Youth Advocacy Foundation

What Youth Advocacy Foundation does

Youth Advocacy Foundation (YAF) is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 with the mission of protecting and advancing the legal and human rights of children. For its first 22 years, YAF operated primarily through the EdLaw Project, a team of attorneys providing legal representation to court-involved youth in school discipline, academic failure, and unmet special education needs. In June 2023, the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts state public defender agency, made EdLaw a permanent part of its organization. Following this transition, YAF pivoted to focus on next-generation school-to-prison pipeline disruption initiatives, including funding social service support, emergency client assistance, legal and technology tools, and paralegal/intake support for the now-CPCS-embedded EdLaw attorneys.

YAF's current program portfolio includes the V.O.I.C.E.S. initiative (a community platform for impacted youth and families funded by the Schott Foundation), BAEE (Black Advocates for Education Excellence, founded by a YAF board member), the CAFL Client Advisory Board, and the Rosie D. Preservation Project (a multi-organizational effort led by the Center for Public Representation with Tower Foundation funding, in which YAF partners with Massachusetts Advocates for Children and the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts). Services are delivered free of charge to eligible clients through four regional offices (Boston, Roxbury, Salem, Springfield), the statewide EdLaw Helpline, and a network of volunteer pro bono attorneys.

The organization's business model is donation-driven. Revenue streams include individual donations via PayPal, text-to-donate, Zelle, bank transfer, and checks; event sponsorships from law firms and corporations (annual Spring Celebration, Boston Marathon Team YAF); and foundation grants from the Schott Foundation, Cummings Foundation ($20 Million Grant Program), Tower Foundation, and Treco Foundation. YAF is governed by a Board of Directors led by Chair Dulcineia Goncalves, with operational leadership from President & CEO Marlies Spanjaard and Executive Director Michele Scavongelli. The organization operates with approximately 6 dedicated YAF staff and supports an EdLaw team of 8 attorneys, 2 social workers, 1 intake coordinator/paralegal, and 1 administrative assistant.

Name

Youth Advocacy Foundation

Legal name

Youth Advocacy Foundation

Website

https://youthadvocacyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Legal advocacy services
• Education advocacy
• Juvenile justice
• Nonprofit legal services
• Special education advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue source from individual donors, including online donations via PayPal, text-to-donate, recurring donations, Zelle transfers, bank transfers, and mail-in checks. YAF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Event Sponsorships and Fundraising: Revenue from annual spring celebration events, Boston Marathon charity team fundraising, and event sponsorships from law firms and corporations.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations including the Schott Foundation (supporting V.O.I.C.E.S. initiative), Cummings Foundation ($20 Million Grant Program recipient), and Tower Foundation (Rosie D. Project).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Youth Advocacy Foundation (YAF) is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free legal advocacy and education representation to court-involved youth, students with disabilities, and children in the child welfare system. Its flagship program, the EdLaw Project (now a permanent part of CPCS), delivers legal representation in school discipline, academic failure, and unmet special education matters; YAF also funds social service support, an EdLaw Helpline, and community-driven initiatives such as V.O.I.C.E.S. and the Black Advocates for Education Excellence (BAEE).

Product overview

Youth Advocacy Foundation is a non-profit organization providing legal advocacy services, not a technology company. The organization operates through several interconnected programs: the EdLaw Project provides direct legal representation to court-involved youth; YAF V.O.I.C.E.S. creates community spaces for impacted youth and families; the Black Advocates for Education Excellence provides disability education advocacy; the CAFL Client Advisory Board engages families in policy feedback; and the Rosie D. Project advocates for behavioral health services. Supporting these programs are the EdLaw Helpline, The Advocate Newsletter, and Quick Reference Guides that disseminate knowledge and provide direct support to families and attorneys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EdLaw Project: Education advocacy unit providing legal representation and support to court-involved youth regarding school discipline, academic failure, and unmet special education needs.
• V.O.I.C.E.S. (Voices of Impacted Communities Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline)
• Black Advocates for Education Excellence (BAEE)

Products and services

• EdLaw Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Many children remain in school with services they need to thrive as a result of EdLaw attorney work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EdLaw Project / CPCS (Committee for Public Counsel Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023In June 2023, CPCS made EdLaw a permanent part of the CPCS organization. YAF continues to support EdLaw through funding social service support, emergency needs assistance, legal and technology tools, paralegal and intake support. EdLaw attorneys are organized by region and support the 1000 person juvenile bar representing 20-25,000 children in child welfare or juvenile justice systems.
• Black Educators for Educational Equity (BAEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by YAF Board member Edith Bazile. BAEE provides advocacy services to ensure students with disabilities receive appropriate education including services, supports, resources and placement in research-based methodologies. Works collaboratively to co-construct IEPs and educational placement while centering student vision and goals.
• Center for Public Representation (CPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPR leads the Rosie D. Preservation Project, a three-year initiative awarded by the Tower Foundation to preserve and enhance access to home-based services for children and youth in Massachusetts. YAF partners with CPR, Massachusetts Advocates for Children, and Children's Law Center of Massachusetts as part of this project.
• Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Rosie D. Preservation Project focused on evaluating the current landscape of children's behavioral health services and ensuring continued access to care for youth from diverse racial and linguistic communities.
• Children's Law Center of Massachusetts (CLCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Rosie D. Preservation Project working at the intersection of behavioral health services and special education, child welfare, and juvenile justice.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Public Representation: Massachusetts-based disability rights legal advocacy organization that leads the Rosie D. Preservation Project with YAF as a key partner. Direct peer working at the intersection of special education, behavioral health, and child welfare.
• Juvenile Law Center: Philadelphia-based national nonprofit providing legal advocacy for youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Closely comparable mission addressing school-to-prison pipeline, foster care education rights, and juvenile court reform.
• National Center for Youth Law: California-based national legal advocacy organization focused on youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Direct peer with overlapping mission around education rights, foster care, and systemic reform for vulnerable youth.
• Lawyers for Children: New York-based nonprofit providing free legal representation to children in abuse, neglect, and other court proceedings. Comparable holistic legal-social work model serving court-involved youth from low-income families.
• Disability Rights Center of Massachusetts: Massachusetts Protection and Advocacy system providing legal advocacy for people with disabilities. Overlapping mission on special education rights for court-involved youth with disabilities in Massachusetts.
• Children's Law Center of Massachusetts: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing legal advocacy for children in child welfare, education, and juvenile justice matters. Direct peer as a partner on the Rosie D. Preservation Project alongside YAF and serving the same at-risk youth population in Massachusetts.
• Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee: Massachusetts committee providing legal advocacy on behalf of people with mental health needs including children in state custody. Co-plaintiff with YAF on the 2024 class action for special education services in Houses of Correction.
• Massachusetts Advocates for Children: Statewide nonprofit advocating for children with disabilities, children from low-income families, and children of color in education and child welfare systems. Co-partner on the Rosie D. Preservation Project with overlapping special education and behavioral health focus.

Broad incumbents

• ACLU of Massachusetts: Statewide affiliate of the ACLU conducting civil rights litigation and advocacy including juvenile justice and education equity. Broader incumbent with overlapping policy advocacy interests around Raise the Age and school discipline reform.
• Children's Defense Fund: National child advocacy organization working on child poverty, juvenile justice, and education equity. Broader incumbent with overlapping school-to-prison pipeline and child welfare policy reform focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yaf_boston
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthadvocacyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthadvocacyfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthadvocacyfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Youth Advocacy Foundation