Horton's Kids

What Horton's Kids does

Horton's Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that delivers a holistic continuum of programs to children and families in Southeast DC's Ward 8, specifically the Wellington Park and Stanton Oaks neighborhoods of Anacostia. The organization's core service model is structured around four reinforcing programmatic strands: Academics (one-on-one tutoring, literacy intervention, homework help, and educational advocacy, delivered through a CityTutor Hub), Youth Development (enrichment activities, field trips, mentorship, and life-skills programming), Health and Wellness (meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, mental health support, and basic-needs distribution), and Family Engagement (parent advisory council, family visits, food pantry, and job assistance). Programs are delivered directly in the community through three Community Resource Centers anchored by the Horton Hub, a former church acquired in 2021 and opened in February 2023 after a $5M capital campaign.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; its technological footprint is limited to standard donation processing platforms (Benevity, PayPal, Morgan Stanley for stock gifts) and a Microsoft TechSpark partnership. Horton's Kids has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and is governed by a board of directors led by CEO Erica Ahdoot, with a C-suite that includes a Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, Chief Program Officer, Chief of Staff, Chief Development Officer, and Senior Advisor for Systems & Strategy.

Revenue is diversified across individual donations (including the recurring Rising Star Network), corporate sponsorships (Lowe's, Amazon, Sanofi, Enterprise Mobility, Wilkie Farr), foundation grants (J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Phillip Graham Foundation, Yield Giving), federal and DC government appropriations, and workplace giving campaigns. The signature fundraising mechanism is the annual Home Runs for Horton's Kids event at Nationals Park, which has raised more than $7M cumulatively since 2008 from 1,600+ sponsors. The organization employs 11-50 staff, serves 600+ youth, and reports a 99% high-school graduation rate for enrolled seniors over eight consecutive years.

Name

Horton's Kids

Legal name

Horton's Kids, Inc.

Website

https://www.hortonskids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horton's Kids offers youth development, health and wellness, family engagement, and family engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Community Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Community nonprofit services
• Academic tutoring support
• Family engagement services
• Health and wellness outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including monthly giving through the Rising Star Network.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorships for Home Runs for Horton's Kids and Give Thanks & Give Back, corporate partner program with 5-figure giving levels, and general corporate donations.
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and others. Received grant from Yield Giving in March 2024.
4. Government Grants: Federal Community Project Funding, District of Columbia Government funding, and participation in Combined Federal Campaign (#86543).
5. Workplace Giving: Payroll deduction programs through Benevity, Bonterra, PayPal, UnitedWay, YourCause, DC One Fund, and World Bank Community Connections Campaign.
6. Planned Giving: Bequests, retirement account beneficiary designations, life insurance, donor advised fund grants, and IRA charitable distributions.
7. Stock Donations: Gifts of stock and securities through Morgan Stanley broker account.
8. In-Kind Donations: Seasonal drives for school supplies, Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving food, winter clothing, and emergency pantry items. Monthly family essentials distribution kits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Horton's Kids is a community-based nonprofit that provides free, holistic youth and family services to children in grades K-12 living in Southeast DC's Ward 8. Its core offering is a continuum of four program strands — high-intensity tutoring and educational advocacy (Academics), enrichment and mentorship (Youth Development), meals and basic-needs distribution plus mental health support (Health and Wellness), and parent/family support services (Family Engagement) — delivered directly through the Horton's Hub and neighborhood Community Resource Centers.

Product overview

Horton's Kids is a community-based nonprofit organization providing a holistic, research-based continuum of programs for children and families in Southeast DC's Ward 8. The organization operates four interconnected programmatic strands: Academics (high-intensity tutoring, literacy intervention, homework help, and school advocacy), Youth Development (enrichment, field trips, life skills, and mentorship), Health and Wellness (meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, and mental health support), and Family Engagement (parent advisory council, family visits, and resource access). Central to operations is Horton's Hub, the organization's community resource headquarters, along with neighborhood-based Community Resource Centers. The organization also hosts signature fundraising events including Home Runs for Horton's Kids (annual stadium fundraiser) and Give Thanks & Give Back (annual gala), and produces the HK Couch podcast for community storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Horton's Hub: The main community resource hub located at 2233 Hunter Place SE, serving as the headquarters and central programming location.
• Wellington Park Community Resource Center
• Rising Star Network
• HK Couch

