Crittenton Services of Greater Washington

What Crittenton Services of Greater Washington does

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington is a Maryland-incorporated nonprofit founded in 1887 that delivers school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) and youth development programs to middle and high school girls facing adversity in Washington, DC, Montgomery County, MD, and Baltimore, MD. The organization operates three core programs — SNEAKERS (8th-12th grade), Goal Setting Girls (a 28-week 6th-7th grade curriculum integrating the CASEL/SAMHSA-recognized Second Step program), and PEARLS (for pregnant and parenting teens) — and supports 43 ongoing weekly groups across three field offices in Silver Spring, Washington, and Baltimore. It reports a 100% high school graduation rate, 99% grade advancement, and 83% college enrollment among participants, and serves 600+ girls annually, a figure that doubled to over 1,200 during the pandemic.

The underlying "platform" is a trauma-informed, whole-girl/whole-community model delivered by program coordinators embedded in partner schools, with proprietary content layered on top of the evidence-based Second Step curriculum, including the "Today, Tomorrow, Forever: My Life Planner" journal. Supporting programs include the Crittenton Cupboard emergency assistance initiative, the Declare Equity for Girls advocacy project, and the "Talk With A Teen Girl Today" video series, with the Annual High Tea serving as the signature fundraising and mentorship event featuring sponsorship tiers up to $35,000.

All services are free to participants. Crittenton is funded entirely through grants (Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women, V&S Foundation, Schattner Foundation), government contracts (DC Department of Employment Services, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services), individual and corporate donations, and event sponsorships. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is governed by an independent board, and is currently led by President and CEO Sheena R. Foster (appointed late 2025), the third chief executive since 2019.

Name

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington

Legal name

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington

Website

https://crittentonservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington is a 137-year-old nonprofit delivering school-based social and emotional learning and youth development programs to middle and high school girls facing adversity across Washington, DC and Maryland, serving 600+ participants annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Pregnant & Parenting Teen Education Programs (EDAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Social emotional learning
• Teen mentorship services
• Girls education programs
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Nonprofit relies on donations from individuals and corporations. The organization runs fundraising events including an Annual High Tea and 137th Anniversary Celebration with sponsorship tiers up to $35,000 for presenting sponsorship.
2. Foundation Grants: Crittenton receives grants from foundations including Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women initiative, V&S Foundation (COVID-19 Emergency Fund match), and Schattner Foundation. Grants support specific programs and organizational capacity.
3. Event Sponsorships: Annual events like the High Tea and Anniversary Celebration feature sponsorship opportunities at various levels (Bronze $1,000 to Platinum $10,000 for High Tea; up to $35,000 Presenting Sponsor for Anniversary).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington delivers free, school-embedded youth development programs for middle and high school girls facing adversity, centered on social and emotional learning, mentorship, academic support, and leadership development. The core portfolio includes the SNEAKERS program (grades 8–12), the PEARLS program for pregnant or parenting teens, and the 28-week Goal Setting Girls curriculum (grades 6–7), all delivered through weekly in-school group sessions of 15–18 participants.

Product overview

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington operates as a nonprofit offering multiple structured youth development programs for middle and high school teen girls facing adversity in Washington, DC and Maryland. The core product portfolio includes SNEAKERS (8th-12th grade program), PEARLS (for pregnant/parenting teens), and Goal Setting Girls (6th-7th grade curriculum). Supporting offerings include the Talk With A Teen Girl Today video series, Annual High Tea mentorship events, Declare Equity for Girls advocacy initiative, Crittenton Cupboard emergency assistance, and COVID-19 Resource Guide. Programs focus on social and emotional learning (SEL), academic support, mentorship, leadership development, and college/career preparation through a whole-girl, whole-community holistic approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SNEAKERS A youth development program for girls navigating the challenges and choices of 8th to 12th grades, providing mentorship, sisterhood, academic support, and goal setting through weekly in-school group sessions.
• PEARLS A positive youth development program for young women who are pregnant or parenting, enabling them to succeed as students and parents while covering healthy pregnancy, parenting skills, infant development, and postsecondary education planning. PEARLS stands for Parenting, Education, And, Responsive, Life, Skills.
• Goal Setting Girls A 28-week curriculum focusing on social and emotional learning for 6th and 7th grade girls from lower income families, using goal setting as the entry point, integrating the evidence-based Second Step curriculum and project-based STEM career introduction.
• Talk With A Teen Girl Today Video Series Video series where Crittenton girls interview powerhouse women and role models in their community, featuring aviation careers, STEM, and college preparation content.
• Annual High Tea

