Rainbows United

What Rainbows United does

Rainbows United, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 by Linda Weir Enegren and headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. It delivers a comprehensive continuum of therapeutic, educational, mental health, and case management services for children with special needs from birth through age 21, plus their families, across three Kansas counties (Sedgwick, Butler, and Sumner). Service offerings span Connecting Point developmental screenings, Early Intervention (occupational, physical, and speech therapy), Assessments, Mental Health Services, Rainbows Academy inclusive Preschool and Pre-K, Community-Based Education and Training Services (CBETS), Specialized Foster Care, Targeted Case Management, and the Camp Woodchuck summer program. Delivery channels include in-home visits, center-based programs at the Kids' Point headquarters in Wichita and Bright Beginnings in El Dorado, and community/school-based settings. Core service technology is evidence-based developmental therapy delivered by licensed clinicians; there is no proprietary technology platform, with retail operations supported by a standard WooCommerce e-commerce site.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure rather than a commercial one. Services are provided at no cost to beneficiary families, so operating funding is sourced from four streams: (1) government contracts and grants — primarily from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE); (2) individual and corporate donations, including workplace giving and matching gift programs; (3) annual fundraising events such as the Blarney Breakfast (which raised $52,000 net proceeds at its 42nd iteration), Fashion Passion, and Pickleball for Rainbows; and (4) modest retail product sales including a $50 commemorative 50th Anniversary Book and a $25 Child Care Waitlist Fee. Customer acquisition runs through healthcare provider referrals (pediatricians and hospitals including St. Joseph Via Christi), direct family outreach, and community partnerships. Marketing is community-led via The Canvas quarterly newsletter, The Studio blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and earned media. Rainbows reports serving 4,066 children and families annually, with a cumulative 74,000+ children served since founding, a workforce of 251–500 (including 72 staff with 10+ years of service), and multi-year leadership transitions including a 2022 retirement of President Deb Voth and a 2024 appointment of a new President.

Name

Rainbows United

Legal name

Rainbows United, Inc.

Website

https://rainbowsunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rainbows United is a Wichita, Kansas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers early intervention, therapy, mental health, inclusive preschool, and specialized foster care services to children with special needs (birth to age 21) and their families across three Kansas counties, at no cost to families and funded by government contracts, donations, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Needs Early Intervention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (6244), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusive Infant & Toddler Care (Special Needs / IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAGAI), Therapy-Integrated Childcare Support (coordination with OT/PT/SLP/ABA) (HSAAAIAM), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK), Special Needs–Inclusive Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAJ)

Keywords

• Early intervention services
• Developmental screenings
• Special needs therapy
• Specialized foster care
• Inclusive preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual and corporate donations, including matching gift programs, form a significant portion of revenue. The organization promotes workplace giving and corporate matching programs.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Fashion Passion, Blarney Breakfast, and Pickleball for Rainbows generate proceeds for services. The 42nd Annual Blarney Breakfast raised $52,000 in net proceeds.
3. Program Services Revenue: Government contracts and grants, particularly from Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), support service delivery. Services are provided at no cost to families.
4. Product Sales: Sale of commemorative merchandise including the 50th Birthday Book ($50) and Child Care Waitlist Fee ($25) through the organization's shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rainbows United delivers therapeutic, educational, and case management services to children with special needs (birth through age 21) and their families across Kansas. Core offerings include early intervention therapies, developmental screenings, mental health services, inclusive preschool/pre-K, specialized foster care, and targeted case management, delivered at no cost to families through government grants, donations, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Rainbows United is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of early intervention and developmental services for children with special needs from birth to age 21. The organization operates as a multi-service platform providing Assessments, Connecting Point Developmental Screenings, Early Intervention, Mental Health Services, Rainbows Academy Preschool and Pre-K, Community-Based Education and Training Services (CBETS), Specialized Foster Care, Targeted Case Management, and Camp Woodchuck summer program. Services are delivered through multiple Kansas locations (Wichita/Kids Point, El Dorado/Bright Beginnings, Sumner County) and include in-home therapy, classroom-based learning, and community-based support. The organization also operates a retail shop and publishes The Canvas Newsletter and The Studio Blog for family engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Point: Home to Preschool and Pre-K, CBETS, Infant & Toddler Services, Targeted Case Management, Foster Care, Mental Health, Connecting Point, Volunteers, Administration at 3223 North Oliver, Wichita, KS
• Bright Beginnings
• Camp Woodchuck
• The Canvas
• Thank You Notes

Products and services

• Assessments
• Connecting Point: Developmental Screenings
• Early Intervention
• Mental Health Services
• Rainbows Academy Preschool and Pre-K
• Community-Based Education and Training Services (CBETS)
• Specialized Foster Care
• Targeted Case Management
• Camp Woodchuck

Quantifiable outcome

• 74,000+ children helped since 1972
• +2 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Enterprise Rent-A-CarminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 June 2017Corporate volunteer partnership where Enterprise employees participated in Rainbows' 45th anniversary celebrations at Kids' Point and Kids' Cove locations. Enterprise provides 2 days of paid volunteer time annually to employees.
• Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute (CEI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2016CEI facilitated Rainbows' strategic planning process in 2016-2017, engaging board members, staff, and stakeholders to define planning themes: Funding, Services, Staffing, and Communication.
• COMCARE of Sedgwick CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainbows partners with COMCARE of Sedgwick County to help ensure children and families have access to mental health services and a continuum of care in the community.
• Kansas Children's Service LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to connect families with appropriate mental health resources and services.
• Child StartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for early childhood mental health service coordination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Ability KC (Ability Center for Kids): Kansas City-area nonprofit providing therapy, special education, and family support services for children with developmental disabilities; comparable integrated therapy-plus-education model.
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP Heartland): Regional UCP affiliate serving children and adults with disabilities in the central U.S.; delivers case management and therapy services overlapping with Rainbows' Targeted Case Management and therapy offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large national child care and early education provider operating inclusive preschool programs; relevant comparator on the childcare/preschool side of Rainbows' service mix.
• National Down Syndrome Society: National organization supporting individuals with Down syndrome and their families; aligned with Rainbows' Trisomy 21 case base and broader developmental-disability mission.
• The Arc: National organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy, case management, and direct supports; competes for similar grants and family referrals as Rainbows United.
• Easterseals (Easter Seals Capper Foundation): National nonprofit serving people with disabilities through therapy, early intervention, and family support; Easter Seals Capper Foundation specifically operates in Kansas with overlapping service lines.
• Autism Society of America: National autism advocacy and family-support organization serving a core segment of Rainbows' beneficiary families; competes for donor dollars and family referrals in the Kansas region.

Direct peers

• Child Start: Wichita-based early childhood organization partnering with Rainbows on mental health coordination; operates comparable early-intervention and family support programs in the same Kansas geography.

Emerging players

• Kids Included Together (KIT): National nonprofit focused on inclusion of children with disabilities in childcare and community programs; overlaps with Rainbows' inclusive preschool and CBETS training offerings.

Others

• Parent to Parent USA (P2P USA): Network coordinating parent-to-parent support for families of children with disabilities; complementary to Rainbows' case management, parent education, and family advocacy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Rainbows3223
• Facebookfacebook.com/RainbowsUnited
• Instagraminstagram.com/rainbowsunited
• Xx.com/RainbowsUnited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Rainbows United