Stepping Stones

What Stepping Stones does

Stepping Stones Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1963 in Cincinnati, Ohio, that delivers recreation, education, and adult day services to individuals with disabilities across the Greater Cincinnati region. The organization operates four program properties — the Given Campus in Indian Hill, Allyn Campus in Batavia, Drex Campus in Norwood, and Parkcrest Campus in Western Hills — serving more than 1,100 children, teens, and adults annually. Its core program portfolio includes a nine-week Summer Day Camp, Summer Overnight Staycations, weekend Saturday Kids Club and Saturday Young Adult Club, Overnight Weekend Respite, Adult Day Services operating weekdays year-round at three locations, and the Step Up Autism Alternative Education program for students with autism who cannot succeed in traditional school settings. Service delivery is in-person and staffed by approximately 101–250 employees, including Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, supported by 1,500–2,600+ annual volunteers contributing tens of thousands of service hours.

The organization's business model combines charitable donations, signature fundraising events (Bloom gala, Golf Classic, Open Your Heart, Sporting Clays, Construction Come Together Day), corporate partnerships (Huntington Bank, Pizza Hut/CFL Pizza, Ethicon of Johnson & Johnson, Lowe's Heroes, Schneider Electric), foundation grants, and program fees from participant families. There is no proprietary technology platform — operations are supported by a standard online registration system and a client services team, with no public API, mobile app, or software product. Revenue from individual events ranges from approximately $53,000 to $245,000 per event, and the organization is governed by a Board of Trustees led by Board President John Mongelluzzo and Executive Director Chris Adams.

Growth has been steady and incremental rather than venture-backed: Stepping Stones has expanded physically from a single summer camp into four campuses, scaled Adult Day Services to three locations, and launched the Step Up Autism Alternative Education program, while building a deep volunteer and corporate partner ecosystem that functions as a de facto moat. Its competitive position rests on 60+ years of regional brand equity, certified therapeutic recreation staff, and an embedded community network rather than on technology or scale economics.

Name

Stepping Stones

Legal name

Stepping Stones Inc.

Website

https://steppingstonesohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stepping Stones is a Cincinnati-area nonprofit founded in 1963 that delivers recreation, alternative education, and adult day services to children, teens, and adults with disabilities across four Greater Cincinnati campuses, serving more than 1,100 individuals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Recreation

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), Dropout Prevention, Re-Engagement & Truancy Intervention Programs (EDAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Disability recreation programs
• Adult day services
• Summer camp programs
• Autism alternative education
• Weekend respite care

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Stepping Stones relies on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Fundraising activities include annual galas (Bloom gala raising over $245,000 in 2019), golf classics, sporting clays tournaments, and direct online giving.
2. Program Fees: The organization charges program fees for recreation programs and adult day services. A Private Pay Policy page and How to Pay page are referenced, suggesting some families pay out-of-pocket or through third-party arrangements for programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stepping Stones is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides year-round recreation, social, respite, and alternative education programs for children, teens, and adults with disabilities across four Greater Cincinnati campuses. Core offerings include Summer Day Camp, Summer Overnight Staycations, Adult Day Services, Saturday Kids Club, Saturday Young Adult Club, Overnight Weekend Respite, and Step Up Autism Alternative Education. Programs are funded primarily through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events, and limited program fees paid by families.

Product overview

Stepping Stones is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of recreation and support programs for individuals with disabilities in Greater Cincinnati. The organization operates multiple program types including Children's Programs (Saturday Kids Club, summer day camp), Teen Programs (including Step Up Autism Alternative Education), and Adult Programs (Adult Day Services at three locations, Saturday Young Adult Club, Weekend Respites). Summer programs include both day camp and overnight residential camp experiences. The organization was founded in 1963 as Greater Cincinnati's first summer camp for children with disabilities and serves individuals from high school graduation through age 65+.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Day Camp Nine-week summer day camp for children and teens with disabilities operating since 1963 at Given Campus in Indian Hill; serves approximately 400 individuals each summer with 140 staff and more than 700 volunteers.
• Summer Overnight Staycations

