What A Step Ahead Chattanooga does

A Step Ahead Chattanooga (legal entity: A Step Ahead Foundation Chattanooga Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by Rachel Schulson, in collaboration with the A Step Ahead Foundation in Memphis. The organization removes financial, geographic, and educational barriers to contraception by providing free birth control services to any individual who lives or goes to school in an 18-county service area spanning Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama. It is the first A Step Ahead affiliate to operate across multiple states. There are no income, insurance, or employment eligibility requirements; co-pays, deductibles, and full costs for uninsured clients are covered, and free transportation (Uber in Hamilton County, gas cards elsewhere) is provided to clinic appointments.

The service portfolio covers long-acting reversible contraceptives (hormonal IUDs such as Mirena/Kyleena/Liletta/Skyla, the non-hormonal copper IUD Paragard, and the Nexplanon implant) delivered through a network of partnered licensed clinics; combination and progestin-only birth control pills prescribed and mailed through a telehealth partner; and free external and internal condoms mailed via a partnership with Cempa Community Care. Supporting services include nurse navigation, transportation assistance, and an educational Knowledge Hub with videos, blog content, and downloadable resources. The technology stack is intentionally non-proprietary: a third-party telehealth platform, direct mail logistics, and clinic partnerships — no in-house software, AI, or app is mentioned.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded; no fees are charged to clients. Reach metrics include 11,407+ people connected with free birth control since 2014, $2.9M+ in medical expenses covered, 7,000+ guidance calls answered, and a 10,000+ clients milestone in 2025. Leadership is headed by Executive Director Mandy Cowley (since June 2021), supported by a small team (~7 staff) covering operations and clinical partnerships, marketing, nurse navigation, bilingual health access, and development. The organization holds the Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency and operates with an independent Board of Directors; it is not affiliated with any parent company or PE/VC ownership.

Name

A Step Ahead Chattanooga

Legal name

A Step Ahead Foundation Chattanooga Inc.

Website

https://astepaheadchattanooga.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Step Ahead Chattanooga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free contraception access via partnered clinics, a telehealth pill partner, and mail-delivered condoms to individuals living or studying across 18 counties in Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reproductive Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Contraception & Family Planning Telehealth (birth control, counseling, follow-up) (HLALAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community-Based Preventive & Health Promotion Clinics (HLAFAGAO)

Keywords

• Reproductive health services
• Free contraception access
• Nonprofit healthcare
• Community health outreach
• Family planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded entirely by private donors, organizations, and foundations. No revenue generated from services. All birth control services are provided free to eligible individuals in the 18-county service area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

A Step Ahead Chattanooga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free preventative birth control services to eligible individuals in an 18-county service area spanning Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama. Services include long-acting reversible contraceptives (IUDs and implants) through partnered clinics, birth control pills delivered via telehealth, and free condoms by mail—all provided at zero cost regardless of insurance status or income.

Product overview

A Step Ahead Chattanooga is a nonprofit organization providing free birth control access across an 18-county service area spanning Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama. The organization operates three core service channels: (1) In-person clinic appointments for long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) including hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs and contraceptive implants, facilitated through partnered clinics; (2) Telehealth birth control pills (combination and progestin-only) delivered by mail through a telehealth partner; and (3) Free condom distribution via partnership with Cempa Community Care. Supporting services include nurse navigation consultations, transportation assistance (Uber/gas cards), and an extensive Knowledge Hub with educational videos, blog content, and downloadable resources. All services are provided at no cost to eligible individuals regardless of insurance status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Clinic Appointments (IUD and Implant Services) Connects eligible individuals with partnered licensed clinics for insertion and removal of IUDs and contraceptive implants. The organization covers all costs including co-pays and deductibles, with no insurance required. Available to anyone living or going to school in the 18-county service area.
• Telehealth Birth Control Pills Free birth control pills prescribed through a telehealth partner and delivered by mail to clients' homes. No clinic visit required. Covers combination pills and progestin-only pills at no cost to eligible individuals in the 18-county service area.
• Free Condom Distribution by Mail Free external and internal condoms mailed directly to individuals aged 18+ in the 18-county service area through partnership with Cempa Community Care. One free pack per month per address.
• Nurse Navigation Services Free consultation with a Nurse Navigation Director to help individuals understand birth control options and determine which method may be right for them. Nurses provide regional coverage across the 18-county service area.
• Transportation Assistance Free Uber rides (for Hamilton County clients aged 18+) or gas cards to help clients travel to and from birth control appointments at partnered clinics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11,400 people connected with free birth control
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered foundational and core.

• A Step Ahead Foundation (Memphis)foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Inspired by Claudia Haltom's A Step Ahead Foundation in Memphis, Rachel Schulson collaborated to establish the Chattanooga affiliate. This model replication led to the founding of ASAC.
• Cempa Community CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for condom distribution program. A Step Ahead Chattanooga mails free condoms directly to eligible individuals through this partnership. Condoms shipped monthly with one free pack per address available to those 18+ in the service area.
• Telehealth ProvidercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with telehealth provider for birth control pill prescriptions. Clients complete medical questionnaire, receive prescription, and have pills mailed to their door. Covers combination pills and progestin-only pills at no cost.
• Partnered ClinicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of licensed healthcare clinics across the 18-county service area providing IUD and implant insertion/removal services. ASAC covers all costs for clients regardless of insurance status.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• A Step Ahead Foundation: The original Memphis-based nonprofit that inspired and incubated ASAC. Operates the same free-contraception access model in West Tennessee and serves as the network anchor for the A Step Ahead affiliates.
• A Step Ahead Middle Tennessee: Sister A Step Ahead affiliate serving the Nashville/Middle Tennessee region with the same free contraception access, clinic partnerships, and community-led GTM model.
• A Step Ahead East Tennessee: Sister A Step Ahead affiliate serving the Knoxville/East Tennessee region using an essentially identical service and partner-clinic model to ASAC.

Broad incumbents

• Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi: Regional affiliate of the largest U.S. reproductive health nonprofit, providing contraception and related services across Tennessee. Overlaps with ASAC's geography but offers a much broader service portfolio.
• Planned Parenthood Southeast: Planned Parenthood affiliate covering Georgia and Alabama — the same two states ASAC expanded into in 2021. Directly comparable reproductive health mission with much broader clinical footprint.
• Power to Decide: National nonprofit focused on contraceptive access and adolescent reproductive health. Operates Bedsider, an online contraception support platform that addresses a similar mission space as ASAC.
• Title X Family Planning Clinics: Federally funded family planning provider network offering subsidized contraception and related services nationwide. Represents the dominant public-sector alternative for free or low-cost contraception in ASAC's service area.

Emerging players

• Nurx: Telehealth platform that prescribes and delivers birth control, PrEP, and other reproductive health products. Uses a similar mail-delivery contraception model but is a venture-backed for-profit rather than a nonprofit.
• The Pill Club: Telehealth birth control provider that prescribes oral contraceptives and ships them to patients' doors. Closely comparable telehealth-delivered contraception offering to ASAC's telehealth pill service.
• Simple Health: Telehealth birth control provider offering online consultations and mail-delivered contraceptives. Overlaps directly with ASAC's telehealth pill pathway, though operated as a commercial service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNTs6r-MxbIhBRPy41faDIg
• Facebookfacebook.com/astepaheadchattanooga
• Instagraminstagram.com/astepaheadchatt/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@astepaheadchattanooga
• Xx.com/astepaheadchatt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Step Ahead Chattanooga