St. Stephen's Youth Programs

What St. Stephen's Youth Programs does

St. Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by St. Stephen's Episcopal Church as a safe place for elementary students in the South End. Operating year-round from two physical sites — 419 Shawmut Avenue in the South End and 31 Lenox Street in Lower Roxbury — SSYP serves more than 300 youth annually ages 5 to 22 through an integrated portfolio of programs: B-READY (year-round afterschool and summer for K-8), B-SAFE (summer enrichment), Teen Programs (Youth Leadership Corps, Counselor-In-Training pathways, paid teen employment, teen organizing), Parent Organizing (including the Parent Mentor Program placed inside five Boston Public Schools), B-PEACE (community-based violence prevention launched in 2024 with state grant funding), and B-SPARKLE (holiday gift assistance). The portfolio is delivered as a unified ecosystem rather than as a product platform, with paid teen staff comprising 100 of the organization's workforce and 67% of expenses directed to salaries for counselors and organizers who predominantly live in the communities served.

SSYP's service architecture is place-based and relationship-driven rather than technology-mediated. Programs are free to participants and delivered through direct on-site programming at the two SSYP locations and through embedded partnerships with five Boston Public Schools (including parent mentors in classrooms, library services, and afterschool programming). Supporting services include bilingual social-emotional resources, academic enrichment materials, and family organizing infrastructure. SSYP does not maintain proprietary software, a mobile application, or API integrations; its technology footprint is limited to a Squarespace website, a Bloomerang donation platform, Instagram and Facebook, and standard email/newsletter systems. There are no patents, software products, or technology-side revenue streams.

SSYP's revenue model is donation-dependent across six streams: one-time and recurring individual donations processed through Bloomerang, gifts of securities, vehicle donations through the Miles Ahead Network, employer matching gifts and volunteer grants, and foundation and government grants. Programs are provided free of charge to youth and families; SSYP is funded entirely through philanthropy and grants, led by a multi-year grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Program supporting B-PEACE. Distribution channels are direct-to-family via the two physical sites and via in-school partnerships, with the online donation storefront as the principal digital conversion surface. Legally organized as Friends of St. Stephen's Youth Programs (Tax ID# 26-1749602), SSYP is governed by an Executive Committee and Board of Directors and transitioned in December 2024 to a shared three-person Executive Leadership Team (Tyler Cavanagh, Ari Branz, and Rev. Eva Ortez) from a single Executive Director model.

Name

St. Stephen's Youth Programs

Legal name

Friends of St. Stephen's Youth Programs

Website

https://ssypboston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Stephen's Youth Programs is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing year-round afterschool, summer, teen leadership, parent organizing, and violence-prevention programming to over 300 youth ages 5-22 across Lower Roxbury and South End sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Afterschool education services
• Community organizing services
• Violence prevention programs
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Online donations through Bloomerang platform; checks can be mailed to the organization. Donors can earmark gifts for specific programs (Pandemic Relief Fund, B-READY, B-SAFE, teen programming, community organizing, B-PEACE For Jorge).
2. Monthly/Recurring Donations: Recurring donor program for sustainable, year-long support of youth programming.
3. Gifts of Securities: Accepts securities donations for tax-advantaged giving.
4. Matching Gifts: Participates in employer matching gift and volunteer grant programs.
5. Vehicle Donations: Accepts vehicle donations through Miles Ahead Network.
6. Foundation and Government Grants: Received multi-year grant from Commonwealth's Executive Office of Economic Development's Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Program for B-PEACE violence prevention initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St. Stephen's Youth Programs is a community-based nonprofit that provides free, year-round youth development services for ages 5–22, including afterschool (B-READY), summer (B-SAFE), teen leadership and paid employment, parent organizing and the in-school Parent Mentor Program, community-based violence prevention (B-PEACE), and a holiday gift drive (B-SPARKLE). Programs are delivered at two Boston sites and inside five Boston Public Schools, and are funded primarily through individual donations, recurring giving, and foundation/government grants.

