What Fresh Lifelines for Youth does

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 by Christa Gannon in San Jose, focused on reducing the juvenile justice system's impact on youth ages 11–25. The organization serves more than 2,000–2,400 youth annually across five Bay Area counties (Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco), with a cumulative reach of over 50,000 youth since inception. Programs are delivered through formal referral pipelines with probation departments, courts, and school districts, supported by a ~200-volunteer annual base and approximately 11–50 paid staff across four regional offices and a headquarters in San Jose.

FLY's core service portfolio comprises eight direct-service programs: the 12-week Law Program; the 10-month Leadership Training Program; the 12–15-month CAFA (Court Appointed Friend and Advocate) Mentor Program for probation-involved youth; the Middle School Program for 7th–8th graders at risk of school pushout; the Reentry Program for youth exiting incarceration; Peer Point (a restorative, peer-led diversion alternative); Career Pathways Navigator; and STAY FLY (transition-age youth, ages 18–25). Complementary offerings include the Youth Advisory Council, FLY Alumni Advisory Board, Youth Leadership Council, a paid Youth Policy Fellowship, and broader systems-change advocacy through coalitions including the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, and Debt Free Justice California. Outcomes are tracked through an Evaluation & Learning function reporting >90% non-recidivism during program year and >80% educational goal attainment.

FLY is not a technology company: it operates no proprietary platform, API, or app, and uses no AI/ML tooling in service delivery. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy — individual donations (one-time, recurring, stock, IRA QCDs), corporate sponsorships and matching gifts, Donor-Advised Fund grants via DAF Direct, and legacy/planned giving — supplemented by foundation grants from organizations including the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation (PropelNext) and Annie E. Casey Foundation. The organization is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors, which in 2026 added its first FLY alumni members. Leadership transitioned in November 2024 with Artavia B. Berry becoming President & CEO, succeeding Ali Knight.

Name

Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Legal name

Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Website

https://flyprogram.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2000, that delivers legal education, mentoring, leadership training, and reentry support to 2,000+ justice-impacted youth annually across five Bay Area counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Justice and Juvenile Diversion Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Juvenile Justice Education Programs (Detention & Correctional Education) (EDAJAEAB), Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

Keywords

• Youth justice programs
• Juvenile diversion services
• Mentorship and reentry
• Law-related education
• Systems change advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milpitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: FLY generates revenue through individual donations including one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, stock donations, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) for donors 70½ or older.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partnerships through matching gift programs, event sponsorship, in-kind services or items, and direct corporate grants.
3. Donor-Advised Funds (DAF): Accepts grants from donor-advised funds through DAF Direct platform.
4. Legacy Giving: Bequests through wills/trusts, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, and gifts of real estate or other assets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Fresh Lifelines for Youth delivers free, community-based programs for justice-impacted youth ages 11-25 across five Bay Area counties, including law-related education, mentoring, leadership development, case management, restorative diversion, career coaching, and reentry support. The organization pairs direct youth services with a youth-driven policy and advocacy arm focused on disrupting the pipeline to prison and reforming California's juvenile justice system.

