Pride Center of Staten Island

What Pride Center of Staten Island does

Pride Center of Staten Island is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization, incorporated in New York State, that operates the only dedicated LGBTQIA+ community center serving Staten Island from its headquarters at 66 Willow Avenue, Suite 202. Founded in 2015, the Center delivers a broad portfolio of free programs across four primary verticals: behavioral health (individual, couples, and family counseling plus identity-based support groups such as Transcendence, Families in Transition, and G-Spec), youth services for ages 13-24 (Youth Drop-In Activities, the Pride Power empowerment group with paid stipends), elder adult programming for ages 50+ (Golden Rainbow, with meal programs and care management), and adjunct services including case management, HIV prevention, and a signature Luv on a Leash therapy dog program supported by The Bruce Geary Foundation.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded: all services are provided free of charge to community members and allies, with revenue drawn from individual donations, foundation grants (e.g., Bruce Geary Foundation for therapy dogs), corporate-sponsored events (Annual Golf Outing, Pride Bowling Night at Rab's Country Lanes), and a modest Education & Outreach training line offered to external organizations in-person and virtually. Distribution is hybrid — a single physical site supplemented by Zoom, Discord, and Google Meet for virtual programming and off-site therapy dog visits across Staten Island hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and community organizations.

Customer acquisition is community-led and event-driven rather than commercial: the Center reaches constituents through organic social media (Instagram, Facebook), a monthly event calendar, word-of-mouth referrals, and outreach training. There is no proprietary technology product; the technology stack consists of standard SaaS tools (Constant Contact for email, Indeed for hiring, Volgistics for volunteers, Zoom/Teams/Discord/Google Meet for virtual delivery). Current leadership includes Executive Director Agatha Vassallo (since 2023), supported by a clinical and program team of approximately 11 staff covering behavioral health, youth services, senior services, events and outreach, digital media, and operations, with active hiring underway for additional programming capacity.

Name

Pride Center of Staten Island

Legal name

Pride Center of Staten Island, Inc.

Website

https://pridecentersi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pride Center of Staten Island is Staten Island's only dedicated LGBTQIA+ community center, providing free behavioral health, youth (13-24), elder adult (50+), case management, legal, and therapy dog programs to LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, and allies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Community support services
• Behavioral health counseling
• Youth empowerment programs
• Senior care services
• LGBTQIA+ advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Staten Island