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,100 individuals with disabilities served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Breakthrough CincinnatiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 July 2024Breakthrough Cincinnati volunteers participated in Summer Day Camp at the Given Campus on July 26, 2024, coinciding with the 24th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 20 Breakthrough Cincinnati volunteers joined the service day.
• Schneider ElectricminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 July 2024Schneider Electric crew joined Breakthrough Cincinnati volunteers at Summer Day Camp at the Given Campus on July 26, 2024, in a combined corporate volunteer service day.
• Huntington BankflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 September 2019Huntington Bank served as the presenting sponsor of the 2019 Bloom gala, one of Stepping Stones' flagship annual fundraising events. The 2019 Bloom gala raised over $245,000.
• Pizza Hut (CFL Pizza, LLC)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016CFL Pizza, LLC operates 30+ Greater Cincinnati Pizza Hut locations and has partnered with Stepping Stones since 2016, raising over $53,000 through in-store fundraisers, volunteer activities, and Pizza Hut Kitchens tours for Adult Day participants. The 2019 campaign with 32 locations raised over $13,000.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) CincinnaticoreOthersStepping Stones is accredited by and actively partners with the BBB Cincinnati, holding the 2016 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. The BBB accreditation demonstrates organizational commitment to ethical practices and transparency.
• Lowe's HeroesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLowe's Heroes program sends skilled employee volunteers for community improvement projects. On December 3, 2019, 25 Lowe employees from Mason and Beechmont locations provided 175 skilled man-hours plus over $4,000 in equipment (Maytag washer/dryer, Whirlpool dishwasher) at the Given Campus.
• Ethicon of Johnson & JohnsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEthicon of Johnson & Johnson has sponsored a December holiday celebration for Adult Day program participants for over 15 years, transforming the gymnasium into a festive scene each holiday season.
• MichelmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOn September 25, 2020, a team of 6 Michelman employee volunteers completed outdoor projects at the Given Campus in Indian Hill as the first volunteer group since March 2020.
• Movement MortgageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOn May 6, 2017, 60 Movement Mortgage employees and their families completed campus beautification projects at Camp Allyn, spreading mulch, removing tree stumps, landscaping, and staining picnic tables and benches.
• Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalfee, Halter & Griswold LLP sponsored and delivered Christmas gifts to Saturday Kids Club participants in December 2022. Partner-in-Charge John Mongelluzzo and Office Manager Jennifer Diers organized the gift-giving.
• Allied Construction IndustriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllied Construction Industries organized the annual Construction Come Together Day, coordinating 33 professionals from 13 agencies to volunteer at Summer Day Camp. The event is in its seventh year (as of 2019).
• Jostin Construction Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJostin Construction Co. co-organizes the annual Construction Come Together Day volunteer event at Summer Day Camp alongside Allied Construction Industries.
• Turner ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTurner Construction employees have participated in multiple volunteer events including Construction Come Together Day, Lowe's Heroes projects, and individual summer camp volunteering.
• Messer Construction Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMesser Construction finance analyst Tyler Edsall and other staff participated in Construction Come Together Day 2019, serving as camp buddies in fishing, music, and art activities.
• Cincinnati RotaryminorOthersCincinnati Rotary supports Stepping Stones through the Rotary Foundation's Bleed for a Cause blood drive competition and Believe 2 Achieve auction and dinner event, which splits approximately $50,000 among Stepping Stones, the Autism Society, and the Down Syndrome Association annually.
• Xavier UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerXavier University's annual Community Action Day brought student volunteers to Stepping Stones on October 23, with a team of seven volunteers participating in Saturday Kids Club.
• Christ College of NursingminorOthersStudents of The Christ College of Nursing routinely volunteer at Weekend Respite programs on Saturdays, providing real-life exposure to disability services as part of their nursing education.
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Greater CincinnatiminorOthersThe Drex Campus in Norwood is co-located with or associated with UCP. The UCP Campus hosts Adult Day Services and was a site for Pizza Hut volunteer ground beautification projects.
• Clermont County Board of Developmental DisabilitiesminorOthersClermontDD is listed as a supporter and partner organization on the Stepping Stones website, indicating a collaborative relationship.
• Hamilton County Board of Developmental DisabilitiesminorOthersHamiltondds.org is listed as a supporter and partner organization on the Stepping Stones website, indicating a collaborative relationship.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JARC: Farmington Hills, Michigan-based nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities through residential, day services, recreation, and life-skills programs. Comparable in mission, service mix (adult day services, recreation, lifespan support), and reliance on a regional donor base — analogous to Stepping Stones in a different Midwest metro.
• Keshet: Chicago-area nonprofit providing programs for children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including day programs, recreation, and life-skills training. Operates a similar lifespan service portfolio and a comparable alternative education program, though in a larger metropolitan market.
• Lighthouse Youth Services: Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) providing youth and family services including programs for adolescents with developmental disabilities, foster care, and residential services. Comparable in geographic footprint (Greater Cincinnati) and mission mix of disability and youth services, but with a younger-participant emphasis than Stepping Stones.
• Easterseals Redwood: Local Easterseals affiliate serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky with adult day services, employment programs, and recreation for individuals with disabilities. The closest direct geographic and service-line peer to Stepping Stones, competing for the same participants, families, and county DD referrals.
• Heritage Christian Services: Rochester, NY-based nonprofit providing lifespan services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including day services, recreation, residential, and community programs. Operates a similar integrated service-portfolio model to Stepping Stones but at a larger multi-program scale.
• The Arc of Hamilton County: Local chapter of The Arc serving Hamilton County with adult day services, family support, recreation, and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Competes with Stepping Stones directly for the same Greater Cincinnati participant pool and county DD funding.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy and services organization with local chapters (including The Arc of Hamilton County) providing lifespan services, recreation, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Overlaps with Stepping Stones on lifespan programming, though The Arc emphasizes advocacy and case management more heavily.
• Easterseals: National 501(c)(3) network providing disability and community services, including summer camps, adult day services, and recreation/leisure programs. Operates as a federation with local affiliates (including in Greater Cincinnati) that directly overlap with Stepping Stones' mix of services, but at a much larger national scale.
• Best Buddies International: National nonprofit creating friendship, employment, and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While less focused on traditional adult day services than Stepping Stones, the mission and participant base overlap significantly and the organization competes for similar donor mindshare.
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP): National disability services nonprofit with affiliate network providing adult day services, recreation, and life-skills programs. Stepping Stones already co-locates at UCP's Drex Campus in Norwood, and both organizations serve overlapping populations, though UCP operates at a broader national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SSOhioInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFkenLMoTMYet9ertK2tkqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SteppingStonesOhio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stepping-stones-ohio
• Instagraminstagram.com/steppingstonesohio

Compliance1 record

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 Stepping Stones