Roots & Wings
Roots & Wings is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers a 2-3 year wraparound housing, education, and life-skills program (RISE and FLY) for foster youth aged 18-24 aging out of NJ DCP&P care, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsors, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersDenville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Roots & Wings does
Roots & Wings is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 in Morris County, New Jersey, by Irene DeGrandpre, providing a wraparound service portfolio for youth aging out of the New Jersey foster care system. Its core offering is the Roots & Wings Model, a 2-3 year comprehensive program that begins with the residential RISE Program (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education) — which pays rent and utilities while participants pursue higher education through college, vocational, or certificate programs — and continues into the FLY post-residential alumni program providing ongoing community, curriculum, and a safety net as graduates transition to independent living. Eligibility is narrowly defined: participants must be aged 18-24, have had an open NJ Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P) case at age 18, and have been in out-of-home placement; the organization accepts youth statewide, with concentration from Newark, Elizabeth, Paterson, Camden, and Plainfield, while housing is operated in Morris and Union counties. Since 2007, Roots & Wings reports having served approximately 160 program alumni and invested roughly $35,000 per youth per year.
The technology footprint is a standard nonprofit stack: a WordPress website with Elementor page builder, OneCause (onecau.se) for online donations and event ticketing, Mailchimp for newsletter and email campaigns, and standard web analytics. There are no proprietary platforms, algorithms, AI/ML systems, or developer-facing APIs; service delivery is entirely human-led and case-management-based. Roots & Wings has a professional staff of approximately six (Executive Director, Senior Program Director, Program Director, Business Manager, Marketing and Events Specialist, Development Manager) and a ~15-member Board of Trustees drawn from corporate, financial, and nonprofit leadership.
The business model is donor-funded rather than commercial. Services to program members are provided free of charge, and operating revenue is assembled from four streams: (1) one-time and recurring individual donations (suggested $50/month tier) processed via OneCause; (2) a tiered corporate sponsorship program including a dedicated Key Partners initiative plus Platinum and Gold event sponsors; (3) foundation grants from institutions such as the TD Charitable Foundation, First Bank Charitable Foundation, Federal Home Loan Bank of NY, and Columbia Bank Foundation; and (4) signature annual fundraising events including the Rise & Fly Gala, the Authors' Luncheon (featuring NYT bestselling authors), and Run/Walk community events. Outreach and applicant referrals occur through NJ DCP&P, community resources, and direct application via the website, with no commercial sales motion or pricing structure applied to service recipients.
Roots & Wings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Roots & Wings
- Legal name
- Roots & Wings
- Website
- https://rootsandwingsnj.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Roots & Wings is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers a 2-3 year wraparound housing, education, and life-skills program (RISE and FLY) for foster youth aged 18-24 aging out of NJ DCP&P care, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsors, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Roots & Wings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foster Youth Transition 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 industries
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)
Keywords
Where Roots & Wings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Roots & Wings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals processed via the OneCause online donation platform; suggested recurring tier of $50/month.
- Corporate Sponsorships (Key Partners, Platinum, Gold): Multi-tier corporate sponsorship program including a dedicated Key Partners initiative for the highest annual giving level, plus Platinum and Gold event sponsors (e.g., Luis and Maria DaSilva as Platinum; The Shertzer Family as Gold).
- Foundation Grants: Grants from charitable foundations including First Bank Charitable Foundation, Federal Home Loan Bank, and Columbia Bank Foundation.
- Fundraising Events (Gala, Authors' Luncheon, Run/Walk): Revenue from annual signature events including the Rise & Fly Gala (silent auction, dinner, open bar, entertainment), the Authors' Luncheon (ticketed with featured NYT bestselling authors), and Run/Walk community events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Suggested recurring individual donation of $50/month, plus one-time donations of any amount via OneCause platform |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Roots & Wings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Roots & Wings delivers the RISE Program (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education), a 2–3 year residential wraparound intervention for New Jersey youth aged 18–24 who have aged out of foster care, providing rent and utilities, case management, employment support, educational support, financial literacy, and life-skills training. The RISE phase transitions into the FLY post-residential alumni program, which maintains community, a tailored transition curriculum, and a continued safety net as graduates move to independent living. All program services are provided free of charge to eligible participants, with case-by-case personalization of program length.
Product overview
Roots & Wings is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization delivering a single unified service portfolio for aged-out foster youth in New Jersey, rather than a platform-plus-modules software architecture. Its core offering is the Roots & Wings Model, a 2–3 year comprehensive wraparound program that begins with the residential RISE Program (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education), which provides housing, case management, employment, educational, and life-skills support, and continues into the FLY post-residential alumni program for graduates transitioning to independence. The portfolio is rounded out by a curated Community Resources Directory for aged-out youth and recurring fundraising events (Rise & Fly Gala and Authors' Luncheon) that sustain the programs. Since 2007, Roots & Wings reports having helped change the course of 160 young people's lives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RISE (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education): The 2-3 year residential program that provides stable housing and educational support for young adults aged 18-24 who have aged out of foster care in New Jersey.
