Promise Project
Promise Project is a New York City nonprofit that provides free neuropsychological evaluations, educational advocacy, and school-based reading screening to underserved children with learning disabilities, operating through a partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNew City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Promise Project does
Promise Project is a privately funded New York City nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Dana Buchman to address learning disabilities in underserved children. Its flagship program, Promise at Columbia, operates as a clinical site embedded within Columbia University Irving Medical Center and affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, providing free comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, educational advocacy, IEP support, and long-term follow-up to children ages 4-21 from families living below NYC poverty guidelines. The organization predominantly serves children from Washington Heights, Harlem, and the South Bronx — neighborhoods with high poverty rates, large English-language-learner populations, and significant immigrant communities.
The portfolio of programs includes the Early Promise school-based pilot (launched with the NYC Department of Education) which uses the proprietary EPIC (Early Promise Intervention Connect) assessment tool to screen kindergarteners for reading disorder risk and train school staff in early intervention; a structured two-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology that builds a clinical talent pipeline; and a Learning Disability Research Initiative focused on root causes and replicable prevention models. All services are delivered free of charge to qualifying families; the organization has no fee-based revenue model.
Promise Project is funded through a combination of individual donations (processed via GiveLively), foundation and corporate grants from funders including Robin Hood Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, New York Community Trust, Winston Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, GFP Real Estate, and Ben-Dov Family/Luminescence Foundation, and sponsorships tied to its annual Beautiful Promise benefit gala. Operations are supported administratively by the Fund for the City of New York, which is listed in copyright filings. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Lori Buchbinder with Founding Chair Dana Buchman and is led day-to-day by Executive Director Theodore (Ted) Kamoutsis. There are no identified M&A transactions, parent company, subsidiaries, or public-market instruments.
Promise Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Promise Project
- Legal name
- Promise Project
- Website
- https://promise-project.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Promise Project is a New York City nonprofit that provides free neuropsychological evaluations, educational advocacy, and school-based reading screening to underserved children with learning disabilities, operating through a partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Promise Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education and Pediatric Neuropsychology Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Disabilities & Dyslexia Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Parent & Caregiver Training for LD/Dyslexia Support (EDAKAJAJ), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)
Keywords
Where Promise Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Promise Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization through one-time gifts, recurring donations, birthday/anniversary fundraising pages, and planned giving. The organization uses GiveLively platform for online donations.
- Foundation & Corporate Grants: Promise Project receives funding from private foundations and corporations including Robin Hood Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and various family foundations. These are grant-based contributions that support operational costs.
- Annual Gala Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for the Beautiful Promise annual event provide significant revenue. Sponsorships range from Lead Sponsor to Children's Friend tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Others | Free services for qualifying low-income families |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Promise Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Promise Project is a nonprofit organization that provides free neuropsychological evaluations, educational advocacy, IEP development support, and school-based screening services for underserved children with learning disabilities in New York City. Its flagship offering, Promise at Columbia, delivers comprehensive cognitive assessments, clinical recommendations, and follow-up services through a clinic embedded within Columbia University Irving Medical Center, supplemented by the Early Promise kindergarten screening program and a post-doctoral training fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology.
Product overview
Promise Project is a nonprofit organization offering a suite of interconnected programs for underserved children with learning disabilities. The core offerings include: (1) Promise at Columbia, the flagship clinic providing comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and advocacy services; (2) Early Promise, an in-school kindergarten screening program using the EPIC assessment tool; (3) Educational Advocacy services guiding families through the IEP process; and (4) a Neuropsychological Evaluation Process that includes cognitive testing, feedback sessions, and ongoing support. Supporting programs include a post-doctoral training fellowship to develop qualified professionals and a scientific research initiative focused on LD causes and interventions. The organization operates primarily in New York City in partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Promise at Columbia Comprehensive program providing state-of-the-art neuropsychological assessments, clinical recommendations, IEP development support, and follow-up services for underserved children with learning disabilities in New York City, located at and embedded within Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
- Early Promise (EPIC - Early Promise Intervention Connect) Pilot program launched in collaboration with the NYC Department of Education that identifies risk for reading disorders in kindergarten students using the EPIC (Early Promise Intervention Connect) assessment tool and trains school staff on early intervention practices.
- Educational Advocacy Service in which Education Coordinators partner with parents to navigate the special education system, helping them understand IEPs, advocate at meetings, and obtain appropriate school placements, accommodations, and intervention services.
- Neuropsychological Evaluation Process Comprehensive assessment process including initial meetings, multi-session cognitive and academic testing (8-10 hours), school observations, feedback sessions, and advocacy support to identify learning disabilities and create actionable IEPs.
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology Two-year, full-time clinical training program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center for professionals interested in pediatric neuropsychology, offering exposure to neuropsychological assessment, educational advocacy, and research.