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. Donations: Accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations to support operations and programs.
2. Foundation Funding: Receives funding from foundations such as The Bruce Geary Foundation for specific programs like Luv on a Leash therapy dog program.
3. Volunteer Support: Relies on volunteer contributions for programs and services, though this is not a revenue stream but an operational support model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Pride Center of Staten Island provides free behavioral health counseling, support groups, case management, youth programs, senior programming, education and outreach training, and a therapy dog program to LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies on Staten Island. All programs and services are offered free of charge and are delivered both in-person at its community center and through virtual channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Services Free, confidential short-term individual, couples, or family counseling for LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families. Includes support groups based on identity and/or clinical goal and LGBTQIA+-affirming mental health resources.
• Support Groups Peer support groups facilitated by clinical staff including Transcendence (transgender and gender non-conforming community), Families in Transition (parents of transgender individuals), and G-Spec (LGBTQIA+ youth 13-17). All groups are free and offered in-person and virtually.
• Case Management Services Free LGBTQ+ case management for individuals and allies ages 13+ including 6-week brief case management, letter for gender-affirming care, free binder distribution through GC2B Cares partnership, and career help services.
• Legal Assistance Partnership with NYLAG's LGBTQIA+ Law Project providing free legal services including employment, housing, public benefits, shelter access, name changes, gender marker changes, family law and life planning.
• Luv on a Leash Therapy Dogs Animal-assisted therapy program placing trained, registered therapy dog teams throughout Staten Island community including hospitals, healthcare facilities, schools, and agencies. Funded by The Bruce Geary Foundation.
• Youth Services Free youth drop-in activities for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13-24 including discussion groups, movies, video games, arts and crafts, cooking workshops, watch parties, and field trips. Available both in-person and hybrid formats.
• Pride Power Weekly empowerment group for LGBTQIA+ young women and gender non-conforming individuals ages 13-24. Includes a biannual 10-session Saturday Skills Series covering leadership, sexual health, financial literacy, job/education readiness. Participants can earn $100 stipend.
• Education and Outreach 60-120-minute LGBTQIA+ and intersectional trainings for organizations conducted in-person and virtually via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Tailored to organizational needs for schools, workplaces, and community settings.
• Golden Rainbow Elder Adults Programming Life-enriching programs for LGBTQIA+ elder adults ages 50+ including drop-in hours, meal program, care management with information/referrals, benefits coordination, and intergenerational programming.
• HIV Prevention Free health services including HIV prevention programs and testing. Part of the Center's broader health services for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GC2B CarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GC2B Cares to offer free binders to trans and gender-expansive individuals. The Pride Center schedules 20-minute in-person sizing appointments, and participants receive binders at no cost if available sizes match.
• NYLAG (New York Legal Assistance Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYLAG's LGBTQIA+ Law Project provides free legal services including employment, housing, public benefits, name changes, gender marker changes, family law, and life planning. Pride Center serves as a referral point for community members needing legal assistance.
• Rab's Country LanesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRab's Country Lanes hosts the monthly Pride Bowling Night events. A portion of proceeds from the event benefits the Pride Center of Staten Island.
• Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard Chair Emilie Tippins manages communications and development for CHASI. CHASI provides community-based social services including health care linkage, substance use services, HIV testing and prevention, and food pantry services.
• Con EdisonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Josh Rivera serves as Director for Staten Island Regional and Community Affairs at Con Edison. Con Edison provides community affairs support and partnerships with Staten Island organizations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The LOFT LGBT Community Services Center: LGBTQ+ community center serving Westchester County, NY with support groups, youth programming, and education. Regional peer with similar community-center model to PCSI's Staten Island operation.

Direct peers

• Destination Tomorrow: LGBTQ+ community center serving the Bronx and Lower Westchester with youth programs, housing support, and case management. Comparable small-staff LGBTQ+ community-center model in the NYC outer-boroughs.
• GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): Long-standing NYC HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ services organization offering case management, mental health, and prevention programming. Comparable in HIV prevention, case management, and counseling services.
• Ali Forney Center: NYC nonprofit providing housing and services for LGBTQ+ homeless youth. Comparable youth-focused mission, particularly aligned with PCSI's youth drop-in and Pride Power programming for at-risk LGBTQIA+ youth.
• Hetrick-Martin Institute: NYC-based nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ youth (ages 13-24) with counseling, education, and youth development programs. Directly comparable to PCSI's Youth Services and Pride Power offerings.
• PFLAG NYC: NYC chapter of PFLAG supporting LGBTQ+ people and their families through support groups and education. Directly comparable to PCSI's Families in Transition support group and community-education focus.
• Callen-Lorde Community Health Center: LGBTQ+-affirming health center providing primary care, behavioral health, and HIV prevention services in NYC. Overlaps with PCSI's HIV prevention and behavioral health counseling services.
• The LGBT Community Center (NYC): The flagship LGBTQ+ community center in Manhattan offering youth, senior, behavioral health, arts, and wellness programming. Directly comparable as a multi-service LGBTQ+ community center with free programs; PCSI is the borough-level analogue serving Staten Island.
• SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders): National organization providing advocacy and services for LGBTQ+ elders, including care management and community programs. SAGE's elder-services model closely mirrors PCSI's Golden Rainbow programming for adults 50+.

Broad incumbents

• Make the Road New York: Larger NYC nonprofit providing legal, education, and community-services programming with LGBTQ+ inclusion work. Comparable in free legal referrals, adult education, and community organizing adjacent to PCSI's NYLAG partnership model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StatenIslandLGBT
• Instagraminstagram.com/pridecentersi
• Xx.com/pridecenterSI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pride-center-of-staten-island

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pride Center of Staten Island