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LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC
SYRACUSE, NY · EIN 161279753 · Form 990 · FY2025 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · launchcny.org
revenue
$1.9M
expenses
$1.8M
net assets
$801K
employees
65
volunteers
10
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

THIS ORGANIZATION IS A MULTI PURPOSE CORPORATION SERVING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN THE GREATER SYRACUSE AREA. IT PROVIDES SEVERAL TYPES OF SERVICES FOR THE LEARNING DISABLED TO PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE OF LEARNING DISABLED, THEIR FAMILIES AND THOSE PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH THEM.

profile · synthesized from sources

LAUNCH CNY empowers children, youth, and adults with learning, developmental, and related disabilities to reach their full potential through personalized services. The organization provides educational consulting, employment support, and year-round skill-building programs for individuals in Central New York. Services are tailored to promote independence, self-advocacy, and community inclusion for people with diverse abilities.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $284K
    EMPLOYMENT: SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITES TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT.
  2. #2 $163K
    EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING: SUPPORT FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING, DEVELOPMENTAL AND RELATED DISABILITIES TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION PLANS FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Adult Recreation
Weekly social and community-based activities for adults with disabilities to foster connections and engagement.
Community Habilitation
Provides individualized support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve self-chosen goals in daily living and community integration.
Connect & Thrive
Year-round program building confidence, resilience, and social-emotional skills in youth through structured group activities and outings.
Educational Consulting
Supports families of children with learning and developmental disabilities to collaborate with school districts and ensure appropriate education plans.
Employment Services
Comprehensive employment support including job discovery, resume development, interview prep, job coaching, and prevocational training for individuals with disabilities.
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
Helps students with disabilities explore and prepare for employment and post-secondary education options.
Summer Learning
Summer program for youth focusing on social-emotional growth and hands-on learning experiences.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Career and Technical Education Programs 1 activity
    • Career training and vocational programs
      Operates Career Solutions Academy and offers Career Specific Vocational Training programs in janitorial and food service fields, along with OPWDD Employment Training Programs that include assessments, discovery activities, and paid internships aligned with client interests.
  • Day Habilitation Services 1 activity
    • Community Habilitation services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
      Delivers individualized Community Habilitation services to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in achieving self-determined goals through LifePlans, focusing on independent living skills such as cooking, housekeeping, money management, public transportation use, social connection building, and community integration.
  • Special Education Support Services 1 activity
    • Educational consulting and advocacy for families of children with disabilities
      Provides educational consulting and advocacy services to families of children ages 5–22 with learning and developmental disabilities, assisting with securing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans, attending school meetings, reviewing academic evaluations, and supporting OPWDD eligibility applications.
  • Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
    • Employment Services and job support for individuals with disabilities
      Provides comprehensive Employment Services to assist individuals with disabilities in securing and maintaining employment, including job discovery, resume and cover letter development, interview preparation, career exploration, job coaching (on-site and off-site), and coordination of ACCES-VR and OPWDD Supported Employment services.
  • Art Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities 1 activity
    • Inclusive talent showcase event
      Hosts the annual “LAUNCHing Our Talents” event, an inclusive performance and art showcase that celebrates the creative abilities of individuals with developmental disabilities through public participation and community engagement.
  • Youth Workforce Readiness Programs 1 activity
    • Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities
      Provides Pre-Employment Transition Services to students aged 14–21 with documented disabilities, delivering five core services: work readiness training, job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary education counseling, and self-advocacy instruction.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Summer Learning and Adventure Programs for youth
      Operates summer programs including Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) and a nine-session Saturday program for children, as well as a three-week summer program for youth aged 11–18, promoting social-emotional skill development, hands-on learning, and community engagement through structured activities.
  • Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
    • Weekly Adult Recreation programs for individuals with disabilities
      Runs weekly adult recreation programs offering community-based social activities such as sporting events, cultural outings, game nights, and seasonal events to promote social interaction and engagement for adults with developmental disabilities in the Syracuse area.
  • Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs 1 activity
