Birth Roots

What Birth Roots does

Birth Roots is a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Leah Deragon and Emily Murray that delivers community-based education and peer support for families from pregnancy through the early years of parenting. It serves expecting parents, new parents, and toddlers (with programs covering prenatal ages through approximately age 7) primarily in Southern Maine through in-person classes, identity-specific support groups, community events, and a printed resource guide. The organization operates two physical assets — the Treetop Community Classroom (launched early 2023) and the Outdoor Classroom (established 2019) — both at its 16 Vannah Avenue headquarters in Portland. There is no proprietary technology stack; the offering is delivered in person, with registration handled through the third-party Sawyer platform.

The portfolio of core products includes prenatal classes (The Pregnancy Class, Preparing Series, Birth Class Series, Birth Class Intensive), postnatal newborn classes (Buds, Buds for Two, Lil Siblings), toddler programs (Toddler Parenting, Tot Tunes, Baby Roots Nature Camp), and Shared Identity Groups (Queer Parents, Single Parents by Design, Neurodiverse Families, Pregnancy & Infant Loss, Talking Dads, Medically Complex Children). Community-building events include the annual Pollinator Parade & Picnic (11th year, 2026), Little Gnomes Winter Garden, and Family Photo Booth. A printed Resource Guide, produced since 2006, catalogued 125+ perinatal providers in its 18th edition (3,500 copies distributed in 2025).

Birth Roots generates revenue from two streams: program fees (per-class or per-series charges on a sliding scale, with payment plans, scholarships, and gift certificates) and grants/donations (nonprofit funding from foundations and community donors). Pricing examples include a three-tier sliding scale for Baby Roots Nature Camp ($120 / $98.40 / $78) and an automatic 10% "Bridge Package" discount for bundling prenatal and postnatal classes. The only disclosed grant is a $10,000 award from the Maine Community Foundation (July 2023) earmarked for identity-specific programming. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the Sawyer registration platform, supplemented by healthcare provider referrals, community partnerships, and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram).

Name

Birth Roots

Legal name

Birth Roots

Website

https://birthroots.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Birth Roots is a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit (founded 2002) delivering in-person prenatal, postnatal, and toddler education plus identity-specific support groups and community events to families across Southern Maine, funded by sliding-scale program fees and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Perinatal and Early Parenthood Community Education

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG), Parenting Education for Special Needs & Developmental Differences (EDACALAK)

Keywords

• Prenatal education classes
• Postnatal support groups
• Community perinatal services
• New parent education
• Toddler nature programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from prenatal, postnatal, and toddler classes and programs offered to families. Fees are charged per class or series with sliding scale options.
2. Grants and Donations: Nonprofit funding from foundations and community donors to support operations and program expansion. EIN 20-1803650.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Birth Roots is a nonprofit organization that sells in-person prenatal, postnatal, and toddler classes along with identity-specific peer support groups to families in Southern Maine. It also runs community events (Pollinator Parade & Picnic, Little Gnomes Winter Garden, Family Photo Booth) and publishes free Resource Guides connecting families to 125+ local perinatal providers, with classes priced on a sliding scale and supplemented by donations and grants.