Products and services

• Academics Program High-intensity tutoring, homework help, literacy intervention, and educational advocacy services that close the academic gap for children in grades K-12. Operates as a CityTutor hub providing one-on-one and small-group instruction, serving children in Southeast DC's Ward 8 free of charge.
• Youth Development Program Enrichment activities including weekend programming, field trips, character building, life skills sessions, and mentorship opportunities such as cooking classes, arts, sports, and sleepaway camp partnerships, for children in grades K-12 in Southeast DC's Ward 8.
• Health and Wellness Program Provides essential items including meals, clothing, personal hygiene products, backpacks, and school supplies, and connects families to health screenings and mental health support services, for children and families in Southeast DC's Ward 8.
• Family Engagement Program Parent Advisory Council meetings, monthly family visits, game nights, fatherhood groups, and access to food pantry, diapers, professional clothing, and job assistance resources for families of participating children in Southeast DC's Ward 8.
• Mentoring Program One-on-one mentoring program pairing adult volunteers with HK teens for at least one year, supporting academic, career, and personal goals for teenagers in Southeast DC's Ward 8.
• College and Career Readiness Program Programs including CCR discussion groups, 1:1 coaching, Summer Youth Employment Program, and Alumni Assistance Program to prepare older youth and alumni for post-secondary success in college, career, and life.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children in Horton's Kids are twice as likely to graduate from high school
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorton's Kids was selected as part of Microsoft's National TechSpark Program in July 2023, providing technology and innovation support to enhance organizational capacity.
• CityTutorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorton operates as one of CityTutor's high-intensity tutoring hubs, implementing structured tutoring curriculum and data-driven academic interventions.
• WorldStridesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldStrides awards scholarships for career exploration programs to Horton's Kids students.
• DC Central KitchencoreService PartnerService partner providing food and nutrition resources to Horton's Kids families through the community resource centers.
• Greater DC Diaper BankcoreService PartnerService partner providing essential baby supplies and diaper resources to families in need.
• Children's National HospitalcoreService PartnerHealth partnership providing access to pediatric healthcare resources and wellness programming for Horton's Kids participants.
• Giant FoodcoreService PartnerProvides food and grocery support for family distributions and pantry services.
• Martha's TablecoreService PartnerService partner supporting food access and family resources in the community.
• KIPP DCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 80% of Horton's Kids participants are enrolled in high-performing charter schools including KIPP DC. Partnership includes school enrollment support and educational advocacy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Higher Achievement: Higher Achievement operates after-school and summer academic programs for middle-school youth in under-resourced neighborhoods of Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Richmond. Comparable to Horton's Kids in targeting academic outcomes, mentoring, and scholar enrollment in top high schools for low-income youth in DC.
• For Love of Children (FLOC): FLOC provides educational programs and services to DC-area children and youth from low-income families, including tutoring, mentoring, and family support. Comparable to Horton's Kids as a DC-based youth development and academic support nonprofit serving similar Ward 8-adjacent populations.
• Beacon House: Beacon House serves children and youth in the Edgewood neighborhood of Northeast DC through academic enrichment, mentoring, and family support. Directly comparable mission and program model to Horton's Kids; CDO Shiree Skinner previously led development at Beacon House, underscoring the overlap.
• Martha's Table: Martha's Table operates in Southeast DC providing food, education, and family support to children and families. Comparable to Horton's Kids through DC-based service delivery, basic-needs distribution, family engagement, and partnerships referenced in Horton's Kids' service partner list.
• DC Central Kitchen: DC Central Kitchen combats hunger and creates job training opportunities in DC through food service and distribution. Comparable to Horton's Kids through shared service-partner relationship on nutrition and overlapping DC-based family food-security mission.
• East River Family Strengthening Collaborative: East River Family Strengthening Collaborative provides family support services and senior programs in Ward 8. Comparable to Horton's Kids as a Southeast DC family-services nonprofit; a former Horton's Kids manager held a leadership role there.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington serves youth across the DC region with academic support, mentoring, and youth development programs. Comparable as a broader youth development nonprofit in the same geography with overlapping academic and youth development programming.
• KIPP DC: KIPP DC is the largest charter school network in Washington, DC, serving students in Ward 8 and across the city. Comparable as a major educational equity organization with 80%+ of Horton's Kids participants enrolled in KIPP DC schools, making it a core strategic partner rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• CityTutor: CityTutor operates a national network of high-intensity tutoring hubs, with Horton's Kids selected as the DC hub. Comparable as a structured tutoring infrastructure partner; also intersects with City Year which uses AmeriCorps members in school-based tutoring and mentoring.

Others

• Capital Area Food Bank: Capital Area Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization serving the DC metro area. Comparable as a DC-area food security and basic-needs provider serving overlapping Ward 8 families, including through partnerships with Horton's Kids' service network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hortonskids
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1415923
• Xx.com/Hortons_Kids
• Facebookfacebook.com/hkids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Horton's Kids