What Chai Lifeline does

Chai Lifeline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in New York City that provides social, emotional, and financial support to families with children facing serious illness, medical crisis, or loss. Its core service platform spans professional case management, counseling and clinical interventions, hospital-based respite and kosher pantry programs, transportation to medical appointments, the Evan Levy Z'L Fund for emergency financial assistance, Project Chai for crisis intervention and trauma support, the medically supervised Camp Simcha summer programs, and the i-Shine afterschool program for children living with illness or loss. Services are delivered through 12 regional and international offices across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Belgium, with 5,020 trained volunteers and embedded hospital partnerships at premier pediatric centers including CHOP, Lurie Children's, Cedars-Sinai, CHLA, and Johns Hopkins. All programs are provided free of charge to families, with the operating model funded entirely through tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and organizations across one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, vehicle and real estate donations, planned giving/bequests, and event-based fundraising such as Bike4Chai, Chaiathon, and the annual national gala. Specialty sub-brands including Camp Simcha, Camp Simcha Special, Camp Simcha Without Borders, i-Shine, Project Chai, Achim B'Yachad (Chassidic communities), and the Sephardic Division address specific community and clinical niches.

Name

Chai Lifeline

Legal name

Chai Lifeline Inc.

Website

https://chailifeline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chai Lifeline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 that provides free emotional, social, and financial support to Jewish and broader families with children facing serious illness, operating through 12 regional offices, hospital partnerships, and trained volunteer networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Illness Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Pediatric illness support
• Family counseling services
• Crisis intervention services
• Nonprofit social services
• Child healthcare support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Chai Lifeline generates revenue primarily through tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and organizations. The organization offers multiple giving options including one-time donations, monthly giving, stock donations, donor advised fund contributions, and vehicle donations.
2. Greeting Card Sales: Sale of holiday cards (Purim cards, Rosh Hashanah cards) with prices ranging from $36 for 10 cards to bulk pricing. Cards are sold online and shipped domestically and internationally.
3. Vehicle Donation Program: Chai Lifeline accepts vehicle donations (cars, trucks, RVs, boats) with free pickup across all 50 states. Vehicles are sold and proceeds support programs.
4. Real Estate Donations and Bargain Sales: Accepts real estate donations and bargain sales where properties are sold below fair market value, providing donors tax benefits while supporting Chai Lifeline programs.
5. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Bequests, estate contributions, charitable gift annuities, and beneficiary designations that provide long-term financial support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Chai Lifeline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, year-round emotional, social, and financial support services to children with serious illness and their families. Core offerings include case management, counseling, crisis intervention, transportation, kosher pantry partnerships at hospitals, meals delivery, Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring, the i-Shine afterschool program, and medically supervised overnight summer camps (Camp Simcha, Camp Simcha Special, Camp Simcha Without Borders).

Product overview

Chai Lifeline is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides an integrated suite of programs and services for families living with serious illness or loss. The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model centered around core services including Professional Case Management, Crisis Intervention (Project Chai), and a family support ecosystem. Key product pillars include: Camp Simcha, Camp Simcha Special, and Camp Simcha Without Borders (medically supervised summer programs); The Goodman Family i-Shine Afterschool Program (afterschool mentoring); hospital-based services (respite, kosher pantries, transportation); counseling and clinical interventions; financial assistance through the Evan Levy Z'L Fund; recreational programs (retreats, holiday parties, family days); Big Brother/Big Sister mentorship; and supplementary programs including greeting cards (Purim/Rosh Hashanah), vehicle and real estate donations, and planned giving. All programs are provided free of charge to families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Simcha: Medically supervised overnight summer camp program for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Located at the Jack and Moishe Horn Campus in Glen Spey, NY.
• Camp Simcha Special
• Camp Simcha Without Borders
• i-Shine Afterschool Program
• Project Chai
• Evan Levy Z"L Fund
• Achim B'Yachad
• Sephardic Division

Products and services

• Camp Simcha
• Camp Simcha Special
• Camp Simcha Without Borders
• The Goodman Family i-Shine Afterschool Program
• Project Chai Crisis Intervention
• Professional Case Management
• Transportation to Medical Appointments
• Clinical Interventions and Counseling
• Kosher Pantry Program
• Evan Levy Z'L Fund Financial Assistance
• Hospital Respite and Volunteer Visits
• Insurance Advocacy
• Meals Program
• Wish at the Wall
• Big Brother/Big Sister Program
• Purim Cards
• Rosh Hashanah Cards
• Cars for Chai Vehicle Donation
• Real Estate Donation
• Planned Giving
• Hair Donation Program
• Honey Engel Toy Drive

