What Wendell Foster does

Wendell Foster is a Kentucky-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1947 that delivers comprehensive disability services across outpatient therapies, residential care, community programs, and assistive technology from a 26-building campus in Owensboro. The organization employs 350+ staff and serves more than 2,000 individuals annually, delivering over 103,000 services per year through occupational, physical, and speech therapy; Intermediate Care Facility (63 adults across four homes), Supports for Community Living, Independent Living, and Family Home Providers; community programs including day training, case management, transportation (19,700+ trips in 2024), and the Aktion Club; and an Assistive Technology & Resource Center that operates as one of five facilities in the Kentucky Assistive Technology Services (KATS) Network, offering a device lending library, Project CARAT equipment reutilization, Ramp Up Kentucky, and AAC speech-generating device matching.

Revenue is generated primarily through Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements covering ICF, SCL, and outpatient therapy services, supplemented by private insurance, private-pay Independent Living arrangements, and a community fundraising program. Fundraising channels include the annual Half Marathon & 5K (over 1,000 participants from 16 states in 2026), the Forever a Difference Maker Gala & Auction (record $239,317 in 2025), the Golf Scramble, Bourbon Raffle, IRA charitable distributions, gifts of stock, and corporate matching gifts. Notable facility investments include the new $700,000 Aquatic Center opened in August 2025 (zero-entry salt water pool with multiple depth platforms, partially funded by a $450,000 Kentucky General Assembly appropriation), adaptive kitchen and sensory integration facilities, and a 3D-printed toy adaptation partnership with Owensboro Innovation Academy.

Customer acquisition relies on healthcare-provider referrals, school-system partnerships, and community outreach, with on-campus service delivery in Owensboro and school-based therapy extensions. The organization is led by CEO Doug Hoyt (since 2020), supported by a long-tenured senior team including CFO Beth Shepherd (since 2007) and Chief Program Officer Kelly Turnham (since 2003). It is governed by a Board of Directors, holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and has received repeated Owensboro's Best Place to Work recognition (2017, 2021, 2024, 2025).

Name

Wendell Foster

Legal name

Wendell Foster

Website

https://wendellfoster.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wendell Foster is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1947 in Owensboro, Kentucky, providing outpatient therapies, residential care, community programs, and assistive technology to children and adults with disabilities across a 26-building campus, serving 2,000+ individuals with 350+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Rehabilitation & Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapy Centers (HLAFABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Disability services
• Outpatient therapy
• Assistive technology
• Residential care
• Community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Owensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Healthcare Reimbursement: Medicaid and Medicare benefits cover services including Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) services, Supports for Community Living (SCL), and outpatient therapies. Medicaid rates cover operational expenses like staffing and utilities but not major capital improvements.
2. Private Insurance: Private insurance may help cover the cost of outpatient therapy services depending on coverage.
3. Private Pay: Independent Living homes are available on a private-pay basis. Rental assistance may be available.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individuals, corporate sponsors, and grants support programs and capital projects. Major annual events include Gala & Auction, Half Marathon & 5K, Golf Scramble, and Bourbon Raffle.
5. IRA Charitable Distributions: Direct gifts from IRAs may offer tax benefits for donors, providing tax-advantaged giving options.
6. Gifts of Stock & Securities: Donating appreciated securities including stocks, bonds or mutual funds offers tax advantages for donors.
7. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs double or triple the impact of donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Wendell Foster is a nonprofit organization delivering outpatient therapies (occupational, physical, and speech therapy), residential living programs (Intermediate Care Facility, Supports for Community Living, Independent Living, and Family Home Providers), community programs (day training, case management, transportation, Aktion Club), and an Assistive Technology & Resource Center that provides devices, equipment lending, and reutilization programs. Services are delivered primarily on the Owensboro, Kentucky campus, with over 103,000 services provided annually to 2,000+ individuals with disabilities.

Product overview

Wendell Foster is a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive disability services through multiple interconnected programs. The organization operates as a unified service platform offering outpatient therapies (occupational, physical, and speech therapy), residential options (Intermediate Care Facility, Supports for Community Living, Independent Living, and Family Home Providers), community programs (day training, case management, transportation, and Aktion Club), and an Assistive Technology & Resource Center. The AT Center provides assistive technology solutions including a lending library, Project CARAT equipment reutilization, device demonstrations, and Ramp Up Kentucky ramp loans. The organization recently opened a new Aquatic Center for therapy services and maintains facilities across Owensboro, Kentucky, serving over 103,000 services annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assistive Technology & Resource Center Provides assistive technology solutions including communication devices, mobility equipment, environmental controls, and adaptive computer equipment to individuals with disabilities across Kentucky. Operates device lending library, equipment reutilization (Project CARAT), Ramp Up Kentucky portable ramp loans, and low vision open house events.
• Occupational Therapy Helps children and adults with disabilities develop skills for everyday life, focusing on daily living skills, emotional regulation, fine motor skills, sensory processing, and self-feeding, delivered through sensory rooms, suspended systems, adaptive climbing walls, and an adaptive OT kitchen.
• Physical Therapy Licensed physical therapists work with individuals of all ages to improve strength, endurance, coordination, gross motor skills, and range of motion through personalized treatment plans, including aquatic therapy in the new Aquatic Center.
• Speech Therapy Helps individuals strengthen communication abilities including speech sound production, fluency, cognitive-linguistic skills, aural rehabilitation, feeding therapy, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) using speech-generating devices ranging from low-tech to high-tech options matched by Assistive Technology Professionals.
• Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) Provides residential care for 63 adults with moderate to severe disabilities across four homes with around-the-clock nursing support and person-centered planning.
• Supports for Community Living (SCL) Offers 24-hour support in family-style homes for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities across seven homes, promoting independence and community engagement.
• Independent Living Four centrally located wheelchair-accessible homes for individuals wishing to live independently in the community with easy access to public transportation and healthcare, available on a private-pay basis with rental assistance potentially available.
• Family Home Providers Contracts with families to provide care for individuals with disabilities in a comfortable family environment, offering personalized support and companionship.
• Community Programs Includes day training, case management, transportation (19,700+ trips in 2024), and Aktion Club to help individuals build skills and participate in meaningful community activities.
• Aquatic Center State-of-the-art aquatic therapy facility featuring a zero-entry, salt water pool with multiple depth platforms and stairs, used for physical therapy interventions for individuals with various mobility levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 103,000 services provided annually to individuals with disabilities
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

