Student Sponsor Partners

What Student Sponsor Partners does

Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 by Peter M. Flanigan that operates a four-pronged integrated program serving over 1,100 low-income students annually. Its core offering is a high school scholarship and access product that places students from households earning approximately $10,000 per capita into 23 partner private Catholic and independent high schools across all five NYC boroughs. Each student is paired with a one-on-one mentor and receives college and career preparation services (essay workshops, FAFSA support, college tours, networking events) plus holistic support including mental wellness and an emergency Distressed Student Fund. The organization also administers the Peter M. Flanigan Scholarship (up to $10,000/year for college tuition) for high-performing juniors and seniors.

SSP's technology stack is intentionally lightweight and vendor-dependent: the iMentor platform handles mentor-mentee communication and structured lessons, a sponsor-facing portal provides real-time student progress tracking, and Blackbaud powers online donation forms. Integration partners include Double The Donation for matching gift automation, plus Venmo, PayPal, and CryptoForCharity as payment channels. The organization does not deploy proprietary AI/ML systems.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels, with six distinct streams: individual donations (including planned giving and multi-year commitments), corporate sponsorships via the tiered Impact Circle program ($10,000/year and up), foundation grants, annual fundraising events (the Founder's Dinner being the principal vehicle), matching gift programs, and planned giving. Individual student sponsorship is priced at $5,000/year per student over a four-year commitment. Corporate partnerships increasingly include structured workforce development components (e.g., LICONY Talent Incubator, InsureFutures). The organization is led by Executive Director Debra De Jesus-Vizzi, an SSP alumna mentored by founder Peter Flanigan, and governed by a board that includes senior figures from Goldman Sachs, JPMorganChase, and Evercore.

Name

Student Sponsor Partners

Legal name

Student Sponsor Partners

Website

https://sspnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Student Sponsor Partners is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1986, that provides scholarships, one-on-one mentorship, college/career preparation, and holistic support to over 1,100 low-income students attending 23 partner private high schools across all five NYC boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Scholarship Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Scholarship programs
• Student mentorship services
• College career preparation
• Nonprofit youth education
• Private school scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute general gifts, designated funds, or multi-year commitments. Donors can give via online portal, Venmo, PayPal, stock transfers, ACH, Donor-Advised Funds, cryptocurrency, or check.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporations sponsor individual students ($5,000/year for 4 years) or join the Impact Circle (starting at $10,000/year). Companies engage employees as sponsors, mentors, and volunteers, with matching gift programs amplifying impact.
3. Foundation Grants: Foundation partners including Beth & Ravenel Curry Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Carson Family Charitable Trust, Goldman Sachs Gives, Heckscher Foundation, and others provide programmatic and general operating support.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual Founder's Dinner is the principal fundraiser, with corporate table sponsorships, auction items, and individual ticket sales. Additional events include mentorship happy hours and community gatherings.
5. Matching Gifts & Corporate Volunteer Grants: Many employers match employee donations and offer volunteer grants, doubling or tripling individual impact. SSP coordinates with companies to facilitate these programs.
6. Planned Giving: Donors can include SSP in wills, trusts, retirement plans, life insurance policies, or charitable remainder trusts to create lasting legacy support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Student Sponsor Partners is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships funded by sponsors to enable low-income New York City students to attend one of 23 partner private high schools. Each sponsored student is paired with a dedicated mentor for one-on-one guidance, and SSP staff and partners deliver holistic support, academic guidance, and college and career planning through an integrated four-pillar model.

Product overview

Student Sponsor Partners (SSP) is a nonprofit organization that operates a four-pronged integrated program for underserved NYC youth: high school scholarships and access, one-on-one mentorship, college and career programs, and holistic support services including mental wellness. The core offerings include scholarship-funded private high school attendance at 23+ partner schools, individual mentor matching, and comprehensive college/career preparation. Additional programs include the Peter M. Flanigan Scholarship for college tuition and a Distressed Student Fund for emergency needs. The organization also offers a Corporate Impact Circle partnership program for businesses seeking to support students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peter M. Flanigan Scholarship: College scholarship program offering up to $10,000 per year in funds toward college tuition and a network of support for select juniors who demonstrate academic excellence.
• Impact Circle
• SSP Scholars

