What 826 Boston does

826 Boston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 and headquartered at 3035 Washington Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The organization provides free writing, tutoring, and publishing programs for students ages 6 to 18, primarily serving Boston Public Schools students in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. Its core programming consists of three integrated offerings: in-school Writers' Rooms operating at six Boston Public Schools, after-school tutoring at the Egleston Square Tutoring Center, and publishing projects that transform participating students into published authors. Signature programs include the College Essay Program for high-school juniors and seniors and the annual Social Justice Scholarship, which has awarded a cumulative $25,564 to 21 students over six years in partnership with the Hard Candy & Fruit Snacks podcast.

The organization's underlying operating model is volunteer-driven rather than technology-driven. More than 750 writing coaches, tutors, storytellers, editors, illustrators, and workshop leaders undergo a structured onboarding process — including a Volunteer Orientation Guide, CORI background checks, and tutor training sessions — and then commit to weekly shifts or individual sessions. Programs operate during school hours (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM) and after-school; the organization does not charge fees to students or families. Technology is limited to a WordPress-based website (826boston.org), social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), a volunteer portal branded W.A.T.E.R.I.N.G. H.O.L.E., and email newsletters, with no disclosed AI/ML, proprietary platform, or app capabilities.

826 Boston's revenue model is structured as a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than a commercial business model. Primary funding flows from individual donations, foundation grants (including the Cummings Foundation), and signature fundraising events — Books for Breakfast and the Half Marathon, now in its tenth year. Secondary streams include merchandise and student-publication sales through the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute online store, plus podcast-driven scholarship funding. The organization is an independent chapter affiliated with the 826 National network, which includes chapters in Chicago, DC, LA, Michigan, MSP, New Orleans, NYC, and Valencia. No private equity, venture capital, or institutional investor ownership is indicated.

Name

826 Boston

Legal name

826 Boston

Website

https://826boston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

826 Boston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free writing, tutoring, and publishing programs to Boston Public Schools students ages 6-18 in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain, operating through Writers' Rooms in six schools and an Egleston Square Tutoring Center, supported by 750+ volunteers and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Literacy and Tutoring Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Remedial Reading & Literacy Intervention (EDANAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAGAAAD), Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Youth writing programs
• Student tutoring services
• Nonprofit literacy education
• Student publishing programs
• After-school writing support

Headquarters

HQ city

West Roxbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, 826 Boston relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to fund its free youth writing and tutoring programs. The website features a prominent donate button and donation page.
2. Merchandise Sales (Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute): 826 Boston operates an online store selling student publications and merchandise. The store, branded as the 'Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute,' sells books and items with proceeds supporting free programming.
3. Fundraising Events: 826 Boston hosts signature events including an annual Books for Breakfast fundraiser and Half Half Half Half Half Marathon fundraiser to support programming.
4. Scholarship Partnerships: Partnership scholarships such as the Social Justice Scholarship (a cumulative total of $25,564 awarded to 21 students in 2026) are funded through partnerships like the Hard Candy & Fruit Snacks podcast.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

826 Boston provides free writing, tutoring, and publishing programs for students ages 6 to 18 across Greater Boston. Services are delivered at its Tutoring Center in Egleston Square and in Writers' Rooms inside six Boston Public Schools, supported by more than 750 volunteers who lead tutoring shifts, writing workshops, and editing sessions. Students produce published books and literary magazines that are sold through the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute online store, with proceeds reinvested in free programming.

Product overview

826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization that operates as a single integrated program rather than a platform. The organization provides free youth writing and tutoring programs for students ages 6-18, both in-school and after-school, through several interconnected offerings: Writers' Rooms in Boston Public Schools, after-school tutoring at the Egleston Square Tutoring Center, writing workshops, and publishing programs that transform students into published authors. The organization also operates a student publications store where books and magazines authored by students are sold. Key programs include the annual Social Justice Scholarship (in partnership with Hard Candy & Fruit Snacks podcast), College Essay Program, and biannual After-School Book Publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute: A retail/store section selling student publications and merchandise to support 826 Boston's free youth writing and tutoring programs.

