What WINGS for Kids does

WINGS for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Charleston, SC, that delivers social emotional learning (SEL) programs primarily to elementary students at Title I schools in Georgia and South Carolina. Its core direct-service product, the WINGS Afterschool Program, operates three hours per day, five days a week during the school year at school sites, providing life skills instruction, academic support, enrichment activities, and mentoring from approximately 130 trained college-student WINGS Leaders, at no cost to families (annual cost per student of $3,600). The organization's curriculum is built around its proprietary 'Words to Live By' framework — a kid-friendly poem with hand motions that teaches five core SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills).

The product portfolio spans four revenue-generating channels: (1) direct afterschool programming in GA/SC; (2) a digital platform (Soar with Wings) with freemium and premium subscription tiers offering 150+ games, lesson plans, and curated SEL resources; (3) professional development workshops and a three-track Soar with Wings Leadership Program for educators; and (4) multi-year Partner Projects that help districts and organizations integrate SEL into existing programs (e.g., Pomona USD scaling from 4 to 17 sites serving 1,000+ students). The Soar with Wings curriculum is also distributed nationally free of charge through a partnership with Discovery Education and the Allstate Foundation.

The business model is a hybrid of philanthropy and fee-for-service: approximately 50% of operating expenses come from public funding (Georgia DOE, South Carolina DOE, 21st Century Community Learning Centers), with the remainder from individual donations, foundation/corporate grants (Edna McConnell Clark, NoVo, Wallace, Cigna, Cummins, LuluMa, Richard King Mellon), workshop fees, digital subscriptions, and partner-project fees of $20K-$50K per site per year. The program's effectiveness is validated by the only Randomized Control Trial on afterschool SEL in the U.S., conducted by the University of Virginia with $2.8M in U.S. Department of Education funding, demonstrating improved executive function, self-regulation, academic skills, and classroom behavior. As of 2024, WINGS has served more than 15,000 children cumulatively, achieved a 14-year consecutive 4-star Charity Navigator rating, and operates with 51-100 employees under the leadership of CEO Julia Rugg (since October 2024).

Name

WINGS for Kids

Legal name

Wings for Kids, Inc.

Website

https://www.wingsforkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WINGS for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers evidence-based social emotional learning programs, primarily through direct-service afterschool programs at Title I elementary schools in Georgia and South Carolina, supplemented by a digital platform, professional development workshops, and national Partner Projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Emotional Learning Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher/Provider SEL Coaching & Implementation Training (ECE) (EDACAOAH), Digital/Interactive SEL Apps & Media for Early Childhood (EDACAOAL)

Keywords

• Social emotional learning
• Afterschool programs
• Youth development
• Elementary education
• SEL services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals through online donation portal, monthly giving options, and one-time gifts at various levels ($50, $150, $750, $1,500, $3,600). Donors can designate funds to Annual Support Fund, South Carolina Region Support Fund, or Georgia Region Support Fund.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major organizational funders including Cigna Foundation, Cummins Engine Foundation, LuluMa Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation investing $100,000+ annually. Additional support from Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Wallace Foundation, and Susan Crown Exchange.
3. Government Funding: Public funding covers approximately 50% of annual operating expenses, including support from Georgia Department of Education, South Carolina Department of Education, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
4. Digital Platform Subscriptions: Premium subscription to digital platform providing unlimited access to extensive library of resources, 150+ games and activities, lesson plans, and video content. Free tier available with limited resources.
5. Professional Development Workshops: Fee-based professional development sessions for educators and youth-serving organizations, available in-person or virtually. Customized training based on organizational needs.
6. Scholarships and Special Projects: Annual scholarship of $3,600 per student or $300/month provides afterschool programming at no cost. Special project funding for enrichment programs, field trips, WINGS Leader training ($130,000 annually), and partner projects ($20,000-50,000 per site per year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WINGS for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on social emotional learning (SEL) for elementary students. The organization's core work is delivering SEL programming tailored to elementary-age children through a nonprofit operational structure.

Product overview

WINGS for Kids is an educational nonprofit offering a multi-channel portfolio centered on social emotional learning (SEL) for elementary students. The core offering is the WINGS Afterschool Program, a direct-service SEL program at Title I schools in Georgia and South Carolina, provided at no cost to families. This operates alongside WINGS Across America, a national replication and partnership initiative enabling schools and organizations to implement WINGS' evidence-based approach through professional development and partner projects. The product suite includes the Words to Live By curriculum (a kid-friendly common language based on five core competencies), the Digital Platform (with games, lesson plans, and resources in free and premium tiers), and Professional Development Workshops. The Soar with Wings Leadership Program delivers three tracks of online professional learning for educators. Supporting products include the I Soar with Wings children's book, the Ready, Set, Soar DIY Kit, and the Emotional Alphabet tool. The portfolio is unified by the Words to Live By framework as the foundational common language across all programs and products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wings Afterschool: Direct-service afterschool programs that teach social emotional learning to elementary students in Title I schools in Georgia and South Carolina.
• WINGS Across America
• Soar with Wings
• Soar with Wings Leadership Program
• Words to Live By