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% high school graduation rate among Crittenton participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HHS - Street Outreach Network (SON)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2020Partnered during COVID-19 to deliver emergency food and essential supplies to families in need, helping 375 adults, children and babies.
• Gandhi Brigade Youth MediaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2020Youth media organization partnered with Crittenton for COVID-19 Emergency Care Package Giveaway in East Montgomery County.
• Small Things MatterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2020Partnered with Crittenton for COVID-19 Emergency Care Package Giveaway, helping deliver essentials to families.
• Black Swan AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2020Co-hosted COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall for girls and gender fluid youth of color, providing safe space for discussing pandemic challenges and sharing resources.
• YWCA National Capital AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2020Co-hosted COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall for girls and gender fluid youth of color, partnering on community support initiatives.
• DC Coalition for GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2020Co-hosted COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall for girls and gender fluid youth of color, collaborating on advocacy and support.
• Montgomery County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2020Crittenton operates programs in MCPS schools, coordinating Chromebook distribution and meal services during pandemic for students and families served.
• Comcast Internet EssentialsminorOthers · 25 March 2020Provided free or reduced-price internet access resources to Crittenton families lacking broadband during pandemic for distance learning access.
• SPAGnVOLA Chocolate FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnered with Goal Setting Girls program for entrepreneurial education activity where girls learned chocolate-making and business operations from master chocolatiers. Girls created their own chocolate business plans and marketing strategies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Girls Inc. National nonprofit operating direct-service and school- and community-based programs for girls and youth, with comparable year-round programming, alumnae networks, and a focus on underserved populations — closely aligned with Crittenton's mission and embedded-delivery model.
• Step Up Women's Network: Nonprofit that mentors teen girls from underserved communities with after-school programming, college access, and career exposure — overlapping Crittenton's SNEAKERS and Goal Setting Girls offerings in target population, content focus, and college-readiness outcomes.
• GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services): New York–based nonprofit serving girls and young women facing adversity through mentoring, SEL, and youth-development programs with strong outcome tracking; comparable in serving an at-risk teen-girl population and in reporting metrics on graduation and postsecondary progression.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth-mentoring nonprofit with comparable volunteer-driven, school-embedded delivery model and focus on SEL and academic outcomes for at-risk youth — adjacent rather than direct, but operates in the same school partnership and outcomes-reporting ecosystem.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National girls' leadership and youth-development organization with comparable SEL, leadership, and college/career-readiness programming for K–12 girls; a broader incumbent that competes for the same donor, volunteer, and participant mindshare in the Greater Washington market.
• National Crittenton: National umbrella for the 26-agency Crittenton network of which Crittenton Services of Greater Washington is a member; provides shared brand, advocacy, and policy platform that gives direct comparability on mission, programming themes, and federal/state funding opportunities.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest US youth-development nonprofit, with school and community-site programming, SEL curricula, and outcome tracking for school-aged youth — comparable on distribution via schools, structured curricula, and donor/government funding mix, though broader in age and gender focus.

Regional players

• DC Coalition for Girls: DC-based coalition that partners with Crittenton on advocacy and programming for girls; a regional peer with similar policy/advocacy framing around girls of color and school-based services in the same metropolitan market.

Others

• YWCA USA: Large national nonprofit with local chapters (including YWCA National Capital Area, an active Crittenton partner) delivering youth development, empowerment, and SEL-style programming for girls and women — directly comparable on mission, target population, and school/community delivery model.

Emerging players

• Black Swan Academy: DC-area nonprofit that co-hosted COVID-era programming with Crittenton and focuses on civic engagement and leadership for youth of color — a local/emerging peer with overlapping target population and partnership activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CrittentonGW
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CrittentonGW301/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrittentonGW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florence-crittenton-services-of-greater-washington
• Instagraminstagram.com/crittentongw
• TikToktiktok.com/@crittentongw?_t=ZP-8wmyJlqpyVb&_r=1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crittenton Services of Greater Washington