Attic Youth Center

What Attic Youth Center does

Attic Youth Center is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 in Philadelphia and dedicated exclusively to serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth ages 14 to 23. The organization provides a multi-service portfolio delivered free of charge, including the Life Skills Center (academic enrichment, case management, internships, computer access), Mental Health Counseling (individual, couples, and family therapy with both in-person and telehealth delivery), Community Engagement and Social Activities, an Out-of-School-Time (OST) paid Internship Program, Supportive Services (meals, food pantry, hygiene supplies), and The PhRESH Community Promise program for sexual health education. All youth programming is delivered from its owned Center City facility at 255 South 16th Street, with virtual counseling extending reach regionally.

The Bryson Institute operates as an internal division delivering customized LGBTQ best-practices training to schools, universities, healthcare providers, workplaces, faith communities, and social service organizations, and is a distinct earned-revenue stream alongside donations and government grants. The organization reports having served over 20,000 LGBTQ youth and allies since 1993 and trained more than 30,000 individuals through the Bryson Institute.

Revenue derives from three streams: tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, City of Philadelphia government funding (Office of Children & Families, with PHMC oversight, plus Career 2 Learn site designation), and professional services fees from Bryson Institute training. Leadership is headed by Executive Director Jasper Liem, LCSW; the founder is Carrie Jacobs, PhD. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is not investor-backed. No proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI/ML capability is associated with the organization's service delivery, which is fundamentally human-mediated community-based programming.

Name

Attic Youth Center

Legal name

Attic Youth Center

Website

https://atticyouthcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Attic Youth Center is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that provides free counseling, life-skills, career, and community programming exclusively to LGBTQ youth ages 14 to 23, with the Bryson Institute division earning revenue through external LGBTQ training for schools, healthcare, and workplaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ Youth Community Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAK

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAAAOAD

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

Keywords

• LGBTQ youth services
• Youth mental health counseling
• Life skills programs
• Out-of-school youth programs
• LGBTQ workplace training

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting LGBTQ youth services
2. Government Funding: Funded by the Office of Children & Families and the City of Philadelphia, with oversight from PHMC. Also Career 2 Learn (C2L) site funding.
3. Training Revenue: The Bryson Institute generates revenue through customized training programs for schools, workplaces, faith communities, and organizations on LGBTQ best practices

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Attic Youth Center is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides free safe-space programming, mental health counseling, life skills development, paid internship opportunities, supportive services (meals, hygiene supplies, risk counseling), and community engagement activities for LGBTQ youth ages 14-23. Through its training arm, The Bryson Institute, the organization also delivers customized LGBTQ inclusion workshops and trainings to schools, workplaces, faith communities, healthcare providers, and social service organizations.

Product overview

The Attic Youth Center is a nonprofit youth services organization offering a comprehensive, multi-service portfolio of programs for LGBTQ youth aged 14-23. The organization operates as a single unified service model centered on youth development, rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include: The Life Skills Center for academic enrichment, case management, and career readiness; Mental Health Counseling providing individual, couples, and family therapy; Community Engagement & Social Activities including events and community participation; The OST Internship Program for paid employment opportunities; Supportive Services including meals and hygiene supplies; The Bryson Institute for external training and education; and PhRESH Community Promise Stories for sexual health education. All services are provided free of charge to youth participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bryson Institute Education and training division delivering customized workshops and trainings on best practices for working with LGBTQ youth in schools, workplaces, and organizations. Sessions range from one-hour trainings to full-day and multi-day programs for educators, healthcare providers, social service workers, faith communities, and corporations.
• Life Skills Center Provides programs to assist LGBTQ youth in building skills necessary to succeed in school, jobs, and community. Includes activity groups, academic enrichment, case management, internship opportunities, and computer access.
• Mental Health Counseling Provides individual, couples, and family therapy to LGBTQ youth and young adults up to age 23 and their families using an LGBTQ-affirmative and strength-based approach, offered in both in-person and virtual/telehealth formats.
• Community Engagement & Social Activities Engages youth with the larger LGBTQ community through events, committees, and social activities including video game parties, karaoke nights, holiday celebrations, and film screenings, plus participation in community events such as Philadelphia Pride, AIDS Walk, and Philadelphia Black Gay Pride.
• OST Internship Program Out-of-School-Time programming offering paid internship opportunities for youth ages 15-19, funded by the Office of Children & Families and the City of Philadelphia, with oversight from PHMC; the Attic serves as an official Career 2 Learn (C2L) site.
• Supportive Services Provides daily dinner service, food pantry items, personal hygiene products, safer sex supplies, and comprehensive risk counseling services for youth accessing The Attic.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 LGBTQ youth and allies served since 1993
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

