First Hand Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
First Hand Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Hand Foundation
- Legal name
- First Hand Foundation
- Website
- https://firsthandfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Hand Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pediatric Healthcare Grants
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where First Hand Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Hand Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The foundation accepts donations from individuals through its website, with options for monthly recurring gifts (Power Care Monthly), annual gifts, and one-time donations. All operating costs are underwritten by private community partners and board-restricted funds, ensuring 100% of donations go to programs.
- Sunset Society Major Donor Program: Leadership gifts of $10,000 or more annually from founding members including families and foundations. Members receive concierge support from the philanthropy team for one-time or multi-year pledges, DAF gifts, stock transfers, or wire donations.
- Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Partnerships with healthcare organizations (e.g., Children's Mercy Hospital), corporate sponsors for events, and foundation support. Operating costs are underwritten by private community of partners and board-restricted funds.
- Event Sponsorships and Ticket Sales: Signature events like 'Off to the Races' Derby Day celebration generate revenue through event sponsorships and ticket sales, with various sponsorship levels available.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
First Hand Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Hand Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that provides pediatric medical grants to uninsured and underinsured children in the United States. Its core offerings are three categories of financial assistance: Clinical Care Grants (for medical treatments, therapy, medication, dental care, and service dogs), Medical Equipment Grants (for wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aids, mobility devices, and vehicle modifications), and Travel and Lodging Grants (for transportation and accommodation tied to medical appointments). Approved grants are paid directly to providers and care navigators, ensuring funds are used for their intended medical purpose.
Product overview
First Hand Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of pediatric medical grant programs designed to bridge gaps in healthcare access for uninsured and underinsured children. The core offerings consist of three grant types: Clinical Care Grants (covering medical treatments, therapies, and prescriptions), Medical Equipment Grants (covering wheelchairs, prosthetics, and assistive technology), and Travel & Lodging Grants (covering transportation and accommodation for medical appointments). Additionally, the organization operates volunteer programs including Love Bags (care packages for foster children) and Feminine Hygiene Kits, and manages donation programs such as Power Care Monthly (recurring giving) and Sunset Society (leadership giving at $10,000+ annually). The Foundation was relaunched in 2025 following its original founding in 1995 by Jeanne Patterson, Neal Patterson, and Cliff Illig.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clinical Care Grants Financial assistance covering medical treatments, therapy, medication, evaluations, dental care, and service dogs for uninsured or underinsured children.
- Medical Equipment Grants Covers durable medical equipment including wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics, standers, lifts, communication devices, hearing aids, mobility bicycles, and vehicle modifications such as ramps and lifts.
- Travel and Lodging Grants Covers lodging, gas, parking, and transportation costs directly related to a child's medical care appointments and treatments.
- Love Bags Care packages filled with essential personal items for children entering foster care, assembled by volunteers.
- Feminine Hygiene Kits Hygiene kits that provide dignity and support to those in need, assembled by volunteers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99,900 children assisted with medical equipment
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use First Hand Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
First Hand Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
First Hand Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- World PediatricscoreWorld Pediatrics addresses barriers preventing children from accessing life-saving surgeries. First Hand Foundation partners with World Pediatrics to provide financial support that brings hope and healing to children needing surgical care. Kate Corbett, Senior Program Director at World Pediatrics, stated: 'It is partners like First Hand Foundation that help bring hope and healing to the children needing it most.'
- Children's Mercy HospitalcoreChildren's Mercy Hospital is featured as a key healthcare partner with a joint compound logo on the First Hand Foundation donate page, indicating a significant partnership to advance pediatric healthcare access. The partnership includes co-branded fundraising opportunities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Hand Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities: Massive global nonprofit providing housing, meals, and support to families with sick children near hospitals. Overlaps on family support and travel/lodging dimensions but operates at far greater scale with broader brand.
- Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Raises funds for children's hospitals across North America. Direct overlap in pediatric hospital-partner fundraising model but at vastly greater scale through corporate partner activations and retail campaigns.
- Shriners Hospitals for Children: Provides specialized pediatric medical care regardless of families' ability to pay. Comparable in removing financial barriers to pediatric specialty care, but operates its own hospital network rather than issuing grants.
- Make-A-Wish Foundation: Grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. Operates in the same pediatric beneficiary universe with similar national donor base and storytelling-driven fundraising model, but with much broader recognition.
Direct peers
- National Children's Cancer Society: Provides direct financial assistance to children with cancer and their families for medical and treatment-related expenses. Most directly comparable grantmaking model for pediatric medical-cost coverage.
- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Funds childhood cancer research and family support programs, including direct financial assistance to families. Closely comparable pediatric grantmaking foundation with similar donor-engagement storytelling approach.
- Give Kids The World Village: Provides cost-free wish-fulfillment vacations to critically ill children and their families. Overlaps with First Hand on direct family/patient assistance and pediatric healthcare access mission.
- Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers programs, services, and distraction tools to seriously ill children and their families in hospitals. Overlaps with First Hand's pediatric health mission and direct-to-family support model.
- Children's Health Fund: Delivers healthcare access to medically underserved children via mobile clinics and direct-service programs. Comparable mission of removing barriers to pediatric healthcare for uninsured and underinsured populations.
- Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health: Fundraising arm for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, channeling donations to pediatric care, research, and family services. Comparable hospital-anchored pediatric health grantmaking foundation structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
First Hand Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Hand Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Hand Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
First Hand Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Hand Foundation 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 First Hand Foundation
What does First Hand Foundation do?
First Hand Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that provides pediatric medical grants to uninsured and underinsured children in the United States. Its core offerings are three categories of financial assistance: Clinical Care Grants (for medical treatments, therapy, medication, dental care, and service dogs), Medical Equipment Grants (for wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aids, mobility devices, and vehicle modifications), and Travel and Lodging Grants (for transportation and accommodation tied to medical appointments). Approved grants are paid directly to providers and care navigators, ensuring funds are used for their intended medical purpose.
Is First Hand Foundation a public or private company?
First Hand Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was First Hand Foundation founded?
First Hand Foundation was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is First Hand Foundation based?
First Hand Foundation is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Hand Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are sunset Society Major Donor Program, corporate and Foundation Partnerships and event Sponsorships and Ticket Sales.
Who are First Hand Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Shriners Hospitals for Children and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Direct peers are National Children's Cancer Society, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Give Kids The World Village, Starlight Children's Foundation, Children's Health Fund and Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health.
Does First Hand Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Hand Foundation.
What industry is First Hand Foundation in?
First Hand Foundation's product category is Pediatric Healthcare Grants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813212.