournament series with a Grand Prix funding mechanism. All programs are offered at no cost to participants and are sustained through donations, grants, and special events.
Is Chess In The Schools a public or private company?
Chess In The Schools is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chess In The Schools founded?
Chess In The Schools was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chess In The Schools based?
Chess In The Schools is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chess In The Schools make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are government and Council Funding and special Events Revenue.
Who are Chess In The Schools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chess4Life, Kasparov Chess Foundation, Saint Louis Chess Club / Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, America's Foundation for Chess and Marshall Chess Club. Regional players are Harlem Children's Zone and After-School All-Stars. Broad incumbents are Chess.com and US Chess Federation. Spark Chess Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Chess In The Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chess In The Schools.
What industry is Chess In The Schools in?
Chess In The Schools's product category is Chess Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAEAM, Math Games, Puzzles & Recreational Math Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMAGAE, Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.