Boston Mobilization

What Boston Mobilization does

Boston Mobilization is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based nonprofit founded in 1977 that develops teen social-justice leaders through a portfolio of popular-education and community-organizing programs. Its core offerings include Sub/Urban Justice (after-school and 6-week summer leadership program bridging urban and suburban youth), TeensVote! (a statewide civic engagement and voter pre-registration initiative), the Speak Up! personal-stories anthology, the YPAR Student Achievement Project, a modular Training and Consulting practice, and the Social Justice Leadership Institute engaging 15+ New England independent schools. The underlying "technology" is a youth-led, story-based, experiential curriculum methodology covering nine social-justice topic modules (racism, class/economic justice, gender justice, heterosexism, storytelling, organizing, power, facilitation, adultism), delivered through direct in-school and on-site workshops.

Revenue mechanics are mixed and nonprofit in structure. Earned income comes from fee-for-service training and consulting delivered to schools, hospitals, and community organizations (71 workshops delivered in 2015, with 1-4 hour customizable sessions priced by inquiry), unit sales of the Speak Up! book at $12.95 plus shipping through PayPal with bulk and student pricing tiers, and stipended teen leadership roles (e.g., TeensVote! Student Leaders at $150 per 10 hours). The dominant revenue stream is donations and grants, including individual contributions (volunteer hours, financial gifts, in-kind laptops/supplies) and institutional foundation support such as the Cummings Foundation 100Kfor100 grant. The customer base spans high-school youth (primary), schools and educational institutions (independent and public), community nonprofits, and healthcare institutions (e.g., Boston Medical Center pediatric residents), with delivery concentrated in Massachusetts and broader New England and a stated ambition for statewide expansion via TeensVote!.

Name

Boston Mobilization

Legal name

Boston Mobilization

Website

https://bostonmobilization.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Mobilization is a 1977-founded Cambridge, MA nonprofit that develops teen social-justice leaders through youth-led training, civic engagement (TeensVote!), and community-organizing programs serving high-school youth, schools, and community organizations across Massachusetts and New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development and Social Justice Education

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Social justice training
• Civic engagement programs
• Community organizing education
• Anti-racism workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and Consulting Services: Fee-for-service training delivered to schools, community organizations, businesses, and institutions. Custom social justice workshops ranging from 1 hour to 4 hours, plus overnight retreats. 71 workshops delivered in 2015. Contact-based pricing for these professional services.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of Speak Up! book via PayPal for $12.95 plus shipping. Bulk orders available for schools and organizations. Student pricing offered. Over 2,000 copies sold in past 7 years.
3. Donations and Grants: Reliance on charitable donations from supporters, including volunteer hours, financial contributions, and in-kind donations (laptops, supplies). Long-time supporters mail in checks. Foundation support referenced (Cummings Foundation 100Kfor100 grant).
4. Program Fees: School year internships that lead to paid jobs for teens. Summer Leadership Program operated in partnership with The City School.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Boston Mobilization is a community-based nonprofit that develops teen leaders (ages 14–19) for social justice through drop-in leadership programs, civic engagement initiatives, participatory action research, and contract-based social justice training. Its offerings include the Sub/Urban Justice school-year and summer programs, the TeensVote! voter pre-registration initiative, the Speak Up! youth-authored anthology, the YPAR/YSAP research project, modular Training and Consulting workshops for institutions, and the Social Justice Leadership Institute for New England independent schools.

