Our Mission
We ignite growth in community-based programs to expand opportunities for the young people of New York City.
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Investing in growth
While most funding goes towards well-established organizations, we invest in emerging, second-stage organizations to help them build capacity and reach their full potential.
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Triple in size
Our investment in our grantees allows many of them to triple in size, increase program capacity, and serve more kids.
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More than just funding
In addition to funding, we provide crucial technical and professional development through our Cofactor Lab, ensuring our partner organizations are poised to succeed in the future.
Our History
We are SparkYouth.
SparkYouth NYC (formerly The Catalog for Giving) was founded in 1994 by Sally Berg and Barbara Kronman, inspired by the idea that donors would like to support the best emerging youth-development programs in NYC—local organizations that are transforming young lives. Over the years SparkYouth has funded and provided technical support to more than 75 emerging programs, which in turn have served thousands of young people with programming in arts, sports, academics, mentoring, technology and more.
Every three years we embark on a rigorous process to identify small organizations that have the potential to grow and serve more young people for years to come. We believe that providing support, both financial and operational, is key to encouraging expansion and sustainability. We operate as a high touch strategic partner to our organizations, all with the aim of closing the opportunity gap for NYC children from under-resourced communities.
Learn more about our unique model and impact.