Youth Transition Funders Group

What Youth Transition Funders Group does

Youth Transition Funders Group (YTFG) is a U.S. national nonprofit network of approximately 100 grantmaking foundations, launched in 2003 following the publication of the seminal paper "Connected by 25" by Michael Wald and Tia Martinez. The organization exists to improve outcomes for young people ages 14 to 25 who are most held back and farthest from opportunity, particularly those who have experienced foster care, youth justice systems, homelessness, or disconnection from school and work. YTFG operates four core programmatic offerings: Learning Series (multi-session virtual convenings), Action Tables (co-investment and policy influence forums such as the Fund for Educational Success and Policy Action Table), Work Groups (Foster Care, Youth Justice, Economic Well-Being), and a three-year Fellowship Program for young adults with lived experience. Its 2021 Well-being Framework functions as the unifying intellectual platform for member investment decisions, built on two decades of publications, toolkits, and policy briefs covering transition-age youth across child welfare, education, workforce, housing, and health systems.

YTFG is governed by a Steering Committee and directed by Barbara Langford, with day-to-day operations delivered by a small five-person team that relies heavily on distributed consultants including Mary Bissell (ChildFocus), Stephanie Malia Krauss (First Quarter Strategies), and Carrie Rae Boatman. The organization is structured as a private, member-funded nonprofit with no parent company, no public listing, and no disclosed financial statements. Revenue is sourced from membership dues and contributions; the operating model is virtual with no disclosed physical office.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: prospective members are onboarded through direct outreach to the YTFG Director, and value is delivered through peer networking, expert-led learning, co-investment opportunities, complimentary registration at semi-annual meetings, and a member-only knowledge base. Anchor members include Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Tow Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, California Endowment, Greater New Orleans Foundation, and Raikes Foundation. The organization has no technology product surface, no AI/ML capabilities, and no commercial revenue stream; its competitive position rests on two decades of curated intellectual capital, deep relationships within the philanthropic ecosystem, and structural mechanisms (Fellowship Program, Action Tables) that lock in multi-year engagement.

Name

Youth Transition Funders Group

Legal name

Youth Transition Funders Group

Website

https://ytfg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth Transition Funders Group is a U.S. national nonprofit network of approximately 100 foundations that collaborates to improve outcomes for transition-age youth (ages 14-25) affected by foster care, juvenile justice, homelessness, or disconnection from school and work. It delivers peer learning, co-investment mechanisms, and a unifying Well-being Framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Network and Grantmaking Collaboration Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Funder network collaboration
• Youth transition philanthropy
• Grantmaking peer learning
• Foster care funding
• Youth justice philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Not disclosed

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues/Contributions: YTFG operates as a network of funders sustained through membership contributions. Funders join the network to connect with peers, learn from experts, access co-investment opportunities, and collaborate on policy and practice improvements for youth transition support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YTFG is a private, nonprofit national membership association that convenes approximately 100 national, regional, and community grantmaking foundations to collaboratively support the well-being and economic success of young people ages 14 to 25 who have experienced foster care, youth justice systems, homelessness, or disconnection from school or work. It delivers its mission through Learning Series webinars, Action Tables (including co-investment and policy-influence tables), three system-specific Work Groups (Foster Care, Youth Justice, Economic Well-Being), a three-year Fellowship Program for young adults with lived experience, the Well-Being Framework investment guide, and an extensive publications and resources library.

Product overview

The Youth Transition Funders Group (YTFG) is a national network of philanthropy organizations, not a traditional software product company. YTFG offers a portfolio of collaborative services including Learning Series (multi-session virtual learning opportunities), Action Tables (co-investment and policy influence forums), Work Groups (Foster Care, Youth Justice, and Economic Well-Being focused), a Fellowship Program for young adults with lived experience, a Well-being Framework for guiding investments, and an extensive library of publications and resources. The organization facilitates peer networking and knowledge sharing among approximately 100 national, regional, and community funders working to support young people ages 14 to 25.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learning Series

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, active and minor.

