What Lighthouse Family Retreat does

Lighthouse Family Retreat is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 1999 by a pediatric oncology nurse and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, with an operations office in Miramar Beach, Florida. It serves families with a child diagnosed with cancer, providing restorative weeklong and weekend seaside retreats at no cost to families, supplemented by an ongoing Community of Care program that mobilizes local volunteers to support families with meals, notes, prayer, and care packages throughout the cancer journey. The organization complements in-person retreats with a portfolio of digital resources including The Lighthouse Podcast (100+ episodes), the Perspectives Blog (189 posts), a 30-day devotional, and a curated cancer resource directory. The core technology is a website-based service platform with integrated donation processing, volunteer registration, and retreat application systems; there is no proprietary software or AI component disclosed.

The organization's business model is built on diversified contributed revenue. Funding sources include individual donations, a Lighthouse Keepers monthly giving program (recurring gifts of $25 or more), a three-year Horizon Operating Fund membership that supports staff and overhead toward a stated 100% funding model, mission team fundraising (weeklong minimums of $1,700/adult and $500/child; weekend minimums of $750/adult and $325/child), corporate event sponsorships (Gold Party, Golf Tournaments, Songs of Hope gala), merchandise sales, and third-party platform donations via Amazon Wishlist and Walgreens rewards. Families receive all services at no cost; volunteers and church/corporate/school mission teams self-fund their participation.

Operationally, Lighthouse runs more than 20 Seaside Retreats per year, mobilizes over 1,000 volunteers annually, and has served more than 2,500 families across its 20+ year history. It is led by CEO Chris Woodruff, governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, and holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. Revenue, audited financials, and Form 990 data are not publicly disclosed on the organization's website.

Name

Lighthouse Family Retreat

Legal name

Lighthouse Family Retreat, Inc.

Website

https://lighthousefamilyretreat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lighthouse Family Retreat is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free restorative seaside retreats and ongoing community support to families impacted by childhood cancer, serving 2,500+ families through 20+ annual retreats in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childhood Cancer Family Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Childhood cancer support
• Family retreat services
• Nonprofit faith-based programs
• Community care support
• Donor fundraising programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations & General Giving: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Lighthouse Keepers monthly donor program at $25/month minimum provides operational funding stability. General donations fund retreat costs directly.
2. Horizon Operating Fund: Three-year membership program where donors invest in non-program operational costs (staff salaries, office space, processing fees, marketing). Goal is 100% funding model where general donations fully fund families.
3. Mission Team Fundraising: Church, school, and corporate volunteer teams raise funds to cover retreat costs for themselves and retreat families. Weeklong retreat minimum: $1,700/adult, $500/child. Weekend retreat minimum: $750/adult, $325/child.
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for annual events including Gold Party and Golf Tournaments.
5. Merchandise Sales: Branded gear (sweatshirts, water bottles) sold through the organization's store.
6. Third-Party Platform Donations: Amazon Wishlist donations, Walgreens rewards donations, and in-kind product contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lighthouse Family Retreat is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that strengthens families impacted by childhood cancer through restorative weeklong and weekend seaside retreats, where trained volunteers serve Retreat Families with deep rest, relational connection, and practical care. Beyond the retreats, the organization delivers ongoing Community of Care volunteer teams, a podcast (100+ episodes), a blog, a 30-day devotional, and curated cancer resources. All services are provided at no cost to families and funded through individual donations, recurring giving programs, mission team fundraising, event sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Lighthouse Family Retreat is a faith-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered on strengthening families impacted by childhood cancer. Its core flagship offering is the Seaside Retreat program (Weeklong or Weekend formats), where volunteers provide restorative respite for families. The organization complements these in-person retreats with a suite of digital resources including The Lighthouse Podcast (100+ episodes), the Perspectives Blog, and the Hold Fast Hope 30-Day Devotional. Extended support is provided through the Community of Care Program, which mobilizes local volunteers for ongoing care. Additional offerings include cancer resource directories, a Summer Staff Internship Program, and two donor programs (Lighthouse Keepers monthly giving and The Horizon donor group) that fund the organization's 100% funding model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lighthouse Keepers: Monthly donor program supporting the mission with recurring gifts of $25 or more per month.
• The Horizon
• Community of Care
• Seaside Retreat
• The Lighthouse Podcast
• Perspectives Blog
• Hold Fast Hope

