Small Steps in Speech

What Small Steps in Speech does

Small Steps in Speech (SSIS) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in February 2009 in memory of Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Marc J. Small, killed in action in Afghanistan on February 12, 2009. The organization funds supplemental speech and language therapies, treatments, and communicative devices for children ages 3-22 whose families cannot afford care not covered by insurance. Core grant categories include standard speech and language therapy (average award ~$1,000), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices (up to $1,200), intensive summer camps for children who stutter (up to $1,000), and hippotherapy for children with autism. Applications are submitted by families and nominating Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) and reviewed quarterly.

The business model is donation-funded rather than product- or service-priced. Revenue streams comprise individual donations (PayPal, Venmo, mail-in, tribute and memorial gifts), corporate event sponsorships, branded merchandise sales, AmazonSmile referrals, and a partnership with The Prompt Institute. The primary go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging an SLP referral channel amplified by annual ASHA Convention presence, social media, and earned media in military and healthcare publications. Annual fundraising events (golf outings, On Your Marc 5K, Oktoberfest, rugby events, community fundraisers) drive both awareness and donor dollars.

Operations are run by an all-volunteer, all-women Board of Directors whose members hold full-time jobs outside the organization; the founder and executive director, Amanda Charney-Berardi, also works full-time as a school-based SLP in New Jersey. SSIS is headquartered at P.O. Box 65, Eagleville, Pennsylvania (Tax ID #26-4259468) and has awarded over $1.9 million in grants to more than 1,400 families across all 50 U.S. states since inception. The organization self-reports turning away more than 50% of grant applicants due to limited funds, indicating that capital — not demand — is the binding constraint on growth.

Name

Small Steps in Speech

Legal name

Small Steps in Speech

Website

https://smallstepsinspeech.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Small Steps in Speech is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards roughly $1,000 grants to fund supplemental speech therapy, AAC devices, stuttering camps, and hippotherapy for U.S. children ages 3-22 whose families cannot afford insurance-excluded treatments. Revenue comes from individual donations, corporate event sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Healthcare Grants

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

SLP Consultation, Teacher/Parent Coaching & Home Program Support (EDAKAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Disorders Intervention (Receptive/Expressive, Morphology/Syntax/Semantics) (EDAKAEAE), Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Social Communication / Pragmatics Intervention (School-Age) (EDAKAEAF), Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation/Phonology) Intervention (EDAKAEAD), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Speech therapy grants
• Nonprofit foundation
• Language disorder funding
• Children's communication
• Charitable grant program

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagleville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct monetary donations from private individuals through the website via PayPal and Venmo, mail-in donations, tribute program donations, and memorial gifts.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue from events such as golf outings, 5K runs, Oktoberfest, rugby events, and other community fundraisers. Corporate sponsors provide significant support.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships from companies for fundraising events (Gold, White, Blue, Red, and Hole sponsors). Also includes AmazonSmile and shop merchandise affiliations.
4. Shop Merchandise: Sales of Small Steps in Speech branded shirts and headwear through the organization shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Small Steps in Speech is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that funds supplemental speech and language therapies, treatments, and assistive communication devices for children ages 3-22 with speech and language disorders. It operates a single quarterly grant program with an average award of $1,000, covering speech therapy, AAC devices (up to $1,200), intensive summer camps for children who stutter (up to $1,000), and hippotherapy for children with autism. Applications are reviewed four times per year and are submitted by families and nominated by Speech Language Pathologists across all 50 U.S. states.

Product overview

Small Steps in Speech is a non-profit foundation that operates a single integrated grant program rather than a multi-module platform. The core offering consists of speech and language therapy grants for children with communicative disorders, supplemented by specific funding streams for AAC devices (up to $1,200), summer speech camps for children who stutter (up to $1,000), and hippotherapy for children with autism. The organization functions as a pass-through funding entity, awarding grants quarterly to help children access therapeutic services not covered by insurance. The average grant award is approximately $1,000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech and Language Therapy Grants Grant program funding supplemental speech and language therapies for children (ages 3-22) with speech and language disorders, covering treatments not insured by insurance. Applications are reviewed quarterly with average awards of $1,000.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Device Funding

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.9 million awarded to more than 1,400 families since 2009
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Prompt InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with like-minded organization The Prompt Institute. The Prompt Institute provides speech therapy resources and training. This partnership helps provide revenue alongside private donors and fundraisers to support SSIS grant-making activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Children's Cancer Society: Provides direct financial support to families for treatment-related expenses. Comparable grantmaking nonprofit structure serving pediatric populations with unmet medical/therapy needs.
• HealthWell Foundation: Large independent nonprofit providing financial assistance for medical treatments. Operates a much larger copay/grant program across many conditions; serves as the scaled version of SSIS's grantmaking model.
• The Assistance Fund: Provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket medical costs. Comparable grant-based model funding medical services for underinsured individuals, though broader in therapeutic scope.
• Variety – the Children's Charity: Funds medical equipment, therapy, and services for children with disabilities. Larger, more established peer with broader geographic presence and similar mission of enabling access to therapy services.
• Patient Advocate Foundation: National nonprofit providing case management and financial aid funds for medical needs. Larger peer with overlapping mission of connecting underinsured patients to therapy funding.

Direct peers

• UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation: Provides medical grants to children for services not covered by insurance, including speech therapy. Closest direct peer—same grant-based funding model for pediatric therapy services, though larger and tied to a major insurer.
• Wheel to Walk Foundation: Grants for children with disabilities to access therapy and equipment not covered by insurance. Comparable nonprofit grantmaking model targeted at pediatric therapy needs, including speech and language support.
• Modest Needs Foundation: Independent nonprofit providing small, self-empowerment grants to individuals and families. Similar capital-efficient volunteer-driven grantmaking approach serving self-referred applicants with modest award sizes.
• Dream Foundation: Grants for adults and children facing life-threatening or serious medical conditions. Comparable volunteer-driven nonprofit grantmaking for individuals unable to afford needed therapies.

Emerging players

• Chive Charities: Funded by The Chive community, grants to individuals with rare medical needs. Similar digitally-driven, community-funded grantmaking model for underinsured patients, including children needing therapy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SmallStepsInSpeech
• Xx.com/ssinspeech

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Small Steps in Speech