Product overview

St. Stephen's Youth Programs is a nonprofit youth development organization operating as a single unified program portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization runs year-round programming at two sites (Lower Roxbury and South End) serving over 300 young people ages 5-22. The core offerings include B-READY (afterschool/summer for K-8), B-SAFE (summer program), Teen Programs (YLC, CIT pathways, teen organizing), Parent Organizing (including Parent Mentor Program), B-PEACE (violence prevention), and B-SPARKLE (holiday assistance). These programs are designed to work as an integrated ecosystem, with youth able to progress from elementary programs through teen leadership and potentially into staff roles, while families can engage through parent organizing and mentoring initiatives. Supporting services include social-emotional support resources, academic enrichment materials, and a school library partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B-READY: Afterschool program for grades K-8 offering year-round learning and academic enrichment.
• B-SAFE
• B-PEACE
• B-SPARKLE
• Youth Leadership Corps (YLC)
• Parent Mentor Program
• Parent Organizing

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% of expenses allocated to salaries and wages for counselors and community organizers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Boston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Boston University partnered with SSYP's B-PEACE Violence Prevention Program as a sponsor. Dr. Kevin Simon, Boston's Chief Behavioral Health Officer and affiliated with Boston University, led a presentation on 'Safeguarding Youth Mental Health in Boston' as part of the B-PEACE initiative.
• Boston Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Boston Police Department participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event alongside SSYP, sharing resources and building connections to strengthen the community.
• Boston Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Boston Medical Center participated as a community partner in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention event, sharing resources and building connections with other community organizations.
• Boston Area Rape Crisis CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Boston Area Rape Crisis Center participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event as a resource partner.
• Poor People's CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Poor People's Campaign participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event as a partner organization.
• Vital VillagescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Vital Villages participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event sharing resources and building new connections.
• The Italian Home for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024The Italian Home for Children participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event as a partner organization.
• Roxbury PrepcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Roxbury Prep participated in the B-PEACE Violence Prevention community event as an educational partner.
• Sika ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Kemarah Sika of Sika Consulting facilitated SSYP's strategic planning process that led to the Executive Leadership Team model.
• MassCOSHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2022SSYP parent organizers have been advocating with MassCOSH for clean and healthy air in school buildings, including long-term investments for ventilation improvements.
• FamCOSA (Family and Community Organizing Students Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022SSYP parent organizers work with FamCOSA pushing for educational options and flexibility during the pandemic, including virtual learning choices.
• College for Social Innovation (CFSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CFSI runs the Semester in the City program matching college students with nonprofits for internships. SSYP hosts CFSI fellows in roles including Academic Fellows, Communications Fellows, and School Partnerships Interns.
• Boston Teachers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SSYP's Director of Organizing Ari Branz previously worked as an Organizer at Boston Teachers Union. Parent organizers have collaborated with the union on advocacy efforts.
• Jewish Organizing Institute for Justice (JOIN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Ari Branz was trained in Community Organizing through JOIN, contributing to SSYP's organizing methodology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• YMCA of Greater Boston: Runs licensed school-aged child care, summer camps, teen programs, and arts programming across the Boston area. Multiple SSYP senior leaders (Tyler Cavanagh, Tracey Merrill) previously held leadership roles at the YMCA, indicating deep overlap in operating model.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) Boston: Workforce development, youth programs, and refugee/immigrant services across Greater Boston. Overlaps with SSYP on teen workforce development, multilingual family services, and immigrant population focus.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston: Operates multiple youth development sites across Boston serving K-12 youth with afterschool, summer, teen, and college/career programming. Directly comparable in mission, target population, and service model.
• Catholic Charities Boston: Provides youth and family services, immigration support, and community programs across Greater Boston. Comparable as a faith-rooted nonprofit operating youth and family services in similar neighborhoods.
• City Year Boston: Plays near-peer youth mentors in Boston Public Schools to support attendance, behavior, and course performance. Comparable in school-embedded youth service delivery and BPS partnership model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts: Mentoring-based youth development nonprofit serving Boston-area youth. Comparable in mentoring model, target demographic, and school-partnership distribution.
• Bottom Line: Boston-based nonprofit providing college access and persistence support to first-generation students from low-income communities. Comparable in serving the same demographic transitioning from teen programming into post-secondary planning.
• Boston Private Industry Council (PIC): Workforce development intermediary connecting Boston youth to employment, internships, and career pathways. Comparable in the teen employment and career-readiness components of SSYP's portfolio.
• Sociedad Latina: Boston-based youth and family development nonprofit serving Latino youth with afterschool, teen organizing, and parent engagement programming in Roxbury. Highly comparable in target population, organizing methodology, and family engagement approach.
• Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC): Provides youth education, afterschool, and family support services for Boston's Asian American community. Comparable in operating afterschool and family-engagement programs inside community settings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

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 St. Stephen's Youth Programs