- FLY
Products and services
- RISE Program (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education) A 2–3 year residential program for New Jersey youth aged 18–24 who have aged out of foster care, covering rent and utilities while participants pursue higher education through 2–4 year college, vocational, or certificate programs. Includes case management, employment support, educational support, financial literacy, life-skills training, and light financial assistance. Applicants must have had an open DCP&P case and been in out-of-home placement at age 18. Program length is tailored case-by-case rather than fixed. Services are provided free of charge to eligible participants.
- FLY Program (post-residential alumni program) A post-residential continuation program for graduates of the RISE Program that provides ongoing community, a tailored curriculum for the transition to independent living, and serves as a continued safety net. Alumni are invited to seminars, holiday parties, and celebrations, and some return as mentors to current program members. Services are provided free of charge to alumni participants.
- Community Resources Directory A curated directory of external support resources for aged-out youth, organized into General Support (NJ DCF, Aging Out Institute, Hope Hub), Academic/Financial Assistance (Embrella, Mental Health Association, Community Hope, Rising Tide Capital), and Housing/Food/Outreach (Homeless Solutions, United Way NJ, Visions and Pathways, Performcare, Interfaith Food Pantry, CSPNJ, Norwescap). Available free of charge via the Roots & Wings website.
Companies that use Roots & Wings
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Roots & Wings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Roots & Wings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Roots & Wings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Annie E. Casey Foundation initiative specifically focused on improving outcomes for young people aging out of foster care. Operates as a national funder/convener in the same policy and programmatic space as Roots & Wings' mission.
- Children's Aid Society: Large, established NYC-based nonprofit serving children and families across a broad portfolio including foster care, transitional housing, and youth aging-out programs. Directly comparable mission and a similar transition-age youth programming footprint.
- Youth Villages: National nonprofit providing residential and community-based programs for at-risk youth, including former foster youth. Operates at much larger scale but serves an overlapping population with comparable wraparound service philosophy.
Direct peers
- Community Hope: New Jersey nonprofit providing housing and supportive services to veterans, at-risk youth, and individuals experiencing homelessness, including aging-out foster youth. Listed in Roots & Wings' resource directory and offers directly comparable housing + wraparound services in NJ.
- Rising Tide Capital: New Jersey-based nonprofit providing entrepreneurship and financial coaching to underserved communities, listed in Roots & Wings' Community Resources Directory. Comparable in NJ presence, scale, and target demographic of economically vulnerable residents.
- Covenant House: National nonprofit providing housing and supportive services to young people experiencing homelessness and aging out of foster care. Operates the most directly comparable transitional housing + wraparound model in multiple states, including New Jersey (Newark).
- Children's Aid and Family Services: New Jersey-based nonprofit serving children and families, including former foster youth aging out of care. The current Roots & Wings Executive Director previously led development here, and the organization runs a mentoring program for aged-out foster youth directly comparable to FLY.
- Visions and Pathways: New Jersey nonprofit serving youth experiencing homelessness, foster care, and aging-out populations, including emergency shelter and transitional housing. Listed in Roots & Wings' resource directory and offers highly overlapping services in the same geography.
Emerging players
- FosterClub: National nonprofit led by foster care alumni providing peer support, leadership training, and resources for current and former foster youth. Highly comparable target population (aged-out foster youth) and youth-development programming model.
Regional players
- Mental Health Association of New Jersey: New Jersey-based nonprofit listed in Roots & Wings' Community Resources Directory that provides mental health services including programs for transition-age youth. Comparable regional presence and overlapping mental-health support services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Roots & Wings social profiles
Digital presenceRoots & Wings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Roots & Wings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Roots & Wings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Roots & Wings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Roots & Wings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Roots & Wings
What does Roots & Wings do?
Roots & Wings delivers the RISE Program (Residential Independence Self-Sufficiency and Education), a 2–3 year residential wraparound intervention for New Jersey youth aged 18–24 who have aged out of foster care, providing rent and utilities, case management, employment support, educational support, financial literacy, and life-skills training. The RISE phase transitions into the FLY post-residential alumni program, which maintains community, a tailored transition curriculum, and a continued safety net as graduates move to independent living. All program services are provided free of charge to eligible participants, with case-by-case personalization of program length.
Is Roots & Wings a public or private company?
Roots & Wings is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Roots & Wings founded?
Roots & Wings was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Roots & Wings based?
Roots & Wings is headquartered in Denville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Roots & Wings make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships (Key Partners, Platinum, Gold), foundation Grants and fundraising Events (Gala, Authors' Luncheon, Run/Walk).
Who are Roots & Wings's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, Children's Aid Society and Youth Villages. Direct peers are Community Hope, Rising Tide Capital, Covenant House, Children's Aid and Family Services and Visions and Pathways. FosterClub is listed as an emerging player. Mental Health Association of New Jersey is listed as a regional player.
Does Roots & Wings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Roots & Wings.
What industry is Roots & Wings in?
Roots & Wings's product category is Foster Youth Transition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAO, Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.