    • Year-round youth development through Connect & Thrive Program
      Offers the Connect & Thrive Program throughout the year to support youth in building confidence, resilience, and social-emotional skills, with a focus on functional math and literacy development and transition readiness.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Personalized support services for individuals with learning and developmental disabilities
      Provides personalized services to children, youth, and adults with diverse abilities in the greater Onondaga County area, focusing on individual strengths and needs across educational, social, and employment domains.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$1.90M
Contributions & grants$60K3%
Program service revenue$1.79M94%
Investment income$17K1%
Other revenue$31K
expenses
Total expenses$1.84M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$1.42M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$945K
Cash$412K
Investments$0
Liabilities$144K
Net assets$801K
Liquid reserves2.7 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +6.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KAITLYN TOTTEN INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $72K
ERIN GONNELLA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $61K
PAULETTE PURDY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CFO 18 $55K
board members · 13
  • BHARGAVI GANESH — BOARD MEMBER
  • CAROL WILLARD — BOARD MEMBER
  • CORY LADUKE — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELIZABETH LEHMANN MORGAN — SECRETARY
  • JENNA WOLKEN — BOARD MEMBER
  • JUSTIN TIERNEY — BOARD MEMBER
  • KAYLEE CHAYKA — BOARD MEMBER
  • LAURA FOSTER — BOARD MEMBER
  • MAEVE LANNING STOCKMAN — PRESIDENT
  • NICHOLAS LAFLAIR — BOARD MEMBER
  • RICHARD NAVE — TREASURER
  • SAMUEL LYON — BOARD MEMBER
  • STEPHANIE PELCHER — VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • ACCES-VR Partner — Collaborates to deliver Supported Employment, Direct Placement, and coaching services funded through ACCES-VR.
  • AccesVR Partner — Partners with AccesVR to support individuals seeking employment, including coordination for vocational services and job placement.
  • Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation Government — Collaborates with ACCES-VR, a division of the New York State Education Department, to support vocational services for individuals with disabilities.
  • Committee on Special Education Government — LAUNCH consultants attend CSE meetings to support family participation and collaboration with school staff.
  • Drumlins Country Club Partner — Hosts the annual Links for Learning Golf Tournament benefiting LAUNCH.
  • LAUNCH CNY Network — LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC is referred to as LAUNCH, indicating it is the same organization.
  • LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC Partner — Co-delivers or collaborates on the Connect & Thrive program for children with developmental disabilities.
  • Learning Disabilities Association of America Network — Member organization affiliated with the national association
  • New York State Education Department Government — Partners with NYSED through its ACCES-VR program to deliver vocational rehabilitation and pre-employment services to students with disabilities.
  • New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities Government — Defines eligibility criteria for the Community Habilitation program.
  • OPWDD Government — Agency began working with OPWDD-funded clients and provides services to OPWDD-eligible students
  • OPWDD Government — Collaborates with OPWDD to provide educational advocacy, eligibility assistance, summer programming, and employment services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
  • OPWDD Government — Program serves individuals eligible through the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), requiring a TABS number for registration.
  • OPWDD Government — Program serves individuals with OPWDD eligibility
  • OPWDD Partner — Partners to provide Supported Employment, Employment Training Program, and Community Based Prevoc services for individuals with OPWDD eligibility.
  • Onondaga County Government — LAUNCH serves the greater Onondaga County area, indicating a geographic and likely operational relationship with local government entities.
  • School Districts Partner — Collaborates with school districts to support families in developing appropriate education plans for children with learning and developmental disabilities.
strategies · 4

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.

  • Fading Support Model for Employment Independence
    methodology: fading_support
    By systematically reducing job coaching intensity as individuals demonstrate progress, the organization promotes sustainable workplace independence because gradually withdrawing support encourages self-reliance while maintaining safety nets during transition.
  • Family-Partnered Education Navigation
    methodology: family_partnered_education
    By partnering with families to navigate school systems and collaborate on educational planning, the organization improves access to quality education for children with learning disabilities because informed, empowered families are more effective advocates within complex institutional frameworks.
  • Strengths-Based, Client-Directed Approach
    methodology: strengths_based_client_directed
    By focusing on individual strengths and allowing clients to direct their own goals and choices in skill-building and employment planning, the organization fosters independence and self-advocacy because this approach validates personal agency and builds confidence through ownership of progress.
  • Structured Skill-Building Through Social and Community Engagement
    methodology: experiential_skill_building
    By embedding social-emotional and life skills development within structured community activities and group experiences, the organization reinforces learning through real-world practice because experiential engagement enhances retention and generalization of skills beyond clinical or classroom settings.