Products and services

• Social Emotional Learning Programs Social emotional learning programs delivered by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and intended for elementary-age students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% daily attendance rate across all program sites
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Discovery EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to provide FREE social emotional learning curriculum and resources to schools and youth organizations nationwide. Created Soar with Wings - standards-aligned learning activities for K-5 educators.
• Pomona Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016District-wide SEL partnership in California. Started with 4 pilot sites in 2016, grew to 17 sites serving 1,000+ students. WINGS provides training, coaching, and implementation support to PUSD's afterschool program (The Learning Connection) to integrate SEL into all activities.
• University of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2011Conducted 4-year, $2.8 million randomized control trial (RCT) on WINGS programs, funded by U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. Only RCT on SEL in afterschool setting. Partnered with College of Charleston and Child Trends.
• AbrakadoodleminorOthersEnrichment partner providing art programming for WINGS Choice Time activities at program sites.
• Bricks 4 KidzminorOthersEnrichment partner providing S.T.E.M. activities through LEGO bricks for WINGS Choice Time.
• Soccer ShotsminorOthersEnrichment partner providing soccer programming for WINGS Choice Time activities.
• Junior AchievementminorOthersEnrichment partner providing financial literacy and entrepreneurship programming for WINGS students.
• Children's Theater of CharlotteminorOthersEnrichment partner providing theater arts programming for WINGS Choice Time in Charlotte locations.
• Charleston Literary FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with WINGS to host first Mini-Book Festival at Arthur W. Christopher Community Center, featuring books and reading activities for WINGS students.
• Books and BeyondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with WINGS for Mini-Book Festival event to bring books and reading programs to WINGS students.
• Porter-Gaud SchoolminorOthersCommunity partner with decades-long support for WINGS. Director of Community Service Gretchen Tate coordinates volunteer students to support WINGS programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CASEL: CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) is the standards-setting nonprofit whose SEL framework underpins most U.S. school SEL procurement, including WINGS' five-competency model. It is not a competitor but rather an ecosystem enabler/distributor that influences which programs districts adopt.

Direct peers

• Move This World: Move This World delivers video-based SEL curriculum and PD for K-12 educators, including afterschool and out-of-school-time providers. It directly overlaps with WINGS on digital SEL content, lesson plans, and educator training delivered to schools and youth organizations.
• EVERFI: EVERFI (now part of Blackbaud) provides digital K-12 SEL, wellness, and character education curricula to schools at no cost via sponsorships. It competes with WINGS' Soar with Wings digital platform and Discovery Education partnership for the same district and educator adoption funnel.
• Aperture Education: Aperture Education provides the DESSA suite of SEL assessments, screener, and curriculum used in K-12 settings. Like WINGS, it sells a packaged SEL solution (assessment + intervention + PD) to districts seeking evidence-based outcomes measurement.
• Inner Explorer: Inner Explorer delivers mindfulness-based daily SEL practices and PD for K-12 educators, similar to WINGS' daily Words to Live By routine and Soar with Wings Leadership Program. Both target schools seeking brief, repeatable SEL interventions with built-in teacher training.
• Committee for Children: Committee for Children operates Second Step, the most widely adopted SEL curriculum for K-8 classrooms and a featured "Navigating SEL from the Inside Out" program alongside WINGS. Both sell evidence-based SEL curricula to schools and districts with comparable teacher-training and PD offerings.

Broad incumbents

• 4-H National Council: 4-H delivers youth development and SEL programming through cooperative extension sites and school partnerships nationwide. It shares WINGS' emphasis on life-skill-building for underserved youth but operates within a much broader agriculture/STEM/youth-development portfolio.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs operates the largest national network of direct-service afterschool programs for K-12 youth, including SEL-focused programming. It serves the same Title I/underserved youth segment as WINGS but at vastly greater scale and as part of a broader youth-development portfolio.
• YMCA of the USA: YMCA operates thousands of afterschool sites nationwide, often in partnership with schools and using SEL frameworks. It overlaps with WINGS on the direct-service afterschool delivery model but does not specialize in SEL curriculum or sell packaged SEL curricula to schools.

Emerging players

• Plinko LLC: Plinko is an early-stage video-based SEL platform for K-8 students with bite-sized lessons and educator dashboards. It overlaps with WINGS' digital platform on short-form SEL content delivery but is much earlier-stage and primarily product-led rather than partner-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wingsforkids
• Facebookfacebook.com/wingsforkids
• Xx.com/wingsforkids
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wings-for-kids-inc.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 WINGS for Kids