Quantifiable outcome

• 54,760 family members supported globally
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive hospital partnership providing kosher pantry, shuttle services, case management, and family support for children receiving care at CHOP. Chai Lifeline maintains a Bikur Cholim room and nearby Chai House apartment for families.
• Ronald McDonald House BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKosher pantry partnership at the Ronald McDonald House in downtown Baltimore, providing Jewish families with kosher dietary options and a home-away-from-home respite.
• Lurie Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly stocking of Yaakov's Kosher Pantry at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, offering families free access to kosher food and staples.
• Cedars-Sinai Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKosher Hospitality Pantry located in the Pediatric Parent Resource Room, providing 24-hour access to kosher food, beverages, and religious items for Shabbat/Yom Tov.
• Children's Hospital Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly Shabbat Kit delivery for every Jewish family, annual Chanukah celebration, and ongoing holiday support for patients and families.
• Johns Hopkins Children's CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated hospital for Mid-Atlantic region families, with proximity to Ronald McDonald House kosher pantry.
• University of Maryland Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated hospital for Mid-Atlantic region families, located near Ronald McDonald House.
• Ohr Meir FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Disney World Trip program for sick children, four-day transformative experience.
• Goodman Family FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of the i-Shine Afterschool Program, the organization's flagship afterschool initiative for children living with illness or loss.
• Hartman Family FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Wish at the Wall program, a 10-day journey to Israel for teens who have completed cancer treatment.
• Ann & David Kupperman FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Camp Simcha Without Borders, bringing the camp experience to children across the country.
• Jewish Venture Philanthropy FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of i-Shine Phoenix afterschool programming.
• Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater PhoenixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of i-Shine Phoenix afterschool programming.
• Erwin Rautenberg FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor of i-Shine West Coast.
• Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing ArtsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant provider for The Ralla Klepak Camp Simcha Memorial Fund, enabling children in the Midwest to attend Camp Simcha/Special each summer.
• Chaiyanu (Israel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate in Israel providing services to Israeli families.
• Camp Simcha UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate in England providing support to UK families.
• Chai Lifeline CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate in Canada with offices in Toronto and Montreal.
• Chai Lifeline AntwerpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliate in Belgium serving the Belgian Jewish community.
• Chaim V'Chessed (Israel)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for crisis line serving English-speaking community in Israel during wartime.
• Nefesh (International Network of Orthodox Jewish Mental Health Professionals)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for crisis support presentations and mental health resources addressing trauma from Gaza War and antisemitism.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Directly comparable in mission (serving seriously ill children) and in hospital/school-based referral channels, though operates at much larger scale and serves a secular population.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides family housing, meals, and support services near children's hospitals. Chai Lifeline maintains an active partnership with the Baltimore Ronald McDonald House (kosher pantry) and competes for hospital mindshare and corporate/foundation funding.
• Sunrise Association: Jewish-affiliated nonprofit operating day camps, sleepaway camps, and year-round programs for children with cancer and their siblings. Closest peer in mission overlap (Jewish community + pediatric cancer camps) and runs an international network of programs.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit delivering programs (toy deliveries, hospital wear, digital distraction tools) to hospitalized children. Comparable in hospital-based service delivery and pediatric illness focus, though not community-specific.
• Camp Sunshine: Year-round camp and retreat programs for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Directly comparable to Camp Simcha's medically-supervised overnight camp model and family-retreat programming.
• Special Love: Nonprofit (originally founded for Jewish families) providing camp, emergency financial assistance, and support programs for children with cancer. Closely comparable financial-assistance-plus-camp-plus-family-support model, with overlapping cultural roots.
• Chai Lifeline Canada: Canadian affiliate of Chai Lifeline operating in Toronto and Montreal. Sister organization with shared brand, mission, and programming model; functions as a regional peer within the global Chai Lifeline network.
• Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation: Provides financial assistance, emotional support, and family programming for children with cancer. Comparable in financial-assistance-plus-emotional-support model, though secular and concentrated in the NY/NJ/FL region.
• Chai Cancer Care (UK): UK-based Jewish charity providing counselling, complementary therapies, and family support for people affected by cancer. Strong mission and population overlap with Chai Lifeline UK affiliate; competes for Jewish-community donor dollars in the UK.
• National Children's Cancer Society: National nonprofit providing financial, emotional, and educational support to children with cancer and their families. Comparable in financial-assistance-plus-family-support model, though not community-specific and serves a broader pediatric oncology population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChaiLifelinePage
• Xx.com/chai_lifeline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chai-lifeline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Chai Lifeline