A Leg To Stand On

What A Leg To Stand On does

A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by C. Mead Welles, Catharine A. Carroll, and Dr. Harold van Bosse. Its mission is to provide free orthopedic care — prosthetic limbs, orthotic braces, appropriately fitted wheelchairs, and the proprietary Mobility+Designed forearm crutches — to children with limb disabilities in emerging countries from birth through age 25. Since initiating its first program in Ahmedabad, India in 2003, ALTSO has expanded to 14 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, partnering with 56 local orthopedic clinics and serving 26,575+ "CoolKids" plus an estimated 106,300 family members. The organization also holds UK Charity Commission registration (#1118048), enabling Gift Aid-eligible donations in England.

ALTSO's operations are supported by a custom-built ALTSO Management System (AMS) used to track individual beneficiary data and outcomes, which are verified through annual site visits. The organization's flagship physical product is the Joshi Modular Prosthetic Limb Kit, developed with Country Director India Dhiren Joshi and manufactured in Gujarat, India through packaging co-designed by Prime Studio. Johnson & Johnson R&D engineers contributed pro-bono engineering for a hygienic prosthetic cover, reflecting the organization's ability to attract technical corporate support.

ALTSO's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (one-time and CoolKids Club monthly recurring), the NextGen Club's Young Leaders Circle ($50/month for young professionals), corporate partnerships and sponsorships (Rocktoberfest events in NYC, Chicago, and London; Bitstamp, SteelEye, Hentsu), foundation grants (Arthur B Schultz Foundation, Jordan Thomas Foundation, World of Children), workplace giving programs with matching gifts, and event-driven fundraising campaigns including the annual Move for ALTSO in May. The organization maintains a lean staff of 1–10 paid employees supplemented by 75+ volunteers and interns.

Name

A Leg To Stand On

Legal name

A Leg To Stand On, Inc.

Website

https://altso.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that provides free prosthetic limbs, orthotic braces, wheelchairs, and ongoing orthopedic care to children with limb disabilities in 14 emerging countries, from birth through age 25, funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Pediatric Orthopedic Care Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Orthotics & Bracing (AFO/KAFO, Spinal, Soft Goods Supports) (HLAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Pediatric orthopedic care
• Prosthetic and orthotic services
• Mobility device distribution
• Charitable fundraising programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors. Monthly giving through CoolKids Club provides consistent funding for ongoing care.
2. UK Tax-Deductible Donations: UK individual donations are tax-free through Gift Aid program with UK Charity Commission registration (charity #1118048).
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships, corporate campaigns, in-kind donations, and employee engagement programs. Includes event sponsorships and workplace giving programs.
4. Foundation Grants: Funding from charitable foundations supporting specific programs or emergency funds (e.g., COVID Emergency Fund).
5. Workplace Giving: Matching gifts, volunteer grants, and payroll giving programs through employer partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO) is a nonprofit organization that provides free orthopedic mobility care, including prosthetic limbs, orthotic braces, appropriately fitted wheelchairs, and forearm crutches, to children with limb disabilities in developing countries from birth through age 25. Care is delivered through 56 vetted local orthopedic clinic partners across 14 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Programs are funded by individual donors, corporate partners, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO) is a nonprofit organization that operates a multi-product portfolio of mobility care services for children with limb disabilities in developing countries. The core offerings include the Joshi Modular Prosthetic Limb Kit, appropriately fitted wheelchairs, and orthotic braces, all provided free of charge from birth through age 25. The CoolKids Club provides monthly giving sustainer program, while Move for ALTSO and Rocktoberfest are signature fundraising campaigns. The NextGen Club engages young professionals, and the ALTSO Management System (AMS) tracks program data for transparency. ALTSO is not a technology company but a service nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CoolKids: Children served by ALTSO's programs who receive prosthetic limbs, orthotic braces, and wheelchairs from birth through age 25.
• CoolKids Club
• NextGen Club
• Rocktoberfest
• Move for ALTSO

Products and services

• Joshi Modular Prosthetic Limb Kit
• Appropriately Fitted Wheelchairs
• Orthotic Braces
• Mobility+Designed Forearm Crutches

Quantifiable outcome

• 26,575+ children treated since 2003
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BitstampminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Supporter since 2021. Employees competed in EU Mobility Week activity to support CoolKids.
• Mobility+DesignedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership since 2020 to provide innovative forearm crutches at $60 per pair. Revolutionary design relieves pain from traditional crutches.
• SteelEyeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Annual runathon since 2020 challenging other firms to cover most distance over 5 days.
• Johnson & JohnsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDonate A Photo app donated $1 per shared photo (over $21,500 in 2018-2019). R&D engineers donated time to engineer a hygienic, low-cost prosthetic cover for Joshi kit.
• HentsuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner charity with networking events held at museums in NYC and London.
• Portfolios with PurposeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual fantasy stock picking contest with 100% of proceeds donated to charity.
• Prime StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned Joshi packaging to be universally used from manufacturing in Gujarat, India through distribution. Packaging is durable, sustainable, stackable, and cost-efficient.
• StudioboothminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOffers discounts and pro-bono services for annual fundraiser in NYC. Dedicated full services to 2020 events at no cost.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Free Wheelchair Mission: Nonprofit distributing free wheelchairs in developing countries, similar to ALTSO's wheelchair-fitting program. Directly comparable donor-funded mobility-aid distribution model.
• Range of Motion Project (ROMP): Nonprofit providing prosthetic and orthotic care in Latin America, mirroring ALTSO's emerging-market focus and clinic-based delivery model for underserved populations.
• Legs4Africa: UK-based nonprofit that collects and refurbishes prosthetic legs for amputees across Africa. Closely comparable in donor-funded mobility-aid delivery in low-resource settings.
• Standing With Hope: Nonprofit providing prosthetic limbs in Ghana and West Africa, including educational components. Comparable peer in cross-border prosthetic care with a sustainability/education angle similar to ALTSO's school-enrollment outcomes.
• MiracleFeet: Global nonprofit treating clubfoot in low- and middle-income countries. Directly comparable mission of correcting pediatric limb conditions in emerging markets through clinic partnerships and donor funding.
• Walkabout Foundation: Nonprofit providing wheelchairs and mobility aids to people with disabilities worldwide. Comparable peer in distributing mobility devices to underserved populations through donor support.
• Limbs for Life Foundation: U.S.-based nonprofit providing prosthetic limbs and care to amputees globally, including in developing countries. Directly comparable mission of restoring mobility through prosthetic care and donor-funded service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Physicians for Peace: Established nonprofit sending medical professionals and resources to developing countries. Broader medical-services mission with comparable orthopedic capacity-building focus.
• Joni and Friends: Large disability-focused nonprofit providing wheelchairs, advocacy, and support services globally. Comparable mission of disability inclusion with broader program scope than ALTSO.

Others

• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): Large global health nonprofit operating in many of the same emerging markets where ALTSO works. Comparable in geographic footprint and donor-backed healthcare delivery in low-resource countries, though much broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ALegToStandOn
• Facebookfacebook.com/alegtostandon

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 A Leg To Stand On