Product overview

Boston Mobilization is a nonprofit organization that develops and empowers teen leaders for social justice through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Sub/Urban Justice Program (school year and summer leadership development), TeensVote! (civic engagement and voter pre-registration), Speak Up! (anti-racism anthology publication), YPAR Project (youth participatory action research), Training and Consulting services, and the Social Justice Leadership Institute. These programs work together through popular education, community organizing, and cross-community connection to move young people into leadership roles for social change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sub/Urban Justice: A youth leadership development program that brings together young people from suburbs with those from cities to build a stronger network for change. Offers school year and summer programs for teens ages 14-19.
• Speak Up!
• TeensVote!
• YPAR Project (YSAP)
• Social Justice Leadership Institute

Products and services

• Sub/Urban Justice Program Youth leadership development program bringing together teens from Boston-area cities and suburbs (ages 14–19) through popular education, community organizing, and cross-community connection. Founded in 2006–2007, it offers school year and summer programming as the flagship offering of the organization.
• Sub/Urban Justice Summer Leadership Program A 6-week intensive summer leadership development program for teens, run in partnership with The City School, focused on experiential learning, campaign action, and developing young social justice leaders.
• Sub/Urban Justice School Year Program After-school and out-of-school time leadership development program for high school teens, meeting Sundays and Tuesdays from 3:00–6:00pm, covering racism, classism, gender, civic engagement, and community organizing.
• TeensVote! Pre-Registration Initiative Civic engagement initiative that trains paid teen leaders (Student Leaders receiving $150 for 10 hours) to run in-school voter pre-registration workshops aimed at pre-registering 16 and 17 year olds across Massachusetts. Goal of training and pre-registering over 5,000 young people by summer 2017.
• Speak Up! Anthology Youth-authored anthology of 25 personal anti-racism stories compiled in 2009, featuring discussion questions, quotes, artwork, and resources for action. Award-winning publication sold over 2,000 copies in seven years and inspired Phillips Academy Andover's Out Of The Blue anthology.
• YPAR Student Achievement Project (YSAP) Youth Participatory Action Research project in which high school students conduct research on social-justice issues. The flagship YSAP engaged 12 Cambridge students studying achievement/opportunity gaps in public education, with findings presented to the superintendent and School Committee in partnership with Harvard Graduate School of Education and Tufts.
• Training and Consulting Workshops Customizable social-justice workshops and consulting services sold to schools, community organizations, healthcare institutions, and businesses. Modular curriculum covers Racism and Racial Justice, Class and Economic Justice, Sexism and Gender Justice, Heterosexism, Storytelling, Community Organizing, Power and Social Change, Facilitation, and Adultism and Youth Power. Sessions range from 1–4 hours with customization available.
• Social Justice Leadership Institute Program engaging teens from New England independent schools — including Phillips Academy Andover, Brooks School, The Winsor School, and Cambridge School of Weston — to spark culture shift at their institutions. Has engaged more than 150 teens from 15 different schools.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, notable and minor.

