Open Squash – a blueprint for mission-driven,
financially viable “community squash”

Another great article from Squash Facilities Network, who concentrates on the “Different” squash clubs – more generally racquets to be honest!

NEW YORK CITY — When Open Squash opened its glass doors to a five-court facility just off Bryant Park in 2020, many dismissed it as a philanthropic novelty: a squash center without equity owners, overseen by a three-person board, and offering sliding-scale membership in the heart of Manhattan.

Five years later, the experiment is not only covering its rent—it’s redefining what a squash club can be in the 21st century.

Open Squash has emerged as a real-world case study for how purpose and profitability can reinforce each other, rather than compete.

A Community with a balance sheet

Open Squash is registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity, which means it has no shareholders and no profit distribution. Both of its locations—the Midtown flagship near Bryant Park and the larger Financial District facility—were financed almost entirely by donations, not investor capital.