Path To Shine®, Inc.

What Path To Shine®, Inc. does

Path To Shine®, Inc. is a Smyrna, Georgia-based nonprofit founded in 2010 by Episcopal Deacon Lesley-Ann Drake that delivers a weekly small-group mentoring and tutoring program to underserved K-5 elementary school children across North and Middle Georgia. Operating from 17 program sites (mostly hosted at partner churches including Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, and non-denominational congregations), the organization maintains a strict 1:2 mentor-to-student ratio, delivers a proprietary five-year curriculum covering life skills, reading, and enrichment, and provides all services free of charge to participating children and families. Core products include the Mentoring and Tutoring Program, Life Enrichment excursions, the Fund The Gap alumni post-secondary support program, Mentor Training, and an Affiliate/Start a Program replication package ($500 setup + $500 annual renewal).

The organization is funded primarily through individual donations, foundation grants (Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta Bishop's fund, Fitzgerald Foundation, Cobb Community Foundation, Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia), corporate sponsorships (K2 Firm, Drew Eckl & Farnham, PCG, Nuestros Niños, Ray Business Advisors), annual fundraising events, and modest affiliate program fees. Technology infrastructure is standard small-nonprofit SaaS: Google Drive (PTS DRIVE) for document management, Dropbox for additional resources, Zoom for mentor training, and Network for Good for donation processing and newsletter sign-up — there are no proprietary technology products, mobile applications, or AI capabilities. Operations are supported by 5 paid employees (currently led by Executive Director Chris Ferguson, appointed May 2024) and a volunteer-heavy network augmented by Site Resources and a Board of Directors dominated by retired educators and clergy. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit, holds a registered "Path To Shine®" trademark, and has been designated a Jubilee Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.

Name

Path To Shine®, Inc.

Legal name

Path To Shine®, Inc.