• Annie E. Casey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYTFG Chair organization (Leslie Gross). Major national foundation focused on building a society where children, families, and communities thrive. Provides strategic direction and leadership within the YTFG network.
• Conrad N. Hilton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior Program Officer Elizabeth Cheung serves on YTFG Steering Committee. Foundation focused on helping children who have fewer resources and opportunities. Supports YTFG's mission through active network participation.
• Casey Family ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior Director Lyman Legters serves on YTFG Steering Committee. National organization working to provide, improve, and prevent the need for foster care. Brings systems expertise to YTFG network.
• Sierra Health FoundationactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember foundation supporting positive health and wellness outcomes. Provides grantmaking perspective on youth transition support and actively participates in YTFG learning events.
• California EndowmentactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram Officer Albert Maldonado serves as EWB Co-Chair. Statewide health foundation committed to advancing equity and opportunity for all Californians, including opportunity youth.
• The Tow FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Justice Initiatives Diane Sierpina serves on YTFG Steering Committee. Foundation focused on justice reform and improving lives of justice-involved youth. Brings youth justice expertise to network.
• Greater New Orleans FoundationactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteering Committee member Roy Williams represents regional philanthropy perspective. Community foundation serving Gulf Coast region with focus on youth opportunity.
• Raikes FoundationactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Youth Homeless Casey Trupin serves on YTFG Steering Committee. Foundation focused on youth homelessness and youth well-being. Provides expertise on housing and homelessness issues.
• Grantmakers for Thriving YouthactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint table partner for Fund for Education Success for Highly Mobile Students (FES). Collaborative effort to improve education stability and success for systems-involved students.
• Pop Culture CollabactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert narrative change practitioners partnering with YTFG to offer deep dive into narrative change strategy, tailored for members working in philanthropy. Part of 2025 Learning Series.
• Mainspring ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm founded by Barbara Langford (YTFG Director) that works with foundation and public sector leaders. Provides operational support and strategic facilitation for YTFG.
• ChildFocuscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic interest law and child policy firm co-founded by Mary Bissell (Foster Care Work Group Lead Consultant). Provides expertise in child welfare systems and policy reform.
• First Quarter StrategiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm founded by Stephanie Malia Krauss (Economic Well-Being Work Group Lead Consultant). Provides expertise in youth development and economic opportunity.
• FosterClubactiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network for youth in foster care collaborated on asset-mapping guide and transition planning toolkit development. Brings youth voice and perspective to YTFG resource development.
• United Way of Massachusetts BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer of Amanda Shabowich (YTFG Fellowship Coordinator) on their Youth and Young Adult Pathways team. Connection point for fellowship program coordination.
• Inatai FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer of YTFG Fellow Farid Rasuli as Investment Operations Analyst. Seattle-based foundation working to transform balance of power for equity and racial justice.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neighborhood Funders Group: Membership association of national, regional, and local foundations advancing equity through place-based and movement-building grantmaking. Operates the same funders-network business model (dues, convenings, peer learning, advocacy) targeting foundation program officers and leaders.
• Asset Funders Network: Membership network of foundations focused on economic mobility and household financial security. Highly comparable operating model—founder-led, dues-funded, content-and-co-investment oriented—and overlapping member base among funders active in YTFG's Economic Well-Being Work Group.
• Funders' Committee for Civic Participation: Membership network of foundations and philanthropists supporting civic participation and democratic engagement. Provides the same dues-funded convening, learning, and grantmaking coordination model for foundation leaders that YTFG provides for transition-age youth funders.
• Grantmakers for Thriving Youth: National funder collaborative focused on improving outcomes for youth impacted by systems of care. Explicitly partnered with YTFG on the Fund for Education Success (FES) table, operating the same membership-network model for foundation leaders and program officers working on youth justice, education stability, and well-being.
• Grantmakers for Education: National membership organization of education funders offering peer networking, policy updates, and learning opportunities. Closely mirrors YTFG's Learning Series + Action Table + community-of-practice structure, with significant member overlap among foundations active in K-12 and postsecondary transition.
• Hispanics in Philanthropy: Transnational network of funders committed to strengthening Latino communities through equitable grantmaking and policy. Operates an analogous membership-network structure with regional chapters, convenings, and advocacy—reaching the same foundation program-officer buyer as YTFG.
• Disability Philanthropy Forum: National funders network focused on disability rights, inclusion, and equity grantmaking. Mirrors YTFG's community-led, intersectional funder-association model and overlaps with members active in transition-age youth with disabilities exiting foster or justice systems.
• Funders Together to End Homelessness: National membership network of foundations and individual donors committed to ending homelessness. Shares YTFG's model of mobilizing philanthropic capital through peer learning, advocacy, and collective action, and overlaps on homelessness as a member segment (e.g., Raikes Foundation staff serve both networks).
• ABFE (Association of Black Foundation Executives): Membership-based philanthropic association advancing the practice of Black and African American philanthropy. Operates the same dues-supported, member-driven convening and learning model for foundation executives, with overlapping members on shared racial-equity and youth-system priorities.

Broad incumbents

• Casey Family Programs: Large national operating foundation dedicated to providing, improving, and ultimately preventing the need for foster care. While not a peer network itself, it sits on YTFG's Steering Committee and operates in the same foster-care policy space—representing a major foundation actor that could absorb YTFG's convening role if the network dissolved.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-transition-funders-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Transition Funders Group