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.

• Episcopal Community Services of Philadelphia (ECS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2000Faith-based partner who joined forces with The Attic Youth Center to create The Bryson Institute, committed to building support and education for LGBTQ youth.
• Jewish Family and Children's Services of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2000Faith-based partner who collaborated with The Attic to establish The Bryson Institute for LGBTQ youth education and support.
• Lutheran Children and Family Service (LCFS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2000Faith-based partner who joined The Attic in creating The Bryson Institute to support LGBTQ youth across the region.
• PHMC (Public Health Management Corporation)minorOthersProvides oversight for OST programming funded by the Office of Children & Families.
• Career 2 Learn (C2L)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial provider site offering career exposure and professional development opportunities for youth participants who get paid for participation.
• Voyage HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal host organization where The Attic was founded in 1993 as an 8-week pilot project providing weekly after-school support group for LGBTQ youth.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GLSEN: GLSEN is a national education organization advancing safe schools and training educators to support LGBTQ K-12 students. Directly comparable to The Bryson Institute's school-focused LGBTQ inclusion training offerings as a peer in education-sector training.
• Los Angeles LGBT Center: The Los Angeles LGBT Center is one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the U.S., providing youth services, mental health, housing, and education programs. Directly comparable as a multi-service LGBTQ center with a youth-development focus and similar scale of community impact.
• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and mental health services specifically for LGBTQ young people, including a national hotline and digital counseling. Strongly comparable to The Attic's mental health counseling practice and youth (under 25) focus, though national in scope versus The Attic's Philadelphia hub.
• The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (NYC LGBT Center): The NYC LGBT Center operates a parallel community-center model offering youth programs, mental health services, and cultural programming for LGBTQ communities. Comparable to The Attic as a multi-service LGBTQ community hub delivering drop-in services, counseling, and education under one roof.
• Ruth Ellis Center: Ruth Ellis Center is a Detroit-based nonprofit serving LGBTQ youth and young adults with housing, mental health, and workforce development programs. Closely comparable to The Attic as a regional LGBTQ youth center offering integrated clinical and life-skills services.
• Fenway Health: Fenway Health delivers LGBTQ-affirming healthcare, behavioral health, and youth services in Boston with an integrated clinical model. Comparable to The Attic for its affirmative mental health counseling practice for LGBTQ youth and families, including telehealth delivery.
• Ali Forney Center: Ali Forney Center serves LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City with housing, case management, and wraparound services. Comparable to The Attic's housing navigation and supportive services components for LGBTQ youth ages 14-23.
• PFLAG National: PFLAG is the largest family- and ally-based organization for LGBTQ people, with local chapters offering support groups and education. Comparable to The Attic's community engagement programming and family/ally work that complements direct youth services.
• SMYAL (Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League): SMYAL serves LGBTQ youth in the Washington, D.C. area with drop-in programs, housing, mental health, and leadership programming. Comparable to The Attic for regional LGBTQ youth services with a similar age range and multi-service delivery model.

Emerging players

• Point Foundation: Point Foundation provides scholarships, mentorship, and leadership development for LGBTQ young people pursuing higher education. Partially comparable to The Attic's leadership development and academic enrichment programming for LGBTQ youth ages 14-23.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheAtticYouthCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAtticYouthCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/attic-youth-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/atticyouthcenter
• Xx.com/atticyouthcen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Attic Youth Center