Youth Community Service

What Youth Community Service does

Youth Community Service (YCS) is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit founded in 1990 that delivers youth service-learning, leadership development, and mental health programs to students primarily in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, California. Its core products include the Do Service Platform, a web-based volunteer management system with a companion mobile app (Causer) for service-hour check-ins and tracking; the peer-led Youth Connect program focused on youth mental health and civic engagement; School Based Programs embedded in Gunn High School, Palo Alto High School, and Ravenswood Schools; Service Pop-ups for flexible ad-hoc service; the YCS Scholarship; and the newly launched Youth Community Service Award introduced in 2026 to recognize student volunteers following the pause of the federal President's Volunteer Service Award. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants and supported by an ecosystem of more than 50 community organizations that host volunteer opportunities.

YCS operates a community-led go-to-market model: youth are organized through partner schools and peer ambassadors, volunteer opportunities are coordinated through the Do Service Platform, and engagement is concentrated around recurring events such as MLK Day, the Summer of Service program, and (as of 2026) Palo Alto's first Pride event. Senior Director Ashley Yee-Mazawa leads an 11–50 person team succeeding Leif Erickson, who retired in 2020; the organization has accumulated state-level recognition including a 2024 California Teachers' Association State Gold Award Certificate of Merit and a 2025 Palo Alto Educators Association Excellence in Education Award.

The organization's revenue model rests entirely on charitable contributions and grants. YCS holds IRS EIN 20-8099150, solicits individual donations through a dedicated donate page, and has been featured as a Grantee Spotlight by the Palo Alto Community Fund in February 2026. No revenue, ARR, or programmatic fee data is publicly disclosed; no parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership is indicated, and the entity operates as an independent 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit governed by a board of directors. Strategic partnerships, including recent civic engagement collaborations with the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County and Anamatangi Polynesian Voices, extend the organization's reach while remaining anchored to its single-region California footprint.

Name

Youth Community Service

Legal name

Youth Community Service

Website

https://youthcommunityservice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nonprofit founded in 1990 in Palo Alto, California delivering youth service-learning, leadership development, and mental health programs. Operates the Do Service volunteer management platform and partners with schools and 50+ community organizations across Palo Alto and East Palo Alto.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Youth service learning
• Volunteer coordination
• Leadership development programs
• Community engagement
• Nonprofit youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: YCS accepts donations from individuals to support their programs and operations. The organization has an IRS EIN (20-8099150) and encourages community support through their Donate page.
2. Grants: YCS receives grant funding from organizations such as the Palo Alto Community Fund, as evidenced by their Grantee Spotlight feature.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youth Community Service connects middle and high school students in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto with structured community-service opportunities through its Do Service Platform (web portal plus the Causer mobile app) for sign-up, check-in, and service-hour tracking. It complements this digital infrastructure with direct service programs including Youth Connect peer leadership, Summer of Service, Service Pop-ups, School Based Programs, the YCS Scholarship, and the Youth Community Service Award, alongside workshops and community events. All programs are delivered free of charge to youth participants.

