The Decade Project
Decode Project is a Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit that delivers evidence-based structured literacy instruction, using Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's methodologies, to underserved children in Louisville's West End through paid college-student mentors, school partnerships, and sliding-scale family enrollment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLouisville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Decade Project does
Decode Project is a Louisville, Kentucky-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 by former school counselor LaToya Whitlock. The organization delivers evidence-based structured literacy instruction to children in Louisville's West End and across Jefferson County, with a specific focus on Black, brown, and low-income students who often lack access to quality reading intervention. Its core methodology combines Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's influenced multi-sensory structured literacy approaches with Diagnostic Decoding Surveys, healing-centered care, anti-racist training, and resiliency-building — delivered through paid Literacy Mentors who are predominantly college students of color recruited from local universities.
The core product is the one-on-one and small-group Literacy Mentoring Program, supplemented by the five-week LIT Summer Experience, caregiver workshops, school partnership programming at JCPS elementary sites (Byck, Maupin, King), and the Decoding Whiteness adult anti-racism program. The proprietary curriculum layers structured literacy pedagogy with equity-centered mentorship training, and the Diagnostic Decoding Survey is used to identify and target specific decoding weaknesses. Operations are conducted on-site at partner schools and community organizations, with virtual programming retained from the COVID-19 era.
The business model is nonprofit grant- and donation-funded with a sliding-scale fee component for individual families ($5-$65 per session, with financial aid and a "free at partner sites" pathway). Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: students are enrolled through school referrals or a website form, and mentor recruitment flows through university partnerships (University of Louisville, Spalding University). Distribution relies on embedded presence at JCPS schools and community organizations rather than paid marketing, with awareness generated through Facebook, Instagram, an email newsletter, earned local media (WHAS 11, UofL Magazine, Wave Country), and word-of-mouth within the Louisville West End community. Passive fundraising is augmented via the Kroger Community Rewards affiliate program.
The Decade Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Decade Project
- Legal name
- Decode Project
- Website
- https://decodeproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Decode Project is a Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit that delivers evidence-based structured literacy instruction, using Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's methodologies, to underserved children in Louisville's West End through paid college-student mentors, school partnerships, and sliding-scale family enrollment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Decade Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literacy Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reading Intervention & Remediation (Decoding, Fluency, Comprehension) (EDAKAJAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Remedial & Academic Intervention Programs (Reading/Math Recovery) (EDAJAGAC), Language Immersion Programs & Camps (Local/Seasonal) (EDAMAFAL)
Keywords
Where The Decade Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louisville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Decade Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sliding Scale Session Fees: Families pay $5-$65 per session on a sliding scale based on household income. Programming at school and community partners is free, covered by grants.
- Grants: Grant funding covers free programming at partner schools and community organizations. Major grants support operations and expansion.
- Individual Donations: Monthly sustainer donations ($10, $25, $50 suggested amounts) and one-time gifts from Decode Project Champions. Employer matching and Kroger Community Rewards program also generate donations.
- Kroger Community Rewards: Community referral program where Kroger customers link their Plus card to Decode Project, earning donations on eligible purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding scale sessions: $5 - $65 per session |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free programming at partner schools and community organizations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Decade Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Decode Project delivers one-on-one and small group structured literacy instruction to children and young people in Louisville's West End using evidence-based Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's influenced multi-sensory, explicit, sequential methodologies. Programming is delivered by trained paid Literacy Mentors (predominantly college students of color), is offered free at partner schools covered by grants or on a sliding scale of $5-$65 per session for direct family enrollment, and is supplemented by summer camps, caregiver workshops, and adult anti-racism education.
Product overview
Decode Project is a nonprofit literacy education organization offering structured literacy intervention programs. The core offering is the Literacy Mentoring Program, which provides one-on-one and small group structured literacy instruction using evidence-based Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's influenced systems. Related programs include the LIT Summer Experience (summer camp with structured literacy and experiential learning), Caregiver Workshops (family literacy skill-building), School Partnership Programs (in-school and community-based interventions), and the Decoding Whiteness adult education program. Services are provided free or on a sliding scale ($5-$65/session) and target students most in need of structured literacy support in Louisville's West End community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Literacy Mentoring Program One-on-one and small group structured literacy instruction provided by trained paid Literacy Mentors using evidence-based multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's influenced methodologies tailored to each student's decoding needs; for children and young people with literacy challenges, primarily in Louisville's West End.
- LIT Summer Experience Five-week summer day camp combining 120 daily minutes of Structured Literacy lessons with experiential learning including weekly field trips, art, movement, music, mindfulness, and storytelling; for students with literacy challenges in Louisville.
- Caregiver Workshops Five-week virtual workshops that equip caregivers and families with tangible materials, information, and advocacy skills to reinforce structured literacy skill building at home.
- School Partnership Programs On-site structured literacy intervention programs delivered at partner schools including Byck Elementary, Maupin Elementary, and King Elementary (Jefferson County Public Schools), plus community partners Portland Neighborhood House and Mizizi Homeschool Co-op; free for families and grant-funded.
- Decoding Whiteness A nine-month intensive adult education program focused on anti-racism, providing participants with knowledge and skills necessary to practice anti-racism and create more equitable communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students are 4X more likely to graduate high school with early literacy intervention
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Decade Project
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Decade Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Decade Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Maupin ElementarycoreJCPS elementary school partner where Decode Project delivers structured literacy programming as part of the organization's school partnership expansion during 2021-2022.
