The ZONE Spokane

What The ZONE Spokane does

The ZONE Spokane is a nonprofit collective impact initiative of The Northeast Community Center, established in 2017 to address disparities in health, education, and economic outcomes across Northeast Spokane, Washington. The organization convenes residents, local schools, healthcare providers, municipal agencies, and community-based partners under a Results-Based Accountability framework to coordinate place-based services for low-income families in a defined geographic area.

The initiative operates an interconnected portfolio of six program areas: Youth Expanded Learning (after-school and summer programs in 8 Northeast Spokane schools since 2021); Adult Expanded Learning (Financial Opportunity Center and Essential Skills courses for women, since 2021); the Economic Mobility program (2025-2028, supporting financial coaching, employment navigation, and benefits access); Housing Stability services (launched 2023 in partnership with HUD, the City of Spokane, and Better Health Together, though the standalone program ended in early 2025); Fostering Social Connections and Emotional Health (since 2020, including a co-located MultiCare Behavioral Health Clinic and embedded Family-School Resource Coordinators in schools); and the Youth Wellness Zone (a 2024 state-funded designation among four place-based Washington initiatives focused on youth mental health). Service delivery is place-based and coordinator-embedded, with Family-School Resource Coordinators stationed inside partner schools and programming activated through a network of more than 50 youth partner organizations.

The business model is entirely grant- and donation-funded, with no fees charged to participants. All programs are free to residents and childcare is provided at no cost to ensure accessibility. Revenue is sourced from a diversified mix of state appropriations (Washington Youth Wellness Zone legislative proviso), federal grants (21st Century Community Learning Center, ESSER, HUD), philanthropic funders (Ballmer Group via the Ballmer Expanded Learning Initiative, Avista Foundation), and donations supporting the parent Northeast Community Center. Pricing model is effectively freemium from the resident perspective, with no contracts, billing cadence, or commercial customers.

Name

The ZONE Spokane

Legal name

The ZONE Spokane

Website

https://thezonespokane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ZONE Spokane is a collective impact initiative of the Northeast Community Center delivering free, place-based youth expanded learning, economic mobility, housing, and behavioral health programs to low-income families across 8 schools and 50+ partners in Northeast Spokane.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Local & Neighborhood Communities (BPAMABAG)

Keywords

• Community impact initiative
• Youth expanded learning
• Economic mobility services
• Housing stability support
• Social services programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Funded through legislative provisions (e.g., Youth Wellness Zone funding through Washington state legislative proviso) and various grant programs including Ballmer Expanded Learning Initiative, 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, and ESSER funding.
2. Donations and Community Support: Operated as initiative of Northeast Community Center with support from community partners and donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The ZONE Spokane is a collective impact initiative of The Northeast Community Center that delivers free community-based programs to residents of the Northeast Spokane neighborhood. Its services span Youth Expanded Learning, Adult Expanded Learning, Economic Mobility, Housing Stability, Fostering Social Connections and Emotional Health, and the Youth Wellness Zone, with childcare provided to remove participation barriers.

Product overview

The ZONE Spokane is a collective impact initiative of The Northeast Community Center, not a technology product company. It operates as a community services organization offering multiple interconnected programs focused on youth development, economic mobility, housing stability, and emotional health for Northeast Spokane residents. The programs include Youth Expanded Learning (after-school and summer programs), Economic Mobility services, Adult Expanded Learning (Financial Opportunity Center and Essential Skills courses), Youth Wellness Zone, Housing Stability support, and Fostering Social Connections and Emotional Health initiatives. These programs work collaboratively with schools, partner organizations, and residents to address disparities in health, education, and economic outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Expanded Learning

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• 90+ Project – Youth SoccersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth programming partner providing soccer activities for Northeast Spokane youth through the expanded learning network.
• Gonzaga UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting Native Youth Summer Program and youth leadership development initiatives.
• Spokane Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner hosting expanded learning programs in 8 schools and providing 21st Century Community Learning Center programming.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal housing partner collaborating on housing diversion programs and housing stability initiatives for Northeast Spokane families.
• City of SpokanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for housing stability programs and community development initiatives.
• Better Health TogethersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner collaborating on housing support initiatives and health access programs.
• MultiCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner operating Behavioral Health Clinic on Northeast Community Center campus for youth and family mental health services.
• Avista FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate foundation supporting youth programming and community initiatives.
• UW CoLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Washington research partner providing data evaluation for Youth Wellness Zone initiative.
• Communities In Schools Spokane CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth support organization partnering on dropout prevention and student success initiatives.
• YMCAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development partner providing programming and facilities for expanded learning activities.
• Chas HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner offering health services to youth and families in the community.
• Northeast Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that houses The ZONE initiative and provides operational infrastructure and support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StriveTogether: National cradle-to-career collective impact network that convenes cross-sector partners around shared outcomes for children and families using Results-Based Accountability; directly comparable framework and methodology to The ZONE.
• Better Health Together: Regional health-focused collective impact partner of The ZONE working on housing stability and health access for Spokane families; comparable geographic focus and cross-sector integration model.
• Career Path Services: Workforce and financial capability services organization offering employment navigation, financial coaching, and housing supports; comparable Economic Mobility program model and target population.
• Purpose Built Communities: Supports place-based neighborhood revitalization networks combining cradle-to-college education, family financial stability, and community wellness; directly comparable outcomes model and target population.
• Communities In Schools of Spokane County: Operates in the same Northeast Spokane schools as The ZONE, embedding site coordinators to deliver integrated student supports; a direct partner and the most comparable peer in mission, geography, and school-based service model.
• Frontier Behavioral Health: Regional behavioral health provider that partners with The ZONE via the MultiCare Behavioral Health Clinic; comparable social-emotional and mental health services for vulnerable youth and families in the region.
• Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink: Operates place-based cradle-to-career initiatives that combine education, health, housing, and economic mobility supports in distressed neighborhoods; structurally aligned with The ZONE's collective impact approach.

Regional players

• Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP): Local Spokane nonprofit providing housing stability, financial assistance, and emergency services to low-income households; comparable housing diversion and emergency relief functions to The ZONE's Housing Stability program.
• United Way of Spokane County: Same Spokane service geography funding and convening community-based programs in education, financial stability, and health; comparable funder-convener role with broader regional scope than The ZONE.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Large national community development organization funding and operating place-based initiatives combining housing, economic development, and family stability; operates at much greater scale than The ZONE with similar core outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/AgjBS2AL85Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/theZoNESpokane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thezonespokane

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The ZONE Spokane