NYC Kids RISE

What NYC Kids RISE does

NYC Kids RISE is a New York City-based nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that operates the Save for College Program in partnership with NYC Public Schools and the City of New York. The program provides every NYC public school kindergartener (and, as it rolls out, students through fifth grade) with an NYC Scholarship Account invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan, seeded with an initial $100 allocation. Families progress through the 3 Building Blocks (account activation, opening a connected personal savings account, and making a first deposit) to earn $25 rewards per step and qualify for up to $100 in dollar-for-dollar Savings Match. As of February 2026, the program had reached more than 340,000 children and surpassed $57 million invested for college and career futures.

The core technology stack consists of the Savings Tracker platform (provided by NonProfitly, formerly VistaShare) for account activation, balance viewing, and family engagement, integrated with the NY 529 Direct Plan for investment management and Amalgamated Bank's Save for College Bank Account option. The organization extends its reach through six named community-based organization partners (Emerald Isle Immigration Center, Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement, Queens Community House, Make the Road NY, Sunnyside Community Services, Urban Upbound), NYC Financial Empowerment Centers, and the NYC Public School Alumni Community Scholarships program that channels former students' contributions back to current third graders.

NYC Kids RISE is funded through philanthropic grants and corporate donations from sources including the Gray Foundation (foundational funder, with CEO Dana Zucker as Board Chair), BlackRock Foundation ($3.75M in 2025), Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative, MetLife Foundation, Wells Fargo, Koeppel Auto Group, Flushing Bank, Seamless, Rise Light & Power, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Friedman Family Foundation, and Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund. The program is free for families — there is no income, SSN, or immigration documentation requirement — and operates at citywide scale with automatic school-based enrollment and opt-out structure across all five boroughs.

Name

NYC Kids RISE

Legal name

NYC Kids RISE, Inc.

Website

https://nyckidsrise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NYC Kids RISE is a NYC-based nonprofit operating the Save for College Program in partnership with NYC Public Schools, providing universal 529-based scholarship accounts and matched savings rewards to over 340,000 K-5 public school students citywide, funded by philanthropic grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Savings Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Universal child savings accounts
• Scholarship and savings programs
• College savings program administration
• Community-funded scholarship accounts
• 529 plan scholarship accounts

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: NYC Kids RISE operates as a nonprofit organization that receives donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Major funders include the Gray Foundation (which funds the Savings Match program), Bloomberg Philanthropies, MetLife Foundation, and corporate donors like Wells Fargo, Koeppel Auto Group, and Seamless. These contributions fund the $100 initial allocations, Building Block rewards, Savings Match, and Community Scholarships.
2. Government Partnership Funding: The City of New York and NYC Department of Education partner with NYC Kids RISE to administer the Save for College Program citywide. This includes infrastructure support, school integration, and programmatic funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NYC Kids RISE administers the Save for College Program, a universal scholarship and savings platform that opens an NYC Scholarship Account invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan for every eligible NYC public school kindergartener, seeded with a $100 initial allocation. Families complete the 3 Building Blocks (activate account, open and connect a personal savings account, make a first deposit) to earn $25 rewards per step, qualify for a $100 Savings Match in first grade, and receive Community Scholarship contributions from local organizations, businesses, and alumni. The program is free for families and requires no income, SSN, or immigration documentation.