Products and services

• 826 Boston Tutoring and Writing Programs Free after-school and in-school youth writing and tutoring programs for students ages 6–18, including one-on-one tutoring, homework support, and writing workshops delivered by trained volunteers.
• Student Publishing Program Hands-on publishing projects that transform student writers into published authors through annual books, biannual After-School Book Publication, and themed literary magazines.
• Writers' Rooms Dedicated in-school writing spaces operating inside six Boston Public Schools where students work on creative writing projects with volunteer support during school hours (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM).
• College Essay Program One-on-one support for high school juniors and seniors to brainstorm, draft, and edit college essays, delivered as single-day or multi-session workshops.
• Student Publications Store (Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute) Online storefront selling student-authored publications and merchandise, including works such as 'All This Ticking: Book One', 'When the Lights Go Out', and 'A Place for Me in the World', with proceeds reinvested in free programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students transform into published authors through hands-on writing and publishing projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

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 and minor.

• Hard Candy & Fruit Snacks PodcastcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for the Social Justice Scholarship, now in its sixth year. The podcast partners with 826 Boston to award scholarships to students in the Greater Boston area who have participated in 826 Boston programming. Scholarships of $2,000 or $826 are awarded to support students' pursuit of higher education, with $25,564 cumulatively awarded to 21 students in 2026.
• Boston Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner826 Boston operates programs in partnership with Boston Public Schools, including Writers' Rooms in six schools and programming that serves students from BPS in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. Programs align with school days and support the district's literacy goals.
• 826 NationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner826 Boston is part of the national 826 network, a network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping students ages 6-18 with their creative writing and critical thinking skills. Other chapters include Chicago, DC, LA, Michigan, MSP, New Orleans, NYC, and Valencia.
• Candid (formerly GuideStar)minorOthersFeatured on Candid's platform which provides nonprofit information and transparency ratings.
• Mass Mentoring PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with organization supporting youth mentoring programs in Massachusetts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• GrubStreet: Boston-based creative writing center offering writing instruction, workshops, and youth programs. Comparable on the writing-education axis and geography, though primarily serves adult writers with a youth-program overlay.

Direct peers

• 826 NYC: Sibling chapter in the 826 National network offering nearly identical free writing, tutoring, and publishing programs for K-12 students. Most directly comparable peer by mission, program design, and operating model, differing primarily by geography.
• 826 Chicago: Chicago-based 826 National chapter replicating the network's publishing-and-tutoring model for local K-12 students. Operationally and programmatically near-identical to 826 Boston.
• 826 DC: Washington, D.C. chapter of the 826 National network running parallel writing, tutoring, and publishing programming for DC-area students. Functionally identical model with different regional scope.
• 826 LA: Sister 826 National chapter delivering the same volunteer-powered writing and publishing programs to LA-area students. Mirrors 826 Boston's Writers' Rooms, tutoring center, and publishing arm with a different regional footprint.
• WriteBoston: Boston-area nonprofit focused on improving student writing through in-school programs with Boston Public Schools. Most comparable local peer, sharing geography and target student population though with a narrower publishing offering.

Broad incumbents

• Reading Partners: National nonprofit mobilizing volunteer tutors to improve K-12 literacy in under-resourced schools. Highly comparable volunteer-driven, school-embedded literacy model, though focused on reading rather than writing/publishing.
• First Book: National nonprofit distributing books and educational resources to programs serving children from low-income families. Comparable mission around literacy access for under-resourced K-12 populations, with a publishing/distribution model rather than direct tutoring.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston: Major Boston-area youth-development nonprofit serving similar K-12 populations with afterschool programming, mentorship, and educational support. Comparable target demographic and geography, though broader youth-development focus rather than writing/publishing specifically.
• 826 National: Parent network of all 826 chapters; provides brand standards, shared resources, and programming frameworks. Comparable as the broader umbrella organization whose chapter model 826 Boston implements locally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/826boston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/826-boston
• Instagraminstagram.com/826Boston
• Xx.com/826boston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about 826 Boston