Website

https://pathtoshine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Path To Shine is a Georgia-based nonprofit that provides free weekly mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment to underserved K-5 elementary children through 17 church-hosted programs, funded by donations, grants, and a $500 affiliate replication license.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring and Tutoring Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• After-school tutoring
• Elementary education support
• Community youth outreach
• Nonprofit mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Smyrna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary funding source from individual donors who support the mission. The lion's share of funding is raised through donations. Donations enable the program to provide free services to children.
2. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta (Bishop's fund), Cobb Community Foundation, The Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation, and Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate partners like K2 Firm (sponsoring Roswell location), Drew Eckl & Farnham's, PCG, and Nuestros Niños who provide major annual gifts.
4. Affiliate Program Fees: Affiliates pay $500 for program materials and training with $500 annual renewal fee. This provides handbook, legal forms, 5 years of curriculum, training, books, enrichment funds, and access to resources.
5. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Low Country Boil & Auction fundraiser, Ugly Pants golf tournament, and Topgolf fundraiser.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Path To Shine® is a nonprofit mentoring and tutoring program for K-5 elementary school children in North and Middle Georgia, providing weekly small-group mentoring with a strict 1:2 mentor-to-student ratio. The organization complements its core mentoring with a Life Enrichment program of excursions, a Fund The Gap alumni post-secondary assistance program, and a paid affiliate model that allows communities and churches to replicate the program for a $500 setup fee plus $500 annual renewal. All services to children are free, funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Path To Shine® is a single, unified nonprofit mentoring and tutoring program for elementary school children (K-5) in North and Middle Georgia. The core offering is a weekly small-group mentoring program where adult mentors work with one or two students. The organization offers four integrated components: the core Mentoring and Tutoring Program, Life Enrichment activities (excursions and summer programs), the Fund The Gap alumni assistance program, and Mentor Training. The organization also offers an Affiliate/Start a Program package for expanding to new locations. All services are provided free of charge to children, funded through donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Jacob improved from failing all classes to all Bs and one C in one semester with private tutoring and Path To Shine participation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Provisions TodayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Non-profit founded by Becky Becker working to help families in Canton. Partnered with Canton Path To Shine program since December 2016, providing Christmas stockings, Easter baskets, and school supply drives.
• The Episcopal Diocese of AtlantaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Champion of Path To Shine since 2012. Provides publicity through 'Connecting' and 'Pathways' publications, financial contributions from the Bishop's fund, and visible support including visits by the Bishop to programs.
• Drew Eckl & Farnham, LLP (DEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm committed to constant improvement of their immediate community and society. Provides quality legal services while supporting Path To Shine's mission.
• PCG (Public Consulting Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 1986, headquartered in Boston. Helps public sector health, education, and human services organizations make measurable improvements to their performance and processes.
• First BookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization enabling Path To Shine to purchase brand new books for program participants for pennies on the dollar (approximately 45 cents to $5 per book, or 75 cents each in bulk). Provides books to children at Christmas and end of school year.
• St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Columbus)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorColumbus location partner. Contact Lisa Herring coordinates volunteers, tutoring, snacks, and supplies for the program at Carver Heights Presbyterian.
• Celebration of Grace Lutheran Church and St. Clements Episcopal Church (Canton)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint partnership between Lutheran and Episcopal churches to run Canton program since January 2013. One of the largest programs with 22 children, Mentors from both congregations provide weekly sessions.
• St. David's Episcopal Church, St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, St. Martin in the Fields (Roswell)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoswell program hosted by St. David's Episcopal Church with Mentors from St. Aidan's and St. Martin in the Fields. All three parishes actively recruiting Mentors. Children walk from school cafeteria to St. David's after school.
• Episcopal Church of the Nativity (Fayetteville)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaunched Path To Shine program under leadership of Rev. Rita Henault. Previously involved with summer lunch program for children receiving free/reduced lunch. Serves trailer park community.
• The Smyrna Team at Keller WilliamsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmyrna/Norton Park program location partner. Started through networking at Rotary Club where PTS Board member Christie Stevens spoke about the work. Provides meeting space and mentor recruitment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National youth and family services organization with after-school programs, tutoring, and youth development at community sites. Comparable to Path To Shine as a community-based, faith-adjacent youth services nonprofit with similar mission and free program access.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National federation of youth development clubs providing after-school programming, tutoring, and mentoring for school-age children. Compares to Path To Shine as a broader youth-development nonprofit network with site-based program delivery.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): U.S. youth development organization with club-based mentoring, life-skills curriculum, and a networked delivery model. Comparable to Path To Shine in its curriculum-driven, volunteer-led youth programming approach.

Direct peers

• Reading Partners: Nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring to struggling elementary readers. Compares to Path To Shine as a volunteer-driven, elementary-school-focused tutoring/mentoring program with a structured curriculum.
• After-School All-Stars: National nonprofit providing free after-school programs to underserved youth, including academic support, enrichment, and life skills. Compares to Path To Shine as a free, after-school, academically-focused youth program for low-income communities.
• College Possible: Nonprofit providing college access support including test prep, application assistance, and financial aid counseling. Comparable to Path To Shine's Fund The Gap program, which provides SAT/ACT prep and post-secondary financial support to alumni.
• City Year: Nonprofit deploying near-peer AmeriCorps mentors to support students in underserved schools, with a focus on academic and social-emotional outcomes. Compares to Path To Shine as a structured youth-mentoring and tutoring organization serving low-income communities.
• Mentoring.org (National Mentoring Partnership): Umbrella organization supporting youth mentoring programs nationwide, providing resources, training, and quality standards. Relevant peer given Path To Shine's emphasis on affiliate training, mentor certification, and curriculum standardization.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The largest volunteer mentoring organization in the U.S., pairing adult mentors with youth for long-term one-on-one relationships. Directly comparable to Path To Shine as a volunteer-driven youth mentoring nonprofit operating through affiliate/regional networks.

Emerging players

• Horizons for Youth (National Summer Learning Association): Network of summer learning programs addressing the achievement gap for underserved K-12 students. Comparable to Path To Shine's summer enrichment component addressing summer learning loss for low-income children.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pathtoshine
• YouTubeurlgeni.us/youtube/channel/pathtoshine
• Facebookfacebook.com/path
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pathtoshine
• Instagramurlgeni.us/instagram/pathtoshine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Path To Shine®, Inc.