- Learning Disability Research Initiative Scientific research initiative aimed at determining root causes of learning disabilities and developing effective therapeutic interventions, including low-cost prevention programs replicable across the country.
Quantifiable outcome
- State-of-the-art neuropsychological evaluations for underserved children who otherwise would not have access
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Promise Project
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Promise Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Promise Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Columbia University Irving Medical CentercorePromise Project is affiliated with Columbia University Irving Medical Center, embedded within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. This partnership provides access to world-renowned research facilities, multidisciplinary clinical teams, and the academic infrastructure that supports cutting-edge learning disability research. Columbia Psychiatry researchers rank first nationally in NIH funding.
- NewYork-Presbyterian HospitalcoreIn partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, Promise Project created the Promise at Columbia clinic, the most comprehensive program in New York City for underserved children with learning disabilities. The clinic is part of NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, allowing care for the 'entire child' including emotional, psychological, and behavioral consequences of learning disabilities.
- NYC Department of EducationcoreEarly Promise program launched in collaboration with the NYC DOE to identify risk for reading disorders in kindergarten students. The program trains school staff on EPIC assessment methodology and creates sustainable literacy identification practices within schools.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Promise Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nemours Children's Health: Large pediatric health system operating children's hospitals and specialty programs including learning and developmental services. Comparable as a broader incumbent delivering pediatric neuropsychological and learning services within a wider clinical portfolio.
- Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity: University-based research and advocacy center at Yale addressing dyslexia through scientific research, screening tools (DyslexiaScreen), and educator training. Comparable as an academic-affiliated LD research and screening organization with broader institutional scale than Promise Project.
Direct peers
- Eye to Eye National: Nonprofit that mentors middle school students with learning disabilities and ADHD through near-peer programs. Directly comparable as a peer LD-focused nonprofit serving a similar underserved-student demographic with structured school-based support.
- Understood.org: Online resource and advocacy organization for people with learning and attention issues. Directly comparable as a nonprofit serving the same LD population with education, support, and community resources, although operating digitally rather than through clinical service delivery.
- Child Mind Institute: NYC-based independent nonprofit providing children's mental health and learning disorder evaluation, treatment, and research. Comparable as a peer NYC nonprofit delivering clinical evaluations and school-family support, with a broader mental health scope.
- Learning Ally: Nonprofit providing audiobooks, parent resources, and educator tools for students with reading differences including dyslexia. Comparable as a peer LD-support nonprofit serving similar families and schools, but distributed digitally rather than through clinical service delivery.
- International Dyslexia Association: Nonprofit organization focused specifically on dyslexia and related language-based learning disabilities, providing resources, professional development, and advocacy. Highly comparable as a peer LD nonprofit, with stronger national/international reach than Promise Project's NYC focus.
- National Center for Learning Disabilities: National nonprofit working to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities through advocacy, research, and resources. Comparable as a peer LD-focused nonprofit addressing underserved populations and policy, though operating at national scope rather than direct service.
- CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD): National nonprofit providing education, advocacy, and support for people affected by ADHD and related learning/attention issues. Closely comparable as a nonprofit serving a highly overlapping pediatric attention/LD population, with similar parent-training and school-navigation offerings.
- Learning Disabilities Association of America: National nonprofit advocating for individuals with learning disabilities through education, support, and policy work. Comparable as a peer LD-focused nonprofit addressing similar families and schools, but with a broader advocacy mandate versus Promise Project's clinical service model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Promise Project social profiles
Digital presencePromise Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Promise Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Promise Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Promise Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Promise Project
What does Promise Project do?
Promise Project is a nonprofit organization that provides free neuropsychological evaluations, educational advocacy, IEP development support, and school-based screening services for underserved children with learning disabilities in New York City. Its flagship offering, Promise at Columbia, delivers comprehensive cognitive assessments, clinical recommendations, and follow-up services through a clinic embedded within Columbia University Irving Medical Center, supplemented by the Early Promise kindergarten screening program and a post-doctoral training fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology.
Is Promise Project a public or private company?
Promise Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Promise Project founded?
Promise Project was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Promise Project based?
Promise Project is headquartered in New City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Promise Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation & Corporate Grants and annual Gala Sponsorships.
Who are Promise Project's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nemours Children's Health and Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. Direct peers are Eye to Eye National, Understood.org, Child Mind Institute, Learning Ally, International Dyslexia Association, National Center for Learning Disabilities, CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) and Learning Disabilities Association of America.
Does Promise Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Promise Project.
What industry is Promise Project in?
Promise Project's product category is Special Education and Pediatric Neuropsychology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAAAB, Learning Disabilities & Dyslexia Schools & Programs, with a secondary code of EDAKAJAJ, Parent & Caregiver Training for LD/Dyslexia Support. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.