What Project Hope Foundation does

Project Hope Foundation is a South Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 by Lisa Lane and Susan Sachs, both of whom remain as co-CEOs. It operates as the largest ABA-based autism service provider in South Carolina, delivering a lifespan of services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder from toddlers through adulthood. Its core technology is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based methodology grounded in B.F. Skinner's learning theory and operationalized through the seven dimensions defined by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968). Programmatic offerings include Hope Reach (comprehensive and focused ABA therapy at 25-40 or 10-15 hours per week), ABA-trained speech-language pathology, pediatric occupational therapy, Hope Academy (SCISA-accredited K-12 private school), Hope Alive (adult day services, group and individualized employment, behavior supports), Hope Link (family empowerment), the Extended Hope social program, and Printed by Hope (a digital t-shirt printing social enterprise).

Name

Project Hope Foundation

Legal name

Project Hope Foundation

Website

https://projecthopesc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Project Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that delivers Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, accredited education, adult services, and community programs to individuals with autism across nine South Carolina campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Services and Special Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Applied behavior analysis
• Autism therapy services
• Special education programs
• Adult disability services
• Community autism engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Reimbursement: The organization accepts most insurance plans including Medicaid (Fee for Service and certain Managed Care Organizations). ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy are billed to insurance providers after authorization.
2. Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers: Services funded through Medicaid waivers including Community Supports Waiver and Intellectual Disability and Related Disabilities Waiver. Covers day services, group employment, and individualized employment typically up to 2 units per day.
3. Private Pay: Families may pay privately for services not covered by insurance, including ABA therapy and educational programs.
4. Educational Tuition: Hope Academy is a tuition-based program managed through FACTS software system. Tuition rates reflect low student-to-teacher ratios and unique integration of therapeutic and educational services.
5. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit, Project Hope Foundation relies on donations and annual fundraising events to cover over $1 million funding gap annually. Sources include individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grant funding.
6. Printed by Hope Social Enterprise: Digital t-shirt printing business that provides job skills training and wages for autistic adults. Revenue from shirt sales supports the program's operating costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Project Hope Foundation delivers a comprehensive lifespan of autism services including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, accredited private school education, adult day and employment services, and community engagement programs. Operating across nine South Carolina campuses, the organization serves individuals with autism from toddlers through adulthood using evidence-based ABA methodology integrated with speech and occupational therapy.

Product overview

Project Hope Foundation provides a comprehensive lifespan of autism services across South Carolina through four integrated program areas: Therapy (Hope Reach ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy), Education (Hope Academy accredited private school), Adult Services (Hope Alive day services, employment, and behavior supports), and Community Engagement (training, awareness, and family resources). The organization operates nine campuses across South Carolina and serves individuals from toddlers through adulthood across the entire autism spectrum. Core programs are grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles and include social enterprises like Printed by Hope that provide employment opportunities for adults with autism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hope Reach (ABA Therapy) Applied Behavior Analysis therapy program for children with autism offering comprehensive (25-40 hours/week) and focused (10-15 hours/week) treatment across nine campuses and in-home/community settings.
• Hope Academy SCISA-accredited private school program for students with autism from kindergarten through high school, integrating ABA strategies into the school day with tiered classrooms and individualized therapeutic and educational services.
• Hope Alive (Adult Services) Comprehensive adult services including day services, ABA therapy, group employment/career preparation, individualized employment support, and behavior supports based at the Woodruff Campus.
• Printed by Hope Digital t-shirt printing business providing job-skills training and paid employment for adults with autism, with an online store at shop.projecthopesc.org.
• Speech Therapy Services Speech-language pathology services delivered by ABA-trained SLPs covering articulation, receptive/expressive language, fluency, voice/resonance, oral motor, feeding/swallowing, AAC, and cognitive communication therapy.
• Occupational Therapy Services
• Hope Link Family empowerment program providing information about autism spectrum disorders, ABA training, classroom observations, local resources, dietary interventions support, and strategy development.
• Behavior Supports Individualized behavior support services using ABA principles, including initial assessment, functional assessment, behavioral intervention planning, and follow-up for teens and adults with autism who have challenging behaviors.
• Community Training & Awareness Autism awareness training and education programs for community groups, childcare providers, educators, and medical professionals, including a 7-minute community awareness video and Hope Link family resources.
• School Consultation Services Consultation services provided to public and private schools including Greenwood School District 50 and Laurens School District 56 to support students with autism in educational settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 hours of ABA therapy weekly, nearly 200,000 annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Greenwood Genetic CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Helix & Hope initiative connecting genetic diagnosis with autism services. Project Hope purchased 12 acres on the Greenwood Genetic Center Partnership Campus, creating a national model for seamless autism care where families can receive diagnosis and immediately access therapy services.
• Grace ChurchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenerous facility partnerships providing space for Anderson Campus, Greenville Grace Campus, and initial support. Multiple campuses hosted at Grace Church locations.
• Temple of IsraelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacility partnership providing space for Greenville Temple Campus with large indoor gymnasium and enclosed playground.
• Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational membership demonstrating commitment to evidence-based practices and service excellence standards.
• Greenwood School District 50majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultation services partnership supporting students with autism in the school district.
• Laurens School District 56minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultation services partnership supporting students with autism in the school district.
• Center for Developmental Services (CDS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of care providers for children with special needs. Project Hope joined as partnering provider in July 2023, using facility for office space, training, and assessments.
• Exceptional SCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorized state entity providing Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children scholarships that families can use for Hope Academy tuition.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ability Beyond: Nonprofit serving individuals with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities across the lifespan, including ABA therapy, day programs, employment services, and residential support. Structurally analogous to Project Hope's Hope Reach / Hope Academy / Hope Alive model.
• Centria Healthcare: National applied behavior analysis and behavioral health provider delivering center-based and home-based ABA services to children with autism. Directly comparable in therapeutic modality, payor mix (including Medicaid), and multi-state expansion.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state outpatient ABA therapy provider serving pediatric autism populations with centers across the Midwest and Southeast. Operates a similar clinic-based, applied-behavior-analysis model and targets the same pediatric client demographic.
• Behavioral Innovations: ABA therapy provider operating ~70 centers across multiple states serving children and adolescents with autism. Closely comparable in clinic-based ABA delivery, speech/OT integration, and family-centered service model.
• May Institute: Nonprofit human services organization providing lifespan services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and behavioral health needs across multiple states. Operates schools, adult programs, and clinical services parallel to Project Hope's integrated model.
• Kadiant: ABA therapy provider focused on serving pediatric clients with autism through clinic-based programs in multiple states. Highly comparable in target population, treatment methodology, and center-based delivery structure.
• Lighthouse Autism Center: ABA therapy provider operating multiple centers focused on early intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism. Directly comparable in clinical methodology, intensive-hours programming (25-40/week), and pediatric autism specialization.
• Autism Learning Partners: National provider of ABA therapy services for children and adults with autism, with centers across multiple states. Comparable in evidence-based clinical model, center-based and home-based delivery, and multi-payor (including Medicaid) contracting.

Others

• Greenwood Genetic Center: Diagnostic partner on the Helix & Hope initiative, providing genetic diagnosis for autism. Although primarily a clinical diagnostics provider rather than a therapy competitor, the deep partnership embedded in Project Hope's expansion plans makes it the most strategically adjacent organization.

Broad incumbents

• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit behavioral health organization operating across many states with programs spanning autism, IDD, mental health, and child welfare. Significantly larger scale but overlaps on evidence-based autism services, lifespan programs, and educational alternatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/projecthopefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/projecthopesc
• Xx.com/projecthopesc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-hope-sc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Hope Foundation