What Laradon does

Laradon is a Denver, Colorado-based nonprofit organization founded in 1948 by Elizabeth Calabrese, operating five interconnected programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) spanning ages 5 through adulthood. The core service lines are: The Laradon School (special education, ages 5-21, ~70 students across 10 classrooms), Calabrese Youth Center (24-hour residential therapeutic care for 11 teens ages 11-21), Adult Day Program (72 adults 21+ with skill-building, arts therapy, and a Culinary Training Service), Employment Programs (Work Teams and Individual Employment placing 101 individuals via a 44-50+ employer network), and Community Living Services (host home placements, a Family Caregiver Program, and independent living support). Supporting adjuncts include a Benefits Counseling Program launched in 2023, a Digital Literacy Program, and the Laradon Career Center co-located within the $46 million Stella affordable-housing development in the Globeville neighborhood. The organization holds a headcount in the 251-500 range and maintains Title VI, ADA, and Older Americans Act compliance.

The business model is a hybrid of government reimbursement and philanthropic funding. Direct services are reimbursed through Colorado waivers (Supported Living Services, Developmental Disabilities) and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, supplemented by SSI and SSDI for individual participants. The Laradon Foundation, the development arm, raises unrestricted and restricted donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations through a recurring-giving portal ($59.50/month suggested), tiered event sponsorships (Corks for a Cause ranging from $500 Bronze to $10,000 Presenting), Colorado Gives Day participation with incentive matching, and a planned giving / legacy program (Legacy Launchpad) executed through FreeWill. Customer-facing revenue is non-pricing in nature (waiver reimbursement rates are not publicly disclosed), while donation tiers function as the visible pricing surface.

Go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth referrals, employer partnerships for job placement, volunteer programs, donor stewardship through storytelling (Faces of Laradon), and participation in marquee community events (Colfax Marathon, Corks for a Cause, Food & Coat Drive, Laradon Fun Days). Geographic scope is regional, confined to the Denver Metro area of Colorado, with no indications of national or international expansion.

Name

Laradon

Legal name

Laradon

Website

https://laradon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Laradon is a Denver-based nonprofit founded in 1948 that delivers education, residential, day, employment, and community-living programs for hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the Denver Metro area, funded through government waivers, donations, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Special education programs
• Supported employment services
• Residential care services
• Developmental disability care

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Laradon raises funds from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation supporters. The website features an online donation portal and recurring giving options (e.g., $59.50/month). 100% of donations are directed to Laradon programs.
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from fundraising events such as Corks for a Cause (gala with $150 tickets and tiered sponsorships from $500 to $10,000) and participation in Colorado Gives Day.
3. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Planned giving program (Laradon Legacy Launchpad) where donors include Laradon in estate plans, wills, or contribute appreciated assets. Managed through the FreeWill platform.
4. Government / Waiver Funding: Services are funded through government programs including Supported Living Services (SLS) Waiver, Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver, and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Laradon is a Denver-based nonprofit organization founded in 1948 that delivers an integrated continuum of educational, residential, vocational, and community-living services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across their lifespan. Its five core programs include The Laradon School (ages 5-21), Calabrese Youth Center (24-hour residential for teens), Adult Day Program, Employment Programs (job coaching and placement), and Community Living Services (host homes, family caregivers, independent living).

Product overview

Laradon provides a comprehensive suite of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), operating as a single organization with multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include: The Laradon School (ages 5-21 educational program with 10 classrooms), Calabrese Youth Center (24-hour residential for ages 11-18), Adult Day Program (ages 21+ with skill-building and culinary training), Employment Programs (work teams and individual employment placement through 44+ employer partnerships), and Community Living Services (host homes, family caregiver program, and independent living). Supporting services include a Benefits Counseling Program (launched 2023) that helps participants navigate Social Security and employment decisions, and a Digital Literacy Program. These programs work together to provide a continuum of care from childhood through adulthood, enabling individuals to develop skills, achieve independence, and participate fully in their communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Laradon School: Educational services for students ages 5-21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities, operating for over 75 years
• Calabrese Youth Center
• Adult Day Program
• Employment Programs
• Community Living/Residential
• Benefits Counseling Program
• The Laradon Foundation
• Corks For A Cause
• Laradon Legacy Launchpad

