ULSTER LITERACY ASSOCIATION INC

What ULSTER LITERACY ASSOCIATION INC does

Ulster Literacy Association (ULA) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1981 and headquartered at 480 Aaron Court in Kingston, New York, serving adult learners across Ulster County. Its mission addresses the approximately 25,000 functionally illiterate adults in the county through a coordinated portfolio of free programs: one-to-one volunteer tutoring, the English for Parents Program (Kingston, Saugerties, New Paltz), the Corrections Education Program at Ulster County Jail, BOCES high school equivalency classroom support, off-site workplace literacy, digital literacy training, and an Art Therapy Workshop. Tutor training consists of a 100% online 12-hour virtual curriculum accredited by ProLiteracy Worldwide, followed by a 2-hour Zoom orientation and tutor-learner matching. All services are provided free of charge to learners.

ULA's operating model is community-led: it recruits and certifies volunteer tutors, matches them with learners, and delivers sessions across multiple community sites (the ULA office, Kingston Library, churches, community centers, diners, and correctional facilities), with remote tutoring options also available. The organization operates the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) station of Ulster County under AmeriCorps Seniors, giving it a structured pipeline of senior volunteers. Core staff is approximately seven people, led by Executive Director Amy Lenard.

ULA's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix comprising individual donations (tiers at $25, $50, $150), federal grants under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), additional government and foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, planned/estate gifts, and the annual Ulster Literacy Day fundraising event at participating independent bookstores (which donate 10% of event-day sales). Marketing and outreach rely on Facebook, Instagram, seasonal email newsletters, and community partnerships. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors currently led by President Kristin Wenger following a 2024 transition.

Name

ULSTER LITERACY ASSOCIATION INC

Legal name

Ulster Literacy Association

Website

https://ulsterliteracy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ulster Literacy Association is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1981 in Kingston, NY, providing free adult literacy programs — including one-to-one tutoring, English language instruction, corrections education, and digital literacy — to functionally illiterate adults and immigrants across Ulster County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Literacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundational Reading & Writing Literacy (EDAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corrections & Reentry Adult Literacy (Justice-Involved Learners) (EDAAAAAL), Basic Digital Literacy (Device, Internet, Email) (EDAAAAAC), Family Literacy (Parent/Child & Intergenerational) (EDAAAAAE)

Keywords

• Adult literacy services
• Volunteer tutoring programs
• English language instruction
• Corrections education programs
• Community literacy nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

West Kingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donations at various tiers ($150, $50, $25) supporting tutor/learner pairs, volunteer training, and learning materials.
2. Grants: Federal grants under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), along with other government and foundation grants supporting adult literacy programs.
3. Fundraising Events: Ulster Literacy Day events at participating bookstores where 10% of sales are donated to support adult literacy programs.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from businesses and organizations supporting literacy programs.
5. Estate Gifts: Financial and estate gifts as part of planned giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ulster Literacy Association is a 501c3 nonprofit that delivers free adult literacy services across Ulster County, New York, including one-to-one tutoring, English language instruction for parents, corrections education at Ulster County Jail, BOCES high school equivalency classroom support, off-site workplace literacy, and digital literacy training. Programs are staffed by trained volunteer tutors and delivered in-person at community locations, at correctional facilities, remotely, and through workplace sites.

Product overview

Ulster Literacy Association (ULA) is a nonprofit organization offering a coordinated portfolio of free adult literacy programs in Ulster County, New York. The core offerings include one-to-one tutoring, English language instruction through the English for Parents Program in Kingston, Saugerties, and New Paltz, the Corrections Education Program at Ulster County Jail, BOCES high school equivalency classroom support, off-site workplace literacy, and digital literacy programs. These programs are supported by volunteer tutor training services accredited by ProLiteracy Worldwide and the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) under AmeriCorps Seniors. All services are provided free of charge to adult learners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Tutoring

Named customers4 records

Segments5 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 flagship and core.

• Blue Heron BooksflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 September 2025New participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day 2025. Located in High Falls, NY.
• Inquiring Minds BookstoreflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Locations in Saugerties and New Paltz, NY.
• OUR BookshopflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Located in Saugerties, NY.
• MirabaiflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Located in Woodstock, NY.
• Rough Draft Bar & BooksflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Located in Kingston, NY.
• Half Moon BooksflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Located in Kingston, NY.
• Golden NotebookflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2022Participating bookstore in Ulster Literacy Day events. Donates 10% of sales on event day to support ULA adult literacy programs. Located in Woodstock, NY.
• AmeriCorps Seniors (RSVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULA is the RSVP station of Ulster County - the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. This is a federally funded program under AmeriCorps Seniors providing volunteer opportunities for retired and senior residents.
• Kingston LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULA has its own office at the Kingston Library. The library also serves as a meeting location for tutoring sessions.
• BOCEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBOCES high school equivalency (HSE) classroom support program partnership providing educational services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hudson Valley BOCES: BOCES partner of ULA that delivers high school equivalency preparation; overlapping program scope on HSE classroom support and a tangible operational peer in the Hudson Valley.
• Literacy New York: Statewide network of community-based adult literacy programs in New York; substantially overlaps ULA's delivery model (volunteer tutors, free adult literacy, ESOL) and serves as a peer within the same state.
• Literacy Volunteers of Stamford/Greenwich: Similar community-based adult literacy nonprofit offering free one-to-one tutoring, ESOL, and citizenship preparation through trained volunteers — a direct operating peer.

Others

• Kingston Library: Hosts ULA's office and program space through a formal partnership; adjacent rather than competitive, but a meaningful ecosystem participant in the local delivery of literacy services.

Broad incumbents

• ProLiteracy Worldwide: National umbrella organization that accredits ULA's tutor training; directly comparable as the leading US adult literacy membership and advocacy body supporting local literacy programs.
• Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Pennsylvania: Larger nonprofit that runs adult literacy and ESL programs alongside broader workforce services; overlaps with ULA's workplace literacy and adult literacy offerings.
• Reading Is Fundamental: National literacy nonprofit focused on children's literacy and family literacy; comparable in literacy mission and family literacy programming, though focused on youth rather than adults.
• National Literacy Trust: National charity focused on improving literacy skills across age groups; comparable mission in adult literacy advocacy and program support, though UK-based.

Regional players

• Literacy Austin: Community-based adult literacy and ESOL provider offering free tutoring via volunteers; comparable service model, but operating in a different region (Texas).
• San Diego Council on Literacy: Regional adult literacy coalition supporting tutor programs across a county; comparable in mission and volunteer-led delivery, but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UlsterLiteracy
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulsterliteracy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulster-literacy-association-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 ULSTER LITERACY ASSOCIATION INC