Texas Network of Youth Services

What Texas Network of Youth Services does

Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) is an Austin, Texas-based statewide nonprofit membership network founded approximately in the early 1980s and operating for more than 40 years, representing more than 80 Texas organizations across seven youth-serving system areas: housing and homelessness, child welfare, justice, survivor services, health and behavioral health, education, and workforce. Its primary constituents are youth and young adults (YYA) ages 17-26 with experience of homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice involvement, or other vulnerable situations, including the broader "Opportunity Youth" population ages 16-24 disconnected from school and labor markets. The organization directly engages approximately 400 youth and young adults annually, trains roughly 1,500 youth-serving professionals across 48 training opportunities, and runs its 42nd Annual Conference with more than 400 attendees in 2025.

The product portfolio is a set of interconnected programs rather than a unified technology platform. Core youth engagement programs include the Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) and Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB) — paid, 12-month work-based learning programs developed in partnership with the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Young Invincibles — alongside the 30-plus-year-old PEAKS Camp experiential learning program, the AmeriCorps Youth Support Specialist placement program, and the Youth Voices storytelling initiative. Training and resource products include the Blueprint for Youth Engagement (BYEn), the Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification Tool (CSE-IT) certification, the We Are Vaxxed TX campaign, and resource centers covering youth homelessness, transition-age life skills, emergency response, and health/behavioral health research. Underlying technology is minimal: a WordPress content site, social channels, and an email newsletter; the organization's substantive "infrastructure" is its member network and its relationships with state agencies and legislators.

The business model is grant-funded nonprofit operations with five revenue streams: federal grants (anchored by a $2 million HUD Youth Homelessness System Improvement grant awarded June 2024 covering 15 counties across five Continuums of Care), private foundation grants (Rebuild Texas Fund $400,000, St. David's Foundation $100,000, Texas Bar Foundation, Episcopal Health Foundation, Mission Capital, Amarillo Area Foundation), state agency appropriations and partnerships (Office of the Governor, Texas DFPS, TDHCA), membership dues from more than 80 member organizations, and annual conference registration fees. Go-to-market is community-led: recruiting member organizations, engaging youth through paid programs, and cultivating partnerships with state agencies, foundations, and federal programs. The organization is led by CEO Fedora Galasso with 25 employees and no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

Name

Texas Network of Youth Services

Legal name

Texas Network of Youth Services

Website

https://tnoys.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) is an Austin-based statewide nonprofit membership network of over 80 Texas organizations serving youth and young adults ages 17-26 experiencing homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice, and related systems through paid leadership programs, training, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth services network
• Nonprofit advocacy training
• Youth leadership development
• Policy advocacy services
• Membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants: TNOYS receives federal funding from agencies such as HUD for youth homelessness prevention and system improvement programs. The $2 million YHSI grant from HUD is a major federal revenue stream supporting statewide capacity building and technical assistance.
2. Foundation Grants: Private foundation funding from organizations including Rebuild Texas Fund ($400,000 for Hurricane Harvey recovery), St. David's Foundation ($100,000 for Central Texas youth engagement), Episcopal Health Foundation (healthcare research), and Texas Bar Foundation (youth engagement in court system).
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership program for Texas organizations serving youth, providing access to resources, training, advocacy representation, and network benefits.
4. Conference Revenue: Annual conference fees from over 400 attendees including professionals, youth, and young adults. The 42nd Annual Conference and 43rd Annual Conference generate revenue through registration.
5. State Funding: State-level funding and appropriations through partnerships with Texas state agencies including Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and Governor's office programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) is a statewide nonprofit member network that coordinates, trains, and advocates on behalf of 80+ Texas organizations serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and other vulnerable situations. It delivers paid youth leadership programs (Young Adult Leadership Council, Texas Emerging Leaders Board), the PEAKS experiential learning camp, provider training and technical assistance, an annual conference, and direct policy advocacy at the Texas Capitol.

Product overview

Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) is a statewide member network organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and resources rather than a unified software product. The core youth engagement programs include the Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) - a 12-month paid work-based learning program, the Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB), and PEAKS Camp experiential learning program. Supporting programs include the Youth Voices storytelling initiative, AmeriCorps Program for career development, and the Blueprint for Youth Engagement (BYEn) training series for providers. TNOYS also provides resource centers covering youth homelessness, health and behavioral health, commercial sexual exploitation prevention, and emergency response, along with annual conferences and legislative advocacy events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC): A paid, work-based learning program for young people aged 17-26 who have experienced homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice involvement, or other youth-serving systems to grow as leaders and be voices for change.
• Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB)
• PEAKS Camp
• Youth Voices
• We Are Vaxxed TX
• Blueprint for Youth Engagement (BYEn)