Products and services

• High School Scholarships and Access Provides scholarships enabling low-income NYC students to attend private Catholic and independent high schools across all five boroughs through partnerships with 23+ partner schools. For SSP scholars and prospective students.
• One-on-One Mentorship Program Pairs each scholarship student with a dedicated mentor who provides guidance, academic support, and personal development throughout their high school journey. For SSP scholars and volunteer mentors.
• College and Career Programs Comprehensive programs including college application guidance, financial aid assistance (FAFSA), essay workshops, career exploration, professional networking, and workforce development initiatives. For SSP high school scholars and alumni.
• Holistic Support Services Mental wellness support, emergency hardship fund for basic needs (food, housing, school supplies), and comprehensive case management to address barriers to student success. For SSP scholars and their families.
• Peter M. Flanigan Scholarship Merit-based scholarship providing up to $10,000 per year for college tuition, awarded to select junior and senior SSP students who demonstrate academic excellence, including a network of ongoing support. For high-achieving SSP scholars transitioning to college.
• Corporate Partnership (Impact Circle) Tiered corporate giving program starting at $10,000 annually with benefits including direct student engagement, recognition at events, and exclusive networking opportunities at Agent of Change, Pioneer, Champion, or Innovator levels. For corporations seeking ESG-aligned community impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% high school on-time graduation rate vs 0% baseline for similar demographics
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Staten Island Catholic High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2020Strategic partnership extending SSP's reach through Staten Island Catholic High School, enabling expansion into all five boroughs of NYC.
• Moore Catholic High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling SSP to expand services into all five NYC boroughs, with Moore Catholic serving as the Staten Island anchor school for the scholarship and mentorship program.
• NYPD (New York Police Department)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 150 NYPD officers serve as mentors in SSP's program, providing positive role models and guidance to students. The partnership was initiated by Executive Director Debra De Jesus-Vizzi and Lt. Michael Almonte, an SSP mentor for nearly a decade.
• Life Insurance Council of New York (LICONY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLICONY launched the Talent Incubator Program in partnership with SSP, allowing 15 junior and senior SSP students to explore insurance industry careers through two-week immersive experiences at member companies including MetLife, Equitable, New York Life, and Guardian Life.
• St. John's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. John's University provides an accounting program for SSP students and assists Brooklyn teens in breaking into the insurance field through the InsureFutures workforce development initiative with Cristo Rey Brooklyn.
• Goldman SachscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoldman Sachs partners with SSP through the Financial & Scholastics Training Program, sending mentors to meet with students weekly and facilitating college tours. They also conduct essay workshops and offer professional development opportunities. The firm has employed SSP alumni including Jazmine Gallimore (Class of 2015).
• EquitablemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquitable hosts networking events and panel discussions for SSP students, providing opportunities to cultivate professional connections and learn about career paths in the financial services industry.
• MetLifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company of LICONY's Talent Incubator Program, providing site visits and professional exposure for SSP students exploring insurance careers.
• The Guardian Life Insurance Company of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company of LICONY's Talent Incubator Program. Francine Chew, Head of Corporate Impact at Guardian and LICONY Chair of Charitable Giving Committee, organized the program.
• StrykerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStryker volunteers conduct resume workshops and mock interview sessions with SSP students as part of college and career preparation programs.
• Lord AbbettminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLord Abbett sponsors Liberty Science Center visits for SSP scholars, providing educational enrichment experiences for partner school students.
• BlackRockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackRock hosts Futures in Finance networking and learning sessions for select SSP Scholars, providing career exploration opportunities in the asset management industry.
• JefferiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJefferies team members will be honored at the 2026 Founder's Dinner. The firm hosts Stock Market 101 sessions for SSP students and has deep engagement through various programs.
• Albert Einstein College of MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with SSP on the screening of 'The Calling: A Medical School Journey' documentary, followed by panel discussion with film director and featured students.
• W.P. CareyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerW.P. Carey hosts SSP at the New York Stock Exchange Closing, providing students exposure to financial markets and corporate leadership.
• New York Botanical GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts SSP Mentor/Mentee Earth Day Garden Volunteering events, providing environmental education and team-building activities for mentor-mentee pairs.
• Liberty Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiberty Science Center visits for SSP scholars from partner schools, with scavenger hunt activities. Generously sponsored by Lord Abbett.
• 23 Partner Private High SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Catholic and independent private high schools across NYC including Bishop Loughlin, Cathedral High School, Cristo Rey Brooklyn, All Hallows, Nazareth Regional, Academy of Mount Saint Ursula, Preston High School, St. Jean Baptiste, Martin Luther School, La Salle Academy, Cardinal Hayes, Moore Catholic, St. Francis Preparatory, and others.
• Cristo Rey Brooklyn High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCristo Rey Brooklyn partners with SSP, St. John's University, and insurance industry partners on InsureFutures, providing 20 students with paid work-study experiences at leading insurance companies.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iMentor: iMentor pairs low-income students with college-educated mentors for multi-year relationships; in fact SSP uses the iMentor platform. Strong overlap in one-on-one mentorship model and similar student populations, though iMentor focuses purely on mentoring rather than private school scholarships.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City: Provides one-on-one youth mentoring in NYC with volunteer recruitment and corporate partnerships. Comparable mentor-matching model and NYC geography, but focuses on community-based mentoring rather than school placement and scholarship.
• Prep for Prep: Prep for Prep identifies high-achieving students of color in NYC and prepares them for placement at independent schools, with ongoing support and summer programming. Direct overlap in underserved NYC youth, private school access, and long-term support model.
• A Better Chance: National organization placing high-achieving students of color into independent and selective schools, with alumni support programs. Comparable scholarship-plus-support mission targeting underserved students, though operating nationally rather than NYC-only.
• TEAK Fellowship: TEAK Fellowship provides scholarships, mentorship, and summer programs to underserved NYC middle school students attending top independent schools; virtually identical model to SSP's combination of tuition sponsorship plus one-on-one mentorship plus college and career support.

Emerging players

• New York Foundling: NYC child welfare and youth services nonprofit offering education, foster care, and mentoring programs. Comparable nonprofit mission serving vulnerable NYC youth with educational components, though broader scope including social services.
• Children's Aid Society: Long-standing NYC nonprofit serving low-income children and families through education, after-school, college access, and college persistence programs. Overlap in NYC youth-education and college access mission but with a much broader service portfolio.
• KIPP NYC: NYC charter school network serving low-income students with extended instruction and college-prep focus. Comparable in serving underserved NYC youth with college outcomes focus, but delivers its own education directly rather than placing students at partner private schools.
• Horizons at Friends Academy: Summer learning and year-round academic enrichment program for underserved youth, with several NYC-area Horizons affiliates. Comparable in targeted academic-support-and-mentorship model for low-income students, though smaller scale and summer-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Robin Hood Foundation: One of NYC's largest poverty-fighting foundations, funding education, housing, and workforce programs including scholarships and college access. Comparable NYC focus and education philanthropy, but operates as a grantmaking foundation rather than a direct-service program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sspnewyork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9tV5EIkULhQuqS5RyAYNzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/studentsponsorpartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/student-sponsor-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/sspnewyork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Student Sponsor Partners