Literacy New York

What Literacy New York does

Literacy New York, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1974 and headquartered at 132 Cayuga Road in Cheektowaga, NY. The organization functions as the statewide support and technical assistance backbone for adult literacy programs across New York, serving a market where approximately 3.9 million residents lack a high school diploma, English proficiency, or both, and where the state ranks 49th in adult literacy nationally. Its mission is to increase the effectiveness of adult literacy practitioners and the capacity of programs so that adults, families, and communities reach their full potential.

Literacy New York's core offerings include the Online Tutor Training (OTT) / Intake to Outcomes platform, the NY State Support and Technical Assistance Center (a NYS Education Department–authorized function providing capacity building, data management, and training), ADA compliance training, public advocacy, and the Stop Reading Challenge awareness campaign. The organization operates through a network of more than 35 affiliated literacy provider locations spanning at least 30 New York cities, and is supported by reciprocal partnerships with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, ProLiteracy, the Regional Adult Education Networks, the Literacy Assistance Center, and the NY Immigration Coalition.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. Revenue is sourced from NYS Education Department Adult Literacy Education (ALE) grants, individual and corporate donations processed via Network for Good, foundation contributions, and in-kind volunteer tutor services. LNY charges adult learners nothing for services and operates with 1–10 paid staff, relying on its affiliate network for last-mile instruction delivery. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors and staff leadership; no parent company, private equity, or venture backing is indicated.

Name

Literacy New York

Legal name

Literacy New York

Website

https://literacynewyork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Literacy New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that serves as the statewide support and technical assistance hub for adult literacy programs across New York, providing training, capacity-building, and advocacy through a network of 35+ affiliated provider locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Literacy Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundational Reading & Writing Literacy (EDAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD), Reading & Writing (Literacy) Materials (EDAGAHAC), Reading & Literacy Centers (Phonics, Comprehension, Writing) (EDANAHAD)

Keywords

• Adult literacy services
• Volunteer tutor training
• Technical assistance
• Nonprofit advocacy
• Literacy program support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheektowaga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Literacy New York operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization accepts donations through its website via Network for Good.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: The organization receives funding through NY State Support and Technical Assistance Center grants and Adult Literacy Education (ALE) funding from the NYS Education Department to support literacy programs throughout New York State.
3. Volunteer Services: Programs supported by Literacy New York depend on volunteer tutors who provide adult literacy instruction, representing an in-kind contribution to program delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Literacy New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as the statewide support and technical assistance organization for adult literacy programs in New York. It builds the organizational capacity of affiliated literacy providers, delivers training (including the Intake to Outcomes Online Tutor Training platform and ADA training) to teachers, administrators, and volunteer tutors, and advocates for adult literacy funding and policy at the state and national levels.

Product overview

Literacy New York is a nonprofit organization that serves as a support network for adult literacy programs throughout New York State, rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of service programs including: the Online Tutor Training (OTT) / Intake to Outcomes platform for training volunteer tutors; the NY State Support and Technical Assistance Center providing organizational capacity building and data management support; ADA Training services; and the Stop Reading Challenge public awareness campaign. These programs work together to build the capacity of adult literacy organizations and provide state-of-the-art training for teachers, administrators, and volunteer tutors across the state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Tutor Training (OTT) / Intake to Outcomes Online training platform providing comprehensive tutor training modules for volunteer literacy tutors, covering successful tutoring practices, slide-based lessons, and lesson planning exercises. Used by volunteer tutors and literacy program staff across New York State.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 hours of basic literacy instruction translates into a $10,000 increase in annual income for adult learners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West RAENcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Adult Education Network partner providing adult literacy services in the western region of New York State.
• Capital North RAENcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Adult Education Network partner serving the capital and north country region of New York State.
• Northeast ADA CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing Americans with Disabilities Act training and resources to support accessible literacy programs.
• New York Association for Continuing and Community Education (NYACCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association for adult and community education organizations in New York.
• Literacy Assistance Center (LAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColleague organization supporting adult literacy programs in New York.
• NY Immigration CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting immigrant communities through literacy services.
• NYS Community SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting community school initiatives with literacy components.
• Barbara Bush Foundation for Family LiteracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational foundation supporting adult literacy; Literacy New York participates in the All In initiative and applauds the bipartisan Senate Caucus for Adult Literacy created with foundation support.
• ProLiteracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit supporting adult literacy through a network of over 100,000 volunteers; Literacy New York references ProLiteracy's research, white papers, and statistical reports for advocacy.
• Network for GoodminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonation processing platform used by Literacy New York for online charitable contributions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ProLiteracy: International nonprofit that supports adult literacy through a network of 100,000+ volunteers and provides research, training, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a national umbrella organization serving affiliate literacy programs, similar to LNY's role at the state level.
• Literacy Assistance Center (LAC): New York City-based nonprofit that supports adult literacy programs with training, technical assistance, and capacity building. Directly comparable to LNY in mission and service mix, with a more urban/regional geographic focus.
• NY City Coalition for Adult Literacy: NYC-based coalition advocating for and supporting adult literacy programs. Directly comparable to LNY as a regional adult literacy advocacy/support organization; operates in a different sub-geography within New York State.
• New York Association for Continuing and Community Education (NYACCE): Statewide association supporting adult and community education providers in New York. Comparable to LNY in serving as a convener and support organization for adult education practitioners across New York State.
• Laubach Literacy / Literacy Volunteers of America: National adult literacy organization focused on volunteer tutor training and program development, including ESL and family literacy. Directly comparable as a longstanding adult literacy volunteer-tutor-training organization.

Broad incumbents

• Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy: National family literacy foundation that funds programming, research, and advocacy, including the bipartisan Senate Caucus for Adult Literacy. Comparable as a national literacy funder and advocacy leader with which LNY partners; broader scope and larger budget than LNY.
• Dollar General Literacy Foundation: National foundation funding adult literacy, family literacy, and ESL programs across the U.S. Comparable as a major literacy funder; operates at national scale and primarily a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.
• National Center for Families Learning: National nonprofit focused on family literacy and adult education, providing program models, research, and resources to literacy providers. Comparable as a national adult/family literacy support organization with overlapping programmatic mission.

Regional players

• West RAEN (Western NY Regional Adult Education Network): Regional Adult Education Network providing adult literacy services in western New York State. Comparable to LNY's regional network structure and explicitly identified as a partner; serves a sub-region rather than the full state.
• Capital North RAEN: Regional Adult Education Network serving the capital and north country region of New York State. Comparable as a RAEN partner with overlapping mission and similar service delivery in adult literacy and adult education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Literacy_NY
• Facebookfacebook.com/LiteracyNY
• Instagraminstagram.com/Literacy_NY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/literacy-new-york

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Literacy New York