Athletes for CARE

What Athletes for CARE does

Athletes for Care (A4C) is a Texas-domiciled nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2021 by former NFL offensive tackle and 2023 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Robert Gallery following his personal recovery from traumatic brain injury and depression through ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT therapy in Mexico. The organization serves retired and active professional athletes — primarily from the NFL but expanding into cycling, hockey, rugby, and soccer — who experience TBI, post-career depression, suicidal ideation, and difficulty transitioning out of professional sport. Its work is organized around four pillars: connecting athletes with mental health and wellness resources (Community), driving legislative progress for psychedelic-assisted therapy accessibility (Advocacy), funding studies on TBI and psychedelic-assisted therapies in partnership with institutions such as Stanford's Brain Stimulation Lab and UC Berkeley's Center for the Science of Psychedelics (Research), and educating the public and policymakers (Education).

A4C operates without any proprietary technology platform, software product, or commercial offering. Its delivery is human-led through a volunteer ambassador network whose members publicly share personal recovery stories to destigmatize mental health struggles and alternative therapies. GTM is community-driven: earned media coverage across outlets such as the LA Times, USA Today, and The Athletic; appearances on sports podcasts including Bussin' With the Boys, Team Never Quit, and the National Football Foundation's Good in the Game; speaking engagements such as Psychedelic Science 2025; and acquisition of donors, volunteers, and supporters through the athletesforcare.org website. Strategic partners include The Mission Within, VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), the Etheridge Foundation, Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab (Dr. Nolan Williams), and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.

Name

Athletes for CARE

Legal name

Athletes for Care

Website

https://athletesforcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Athletes for Care is a Texas-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2021 by former NFL player Robert Gallery that supports retired and active professional athletes dealing with traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions through community resources, research funding, and legislative advocacy for psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Mental Health Advocacy

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Psychology & Mental Performance Coaching (HSADAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Medicine, Athletic Training & Rehabilitation Services (EDALAIAH), Sports Medicine (HLAKALAB), Sports Rehabilitation, Return-to-Play & Performance Therapy Centers (MPAKAJAO)

Keywords

• Athlete mental health advocacy
• Traumatic brain injury support
• Psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Nonprofit athlete wellness
• PAT legislative advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

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 Fundraising: Athletes for Care is a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, fans, and supporters. The website features a prominent 'Donate' CTA. There is no commercial product or service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Athletes for Care is a nonprofit advocacy organization that connects retired and active athletes with mental health and wellness resources, drives legislative progress for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) accessibility, funds research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychedelic-assisted therapies, and educates the public and policymakers. The organization is funded entirely through donations and operates without commercial products or services.

