Joseph H. Firth Youth Center

What Joseph H. Firth Youth Center does

Joseph H. Firth Youth Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1954 and based in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, that provides educational, recreational, athletic, childcare, and youth prevention programming to children and families in Warren County. Its core services include licensed After School Care ($160/month) and Summer Camp ($160/week) programs, alongside year-round athletic, recreational, and coalition-based prevention initiatives such as LEAD/iLEAD partnerships with local schools and law enforcement. The organization is funded primarily through donations and grants, supplemented by modest program fees and a $15 annual membership. Firth operates a single physical campus that has been expanded over time to include the Brennan Family Multipurpose Room, the MJW Gymnasium, and a 5.66-acre adjacent parcel developed in partnership with the Town of Phillipsburg and the McWane family as McWane Field.

The business model is a hybrid philanthropic-and-fee nonprofit model: philanthropic capital (donations, grants, and named capital gifts from families such as Brennan, MJW, and McWane) underwrites the majority of operations and capital projects, while earned revenue from childcare, camp, and membership fees provides a secondary, smaller contribution. The center has 11-50 employees and serves as a community anchor rather than a scalable, technology-mediated platform; its competitive position rests on physical infrastructure, licensed-program credentials, and seven decades of institutional relationships with the Phillipsburg community. Firth's recent trajectory is characterized by facility expansion and programmatic broadening rather than geographic or digital scaling, consistent with a moderate-growth, place-based nonprofit.

Name

Joseph H. Firth Youth Center

Legal name

Joseph H. Firth Youth Center

Website

https://firthyouthcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Joseph H. Firth Youth Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954 in Phillipsburg, NJ, providing educational, recreational, athletic, childcare, and prevention programs to youth and families through donations, grants, and modest program fees on a single expanded campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Services / Community Youth Programs

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth services
• After-school programs
• Summer camp
• Youth development
• Community youth center

Headquarters

HQ city

Phillipsburg

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization operates as a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization relying primarily on charitable contributions and grant funding to support operations and programs for vulnerable youth.
2. Program Fees: Modest fees charged for structured programs including After School Care ($160/month) and Summer Camp ($160/week), with subsidies accepted for qualifying families through Norwescap.
3. Membership Fees: $15 annual membership fee required for drop-in programs and participation in programs throughout the year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Joseph H. Firth Youth Center is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides educational, recreational, athletic, childcare, and prevention programs for vulnerable youth in Phillipsburg, NJ. Its core offerings include After School Care, Summer Camp, Drop-In Membership, Food Security Programs, a summer Playground Program, and specialty classes such as dance, wrestling, and inclusive martial arts. Programs are delivered primarily free to local youth, with modest fees for structured programs and subsidies available through Norwescap for qualifying families.

Product overview

Joseph H. Firth Youth Center is a nonprofit youth services organization offering a portfolio of recreational, educational, and athletic programs for youth in Phillipsburg, NJ. The core offerings include structured After School Care (grades 2nd-8th) with specialty classes, Drop-In Membership for supervised open gym access, Summer Camp (10-week program for ages 6-12), and Playground Program (summer outdoor program at multiple locations). The organization also provides Food Security Programs through Dine & Dash and Summer Lunch partnerships with Norwescap Food Bank. Specialty programs include Dance Classes, Wrestling Club, Fri-Yay Nights, FYC Boutique, Hooray Day, and Stronger Together (inclusive martial arts). Additionally, the organization operates community coalitions including LEAD Phillipsburg and iLEAD Youth Coalition for substance abuse prevention. The center is expanding with McWane Field at MJW Park, a partnership with Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and McWane, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAD Phillipsburg: Learn, Educate, Advocate, Develop Drug Free Community Coalition developed to reduce substance use for youth in Phillipsburg and surrounding districts.
• iLEAD Youth Coalition
• McWane Field at MJW Park

Products and services

• After School Care
• Summer Camp
• Playground Program
• Drop-In Membership
• Food Security Programs
• Stronger Together
• Fri-Yay Nights
• FYC Boutique
• Hooray Day
• Dance Classes
• Wrestling Club
• LEAD Phillipsburg Coalition
• iLEAD Youth Coalition