Product overview

NYC Kids RISE operates the Save for College Program as a unified scholarship and savings platform for NYC public school students. The core offering consists of the NYC Scholarship Account (managed by NYC Kids RISE and invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan) paired with the Savings Tracker online portal. Families progress through the 3 Building Blocks to earn rewards, access the Savings Match, and connect their own savings accounts (NY 529 Direct Plan or Amalgamated Bank). Community-based additions include Community Scholarships and the Alumni Community Scholarships program. School partners receive dedicated resources and toolkits for program integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Save for College Program A universal scholarship and savings program that provides every eligible NYC public school kindergartener with an NYC Scholarship Account invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan, seeded with a $100 initial allocation, and pairs it with family rewards (3 Building Blocks, $100 Savings Match) and Community Scholarship contributions. It is free for families, requires no income, SSN, or immigration documentation, and is administered in partnership with NYC Public Schools and the City of New York.
• Community Scholarships A giving mechanism that allows community organizations, local businesses, and individuals to contribute funds to designated groups of students' NYC Scholarship Accounts, with 100% of donations allocated to those student accounts.
• NYC Public School Alumni Community Scholarships A program that enables NYC public school alumni to contribute to the NYC Scholarship Accounts of current third graders at their elementary schools and share their education and career journeys with students.
• Savings Tracker An online portal that allows families to activate and view their child's NYC Scholarship Account, track savings balances over time, and connect personal NY 529 Direct Plan or Amalgamated Bank savings accounts to the program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children with savings accounts of $1-$500 are 3x more likely to enroll in college and 4x more likely to graduate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• NYC Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC Public Schools is the primary implementation partner for the Save for College Program. Schools serve as the entry point for all participating families, handling enrollment, distribution of materials, and account activation support. Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels serves as Ex-Officio Director on the NYC Kids RISE Board.
• City of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of New York partners with NYC Kids RISE to administer the Save for College Program citywide. Mayor Eric Adams has championed the program, and Deputy Mayor Julie Su serves on the Board of Directors. The City provides infrastructure support and programmatic funding.
• NY 529 Direct PlancoreTechnology or IntegrationNYC Scholarship Accounts are invested in the NY 529 Direct Plan, New York's official college savings program administered by the Office of the Comptroller and Higher Education Services Corporation. This provides tax-advantaged investment management for student accounts.
• Amalgamated BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationAmalgamated Bank offers the Save for College Bank Account option, allowing families to open bank accounts specifically designed to connect with the NYC Kids RISE Savings Tracker. Families can deposit checks, cash, or manage accounts through the bank's NYC branches.
• NonProfitly (formerly VistaShare)coreTechnology or IntegrationNonProfitly provides the Savings Tracker software platform that securely stores participant information, creates NYC Scholarship Accounts, and allows families to view accounts and link personal savings accounts.
• Emerald Isle Immigration CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NYC Kids RISE to develop CBO toolkits and resources for helping immigrant communities access the Save for College Program.
• Jacob Riis Neighborhood SettlementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing CBO toolkits for community engagement, including family orientations, college visits, and financial literacy programs.
• Queens Community HousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on CBO toolkit development to support Queens communities in accessing college savings programs and financial empowerment resources.
• Make the Road NYmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on CBO toolkit development supporting immigrant and working-class communities in accessing the Save for College Program.
• Sunnyside Community ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing toolkits and resources to help community members save for college and career training.
• Urban UpboundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on CBO toolkit development to support community financial empowerment and college savings access in urban neighborhoods.
• NYC Financial Empowerment CentersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC Financial Empowerment Centers provide free one-on-one financial counseling to help families incorporate college savings into their financial plans, with locations throughout the city.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco Kindergarten to College (K2C): San Francisco's universal child savings account program launched in 2010, providing every kindergartner with a $50 seed deposit and matching funds. It is the most direct municipal CSA peer to NYC Kids RISE, sharing the model of automatic enrollment through public schools and partnership with city government.
• Oakland Promise: Oakland's cradle-to-career college savings and scholarship program providing Brilliant Baby accounts and K-12 college savings accounts. Comparable in combining universal child savings accounts with scholarship granting and community-based fundraising for Oakland public school students.
• Boston Saves: Boston's municipal children's savings account program offering $50 starter deposits to kindergartners in Boston Public Schools, with match incentives for family engagement. Direct peer sharing the city-government–administered CSA model for public school students.
• Maine's NextGen 529 Program: Maine's universal child savings program funded by the state providing $500 NextGen accounts to every Maine newborn. Direct peer in the universal, state-sponsored CSA category with automatic enrollment at birth.
• Keystone Scholars (Pennsylvania): Pennsylvania's universal CSA program offering $100 seed deposits to every child born in the state since 2019. Comparable as a state-wide universal CSA model with 529 integration.
• Washington DC Kids Save / DC College Savings Plan: DC's universal CSA pilot for children under age 5, providing seed deposits and family match incentives through a partnership with the DC Treasurer. Direct peer combining municipal government administration with community philanthropy and savings matches.

Emerging players

• America Saves: National campaign promoting personal savings behavior across income levels, with research-based messaging and partnership networks. Tangentially comparable as a savings-promotion nonprofit, though its scope is broader (general savings) versus NYC Kids RISE's child-specific focus.

Broad incumbents

• Asset Funders Network: Membership organization of foundations and grantmakers focused on building household wealth. Comparable as a sector-level peer that convenes funders supporting CSA programs, including NYC Kids RISE's foundation backers.
• Prosperity Now: National nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunity for low-income Americans, with significant Child Savings Account research, advocacy, and policy work. Comparable as a CSA ecosystem enabler providing research, technical assistance, and advocacy for programs like NYC Kids RISE.

Others

• CFED (now Prosperity Now): Research and policy organization historically focused on asset-building strategies including children's savings accounts. Comparable as an adjacent enabling organization providing the research foundation for CSA programs like NYC Kids RISE.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NYCKidsRISE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/nyckidsrise
• Facebookfacebook.com/NYCKidsRISE
• Instagraminstagram.com/NYCKidsRISE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nyc-kids-rise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 NYC Kids RISE