YouthBridge-NY

What YouthBridge-NY does

YouthBridge-NY (legal name: YouthBridge New York, Inc.; EIN 13-3937355) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 as Bridge to Brotherhood and subsequently brought under the auspices of the Center for Shared Society at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York after September 11, 2001. The organization runs a two-year cross-cultural leadership fellowship for NYC high school students — entering as 11th grade "Fellows" and continuing as 12th grade "Bridgers" — drawing participants from all five NYC boroughs plus parts of New Jersey. Annual cohorts comprise approximately 30-40 youth drawn from diverse racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, and economic backgrounds, selected through online applications and group interviews.

Programmatic components include twice-monthly evening meetings, an overnight orientation retreat, skill-building workshops (advocacy, conflict mediation, civic engagement, media literacy), three Social Action Committees focused on Criminal Justice Reform, Healthcare Disparities, and Food Justice, and the Bridging the Gap grant-making initiative in which Fellows collectively review and award funds to community organizations. The organization is run with a lean staff of 2 full-time employees (Executive Director Karen Elam and Program Coordinator Adama Ahmed) supported by a 13-member Board of Directors, and is operationally managed under JCRC-NY's administrative umbrella. There is no proprietary technology platform; core programming is delivered through in-person and virtual dialogue-based experiences.

YouthBridge-NY's revenue model is entirely donation-based: the fellowship is free for all participants, and the organization is funded through individual donations (online, by check, or via the American Express Members Give Program converting 1,000 points into $10) and the annual Night of Celebration gala with tiered packages ranging from $100 individual tickets to $10,000 Bridge Builder sponsorships. Marketing is conducted through the youthbridgeny.org website, social media, email newsletter, and word-of-mouth referrals from alumni, school counselors, and partner organizations. Cumulative reach is approximately 1,000+ NYC youth over 25 years, with alumni having matriculated at Duke, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and NYIT.

Name

YouthBridge-NY

Legal name

YouthBridge New York, Inc.

Website

https://youthbridgeny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YouthBridge-NY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a free two-year cross-cultural leadership fellowship for NYC high school students (11th grade Fellows and 12th grade Bridgers), funded entirely by donations and managed under the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Cross-community dialogue
• Nonprofit fellowship program
• Social justice education
• Civic engagement training

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions: YouthBridge-NY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies entirely on donations to fund its operations. The program is completely free for NYC youth participants. Donors can give through the website, by check (payable to YouthBridge-NY), or through the American Express Members Give Program where points are converted to cash donations (1,000 points = $10 donation).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YouthBridge-NY operates a free, two-year in-person fellowship for NYC high school students (11th grade Fellows and 12th grade Bridgers) that develops leadership skills through twice-monthly evening meetings, overnight retreats, skill-building workshops, social action committee work in Criminal Justice Reform, Healthcare Disparities, and Food Justice, and a hands-on Bridging the Gap grant-making initiative. The fellowship is delivered free of charge and funded entirely by charitable donations, with an annual Night of Celebration gala serving as the primary fundraising and alumni engagement vehicle.

Product overview

YouthBridge-NY is a nonprofit youth leadership development organization operating as a single, unified fellowship program. The flagship offering is a two-year Fellowship Program where 11th grade students join as 'Fellows' and continue as 'Bridgers' in 12th grade. The program integrates Skill-Building Workshops for leadership development, three Social Action Committees (Criminal Justice Reform, Healthcare Disparities, Food Justice) for focused advocacy work, a Bridging the Gap Grant Program for hands-on grant-making experience, an Orientation Retreat for cohort bonding, and an annual Night of Celebration event. All programming is provided free of charge to NYC youth participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YouthBridge-NY Fellowship Program A two-year leadership development fellowship for NYC high school students (11th grade Fellows transitioning to 12th grade Bridgers) that connects youth across lines of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and economic background through respectful curiosity, courageous conversations, skill-building workshops, social action committee work, overnight retreats, and hands-on grant-making via the Bridging the Gap initiative. Free of charge to participants; run over an academic year (September through June) with twice-monthly evening meetings.
• Night of Celebration Annual Gala

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 years serving NYC youth; graduating cohorts annually with alumni attending top universities including Duke, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, NYIT, and others

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Shared Society at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the tensions after 9/11, YouthBridge-NY came under the auspices of the Center for Shared Society at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. The JCRC-NY provides organizational oversight, administrative infrastructure, and strategic direction for the program.
• Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthBridge-NY is managed by the Center for Shared Society at the JCRC-NY. The parent organization provides administrative, financial, and strategic support enabling the program to operate.
• American Express Members Give ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouthBridge-NY has a partnership with the American Express Members Give Program, which connects Amex cardholders to charitable giving by converting credit card reward points into donations to the organization. For every 1,000 points donated, $10 is contributed to YouthBridge-NY.
• Generation CitizenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneration Citizen, a youth empowerment organization that connects students through civics and advocacy, has collaborated with YouthBridge-NY on civic engagement workshops for Fellows. Ebonie Simpson from Generation Citizen led a skill-building workshop on Civic Engagement.
• Allianz (venue sponsor for Night of Celebration 2026)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllianz serves as the venue sponsor for YouthBridge-NY's 2026 Night of Celebration event at 1633 Broadway, New York City.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Generation Citizen: Youth civic empowerment nonprofit that connects high school and college students to civics and advocacy through action-based programs. Already an active partner of YouthBridge-NY and serves a similar NYC-area demographic with comparable dialogue and leadership-development objectives.
• The Posse Foundation: Nonprofit identifying and developing leadership cohorts of diverse high school students for college and career success. Comparable two-year cohort model, focus on cross-racial/cross-class cohort composition, and NYC-area operations.
• Breakthrough Collaborative: Nonprofit running summer and after-school programs that put high-achieving college students and middle schoolers on a path to college. Shares the multi-year cohort, leadership development, and youth-driven program model.
• Peace First: Nonprofit focused on young people leading social change through peacebuilding, cross-cultural understanding, and community action projects. Closely comparable in mission, fellowship-style model, and youth-centered grantmaking approach.

Emerging players

• iCivics: Nonprofit providing civics education curricula and games for middle and high school students. Overlaps with YouthBridge-NY's civic engagement and social justice advocacy mission but primarily delivers digital curriculum rather than in-person dialogue.

Broad incumbents

• DoSomething.org: Large national youth social-change nonprofit activating young people around causes like civic engagement and justice. Targets the same age demographic as YouthBridge-NY but with a vastly broader digital-first model rather than a small-cohort fellowship.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Established national nonprofit providing educators with curricula and resources on social justice, identity, and cross-cultural understanding for high school students. Comparable mission of fostering respectful dialogue on difficult societal issues, but operates as a curriculum provider rather than a direct fellowship program.
• The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York: Parent organization that administers the Center for Shared Society overseeing YouthBridge-NY. Operates adjacent programs on intergroup relations and civic engagement in NYC, providing structural context for YouthBridge-NY's mission and operations.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth development nonprofit providing after-school programming, leadership development, and community engagement across local clubs. Shares youth leadership development objectives but operates via facility-based club model rather than dialogue-intensive cohort fellowships.

Regional players

• Asian American Federation: NYC-based nonprofit advocacy and service organization supporting Asian American communities through programs, research, and grantmaking. Comparable to one of YouthBridge-NY's original constituent communities (Asian, Latino, African American, Jewish) and operates in the same NYC metro geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthbridge-ny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 YouthBridge-NY