Willow House

What Willow House does

Willow House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 2231 Lakeside Dr, Bannockburn, Illinois, providing free grief support services to children, teens, young adults (ages 3-28), and families coping with the death of a parent, sibling, spouse, or child. Its core products are Peer Support Groups (including family peer support, survivors of suicide loss groups, and expressive arts groups), School Programs that train school personnel to support grieving students, Community Services providing grief education and consultation, and Grief Resources including educational videos and downloadable worksheets. Supporting offerings include a Virtual Memorial Wall for online remembrance, the COVID-19 Grief Services toolkit, and the Living with Grief in Uncertain Times video series.

The organization operates a community-based delivery model using in-person groups at five Illinois locations (Bannockburn, Libertyville, Arlington Heights, Chicago, and Round Lake Park) plus virtual Zoom groups, with staff of approximately 20-25 including licensed clinicians (LPC, LCSW, LSW, ATR) and certified child life specialists. Its technology stack is modest and consumer-grade: Zoom for virtual delivery, Mailchimp for newsletters, PayPal and Coinbase Commerce for donations, and a custom Virtual Memorial Wall. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities are evidenced.

Willow House does not charge for services and receives no government funding or insurance reimbursements; it is funded entirely through individual donations, planned giving, workplace giving campaigns, in-kind contributions, and small grants. Its go-to-market is community-led: families are reached through school partnerships, healthcare referrals, employer giving programs, and word of mouth. A Board of Directors governs the organization, with Stefanie Norris serving as Founder and Volunteer Clinical Consultant, Anya Tanyavutti as Executive Director, and Megan Andriano as Program Director.

Name

Willow House

Legal name

Willow House

Website

https://willowhouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Willow House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides free grief support groups, school programs, and community services to grieving children, young adults, and families across Illinois via five locations and virtual delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Bereavement counseling
• Peer support groups
• Youth grief programs
• School grief education

Headquarters

HQ city

Illinois City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue source. Individual donors contribute to support free grief services. Donations can be made via website, PayPal, mail, cryptocurrency, stocks/securities, car donations, memorial gifts, and honorary gifts.
2. Planned Giving: Bequests and legacy gifts included in wills and estate planning. Fully deductible for estate tax purposes.
3. Workplace Giving: Employee giving campaigns and matching donation programs from employers. Companies like Baxter, Microsoft, AbbVie, Abbott Labs, KPMG, Bank of America participate.
4. In-Kind Donations: Wishlist items, gift cards, supplies, and in-kind contributions from donors and partners like Mighty Good Things.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Willow House provides free grief support services, education, and consultation to youth (ages 3-28), adults, families, schools, and community organizations affected by the death of a parent, sibling, spouse, or child. Core offerings include peer support groups, school-based grief programs, community services, expressive arts groups, and survivors of suicide loss groups, delivered in-person at multiple Illinois locations and virtually via Zoom.

Product overview

Willow House is a grief support organization offering a comprehensive suite of free services for youth, families, schools, and communities affected by the death of a parent, sibling, or child. The organization's core offerings include Peer Support Groups for children ages 3 to 28 and adults, School Programs for educators, Community Services for various settings, and Grief Resources for families and professionals. Supporting services include Expressive Arts Programs (monthly groups and summer series featuring creative activities), COVID-19 Grief Services (virtual groups and toolkits), and a Virtual Memorial Wall for remembrance. All services are provided free of charge, funded entirely by donations, with no government funding or insurance reimbursements. The organization has been operating since 1998 and serves Illinois residents at multiple locations including Libertyville, Arlington Heights, Chicago, and Bannockburn, with virtual options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Support Groups
• School Programs
• Community Services
• Grief Resources

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services to all—no family turned away for inability to pay
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Donate for CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCar donation partnership program. Willow House partners with Donate for Charity to make donating vehicles easy. Donors receive minimum $500 tax deduction, and Willow House receives net proceeds.
• Mighty Good ThingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for in-kind donations. Individuals can send items through Mighty Good Things which converts donations into funding for Willow House.
• Amazon WishlistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Wishlist partnership allowing donors to purchase specific items (gift cards, supplies, snacks, electronics) needed for Willow House groups and programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Dougy Center: The Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon is widely regarded as the national pioneer in peer-based grief support for children, teens, and families. It is the most direct peer to Willow House in mission, model, and age-segmented program structure.
• Comfort Zone Camp: Comfort Zone Camp runs free bereavement camps and programs for children and teens who have lost a parent or sibling. It is a direct mission and model peer to Willow House, operating nationally with a similar free, donation-funded delivery model.
• Judi's House: Judi's House in Denver provides peer-support grief programs for children and families, with research-backed curriculum and professional training. Comparable to Willow House in serving grieving children and families through peer support groups and community outreach.
• Ele's Place: Ele's Place is a Michigan-based nonprofit offering free ongoing peer-support programs for grieving children, teens, and young adults. It is a direct peer to Willow House in target population, age segmentation, and free nonprofit delivery model.
• Kate's Club: Kate's Club in Atlanta empowers children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling through ongoing peer support, social activities, and grief education. Mission and program design are tightly aligned with Willow House.
• Bo's Place: Bo's Place in Houston provides free, ongoing peer-support grief programs for children, teens, and adults. Comparable to Willow House in operating multiple support-group sites and serving bereaved families at no cost.
• Good Grief: Good Grief provides free peer-support programs for children, teens, and families after the death of a parent or sibling, with locations in New Jersey and Greater Boston. Direct peer in mission, age segmentation, and free nonprofit model.
• Experience Camps: Experience Camps runs free summer camps and year-round programs for grieving children and teens. It is a strong peer to Willow House in the bereavement-children segment, with a similar donation-funded, no-cost-to-families model.
• Children's Bereavement Center: The Children's Bereavement Center provides free peer-support groups for grieving children, teens, and families in South Florida. Comparable to Willow House in age-segmented peer support delivery and nonprofit funding structure.

Broad incumbents

• Camp Erin (Eluna/Moyer Foundation): Camp Erin is a national network of free bereavement camps for children and teens operated by the Eluna Network (formerly Moyer Foundation). Comparable to Willow House in the bereaved-children segment, but operates at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYkpEqCDgtFKn7CJ5IXS-ow
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillowHouseIL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willow-house
• Instagraminstagram.com/willowhouseil
• Xx.com/WillowHouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 Willow House