What Kelly Brush Foundation does

The Kelly Brush Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at Three Main Street, Suite 105, Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 2006 by Kelly Brush following her spinal cord injury during a ski racing accident, the foundation's mission is to inspire and empower people with spinal cord injuries to live active and engaged lives. The organization serves two primary beneficiary populations: (i) individuals living with spinal cord injuries who need financial assistance to access cost-prohibitive adaptive sports equipment, and (ii) ski racing organizations seeking safety equipment such as b-netting. Since inception, the foundation has awarded 1,900 grants across all 50 U.S. states and has cumulatively raised $15 million.

The foundation operates a portfolio of programs rather than a single product line. The Active Fund is the core grant program, providing direct financial assistance to SCI individuals for adaptive sports equipment. The Adaptive Rec Hub (adaptiverechub.org) is a web-based platform enabling the SCI community to connect, share experiences, and learn about adaptive recreation. Supporting programs include scholarships, camps, the "Trails for All: Central Park" and broader Trail Accessibility initiatives for recreational infrastructure, and ski racing safety grants. The annual Kelly Brush Ride in Vermont — now in its 21st year — serves as the signature community-driven fundraising event. There is no proprietary technology stack of meaningful scale; the Adaptive Rec Hub is the only significant technology asset and it is described as a community web platform rather than a sophisticated software product.

The business model is entirely donation-driven. All revenue is generated through charitable contributions, event registration and fundraising participation fees, and general fundraising activities; no products or services are sold and grants are provided at no cost to recipients. The foundation employs an event-driven go-to-market strategy anchored by the Kelly Brush Ride and supplemented by ambassador programs, volunteer recruitment, speaking engagements featuring Kelly Brush, social media, email newsletters, and earned media coverage. Kelly Brush herself — a pediatric nurse practitioner, mother, and adaptive athlete — leads the organization as founder, providing the personal narrative that underpins the foundation's brand and donor engagement model.

Name

Kelly Brush Foundation

Legal name

Kelly Brush Foundation

Website

https://kellybrushfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kelly Brush Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that grants adaptive sports equipment to people with spinal cord injuries, runs ski racing safety programs, and operates the Adaptive Rec Hub community platform, serving beneficiaries across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Adaptive Sports Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Adaptive sports grants
• Spinal cord injury support
• Ski racing safety
• Disability nonprofit services
• Adaptive recreation access

Headquarters

HQ city

South Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation generates revenue entirely through charitable donations, event participation fees (e.g., Kelly Brush Ride registration), and general fundraising activities. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all contributions are tax-deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Kelly Brush Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides adaptive sports equipment grants to individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and ski racing safety grants to ski clubs. It also operates the Adaptive Rec Hub web platform for community connection, scholarships, camps, and trail accessibility programs, funded through donations and signature fundraising events such as the annual Kelly Brush Ride.

Product overview

Kelly Brush Foundation operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting people with spinal cord injuries. The core offerings include The Active Fund (equipment grants), the Adaptive Rec Hub (web platform for community connection), and various recreational access initiatives. Supporting programs include ski racing safety grants, trail accessibility projects, scholarships, camps, and the annual Kelly Brush Ride fundraising event. The organization functions as a platform-plus-programs model rather than a single unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Active Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,900 grants awarded across all 50 states
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United Spinal Association: National disability rights and service organization focused on people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Provides advocacy, resources, and grants that overlap with KBF's mission but at a much larger organizational scale.
• Move United: National umbrella for adaptive sports with member organizations across the US. Operates a much wider portfolio but shares the adaptive sports grantmaking and community connection model with KBF.
• Paralyzed Veterans of America: Large established national organization serving veterans with SCIs across advocacy, research, and adaptive sports. Significantly larger scope but overlapping mission and donor base with KBF.

Direct peers

• Adaptive Sports Center (Crested Butte): Provides year-round adaptive outdoor recreation including skiing and cycling instruction. Comparable camp and recreation access programming for individuals with disabilities, mirroring KBF's camp and trail accessibility work.
• Challenged Athletes Foundation: Provides grants for adaptive sports equipment to individuals with physical disabilities across the US. Nearly identical operating model to KBF's Active Fund and a direct competitor for both grant applicants and donor dollars.
• High Fives Foundation: Nonprofit providing grants and resources to mountain sports athletes with life-altering injuries including SCIs. Highly aligned mission, similar grant scale, and overlapping sports (skiing, cycling) with KBF.
• National Ability Center: Provides adaptive recreation and competitive sports programming with skiing, cycling, and outdoor activities central to its offerings. Direct overlap with KBF's camping, ski safety, and adaptive recreation programs.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: National nonprofit that funds spinal cord injury research, advocacy, and quality-of-life grants including adaptive equipment. Highly comparable grantmaking model, SCI focus, and direct overlap with KBF's Active Fund mission.
• Travis Roy Foundation: Provides adaptive equipment grants to individuals with spinal cord injuries, founded after a hockey-related SCI. Highly comparable peer in size, scope, SCI focus, and equipment grant model.
• Craig H. Neilsen Foundation: One of the largest private funders of SCI research and quality-of-life programs. Operates a grantmaking foundation model directly comparable to KBF's grant distribution through the Active Fund and scholarships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kellybrushfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/kellybrushfoundation
• Xx.com/kellybrushfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kelly-brush-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kelly Brush Foundation