Tennessee Kids Belong

What Tennessee Kids Belong does

Tennessee Kids Belong is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 82-4703564) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. It operates as the Tennessee state chapter of America's Kids Belong, a national nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for children in foster care. The organization's mission is to recruit and support foster, kinship, and adoptive families across Tennessee through a portfolio of branded programs: the I Belong Project, which produces dignified photo and video profiles of children legally free for adoption at monthly pop-up events; the Foster Friendly App, a mobile application connecting foster families with resources; Foster Friendly Communities, a municipal certification program operating in at least eight Tennessee localities; and Foster Friendly Business and Foster Friendly Faith programs engaging corporate and religious stakeholders.

The organization does not maintain proprietary technology infrastructure beyond its website and social media channels; the Foster Friendly App is provided through the parent America's Kids Belong. Its core technology stack consists of standard digital channels (website, Facebook, Instagram, podcast hosting, donation portal via GivingFuel) and content production capabilities for video storytelling. The I Belong Project's content library of waiting-children profiles represents the most distinctive programmatic asset.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels, including grants (a $102,000 Impact100 Nashville award in November 2021 is the only quantified inflow disclosed), corporate sponsorships (20+ named sponsors including Nashville Predators, Bristol Motor Speedway, BlueCare, Clayton Homes, and Studio Bank), and individual donations via the website. No fee-based programs or services are offered to end users. The organization employs 1-10 staff and operates across multiple Tennessee regions with regional community-relations contacts.

Name

Tennessee Kids Belong

Legal name

Tennessee Kids Belong

Website

https://tnkidsbelong.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Kids Belong is a Franklin, Tennessee-based 501c(3) nonprofit and state chapter of America's Kids Belong that recruits and supports foster, kinship, and adoptive families statewide through programs including the I Belong Project video initiative and Foster Friendly certification for communities, businesses, and faith groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Foster parent recruitment
• Adoption support programs
• Community-based nonprofits
• Foster family advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants: Tennessee Kids Belong receives grant funding from philanthropic organizations such as Impact100 Nashville, which awarded $102,000 in November 2021.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support, appearing on the organization's website as sponsors including Nashville Predators, Bristol Motor Speedway, Realtracs, BlueCare, and others.
3. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website donation portal at tennesseekidsbelong.givingfuel.com.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tennessee Kids Belong is a 501c(3) nonprofit that recruits and supports foster, kinship, and adoptive families across Tennessee. Its core services include the I Belong Project (monthly pop-up photo and video shoots producing dignified video profiles of children in foster care who are legally free for adoption), the Foster Friendly App (mobile resource and matching tool), and the Foster Friendly certification programs for businesses, faith communities, and cities/counties.

Product overview

Tennessee Kids Belong is a nonprofit organization that operates as a single-entity service organization rather than a platform with modular products. The organization offers a suite of programs and services including the Foster Friendly® App (a mobile application), the I Belong Project™ (photo and video profiles of foster children), the Foster Friendly Podcast (weekly episodes), and Foster Friendly programs for communities, businesses, and faith organizations. These offerings work together to support foster families, connect children with adoptive families, and build foster-friendly communities throughout Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I Belong Project™: A program that uplifts the stories and voices of kids in foster care who are legally free for adoption through pop-up photo and video shoots designed for youth to have fun, play and just be kids.
• Foster Friendly®

Products and services

• Foster Friendly® App A mobile application that helps communities become foster-friendly and connects foster families with resources, support, and matching tools.
• I Belong Project™ A monthly pop-up photo and video program that captures and shares dignified video profiles of children in foster care who are legally free for adoption, designed to connect them with adoptive families.
• Foster Friendly Podcast A weekly podcast featuring former foster youth, foster parents, and other guests discussing how to make an impact in foster care.
• Foster Friendly Communities A certification and support program helping cities, counties, and regions become foster-friendly by engaging local governments and communities to support foster families.
• Foster Friendly Business A program that enables businesses to support foster families through workplace policies and community involvement, certifying them as foster-friendly.
• Foster Friendly Faith A program designed to help faith communities build programs and support systems for foster families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Tennessee communities have achieved Foster Friendly Community status
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Every Child TNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee Kids Belong is a Network Partner of Every Child TN, part of a statewide network working to improve outcomes for children in foster care.
• GEODIS ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted I Belong Project event at GEODIS Park, providing venue for photo and video shoots for children in foster care.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• America's Kids Belong: National parent organization of Tennessee Kids Belong; operates the same Foster Friendly programs, I Belong Project, and podcast at the network level. Directly comparable in mission, programs, and target beneficiaries.
• Show Hope: Tennessee-based nonprofit focused on caring for orphans and foster children through financial grants, advocacy, and family support. Highly comparable mission around foster care and adoption, and is itself a corporate sponsor of TKB.
• Every Child TN: Statewide Tennessee network partner of TKB working to improve outcomes for children in foster care. Overlapping mission, beneficiary base, and direct partnership relationship make it a direct peer.
• CASA Tennessee (Court Appointed Special Advocates): Statewide organization recruiting and training volunteers to advocate for children in Tennessee's foster care system. Comparable in mission (foster child advocacy), geography, and reliance on community-led volunteer engagement.
• FosterClub: National nonprofit supporting youth in foster care through leadership, advocacy, and storytelling platforms. Comparable mission and the use of storytelling/content to connect foster youth with permanence mirrors TKB's I Belong Project approach.
• National Foster Youth Institute: National nonprofit mobilizing young people with foster care experience to influence policy and improve outcomes. Comparable beneficiary focus (foster youth) and reliance on advocacy and content to drive impact.

Emerging players

• Together We Foster: Community-led foster care support organization offering resources and care packages to foster families. Comparable in beneficiary (foster families) and community-engagement GTM, though more focused on tangible support than recruitment.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Department of Children's Services: State government agency with statutory responsibility for foster care in Tennessee. TKB operates alongside and depends on DCS for referrals; they are the broad incumbent in the same service landscape.
• Children's Home Society of California: Large, established nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family services. Although operating on a different scale and geography, it is structurally comparable as a multi-program foster care/adoption nonprofit.

Regional players

• Kids Hope USA: Faith-based nonprofit partnering churches with schools for one-on-one mentoring of at-risk children. Comparable in faith-community activation and wraparound family support, though focused on mentoring rather than foster care specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TNKidsBelong
• Instagraminstagram.com/tnkidsbelong
• Xx.com/TNKidsBelong

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Kids Belong