Products and services

• Seaside Retreats (Weeklong or Weekend) Restorative weeklong or weekend retreats for families living through childhood cancer, where trained volunteer Family Partners provide deep rest, relational connection, laughter, and palpable kindness at coastal locations.
• Community of Care Program Ongoing extended support program that mobilizes volunteers in a family's local community or virtually to form care teams providing prayer, check-ins, meals, notes, texts, and care packages throughout the cancer journey.
• The Lighthouse Podcast Podcast resource with over 100 episodes available on Spotify and other platforms, offering support and understanding for families living through childhood cancer and those wanting to understand the journey.
• Perspectives Blog Monthly blog with 189 posts across categories including Self-Care, Family, Faith, Seasonal, and Lighthouse, written by the Lighthouse team and extended Lighthouse family.
• Hold Fast Hope 30-Day Devotional
• Cancer Resources for the Family Curated directory of cancer resources organized by type including multifaceted resources, camps and recreational programs, educational and research organizations, financial assistance, housing/travel, sibling support, spiritual/psychological support, and books and studies.
• Summer Staff Internship Program College student internship program where participants live at the beach and serve every week of June and July, helping offer consistency and supporting Family Partner Volunteers during retreats.
• Lighthouse Keepers Monthly Giving Program Monthly donor program where recurring gifts of $25 or more sustain the mission; donors receive impact updates, exclusive ministry insights, a dedicated Account Manager, and a limited-edition welcome gift.
• The Horizon Donor Group Community of donors who make a three-year commitment to invest in staff and revenue generating operations, supporting the goal of a 100% funding model where all general donations go directly to funding families.
• Questions About Faith Resource Faith resource developed in partnership with North Point Ministries, including a 10-minute video for children, conversation cards, and access to the Starting Point 8-part series for adults navigating faith questions during a childhood cancer journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 families served in 20 years of seaside retreats
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• North Point MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partnership providing faith-based educational materials for Lighthouse families. Lighthouse partnered with North Point Ministries to share their Starting Point faith series and Jump Start conversation cards for families navigating questions about faith during the childhood cancer journey.
• See.Spark.GominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing and PR agency serving as the organization's press and media contact. Handles media inquiries at [email protected].
• Team IMPACTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership with national nonprofit that matches children 5-16 facing serious medical conditions with college sports teams. Lighthouse refers families who could benefit from Team IMPACT's two-year therapeutic program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SeriousFun Children's Network: Founded by Paul Newman, SeriousFun is a global network of camps and programs serving children with serious illnesses and their families. Comparable model of medically-supervised recreational retreats powered by volunteers, serving the same core beneficiary population as Lighthouse.
• Camp Kesem: Camp Kesem operates free summer camps and year-round support programs for children impacted by a parent's cancer, hosted across more than 100 U.S. locations and driven by college student volunteers. Comparable in operating model (volunteer-driven, free, family-supporting retreats) and mission category.
• Camp Sunshine: Camp Sunshine provides free, week-long retreats for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families in Sebago, Maine, with year-round program offerings. Directly comparable to Lighthouse as a family-centered retreat nonprofit serving medically impacted children.
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation: Candlelighters provides support, advocacy, and family programs (including camps and retreats) for families affected by childhood cancer. Closely aligned mission and service mix to Lighthouse, including family-centered support and recreational programming.

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: RMHC provides family housing and support services near children's hospitals, including the Ronald McDonald Family Room program. Larger and broader incumbent addressing similar family-while-child-is-sick support, though focused on lodging rather than retreat-based respite.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with critical illnesses, including cancer. Larger incumbent in the childhood-illness nonprofit space that overlaps on beneficiary population, donor base, and corporate partnership channels, though focused on wish-granting rather than family retreat.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: St. Jude is the leading research and treatment institution for childhood cancer, providing treatment at no cost to families and operating family housing and support programs. Much larger incumbent that shares beneficiary population, donor base, and media visibility with Lighthouse.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: ALSF is a leading childhood cancer nonprofit funding research and family support programs nationally. Shares the same donor audience and disease focus, with broader research-grant mission and overlapping family-support programming.

Emerging players

• National Children's Cancer Society: NCCS provides direct family support, financial assistance, and resource navigation to families impacted by childhood cancer. Comparable in beneficiary focus and family-support services, though less retreat-anchored and more case-management oriented.

Others

• Children's Oncology Camping Association International: International association of camps serving children with cancer and their families; provides a network and best-practice forum for the camp/retreat model that Lighthouse operates within. Industry association peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LighthouseRetreatBD
• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthousefr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lighthouse-family-retreat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Lighthouse Family Retreat