- University of Louisville Office of Community EngagementcoreUniversity partner supporting Decode Project's community engagement initiatives and providing student volunteers/recruits for the Literacy Mentor program.
- University of Louisville School of EducationcoreAcademic partner providing educational expertise and potentially recruiting future educators as Literacy Mentors.
- Evolve 502minorLocal partner organization supporting the Decode Project's educational mission in the Louisville 502 area.
- New Directions Housing Corp.coreHousing organization partnership bringing literacy services to families living in affordable housing communities in Louisville.
- Spalding University Career Design CenterminorUniversity career center partnership supporting Literacy Mentor recruitment and professional development.
- National Center for Families LearningcoreNational nonprofit partner focused on family literacy; aligns with Decode Project's caregiver workshop and advocacy support programs.
- Byck Elementary (JCPS)coreJCPS partner school in the 2021-2022 expansion, receiving on-site structured literacy instruction twice weekly.
- King Elementary (JCPS)coreJCPS partner school (Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary) in the Shawnee neighborhood where Decode Project has a satellite office, part of 2021-2022 expansion.
- Louisville Central Community CentercoreCommunity center partner hosting a combined literacy and theater summer camp for 16 students in Summer 2021.
- Portland Neighborhood HousecoreCommunity partner since 2020; students received one-on-one structured literacy intervention, served as virtual programming partner during COVID, and hosted the LIT Summer Experience camp.
- Saint Vincent De Paul's Family Resource CentercoreFamily resource center partner starting in 2020, providing one-on-one structured literacy intervention twice weekly to referred students.
- Mizizi Homeschool Co-opminorHomeschool co-op partner for virtual structured literacy instruction during COVID-19 and continued partnership into 2021-2022.
- Dare to Dream AcademyminorVirtual programming partner during the COVID-19 pandemic providing remote literacy services to students.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Decade Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Raising A Reader: National early literacy and family engagement nonprofit working with underserved families through partner organizations; comparable caregiver-em empowerment and community-based delivery model.
- Reading Partners: National nonprofit providing one-on-one literacy tutoring to underserved K-5 students using trained volunteers; comparable to Decode's mentor-driven structured literacy intervention model in under-resourced communities.
- Children's Literacy Initiative: Nonprofit partnering with under-resourced schools to deliver high-quality literacy instruction and teacher coaching; comparable equity focus and school-partnership delivery model.
- BookSpring: Texas-based nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy in underserved communities through educator training and family engagement; comparable small nonprofit scale and community-anchored model.
- 826 National: Network of nonprofit writing and literacy centers serving under-resourced K-12 students with trained volunteers; comparable mission of combining evidence-based literacy instruction with culturally responsive, community-rooted delivery.
Emerging players
- LitWorld: Global nonprofit promoting literacy through strengths-based, culturally responsive programs including Lit Clubs for youth; comparable emphasis on healing-centered, asset-framed literacy engagement in marginalized communities.
- Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes: For-profit provider of evidence-based structured literacy (sensory-cognitive) instruction for students with dyslexia and reading difficulties; uses comparable Orton-Gillingham-adjacent methodology, but delivers via learning centers rather than a nonprofit community model.
Broad incumbents
- Reach Out and Read: Large national nonprofit leveraging pediatric clinics to promote early literacy; broader scope and clinical-channel distribution, but addresses the same early-literacy access gap in low-income communities.
Others
- International Dyslexia Association (Louisville chapter / IDA): National nonprofit providing resources, advocacy, and professional training around structured literacy for dyslexic learners; adjacent ecosystem organization shaping the same evidence-based intervention space Decode operates in.
Peers
- National Center for Families Learning: National nonprofit focused on family literacy and two-generation learning; Decode already partners with them, signaling thematic overlap and a potential upstream peer/incumbent for caregiver-engaged literacy programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Decade Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Decade Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Decade Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Decade Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Decade Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Decade Project
What does The Decade Project do?
Decode Project delivers one-on-one and small group structured literacy instruction to children and young people in Louisville's West End using evidence-based Orton-Gillingham and Wilson's influenced multi-sensory, explicit, sequential methodologies. Programming is delivered by trained paid Literacy Mentors (predominantly college students of color), is offered free at partner schools covered by grants or on a sliding scale of $5-$65 per session for direct family enrollment, and is supplemented by summer camps, caregiver workshops, and adult anti-racism education.
Is The Decade Project a public or private company?
The Decade Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Decade Project founded?
The Decade Project was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Decade Project based?
The Decade Project is headquartered in Louisville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Decade Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Sliding Scale Session Fees are the primary driver. The others are grants, individual Donations and kroger Community Rewards.
Who are The Decade Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Raising A Reader, Reading Partners, Children's Literacy Initiative, BookSpring and 826 National. Emerging players are LitWorld and Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes. Reach Out and Read is listed as a broad incumbent. International Dyslexia Association (Louisville chapter / IDA) is listed as an others. National Center for Families Learning is listed as a peer.
Does The Decade Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Decade Project.
What industry is The Decade Project in?
The Decade Project's product category is Literacy Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAJAD, Reading Intervention & Remediation (Decoding, Fluency, Comprehension), with a secondary code of EDAJAGAC, Remedial & Academic Intervention Programs (Reading/Math Recovery). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.