Community for Youth

What Community for Youth does

Community for Youth (CfY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Seattle, Washington, that delivers community-based youth mentorship programs to South Seattle high school students. Founded in 1984 by Sue Van Haren and incorporated in 1985, the organization initially served youth in the Juvenile Justice system before pivoting in the early 1990s to a preventative model pairing at-risk students with adult mentors. In 2012, CfY expanded beyond traditional one-to-one mentoring to a multi-layered community model. CfY operates two core programs: the Learning Community, an 8- to 9-month academic-year cohort (October-June) featuring weekly in-person meetings that rotate between one-on-one mentor-student sessions, small Family Group activities, and full cohort Community Workshops; and CfY Duos, a shorter six-month introductory track with twice-monthly meetings designed for students unable to commit to the full program. Both programs are free to participants.

The organization's underlying methodology is the Critical Mentoring framework, adapted from Torie Weiston-Serdan's work, which emphasizes cultural humility, critical consciousness of inequitable systems, intersectionality, and centering youth voices; this framework is taught in every Mentor Workshop. CfY supplements its programs with an annual Camp Launch Weekend held at YMCA Camp Sealth on Vashon Island, a partnership that anchors the cohort's community-building. The team consists of approximately five staff — Executive Director Sarah Popelka, Program Manager Sandy Vo, Development & Communications Manager Ellen Throneberry, Program & Data Specialist Alex Matlock, and Student Engagement Coordinator Josué Lozada Osorio — supported by a Board of Directors chaired by Mali Olson with corporate leaders from Boeing, Walmart, Amazon, KPMG, Expedia, and Visit Seattle. CfY does not sell a product; it is funded entirely by charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations, and it serves 40-70 student-mentor pairs annually through direct recruitment via school and community channels in the greater Puget Sound region.

Name

Community for Youth

Legal name

Community for Youth

Website

https://communityforyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community for Youth is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, community-based youth mentorship programs to 40-70 South Seattle high school students annually, pairing them with adult volunteer mentors through its Learning Community and Duos programs built on the Critical Mentoring framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentorship Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Nonprofit youth services
• Community mentoring
• Student support services
• Critical mentoring framework

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CfY relies on charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Tax ID: 52-1494505.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Community for Youth (CfY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free mentorship programs pairing South Seattle high school students with compatible adult volunteer mentors. It operates two core programs — the year-long Learning Community (weekly one-on-ones, small group activities, and community workshops following the academic year) and the shorter CfY Duos program (twice-monthly meetings for six months) — all built on a Critical Mentoring framework emphasizing cultural humility, equity, and youth voice.

Product overview

Community for Youth (CfY) is a nonprofit youth mentorship organization offering two core programs. The Learning Community is the primary year-long mentorship program (October-June) featuring weekly in-person activities that rotate between one-on-one mentor-student meetings, small group Family Group sessions, and full-cohort Community Workshops. CfY Duos is a shorter, more flexible introductory program where mentor-student pairs meet twice monthly for six months, designed for those unable to commit to the full Learning Community timeline. Both programs combine traditional one-to-one mentoring with community-based support networks, serving South Seattle high school students with compatible adult mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learning Community: CfY's core mentorship program which follows the academic year (October - June), featuring weekly in-person meetings that rotate between one-on-ones, small group activities, and community workshops.
• CfY Duos

Products and services

• Learning Community CfY's core 8-month mentorship program following the academic year (October-June), featuring weekly in-person meetings that rotate between one-on-one mentor-student sessions, small group activities (Family Groups), and community workshops with the full cohort. Designed for South Seattle high school students paired with compatible adult volunteer mentors.
• CfY Duos A 6-month flexible introductory mentorship program where students meet with their mentor twice a month for six months, building the relationship through shared interests. Designed for South Seattle high school students who may not be ready or able to participate in the 9-month Learning Community program.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Local Organizations and BusinessessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCfY partners with local organizations and businesses for sponsorships, volunteering opportunities, tabling at events, hosting Lunch & Learn sessions, and attending fundraising events. These partnerships help increase reach, connect students with community resources, and provide various engagement opportunities for corporate teams.
• YMCA Camp SealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCfY utilizes YMCA Camp Sealth on Vashon Island for its annual Camp Launch Weekend, where students and mentors form connections over games and group activities in the Pacific Northwest surroundings. This partnership provides the foundational community-building experience for each program year.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound: Seattle/Puget Sound affiliate of the largest U.S. youth mentoring nonprofit, pairing adult volunteers with youth in one-to-one relationships. Direct peer in geography, target population (youth needing adult mentors), and volunteer-driven model; CfY differentiates via community-based vs. pure 1:1 structure.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of King County: Seattle-area youth development nonprofit serving school-age youth with after-school programming, mentoring, and leadership development. Comparable mission, target demographic, and Puget Sound footprint; CfY is more mentorship-specialized.
• Rainier Scholars: Seattle-based nonprofit providing long-term academic mentoring and college preparation for students of color from South Seattle and similar neighborhoods. Direct peer in geography, demographic focus, and multi-year youth-mentorship model.
• College Possible: National nonprofit that pairs college coaches with low-income high school students for college access support. Comparable youth-mentorship architecture with measurable outcomes focus; broader geographic footprint than CfY.
• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing volunteer mentors with high school students for college access, with an emphasis on equity and culturally responsive practice. Direct peer in equity-centered youth mentoring model.
• Southwest Youth & Family Services: Seattle-based youth and family services nonprofit where CfY's Executive Director previously worked. Comparable South Seattle service area and youth-development focus, broader in scope (includes behavioral health, housing).

Broad incumbents

• MENTOR (mentoring.org): National umbrella organization for the youth mentoring field, advocating for and convening youth mentoring programs across the U.S. CfY sits within MENTOR's broader ecosystem as a member program applying recognized mentoring best practices.
• YMCA of Greater Seattle: Large regional YMCA offering youth development, mentoring-adjacent programs, and is CfY's existing Camp Launch Weekend partner at Camp Sealth. Broad incumbent providing youth services in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Global Visionaries: Seattle-based youth leadership nonprofit where CfY's Executive Director previously worked. Comparable social-justice-oriented youth development framework with a global education component.
• Step Up Tutoring: National nonprofit mobilizing volunteer mentors/tutors for underserved K-12 students, emphasizing equity-centered practice. Emerging peer with similar DEI-anchored volunteer-driven youth mentoring model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Community4Youth
• Facebookfacebook.com/141628129203822

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 Community for Youth