Product overview

Youth Community Service (YCS) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of youth-focused community service programs. The core offering centers on the Do Service Platform (a volunteer management system) combined with direct service programs including Youth Connect Peer Leadership (mental health support), Summer of Service, Service Pop-ups, and School Based Programs. Additional offerings include the YCS Scholarship, Youth Community Service Award (launched 2026), Workshops, and Community Events. YCS leverages a service-learning model developed over 30 years to help youth find their voice while helping others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Do Service Platform Web-based volunteer management platform (volunteer.youthcommunityservice.org), paired with the Causer mobile app, that allows youth to discover service opportunities, sign up for events, check in to volunteer activities, log hours, and build a volunteer resume. Used by community partners to post opportunities.
• Youth Connect Peer Leadership Peer-led mental health and community service program where youth develop leadership skills while supporting peers and the local community through service-learning initiatives.
• Summer of Service 2026 Annual summer program enabling youth to participate in community service projects during summer break as part of YCS's broader service-learning model.
• Service Pop-ups Flexible, ad-hoc community service events that provide accessible volunteer opportunities for youth across various causes and locations in the Palo Alto and East Palo Alto area.
• School Based Programs Service-learning programs integrated into local schools, including mentoring of student projects in Social Justice pathways at Gunn High School and Palo Alto High School, plus technology support (e.g., Summer Tech Support preparing Chromebooks and iPads) for Ravenswood Schools in East Palo Alto.
• YCS Scholarship Financial award program supporting youth who demonstrate commitment to community service and academic achievement.
• Youth Community Service Award Recognition program established in early 2026 to honor student volunteers for their service contributions, created as an alternative following the May 2025 pause of the President's Volunteer Service Award.
• Workshops Educational workshops and skill-building sessions that complement service activities and support youth development.
• Community Events Community-wide events and gatherings that bring together youth, families, and community members for service and celebration, including MLK Day events, Gunn High School service days, and Palo Alto's first Pride celebration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Service-learning model refined over 30 years of operation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Palo Alto Community FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026YCS featured as Grantee Spotlight, highlighting their service-learning model and impact on youth and community in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto.
• League of Women Voters of South San Mateo CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024Collaborating to increase Hispanic voter turnout in the Latino community. Working together with Youth Community Service youth ambassadors to engage people in the Latino and Polynesian communities.
• Anamatangi Polynesian VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024Partnering with YCS and League of Women Voters to boost voter engagement in the Polynesian community in Peninsula cities.
• Palo Alto Art CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Project Look docent program and Art Center Teen Leadership (ACTL) opportunities for youth volunteers.
• Ravenswood SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYCS supports Ravenswood Schools in East Palo Alto with volunteer coordination and programs like Summer Tech Support for preparing Chromebooks and iPads.
• Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for theater camp volunteer opportunities and community day events.
• Gamble GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarden volunteering opportunities for YCS youth volunteers, involving planting, weeding, and garden maintenance.
• Loaves & Fishes Family KitchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular volunteer shift opportunities for YCS volunteers at their San Jose kitchen, warehouse, and serving sites.
• East Palo Alto Senior CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer opportunities for seniors including food distribution, office filing, and arts and crafts activities.
• Environmental VolunteersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaylands Restoration events at Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve for habitat restoration and invasive species removal.
• Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarden volunteering opportunities to support EHP's food program operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 4-H: Nationwide youth-development organization with service-learning, leadership, and civic-engagement tracks delivered through schools and clubs. Highly comparable programmatic structure to YCS.
• Points of Light: Large national service organization operating Days of Service and volunteer mobilization at scale. YCS's MLK Day and Days of Service programming mirror Points of Light's flagship offerings.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large youth-development nonprofit with school-based and community-club programming. Overlapping youth-outcomes focus, school partnerships, and after-school service opportunities.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth-mentoring nonprofit. YCS's Youth Connect peer leadership and student mentoring share the youth-mentoring frame, though BBBS focuses on one-to-one matches.

Direct peers

• DoSomething.org: Youth-driven nonprofit running national volunteer campaigns and digital platforms. Comparable target audience (teens/young adults), service-hour tracking, and recognition program structure.
• VolunteerMatch: Volunteer opportunity discovery and hour-tracking platform. YCS's Do Service Platform competes in the same functional category of volunteer sign-up and tracking infrastructure.
• Youth Service America: National nonprofit historically focused on youth volunteerism and service-learning grants/awards. Highly comparable mission (youth-led service) and overlapping programmatic language (service hours, recognition awards).

Emerging players

• Generation On: Youth service initiative under Points of Light focused on family and youth volunteering. Closely aligned with YCS's family-inclusive Days of Service and youth-led programming.
• City Year: Youth service corps embedding young volunteers in schools for civic and educational outcomes. Comparable youth-led service-in-schools model, though with paid corps members.

Others

• Palo Alto Community Fund: Local grantmaker that has featured YCS as a Grantee Spotlight. Not a competitor but a key funder and ecosystem partner; included to reflect the funding/peer network YCS operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@youthcommunityserviceycs8565
• Facebookfacebook.com/YCSBayArea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-community-service-ycs
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthcommunityservice
• Xx.com/ycsservingyouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Youth Community Service