Product overview

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) offers a portfolio of direct service programs for youth ages 11-25 impacted by the justice system. The core programs include the Law Program (12-week legal education), Leadership Training Program (10-month changemaker training), CAFA Mentor Program (12-15 month mentoring), Middle School Program (early intervention for at-risk youth), Reentry Program (support for youth exiting incarceration), Peer Point (restorative alternatives to punitive responses), Career Pathways Navigator (career coaching), and STAY FLY (support for transition-aged youth 18-25). FLY also operates youth leadership programs including the Youth Advisory Council, FLY Alumni Advisory Board, and Youth Leadership Council. FLY's policy and advocacy arm includes the Youth Policy Fellowship and systems change work. The organization serves youth across four Bay Area counties (Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa) and San Francisco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Law Program A 12-week program for youth who want to learn about the law and build skills to navigate their lives; includes law-related education workshops, field trips to law schools with mock trials, group mentoring, and a recognition ceremony. Designed for justice-impacted youth served by FLY across the Bay Area.
• Leadership Training Program A ten-month program for youth interested in becoming changemakers in their communities; includes leadership coaching, events, service learning projects, and a wilderness retreat. Designed for FLY youth across the Bay Area.
• CAFA Mentor Program A 12-15 month mentor program for youth on probation; matches youth with adult volunteer mentors (Court Appointed Friend and Advocates) who provide 1:1 mentoring, court advocacy, and attend fun events together. Delivered across the Bay Area.
• Middle School Program An up to year-long program for 7th and 8th graders at risk of being pushed out of school; combines law-related education and case management to intervene early in the school-to-prison pipeline. Delivered in Bay Area schools and community centers.
• Reentry Program An up to 12-month program for youth exiting incarceration; provides law-related education, case management support, and community service opportunities to help youth successfully return to their communities. Delivered across FLY's Bay Area footprint.
• Peer Point A restorative, peer-led alternative to punitive systems of response to youth behavior at school and in the community; works with schools and police departments to divert youth from suspension, expulsion, and arrest. Operated across the Bay Area.
• Career Pathways Navigator Career coaching service that connects youth to education and career resources using Design Thinking, Motivational Interviewing, Strengths-Based, and Trauma-Informed approaches; Career Pathways Navigators partner with case managers to support FLY youth in pursuing academic and career development goals.
• STAY FLY Program A 9-12 month program for young adults ages 18-25 impacted by the justice system; provides law-related education workshops and/or one-on-one case management support through Transition Age Youth (TAY) services.
• Youth Policy Fellowship A 10-month paid fellowship opportunity for FLY youth and alumni to learn about and participate in policy-making, advocacy, and community organizing. Part of FLY's policy and advocacy arm.
• Systems Change Work Policy and advocacy work at local and state levels to improve systems, policies, and practices affecting youth impacted by the justice system; includes coalition membership and legislative advocacy (e.g., California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, Debt Free Justice California, Fix School Discipline).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of FLY youth do not recidivate or sustain new charges during their program year
• +4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice (CAYCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLY organizes alongside community-based organizations across California to achieve policy goals through this statewide coalition focused on youth justice reform.
• Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner working to improve outcomes for boys and men of color through policy advocacy and systems change work.
• Debt Free Justice California (DFJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on eliminating justice system policies and practices that create and perpetuate poverty and inequity for youth.
• Fix School Discipline Policy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working to reform school policies and practices that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline.
• Alma Bonita Animal RescueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal animal rescue organization that FLY Leadership Program youth partnered with for their annual service learning project.
• YouthBeatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that provided studio space for STAY FLY youth senior portrait photography session.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roca: Roca delivers evidence-based, outcomes-focused interventions for systems-involved young people ages 17-24 in Massachusetts and Baltimore. It shares FLY's focus on recidivism reduction, transformational relationships (mentors/coaches), and validated outcomes that drive pay-for-success contracts.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering reentry, education, therapeutic, and workforce programs to formerly incarcerated and gang-involved youth and adults. Comparable to FLY's Reentry and CAFA Mentor programs in mission and holistic wraparound model, though serving a wider age range.
• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC): California-based nonprofit combining direct support to system-impacted youth with statewide policy advocacy. Closely aligned with FLY's dual direct-service + systems-change model and its California-centric reform focus.
• The Fortune Society: New York nonprofit providing reentry, housing, education, and advocacy for system-involved individuals. Comparable to FLY in combining direct service with policy/coalition work, though primarily serving adults rather than ages 11-25.

Regional players

• A New Way of Life: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing housing and reentry support to women and youth impacted by incarceration. Overlaps directly with FLY's Reentry and Mentoring programs and operates in California, though geographically distinct from the Bay Area.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth with housing, education, and workforce programs. Comparable to FLY's STAY FLY Career Pathways work and San Francisco footprint, though focused on housing instability rather than justice involvement.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the U.S., pairing adults with at-risk youth. Comparable to FLY's CAFA Mentor model, though broader in geography, not focused on justice-impacted youth, and operating from a national scale.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit providing school-based wraparound case management and supports for at-risk K-12 students. Overlaps with FLY's Middle School Program and case management approach but operates at vastly larger scale and outside juvenile justice as a primary focus.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization with club-based programming. Comparable to FLY as a broad youth development nonprofit serving at-risk youth, though not specialized in juvenile justice or reentry populations.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit serving opportunity youth ages 18-30 with training and corporate placement. Comparable to FLY's Career Pathways Navigator and STAY FLY programs for transition-age youth, with overlap in the system-involved and opportunity-youth segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flyprogram_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FLYprogram
• Facebookfacebook.com/flyprogram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fresh-lifelines-for-youth-fly-
• Instagraminstagram.com/flyprogram

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Fresh Lifelines for Youth