Products and services

• The Laradon School Special education program for students ages 5-21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Operates 10 classrooms serving approximately 70 students annually, providing individualized education programs (IEPs), life skills development, physical education, music therapy, digital literacy, and pet therapy.
• Calabrese Youth Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 101 individuals employed through the Employment Program with support from 50+ employer partners
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Denver Pet PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver Pet Partners partners with Laradon to provide pet therapy sessions for students at The Laradon School, bringing joy and emotional support to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Rocky Mountain Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClassroom 10 students from The Laradon School volunteer weekly at Rocky Mountain Food Bank, Colorado's largest hunger relief organization. Students gain real-world work experience while contributing to the community by packing thousands of bags of produce.
• FreeWillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFreeWill provides a free online tool that enables Laradon supporters to create estate plans and include planned gifts to Laradon. The partnership supports Laradon's Legacy Launchpad planned giving program.
• Community First Foundation (Colorado Gives Day)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity First Foundation runs the annual Colorado Gives Day initiative, which includes an incentive fund. Laradon participates annually, with donations starting November 1 counting toward the campaign total.
• The Stella (Affordable Housing Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe $46 million Stella development project included the Laradon Career Center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supporting marginalized groups in the Globeville neighborhood of Denver.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National nonprofit federation providing disability services, including education, employment, and community living for individuals with disabilities and special needs. Operates a much broader geographic footprint than Laradon with similar lifespan services, making it the most comparable scaled peer.
• The Arc of the United States: National nonprofit organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), with affiliated local chapters providing education, employment, residential, and family support services. Direct mission overlap with Laradon's IDD focus.
• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit providing employment placement, job training, and community services — including dedicated programs for people with disabilities. Overlaps directly with Laradon's Employment Programs and employer-partnership model at significantly greater scale.
• UCP (United Cerebral Palsy / now CDP): National nonprofit network providing services for people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, including education, housing, and employment. Direct comparability to Laradon's school and community living services for the IDD population.
• Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network): Large PE-backed provider of home and community-based services for individuals with IDD, behavioral health, and autism. Operates residential, day, and employment services nationally — a scaled, for-profit analogue that represents competitive pressure on Laradon's service lines.

Direct peers

• Opportunity Village (Las Vegas): Nevada-based nonprofit serving adults with IDD through day programs, employment services, and residential support. Operates an integrated service model nearly identical to Laradon's Adult Day + Employment + Community Living triad, but in a different metro.
• AHRC New York City: Large NYC-based nonprofit providing education, residential, day habilitation, employment, and family support services for people with IDD. Closely matches Laradon's full lifespan, multi-program service architecture at larger scale.

Regional players

• Imagine! (Colorado): Boulder/Denver-area Colorado nonprofit providing services for children and adults with IDD and developmental delays, including residential, day, employment, and family support. Direct regional competitor and likely collaborator in the Colorado IDD ecosystem.
• Developmental Pathways: Colorado Community Centered Board (CCB) serving as the local entry point for IDD Medicaid waiver services in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties. Comparable case-management and service-coordination role that competes/coordinates with Laradon for state-contracted IDD funding.

Emerging players

• GiGi's Playhouse: National network of Down syndrome achievement centers offering educational, therapeutic, and career development programs. Comparable in mission and lifecycle focus (children through adults) but narrower (Down syndrome only) and at smaller scale than Laradon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@laradon7037
• Facebookfacebook.com/Laradon.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laradon/?trk=top_nav_home
• Instagraminstagram.com/laradon_org
• Xx.com/Laradon_org

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Laradon