Product overview

Birth Roots is a nonprofit organization providing community-based education and support focused on pregnancy through the early years of parenting. The organization offers a portfolio of prenatal classes (The Pregnancy Class, Preparing Series, Birth Class Series, Birth Class Intensive), postnatal newborn classes (Buds, Buds for Two, Lil Siblings), and toddler programs (Toddler Parenting, Tot Tunes, Baby Roots Nature Camp). Additionally, Birth Roots provides identity-specific Shared Identity Groups, community events (Pollinator Parade & Picnic, Little Gnomes Winter Garden, Family Photo Booth), resource guides, and access to physical facilities including the Treetop Community Classroom and Outdoor Classroom. The organization operates on a sliding scale pricing model and offers payment plans, scholarships, and a Bridge Package discount for bundling prenatal and postnatal classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prenatal & Pregnancy Classes A suite of in-person prenatal education classes (Pregnancy Class, 4-week Preparing Series, Birth Class Series, Birth Class Intensive) covering birth preparation and pregnancy support, designed for expectant parents from the first trimester through late pregnancy.
• Postnatal & Baby Classes In-person postnatal classes including Buds (Newborn Class), Buds for Two (for two caregivers and a newborn), and Lil Siblings for parents with multiple children, supporting families from birth through the newborn phase.
• Toddler & Early Parenthood Classes Classes for parents of toddlers including Toddler Parenting, Tot Tunes, and Baby Roots Nature Camp, supporting families through the toddler years from 1-3 years old.
• Baby Roots Nature Camp Outdoor nature program for babies and toddlers (6-36 months) held May through October, featuring open-ended sensory play in a fenced outdoor classroom designed for the developmental window of young toddlers, priced on a three-tier sliding scale.
• Shared Identity Groups Identity-specific peer support groups for underserved perinatal populations including Neurodiversity in Families, One Parent Families by Design, Parents of Medically Complex Children, Pregnancy & Infant Loss, Queer Parents Group, and Talking Dads (new and expectant fathers).
• Pollinator Parade & Picnic Annual family-friendly community event co-hosted with Maine Audubon celebrating pollinators, featuring a costume parade, activities, and community building for families with young children.
• Little Gnomes Winter Garden Cozy woodland winter event for toddlers and babies under 36 months and their caregivers, hosted with the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, featuring sensory exploration stations.
• Family Photo Booth Community event designed for families with young children featuring photo opportunities.
• Birth Roots Resource Guides Free printed resource guides produced since 2006 detailing over 125 perinatal providers and family supports in southern Maine, distributed to families to connect them with the local perinatal care ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• Resource guides distributed to 3,500 families in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• University of Southern Maine - Data Innovation Project (DIP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2023Graduate student Alexandra Hood participated in DIP fellowship to assist Birth Roots with research and evaluation. Her work helped the organization secure the $10,000 grant and develop impactful documents to support mission and growth.
• Children's Museum & Theatre of MaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host the annual Little Gnomes Winter Garden event - a memory-making event for toddlers and babies and their caregivers held at the museum's IDEXX Learning Hub and exhibits.
• Maine AudubonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for annual Pollinator Parade & Picnic event at Maine Audubon's Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, Maine. 11th annual event scheduled for May 2026.
• L.L. BeanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Pollinator Parade & Picnic event.
• Back Cove FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Pollinator Parade & Picnic event.
• Maine Boys to MenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner using the Treetop classroom space. Collaboration on Talking Dads program - a support group for new and expectant fathers.
• Community Doulas of PortlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner using the Treetop classroom space for perinatal support activities.
• Presente MaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner using the Treetop classroom space.
• Maine DoulasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner using the Treetop classroom space.
• Sad Dads ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit serving fathers who have experienced infant loss using the Treetop classroom space as in-kind office space.
• Greater Portland HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner using the Treetop classroom space for health-related programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lamaze International: Established national nonprofit providing childbirth education, instructor certification, and consumer-facing parent resources. Comparable in offering prenatal/birth classes but operates at a much larger scale with a national footprint and formalized curriculum.
• Centering Healthcare Institute: Nonprofit advancing group-based prenatal and pediatric care models used by hundreds of health systems. Comparable through group-based prenatal care delivery and healthcare provider partnerships, but operates at national scale via institutional contracts rather than community-based direct classes.

Emerging players

• Motherly: Digital media and commerce platform serving expecting and new mothers with content, classes, and community. Comparable in serving expectant and new parents with educational content, but reaches national audiences via digital distribution.
• Peanut: Social networking app connecting women through fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood stages. Comparable in addressing isolation in motherhood and building peer communities for new parents, but as a mobile-first platform with national reach.
• Maven Clinic: Virtual care platform for women's and family health including preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatrics. Comparable in the perinatal support space but operates as a venture-backed digital health company with national/global reach and employer contracts.

Direct peers

• Postpartum Support International: Nonprofit organization providing perinatal mental health support, education, and resources to new and expectant parents. Directly comparable to Birth Roots as a mission-aligned nonprofit addressing community-based support during the perinatal period, including support groups and provider directories.
• Hand in Hand Parenting: Nonprofit that trains parents and professionals in a specific parenting approach through classes, instructors, and peer support. Directly comparable as Birth Roots co-founder Emily Murray is a trained Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor; the organizations share community-based parent education DNA.
• Birthing From Within: Childbirth education and doula training organization offering prenatal classes, birth preparation, and postpartum support. Directly comparable in offering prenatal/birth classes and a community-anchored approach to pregnancy preparation.
• Nest Collaborative: Virtual lactation and postpartum support service connecting families to IBCLCs and other perinatal specialists. Comparable through shared postpartum/early-parenthood support, but operates as a telehealth-enabled service rather than in-person classes.

Others

• DONA International: Doulas of North America, the largest doula training and certification organization. Adjacent to Birth Roots as ecosystem infrastructure—Birth Roots co-founder Emily Murray is a trained doula and partners with local doulas, but DONA focuses on workforce credentialing rather than direct parent services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunitySupported
• Instagraminstagram.com/birthrootsmaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birth-roots-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Birth Roots