named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
EastSide Innovators
Planned incubator program to support social entrepreneurship and create jobs through community-based ventures
Family Fun Fridays
Monthly free family event featuring dinner, entertainment, and activities for all ages
ParentChild+ Program
Home-visiting early learning program serving 60 families, providing books, toys, and caregiver coaching to support school readiness for young children
STEAM After-School Program
After-school program offering homework support and hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math activities for children
Summer Learning Experience
Annual summer program aimed at preventing learning loss, expanding to serve 100 participants by 2026
activities · 10 groups
What they do
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After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- After-school STEAM and homework support programsOperates after-school programs for children in grades K–8, providing homework support and hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities to promote educational engagement and cultural exposure.
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Charter School Operations 1 activity
- Charter school operationFounded and operates The King Center Charter School, the first charter school in Western New York, serving as an educational institution within the community.
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Land Bank Property Revitalization 1 activity
- Community asset redevelopmentTransforms vacant or underutilized properties into community assets, with at least three properties redeveloped to support neighborhood revitalization.
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Comprehensive Community Service Hubs 1 activity
- Community hub and educational programmingOperates as a community center serving over 250 children and families annually through educational programs and direct services, including expanded programming that has directly served 280+ families.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Community leadership recognition eventsHosts the East Side Excellence Awards and associated gala events to celebrate community leaders, youth leaders, and innovators on Buffalo's East Side, including announcing award recipients at an annual Inaugural Gala.
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Historic Building Restoration and Preservation 1 activity
- Historic building preservation and adaptive reusePreserves and reuses a historic church building on Buffalo’s East Side as a catalyst for educational, economic, and social change, including reconstructing it for use as a school annex leased to the Buffalo Public School system.
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Early Literacy Promotion 1 activity
- Home-based early learning supportProvides home-based early learning support through twice-weekly visits for 60 low-income families in Buffalo, offering educational books and toys to promote childhood development as part of the Parent-Child+ school readiness program. Early Learning Specialists conduct biweekly 30-minute home visits.
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First-Time Homebuyer Support Services 1 activity
- Homeownership support servicesFacilitates residents through the homebuying process, having supported over 50 individuals or families in achieving homeownership.
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Parent-Led Education Advocacy 1 activity
- Parent advocacy and civic engagement supportSupports parent participation in advocacy, including preparing and supporting a parent advocate to meet with congressional representatives in Washington D.C. in 2017.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Pilot holistic care interventions in public schoolsFunded and implemented a pilot project delivering holistic care interventions in four classrooms at Buffalo Public School 90, in collaboration with Houghton, Buffalo State, and University at Buffalo.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$752K
Contributions & grants$432K57%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$320K
expenses
Total expenses$881K
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$360K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.78M
Cash$333K
Investments$0
Liabilities$29K
Net assets$1.75M
Liquid reserves4.5 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +1.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 13
- ADAM J POOLE — TREASURER
- AMY DOWNING — DIRECTOR
- CLAIRE WHITE — SECRETARY
- CODY CLEMENT-SANDERS — DIRECTOR
- COURTNEY CALDWELL — DIRECTOR
- DA'VON MCCUNE — BOARD CHAIR
- DR HENRY TAYLOR — VICE CHAIR
- DR TYE CALDWELL — DIRECTOR
- ELYSE FEARS — DIRECTOR
- ESSENCE SWEAT — DIRECTOR
- JACKIE HARDT — DIRECTOR
- MICHELLE URBANCZYK — DIRECTOR
- RAYNARD WOODS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 45
Who they work with
- Adam J. Poole Partner — Board member and Treasurer of the organization.
- Algonquin Sports Partner — Partner in delivering sports programming to students in the afterschool STEAM program.
- Back to Basics Ministries Partner — Collaborates with KULC on the East Side Transformation Project.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNY Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Buffalo Partner — Collaborates with organizations across Buffalo to expand access to programs for children of all ages.
- Buffalo Center for Health Equity Partner — Collaborates with KULC on the East Side Transformation Project.
- Buffalo Museum of Science Partner — Provides weekly in-house science activities for the afterschool STEAM program.
- Buffalo Philharmonic Partner — Provides music programming as part of the afterschool STEAM program.
- Buffalo Public School 90 Partner — Collaborative partner in piloting holistic care interventions and later housing the program at the King Urban Life Center.
- Buffalo State Partner — Collaborated on a pilot project to deliver holistic care in classrooms at Buffalo Public School 90.
- Buffalo Urban League Partner — Collaborates through Project Hope on school-age programming in the afterschool STEAM program.
- Burchfield Penney Art Center Partner — Partner in delivering cultural programming to students in the afterschool STEAM program.
- CEPA Gallery Partner — Partner in delivering arts and cultural programming to students in the afterschool STEAM program.
- Community Canvases Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Dewitt Lee III, St. Brian Clothiers Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Dr. Henry Taylor Partner — Board member and Vice President of the organization.
- East Side Transformation Project Partner — Strategic partnership for neighborhood transformation and physical landscape improvement
- Eastside Transformation Project Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Elyse Fears Partner — Board member and Secretary of the organization.
- Emmanuel Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Erie County Community Foundation Funder — Funder of King Urban Life Center
- Fatherhood Initiative of Buffalo Partner — Community partner collaborating with King Urban Life Center
- Grassroots Gardens Partner — Collaborates on environmental and garden-based education within the afterschool STEAM program.
- Houghton Partner — Collaborated on a pilot project to deliver holistic care in classrooms at Buffalo Public School 90.
- Jackie Hardt Partner — Board member and President of the organization.
- LISC WNY Partner — Collaborates with KULC on the East Side Transformation Project.
- National Parent-Child+ Program Network — Member of the Parent-Child+ nationwide network, maintaining fidelity to the National Model through recertification.
- Oishei Foundation Partner — Collaborates with King Urban Life Center to present the East Side Excellence Awards, with its CEO announcing winners at the Inaugural Gala.
- Osanii Productions Partner — Provides dance programming as part of the afterschool STEAM program.
- Preservation Buffalo Niagara Partner — Recognized King Urban Life Center with an award for community impact.
+ 15 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Led Transformationmethodology: community_led_transformationBy centering the lived experiences and aspirations of community residents in shaping change efforts, the organization produces more effective and sustainable neighborhood transformation because solutions emerge from authentic local wisdom and ownership.
- Holistic Care in Educationmethodology: holistic_care_in_educationBy integrating social, familial, and academic support within educational settings, the organization improves student outcomes because learning is understood as dependent on the stability and health of the whole person and family system.
- Parent as First Teachermethodology: parent_as_first_teacherBy equipping parents with interactive learning techniques through home-based coaching, the organization strengthens early childhood development because caregivers are empowered as the child’s most influential and enduring educators.
- Place-Based Learning for Community Investmentmethodology: place_based_learningBy grounding education in the local environment and community context, the organization fosters youth ownership and responsibility, which in turn encourages long-term community investment and development because learning becomes personally and culturally relevant.
- Roots to Renaissance Cultural Modelmethodology: roots_to_renaissanceBy honoring cultural heritage and intergenerational legacy as foundational to renewal, the organization fosters community-driven renaissance, using the ecological metaphor that strong future growth emerges from the rooted strength of past generations.