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cal Ripken, Sr. FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCal Ripken, Sr. Foundation partnered with McWane, Inc. and Firth Youth Center to build McWane Field at Michael J. Weirsky Park - New Jersey's first Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Youth Development Park. The field is specifically designed to serve vulnerable youth in Phillipsburg, NJ. Donations to support the field construction can be designated through the Foundation's website.
• McWane, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcWane, Inc. partnered with Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and Firth Youth Center to construct McWane Field at MJW Park for at-risk youth in Phillipsburg. The partnership brings New Jersey's first Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation field to the community.
• Elizabeth Firth Wade FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Elizabeth Firth Wade Foundation (transferred from Santa Barbara, CA to Phillipsburg, NJ in 2022) erected the Joseph H. Firth Youth Center in 1954 in honor of Elizabeth's father Joseph H. Firth. The Foundation maintains a close relationship with the Board of Directors and works to honor Elizabeth's legacy.
• NORWESCAP Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirth Youth Center is a proud partner of NORWESCAP Food Bank and host site for the Summer Food Service Program. Provides free lunches to youth Monday-Friday 11:30am-12:30pm during summer. Also offers Dine & Dash healthy meals program for youth attending programs.
• Norwescap Child and Family Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFYC accepts subsidized child care through Norwescap for families who qualify for After School Care and Summer Camp. Contact: 908-454-1078. This partnership enables low-income families to access childcare services.
• Georgia Hiden Charitable FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance Classes program is conducted in partnership with the Georgia Hiden Charitable Foundation, which supports engagement of select age groups in learning unique dance routines with certified instructors.
• Action Karate PhillipsburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStronger Together program partners with Action Karate Phillipsburg to provide inclusive martial arts classes tailored for families with youth who are differently-abled. Classes are free to families and encourage parent/guardian participation.
• Phillipsburg Municipal AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFri-Yay Nights program is conducted in partnership with the Phillipsburg Municipal Alliance, engaging select age groups with special activities, guest visitors, competitions, dinner, and dancing.
• Kiwanis Club of PhillipsburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated stuffed cosmetic bags filled with various goodies for all attendees at the 8th Annual FYC Boutique event for Phillipsburg youth.
• Phillipsburg Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHA partners with FYC for Playground Program at Heckman Terrace and Heckman Terrace Annex locations. Residents have access to free summer programs. Also partner for expanded summer programming.
• Phillipsburg Police DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with LEAD Phillipsburg Coalition and FYC for 'Be My Parent, Not My Bartender' Sticker Shock Campaign and driving course with Fatal Vision Goggles to demonstrate dangers of impaired driving.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Camp Fire: National youth development nonprofit offering year-round out-of-school programs including after-school care, summer camp, and teen programs. Closely comparable programmatic footprint (wraparound childcare, recreation, summer programming) and donor/revenue model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National federation of youth centers providing after-school programs, childcare, athletics, and youth development for school-age children. Closely comparable mission, programming mix (homework help, recreation, athletics), and donor-dependent funding model — FYC operates as a small-scale, single-site functional equivalent.
• National Police Athletic League (PAL): National youth crime prevention organization delivering athletic, educational, and mentoring programs to at-risk youth, frequently partnering with local police departments. Directly comparable in mission (vulnerable youth + law enforcement partnership), programming, and the LEAD Phillipsburg substance-abuse-prevention coalition's positioning.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit serving vulnerable children through structured one-on-one and group programs. Comparable donor-dependent funding model, vulnerable-youth mission focus, and reliance on community partnerships for program delivery.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army: National charitable organization delivering youth services, after-school care, summer camps, and emergency social services. Comparable comprehensive programming for at-risk populations and corporate/foundation-supported operating model, though with broader geographic scale and additional adult services.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National youth development organization providing enrichment, leadership, recreation, and educational programming for school-age youth. Comparable donor-supported operating model, partnership ecosystem (schools, civic organizations), and year-round program calendar.
• 4-H: National youth development organization delivering educational, recreational, and leadership programming for school-age youth. Comparable youth development mission, partnership ecosystem (universities, Cooperative Extension), and reliance on donated infrastructure and volunteers.
• YMCA: National community-based youth services organization offering after-school care, summer camp, athletics, and youth development programs. Comparable wraparound childcare/recreation programming and philanthropy-supported funding model, though much larger footprint and broader adult programming.

Regional players

• NORWESCAP: Northwest New Jersey Community Action Partnership — a regional Community Action Agency providing food security, child-care subsidies, and youth services across FYC's service area. Both an active operational partner (food bank, child-care subsidies) and a comparable community-based nonprofit delivering anti-poverty programming in the same geography.
• Boys & Girls Club of Easton: Direct regional peer serving at-risk youth across the Delaware River in Easton, PA — adjacent to Phillipsburg, NJ. Comparable programming mix, donor-dependent funding, and at-risk youth mission serving a similar small post-industrial community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joseph-h-firth-youth-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Joseph H. Firth Youth Center