COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

Friends of IS 318 Chess Club
Brooklyn, NY · EIN 994163632 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · Micro (<$100K) · 318chess.com
revenue
$57K
expenses
$41K
net assets
$15K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

Providing educational opportunities associated with chess to students of urban Title I middle school

profile · synthesized from sources

Operational chess education program based at I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, NY, serving middle school students from urban, Title I-eligible backgrounds. The program uses competitive chess to build cognitive and academic skills such as persistence, planning, and logical thinking. It has won 58 national championships and is nationally recognized through the documentary "Brooklyn Castle".

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Chess School Program
Comprehensive chess education including structured training, analysis, tournament planning, and mentorship for middle school students at I.S. 318
National Tournament Team
Competitive team that participates in national chess championships across multiple divisions including middle school, grade, elementary, and high school levels
activities · 1 group

What they do

  • Youth & Community Chess Education 3 activities
    • Hosting community chess events and fundraising activities
      Organizes community engagement events centered around chess, including BLITZ competitions and fundraiser events, to support the sustainability of the chess program.
    • Organizing team-building and outreach events for chess program participants
      Coordinates non-competitive group outings, such as attending a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, to build community and support among chess program students.
    • Providing chess education and competitive opportunities to middle school students
      Offers educational programming in chess, including world-class coaching and access to national tournaments, for students at urban Title I middle schools. The program supports student participation in events such as the National Junior High Championship, SuperNationals, and High School Nationals, achieving 58 national championships to date.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$57K
Contributions & grants$52K92%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$41K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$15K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$15K
1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • Lena Katsnelson — Board Chair and President
relationships · 4

Who they work with

  • Brooklyn Cyclones Partner — Collaborates on a fundraising event at a baseball game to support the I.S. 318 Chess Team.
  • Elizabeth Spiegel Partner — World-renowned coach and WFM leading the I.S. 318 chess program.
  • Friends of IS 318 Chess Club Network — Supports the I.S. 318 chess program as part of a network of sponsors enabling coaching and tournament access.
  • None specified Partner — No named organizational partnerships mentioned in the source text.
strategies · 1

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.

  • Transfer of Skills from Chess to Academics
    methodology: chess-based_education
    By engaging students in chess, the organization fosters cognitive and character development that transfers to improved academic performance and personal growth, because structured thinking, deliberate practice, and a growth mindset cultivated through chess are foundational to success in multiple domains.