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

• Amvets Post 75flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 September 2025Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Forever a Difference Maker Gala & Auction, the organization's primary annual fundraiser raising over $239,000.
• Kentucky Assistive Technology Services (KATS) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWendell Foster is part of the KATS Network, one of five Assistive Technology facilities in Kentucky. The network functions as a device lending library allowing people to borrow and test equipment before purchasing. KATS Network's mission is to make assistive technology information, devices, and services accessible to Kentuckians with disabilities.
• Owensboro HealthflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Wendell Foster Half Marathon & 5K since the race's inaugural year in 2019. Owensboro Health President and CEO Mark Marsh expressed commitment to supporting the mission of empowering people with disabilities.
• Owensboro Racing & GamingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for 2026 Half Marathon & 5K, hosting Official Pre-Race Party with complimentary pasta dinner and free play cards.
• Kentucky Poultry FederationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of nutrition tent at Half Marathon & 5K, providing protein options and nutritious snacks for athletes.
• Chamber of Young Professionals (CYP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for First Responders BBQ event, co-hosting annual cookout honoring local first responders. CYP members ages 40 and younger participate in community service projects.
• Owensboro Innovation AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents partner with Wendell Foster to modify electronic toys for children with disabilities by rewiring them and adding accessible switches and buttons, many 3D-printed.
• Atmos EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrills free lunch at First Responders BBQ event for local emergency personnel.
• Freddy's Frozen Custard & SteakburgersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides complimentary ice cream at First Responders BBQ event.
• Blue Line EntertainmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides music entertainment at First Responders BBQ event.
• Greater Owensboro Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWendell Foster sponsors the annual Rooster Booster Breakfast in honor of National Developmental Disability Awareness Month.
• Owensboro-Daviess County Christmas ParademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerClose-Ups with the Clauses event coincides with the parade, creating combined holiday programming for families.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Options: Nonprofit providing residential, employment, and community support for people with disabilities. Directly comparable in residential IDD services and person-centered programming approach.
• St. John's Community Services: Nonprofit providing residential, day, and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable in residential IDD services, though operates across multiple East Coast/Mid-Atlantic sites rather than a single campus.
• AbilityFirst: California-based nonprofit providing therapy, residential, and community programs for individuals with disabilities. Comparable in service breadth (therapy + residential + community) and IDD focus, though geographically distinct.
• The Arc: National nonprofit advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through local chapters offering residential, case management, and community programs. Comparable in mission, IDD focus, and service mix, though organized as a federated network rather than a single provider.
• Benchmark Human Services: Multi-state nonprofit providing residential, day services, and therapy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Directly comparable in residential IDD and community programs at similar organizational scale.
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP): National nonprofit providing services and advocacy for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, including therapy, residential, and assistive technology programs. Directly comparable given Wendell Foster's origins serving a child with cerebral palsy and its therapy + residential model.

Broad incumbents

• Sevita Health (formerly The Mentor Network): National provider of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including residential and day programs. Comparable IDD service model but operates at national scale with broader payer mix.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit network providing disability services including therapy, residential, and community programs across many states. Highly comparable to Wendell Foster's integrated therapy + residential + community platform, but operates broadly rather than as a single-campus regional specialist.
• BrightSpring Health Services: Large diversified provider of home and community-based health services including IDD support, behavioral health, and pharmacy. Comparable in IDD residential and community services but operates across many states with a for-profit, scaled business model.

Regional players

• Bluegrass Care Navigators (formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass): Kentucky-based nonprofit providing community-based health services including therapies and supports. Comparable as a regional Kentucky nonprofit healthcare provider serving vulnerable populations, though focused more on hospice/care navigation than disability services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wfcampus
• Facebookfacebook.com/WendellFosterDifferenceMaker
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wendellfosterowensboro
• Instagraminstagram.com/wendellfosterdifferencemaker
• Xx.com/wendellfoster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Wendell Foster