Rising Ground

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground, formerly Leake & Watts, is a leading nonprofit organization providing children, adults, and families in need with the resources and skills needed to rise above adversity and positively direct their lives. With an annual budget of $138 million and 55 programs at 50 sites throughout the New York City area, we deliver dedicated support to promote safe environments for children and help families thrive through our family stabilization, family foster care and adoption programs; innovative special educational programs that advance learning from early childhood through high school; result-focused programs that help court-involved youth change the trajectory of their lives; caring services that promote independence for children and adults with developmental disabilities; and pro-active community health initiatives that foster well-being. Across programs, we continually engage new, innovative techniques and implement evidence-based models to increase our impact and promote better outcomes.