Brooklyn Kindergarten Society

What Brooklyn Kindergarten Society does

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society (BKS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1891 that provides free or low-cost early childhood education to children ages 2-5 from low-income families in Central Brooklyn. The organization operates seven Children's Centers located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, and Crown Heights, with administrative headquarters at 25 Chapel Street, Suite 900, Brooklyn. Programs are built on the research-based Creative Curriculum and a STEAM-based pedagogical framework, enhanced by a Music & Movement enrichment program (violin, tennis, dance) and a 3+ teacher-per-classroom staffing model.

The organization's differentiated asset is the Fran Bernstein Sensory Gym at the Weeksville Gardens Children's Center — described as a first-of-its-kind facility within NYCHA housing that provides free occupational therapy services to students with learning differences and developmental delays. Supporting products include a Family Services program (counseling, referrals, family support plans), a 15-week Work Readiness Program in partnership with CUNY's New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute that certifies individuals under 25 as Assistant or Lead Teachers, and the Family Handbook resource.

BKS is funded primarily by government early childhood education contracts supplemented by private philanthropy. The disclosed institutional funder base includes the Altman Foundation, Con Edison, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hearst Foundations, Robin Hood, TD Charitable Foundation, and The Green Foundation. Fundraising diversification includes an annual Yuletide Ball gala (marking 135 years in 2026), an 11th-year Official Charity Partnership with New York Road Runners for the TCS New York City Marathon, and a planned-giving program covering bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and gifts of appreciated securities. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society

Legal name

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society

Website

https://bksny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1891 that operates seven Children's Centers in Central Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Crown Heights), providing free or low-cost STEAM-based early childhood education, enrichment, and occupational therapy to low-income children ages 2-5.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• STEAM curriculum
• Occupational therapy services
• Sensory gym

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding source from government programs that support early childhood education. However, government funding falls short of meeting the full needs for high-quality early childhood education.
2. Private Donations: Individual donors, corporate matching gifts, and foundation grants provide supplementary funding to support enrichment programs, family services, and quality of care beyond what government funding covers.
3. Foundation Grants: Support from key funders including Altman Foundation, Con Edison, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hearst Foundations, Robin Hood, TD Charitable Foundation, and The Green Foundation.
4. Stock Gifts: The organization accepts gifts of appreciated securities. Stock gift instructions are provided on their website with ACATS participant information and tax ID details.
5. Planned Giving/Bequests: Legacy giving programs including bequests through wills, charitable remainder trusts, gifts of retirement assets, life insurance beneficiary designations, and charitable lead trusts.
6. Event Fundraising: Annual Yuletide Ball gala and NYC Marathon charity team events raise funds for inclusive learning programs including the Sensory Gym and enrichment activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society (BKS) operates seven Children's Centers in Central Brooklyn that deliver free or low-cost early childhood education to children ages 2 to 5. Programs are built on the research-based Creative Curriculum, enhanced with a STEAM-based approach, Music & Movement enrichment (tennis, violin, dance), and supported by the state-of-the-art Fran Bernstein Sensory Gym that provides free occupational therapy for children with learning differences and developmental delays.

Product overview

Brooklyn Kindergarten Society offers a comprehensive early childhood education ecosystem centered around its core preschool programs for children ages 2-5. The organization operates seven Children's Centers across Central Brooklyn, providing free or low-cost services. The portfolio includes STEAM-based curriculum as the educational foundation, enhanced by the Music & Movement Program (tennis, violin, dance), and the state-of-the-art Fran Bernstein Sensory Gym offering free occupational therapy. Supporting services include Family Services with counseling and referrals, a Work Readiness Program for early childhood career development, and family engagement resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education Programs High-quality toddler and preschool educational programs for children ages 2-5, delivered through the research-based Creative Curriculum with three or more teachers in every classroom. Available free or at low cost to families in Central Brooklyn.
• STEAM-Based Curriculum A science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics curriculum that forms the educational foundation for all BKS toddler and preschool programs.
• Music & Movement Program Enrichment program that brings tennis, violin, and dance lessons directly into BKS centers for all students as part of the learning experience.
• Fran Bernstein Sensory Gym and Occupational Therapy State-of-the-art sensory gym providing free occupational therapy services for BKS students with learning differences and developmental delays, featuring specialized therapeutic play equipment. Located at Weeksville Gardens Children's Center in Crown Heights.
• Seven Children's Centers Network of seven physical Children's Centers in Central Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Crown Heights) delivering free or low-cost early childhood education with extended hours, before/after care, meals, and enrichment activities.
• Early Childhood Work Readiness Program 15-week early childhood career development program that certifies individuals under 25 to become Assistant or Lead Teachers in child care centers, delivered in partnership with CUNY's New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute.
• Family Services Family support services including counseling, referral services, workshops, and family engagement coordinators who work with each family to create a family support plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of brain connections built by age 5
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CUNY New York Early Childhood Professional Development InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBKS is a partner in the Early Childhood Work Readiness Program led by CUNY's New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute and their Early Childhood Career Development Center. This 15-week program certifies individuals under 25 to become Assistant or Lead Teachers in child care centers.
• New York Road Runners (NYRR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBKS is in its 11th year as an Official Charity Partner for New York Road Runners' TCS New York City Marathon. The partnership provides 5 marathon entries and raises funds for Inclusive Learning programs including the Sensory Gym, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, and enrichment activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): The national accreditation body that credentialed BKS's Sumner Children's Center, comparable as a sector-standard-setting organization rather than a direct competitor; relevant to understanding BKS's quality positioning.

Direct peers

• Episcopal Social Services: A NYC nonprofit running early childhood centers, after-school, and summer programs in low-income neighborhoods, comparable in serving NYC families with government-funded preschool slots and family support services.
• Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services: A NYC-based nonprofit operating early childhood education centers serving low-income families, with a comparable free or low-cost preschool model, family services wraparound, and similar government plus private-donor funding mix targeting New York City children.
• New York Foundling: A large NYC child welfare and early childhood nonprofit providing preschool and family services to vulnerable children, comparable in mission, target population, and reliance on government contracts paired with private philanthropy.
• Graham Windham: A historic NYC nonprofit serving children and families through early childhood education and family support programs, directly comparable in serving low-income NYC families with tuition-free or subsidized preschool slots.
• SCO Family of Services: A Brooklyn-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, after-school, and family services to low-income NYC families, comparable in operational scale, target demographics, and mixed government-private funding model.
• Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens: A large faith-based nonprofit operating multiple early childhood centers across Brooklyn and Queens serving low-income families, comparable in mission, multi-site center structure, and government-subsidized tuition model.
• Children's Aid Society: A NYC nonprofit providing early childhood education, after-school, and family services in underserved neighborhoods, comparable in offering free preschool with enrichment programming and a multi-site center model.

Broad incumbents

• Harlem Children's Zone: A larger, well-resourced NYC nonprofit providing cradle-to-career services including early childhood education, comparable in mission targeting low-income children but operating a much broader, multi-generation service portfolio.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: A large national for-profit provider of early childhood education and care with NYC-area centers, comparable as a multi-site preschool operator but differentiated by serving higher-income families on a tuition-paid model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BrooklynKindergartenSociety
• Xx.com/bksny

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Brooklyn Kindergarten Society