Product overview

Athletes for Care (A4C) is a nonprofit advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. It does not offer a software platform, SaaS product, or module-based architecture. The organization provides advocacy services, connects athletes with mental health resources, funds research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT), and educates policymakers and the public. The organization facilitates volunteer involvement, accepts donations, and disseminates newsletters and news content through its website. No distinct branded products, sub-products, or modules were identified in the source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35% of athletes struggle with mental health conditions (anxiety, depression)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Mission WithincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mission Within, founded by Dr. Martín Polanco, provides ibogaine treatment in Mexico to veterans and increasingly to athletes. Athletes for Care collaborates with The Mission Within to connect athletes with ibogaine therapy and expand access pathways for retired athletes struggling with TBI and mental health challenges.
• Etheridge FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbassador Anna Symonds serves as Executive Director of the Etheridge Foundation, which works to advance access to safe, legal, and effective plant medicine and psychedelic treatments for opioid use disorder and addiction. A4C aligns with this mission to expand therapy access for athletes.
• VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Gallery traveled to Mexico for ibogaine treatment through VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), an organization that connects veterans and athletes with psychedelic therapy options abroad. VETS models the kind of support network A4C aims to replicate for athletes.
• National Football FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert Gallery appeared on the National Football Foundation's 'Good in the Game' podcast hosted by LaVar Arrington, helping spread awareness of A4C's mission to college football audiences and alumni networks.
• UC Berkeley Center for the Science of PsychedelicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbassador Angelina Anderson studies at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, aligning her academic work with A4C's mission and bringing research credibility to the organization's advocacy efforts.
• Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab (Dr. Nolan Williams)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Nolan Williams served on the A4C board as a board member. He was Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab and led groundbreaking research including development of the SAINT protocol and the first clinical trials exploring ibogaine's neurobiological effects. His work directly informs A4C's evidence-based approach.
• Navy SEAL Marcus Capone's FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Gallery was connected to ibogaine treatment through Navy SEAL Marcus Capone's foundation (the origin of The Mission Within), which pioneered ibogaine therapy access for military veterans — the veteran community that modeled the healing approach Robert brought to Athletes for Care.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies): The largest and most established psychedelic research and education nonprofit, leading FDA-approval pathways for MDMA-assisted therapy. A4C sits downstream of MAPS's broader research and policy work — they share a donor pool and policy-advocacy goals but operate at substantially larger scale and broader therapeutic scope.
• NFL Players Association: Labor union and advocacy organization for NFL players, with extensive player-welfare, mental-health, and post-career transition programs. Overlaps with A4C on NFL-retiree mental health and TBI advocacy but serves a much broader professional-support mandate rather than focusing on psychedelic-assisted therapy specifically.

Others

• HeadCount: Nonpartisan nonprofit that uses the music and live-event community to promote civic participation. Comparable to A4C in being a cause-marketing-driven nonprofit that leverages celebrity ambassadors and live appearances for donor/activist acquisition, though operating in civic engagement rather than athlete health.
• Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab: Academic research lab led by Dr. Nolan Williams (former A4C board member) that developed the SAINT protocol and conducted early ibogaine clinical trials. Functions as a research-credibility partner to A4C rather than a competitor, but competes for the same PAT research grants and clinician attention.

Emerging players

• Usona Institute: Nonprofit medical research organization sponsoring FDA-approval trials for psilocybin as a treatment for major depressive disorder. Operates upstream of A4C's advocacy — their clinical research output directly affects the evidence base A4C cites, making them a critical ecosystem partner/competitor for research credibility and donor mindshare.

Direct peers

• The Mission Within: Mexico-based ibogaine treatment provider founded by Dr. Martín Polanco that delivers psychedelic-assisted therapy to veterans and athletes. A4C's most direct operational peer — A4C explicitly routes athletes to The Mission Within for treatment, making them a referral/recipient pair within the same athlete-PAT ecosystem.
• Etheridge Foundation: Plant-medicine and psychedelic-treatment access nonprofit focused on opioid use disorder and addiction. A4C ambassador Anna Symonds serves as Etheridge's Executive Director, making them a sister organization with overlapping donor, policy, and ambassador ecosystems in the broader PAT advocacy space.
• Heroic Hearts Project: Veteran-focused nonprofit that connects former military members with psychedelic therapy programs internationally. Operates in the same PAT-access-for-special-populations category as A4C and shares a treatment-provider network (including Mexican ibogaine clinics), making it a near-direct peer for funding, talent, and donor overlap.
• Concussion Legacy Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to solving the concussion crisis through research, education, and athlete advocacy (founded by Chris Nowinski). Directly competes with A4C for TBI-focused donor dollars, athlete-ambassador recruitment, and research-funding influence within the sports brain-injury space.
• VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions): Nonprofit that facilitates psychedelic therapy access (primarily ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT) for military veterans and athletes abroad. Closest functional analogue to A4C — VETS models the veteran community healing approach that A4C explicitly replicates for athletes, with overlapping treatment-provider relationships and donor audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ATHLETES4CARE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athletes-for-care
• Instagraminstagram.com/athletes4care
• Xx.com/Athletes4CARE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Athletes for CARE