• Cambridge Rindge and Latin High SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner in YPAR Student Achievement Project (YSAP). High school students organized around achievement/opportunity gap. Partnership includes Superintendent of Cambridge Schools and School Committee.
• Harvard Graduate School of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Research partner in YPAR project with Cambridge schools. Faculty and researchers collaborate on youth participatory action research methodology and educational equity findings.
• Tufts UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Led by Tufts University researchers in YPAR partnership. Research collaboration on educational equity and youth voice in school systems.
• The City SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEach summer, Sub/Urban Justice partners with The City School to run the Summer Leadership Program - an intensive 6-week transformative leadership development program for young social justice leaders. This partnership began with the first summer program in 2007 with 14 teens.
• MassVOTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MassVOTE in the election modernization coalition. Working together on state-wide civic engagement work over 3 years, specifically the TeensVote! Pre-Registration Initiative to pre-register 16 and 17 year olds to vote.
• YMORE Coalition (Youth of MA Organizing for a Reformed Economy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders of YMORE Coalition working on youth jobs funding, reducing toxic diesel emissions, and increasing progressive revenue. Coalition members include Chinese Progressive Association, Sociedad Latina, Boston Student Advisory Council, and Hyde Square Task Force.
• YouthForcemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with YouthForce and JCRC to build YMORE coalition and launch youth organizing initiatives. Joint campaigns on economic justice issues.
• JCRCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in YMORE coalition for economic justice organizing. Collaboration on youth jobs and progressive revenue campaigns.
• Phillips Academy AndovernotableGTM or Marketing PartnerTraining and consulting client. Inspired by Speak Up! to create their own anthology 'Out Of The Blue' published in 2014. Participant in Social Justice Leadership Institute.
• Mass Mentoring PartnershipminorOthersMember organization providing networking and resources for youth mentoring programs across Massachusetts.
• Boston College PULSE ProgramnotableOthersHosts Boston College PULSE interns (college students doing service learning). PULSE interns like Roberto and Megan work as college support staff with Sub/Urban Justice.
• Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in YMORE. Youth organizing collaboration including shared victories on school budget cuts. Will Poff-Webster continued BPS student organizing through BSAC in college.
• Community Change, Inc.notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergenerational dialogue on racial justice programming. Executive director Shay participated in panel with Sub/Urban Justice youth leaders on role of different generations in racial justice work.
• Chinese Progressive AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in shared victories including restaurant meal tax for school funding. YMORE coalition member for economic justice organizing.
• Sociedad LatinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in youth organizing and shared campaign victories. Member of YMORE coalition working on youth jobs and economic justice.
• Hyde Square Task ForcemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in youth organizing. Shared victory on restaurant meal tax campaign for Boston school budget. YMORE coalition member.
• Democracy CentercoreOthersOffice location at The Democracy Center, 30 Bow Street, Cambridge. Shared space with other justice-focused organizations.
• Brookline Teen CenternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst robust chapter of Sub/Urban Justice opened at Brookline Teen Center. Expanding geographic reach beyond Boston proper.
• Additional Partner OrganizationsminorOthersInquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA), Boston Area Youth Organizing Project (BYOP), Young Coalition, Project Hip-Hop, Dorchester Bay Youth Force, REEP, Youth Jobs Coalition, AISNE, YAC. Various collaborations on youth development and organizing.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YouthBuild USA: National nonprofit operating a network of YouthBuild programs that combine education, job training, and youth leadership for opportunity youth. Erin Rodriguez (Boston Mobilization Board Co-Chair) serves as VP at YouthBuild USA, signaling close programmatic overlap.

Direct peers

• Hyde Square Task Force: Boston-based youth development and organizing nonprofit serving teens through cultural, educational, and leadership programs. Co-YMORE coalition partner with Boston Mobilization on shared campaigns like the restaurant meal tax.
• MassVOTE: Massachusetts civic engagement coalition focused on voter registration and election modernization. Core partner running the TeensVote! pre-registration initiative with Boston Mobilization statewide.
• Chinese Progressive Association: Boston-based grassroots organizing group running youth programs and tenant/worker campaigns. Long-standing coalition partner with Boston Mobilization in YMORE and shared legislative victories.
• The City School: Greater Boston youth leadership and social justice education nonprofit running summer and school-year programs. Direct partner running the Sub/Urban Justice Summer Leadership Program with Boston Mobilization since 2007.
• Sociedad Latina: Boston nonprofit organizing Latino youth around social justice, civic engagement, and cultural identity. Direct YMORE coalition partner and close collaborator on economic justice campaigns with Boston Mobilization.
• YouthForce: Boston-area youth organizing coalition advancing economic justice. Co-built YMORE coalition with Boston Mobilization and partners on youth jobs campaigns.
• Boston Area Youth Organizing Project (BYOP): Regional coalition of youth organizing groups in Greater Boston. Mentioned as a partner organization with overlapping youth development and social justice work.
• Boston Student Advisory Council: Boston Public Schools student-led civic engagement organization. YMORE coalition partner and natural complement to Boston Mobilization's student organizing work in BPS.

Emerging players

• Project HIP-HOP: Boston-area nonprofit using hip-hop culture and arts to develop young leaders for social justice. Similar youth-led methodology and target audience to Boston Mobilization's Sub/Urban Justice program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BostonMobilization
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-mobilization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Boston Mobilization