Products and services

• Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) A paid, work-based 12-month learning program for young people aged 17-26 who have experienced homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice involvement, or other youth-serving systems; members work with TNOYS staff and board to guide organizational strategy and influence equitable services.
• Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB) A 12-month paid program for 15 youth and young adults with disconnection experience; board members receive training to collaborate with policymakers and service providers on academic and career pathways for Opportunity Youth ages 16-24.
• PEAKS Camp An experiential learning camp that brings together youth and adult sponsors from across Texas for leadership development, high ropes courses, archery, creative writing, and team-building exercises; operating for over 30 years.
• Youth Voices Program A storytelling and listening program that amplifies youth voice through trainings and interviews; has interviewed over 50 youth and young adults annually on topics including homelessness, foster care, and transitioning out of systems.
• AmeriCorps Program A program that places AmeriCorps members as Youth Support Specialists at nonprofits across Texas, providing near-peer support and professional development services to youth transitioning into adulthood.
• Blueprint for Youth Engagement (BYEn) Training A first-of-its-kind training series that equips providers to effectively engage youth and young adults as clients, collaborators, and employees; delivered in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Amarillo, and virtually to over 300 trainees.
• Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification Tool (CSE-IT) Training A free training series developed with the Office of the Texas Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team, designed to certify organizations in the use of the CSE-IT tool for identifying commercial sexual exploitation of youth.
• Annual Conference TNOYS' annual conference bringing together youth, young adults, and professionals across systems for workshops, keynotes, networking, and youth-led sessions; over 400 attendees participate each year.
• Capitol Day for Members and Day of Action for Youth Annual legislative advocacy events bringing 240+ youth, young adults, and providers to the Texas Capitol to meet with legislators, testify at hearings, and advocate for youth-focused policy priorities.
• TNOYS Membership Program An annual membership program for Texas organizations serving youth, providing advocacy representation at the Capitol, training and technical assistance access, networking with 80+ peer organizations, and resources for youth engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Engaged nearly 400 youth and young adults across Texas in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (FCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2022Launched Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB) to build pathways to academic and career success for Opportunity Youth. Part of Aspen Institute's Texas Opportunity Youth Network (TOYN). Board members receive training to educate and collaborate with policymakers and service providers.
• Young InvinciblescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2022Partner in Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB) program. Together with TNOYS and Aspen Institute FCS, building pathways to success for 500,000 Opportunity Youth in Texas ages 16-24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market.
• Mission CapitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2022Research partnership on trauma-informed practices in child welfare. Teamed up to research how Central Texas child welfare providers integrate trauma-informed practices and community voice throughout their work. Findings inform strategies to strengthen TIC implementation.
• Texas Homeless Education Office (THEO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborative partner in Hurricane Harvey recovery grant from Rebuild Texas Fund. THEO contributed expertise in education services for homeless youth in the recovery effort.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FosterClub: National nonprofit led by foster youth alumni that provides leadership training, advocacy, and peer support to youth in and aging out of foster care. Directly comparable to TNOYS' YALC and TELB paid leadership programs targeting systems-involved youth.
• National Foster Youth Institute: National nonprofit led by foster youth that develops leaders, conducts research, and advocates for policy change to improve outcomes for foster youth. Strong overlap with TNOYS' YALC paid-leadership and Capitol Day advocacy work for systems-involved young adults.
• SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit addressing the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Comparable to TNOYS in serving the intersection of youth homelessness and education systems in Texas through policy advocacy and capacity building.
• National Network for Youth: National membership organization that advocates for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, foster care, and juvenile justice involvement — directly analogous to TNOYS but operating at the federal level. Both serve as conveners and policy advocates for a network of youth-serving member organizations.
• Point Source Youth: National initiative focused on preventing and ending youth homelessness, particularly for LGBTQ young people, through research, advocacy, and direct grants to community programs. Comparable mission and systems-change orientation to TNOYS.
• A Way Home America: National initiative working to end youth homelessness through collective impact, mobilizing communities and federal stakeholders. Overlaps directly with TNOYS' HUD YHSI-funded work on coordinated community response systems for youth experiencing homelessness.

Broad incumbents

• Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Annie E. Casey Foundation initiative focused on opportunity youth aging out of foster care, similar to TNOYS' TELB work. Operates at a larger national scale with deeper research capacity but covers a more narrow policy niche.

Regional players

• California Coalition for Youth: California-based statewide coalition advocating for youth in systems such as foster care, juvenile justice, and experiencing homelessness. Closely mirrors TNOYS' statewide member-network and policy-advocacy model in a larger state.
• Massachusetts Coalition for Homeless Youth: State-level coalition equivalent to TNOYS serving a different geography. Provides advocacy, training, and member network services to organizations serving homeless youth in Massachusetts — structurally identical to TNOYS' model.

Emerging players

• Covenant House: Large national nonprofit providing housing and wraparound services to youth experiencing homelessness (including Covenant House Texas, a TNOYS member). Comparable target population and partial overlap in service delivery and advocacy mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TNOYS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TNOYS
• Facebookfacebook.com/TnoysYouthInAction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-network-of-youth-services

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 Texas Network of Youth Services