BEST Kids

What BEST Kids does

BEST Kids, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered at 1212 4th Street SE #201, Washington, DC. The organization provides one-on-one and group mentoring, peer group activities, college and career readiness programming, and STEM education to youth in foster care and at-risk youth in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, beginning at age six. Its supporting service layer includes violence prevention sessions, mental health sessions, and structured mentor trainings. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants in person, with no software or digital platform disclosed in the input.

The organization operates with 1-10 employees under a community-led go-to-market model that depends on recruiting and training volunteer mentors, then matching them with youth in the DC foster care system. Its core value proposition is providing consistent, long-term adult relationships and enrichment opportunities to a population that typically lacks stable adult connections, with stated outcome targets covering academic achievement, social-emotional well-being, avoidance of risky behaviors, and independent living skills. The leadership team includes a Chief Executive Officer (Dr. Herrera), a Program Director, a Director of Finance & Operations, a Director of Development & Communications, and a Program Manager.

BEST Kids is funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising, with no disclosed revenue, grants, or audited financials. Identified revenue streams include individual donations (including a 30-day Scholarship Fund giving campaign), corporate sponsorship (e.g., multi-year sponsorship by AKLU of the annual Superhero 5K & Fun Run), and event fundraising (the 2025 Superhero 5K raised over $25,000 from 182 participants; the 2024 5K raised over $30,000). The organization is celebrating 25 years of operation in 2026 and serves a single geographic market with no signals of AI capability, digital product, or technology stack.

Name

BEST Kids

Legal name

BEST Kids, Inc.

Website

https://bestkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BEST Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Washington, DC that provides one-on-one mentoring, college and career readiness, and STEM education to youth in foster care and at-risk youth in the DC metro area, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Foster care support
• College career readiness
• Life skills programs
• STEM education youth

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute funds to support mentoring programs, scholarships, and operational costs. The organization runs a 30-day giving campaign for the Scholarship Fund.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Companies sponsor events, job shadowing, career exploration events, and provide internships or externships for students. Sponsorship levels offer brand visibility at events and in promotional materials.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Superhero 5K & Fun Run and Heart of the Matter gala generate fundraising revenue. The 2025 5K event raised over $25,000 from 182 registered participants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BEST Kids Mentoring is a non-profit organization that empowers youth in foster care and at-risk youth to build healthy and successful futures through one-on-one and group mentoring relationships, peer group social activities, college and career readiness training, and STEM education. Support services include violence prevention sessions, mental health sessions, and structured mentor training, all delivered free of charge to youth ages six and older in the Washington, DC metro area.

Product overview

BEST Kids Mentoring is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs for youth in foster care and at-risk youth. The core offerings include one-on-one and group mentoring, peer group activities, college and career readiness, and STEM education programs. Additional support services include violence prevention sessions, mental health sessions, and mentor training. The organization aims to empower youth to build healthy and successful futures through consistent, long-term mentorship and enrichment opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-on-One & Group Mentoring Personalized guidance through one-on-one mentoring relationships and group mentoring activities to foster meaningful peer connections and build confidence in youth in foster care and at-risk youth (ages 6+) in the Washington, DC area.
• Peer Group Activities Fun, engaging opportunities for youth to build lasting friendships, develop teamwork, and strengthen communication skills through sports events, laser tag, amusement parks, and similar activities in a supportive environment. For youth in foster care and at-risk youth in the DC area.
• College & Career Readiness Equips youth with skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed in higher education through resume building, interview preparation, college exploration, and career exposure activities. For youth in foster care and at-risk youth served by BEST Kids.
• STEM Education Inspires youth to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on learning and real-world applications, sparking curiosity and problem-solving skills. For youth in foster care and at-risk youth.
• Violence Prevention Sessions Educational sessions focused on violence prevention for youth served by BEST Kids mentoring programs, supporting safer outcomes for participants.
• Mental Health Sessions Mental health support sessions providing emotional well-being resources and guidance for mentees in the BEST Kids mentoring program.
• Mentor Trainings Training programs for volunteer mentors to ensure quality mentoring relationships and effective support for youth participants in foster care and at-risk youth programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Academic achievement, social-emotional well-being, avoidance of risky behaviors, development of independent living skills

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AKLUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAKLU has been a valued partner of BEST Kids, sponsoring the Annual Superhero 5K & Fun Run for six consecutive years. This sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to supporting youth in the community. Rob, AKLU employee, was recognized as Mentor of the Year and works with the organization through this partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit providing career readiness, training, and job placement for opportunity youth. Comparable via its College & Career Readiness programming overlap, though it serves an older population and operates a paid training model.

Direct peers

• Sasha Bruce Youthwork: DC-based nonprofit serving at-risk youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or family instability, with programs including mentoring, education support, and life-skills training. Comparable in DC focus, foster/at-risk youth population, and multi-service nonprofit structure.
• FosterClub: National nonprofit led by and for foster youth, providing peer support, leadership development, and transition resources. Comparable in its exclusive focus on the foster care youth population and peer-connection model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the US, operating one-on-one mentoring programs for youth, including those from foster care and at-risk backgrounds. Directly comparable to BEST Kids in mission, service model (volunteer-driven one-on-one mentoring), and beneficiary population.
• Higher Achievement: DC-area nonprofit providing mentoring, academic support, and college access programming to middle-school youth from underserved communities. Comparable in target population (at-risk urban youth), mentoring-plus-education model, and DC geographic footprint.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington: Regional affiliate providing youth development, mentoring, college/career readiness, and STEM programming to at-risk youth across the DC metro area. Closely comparable as a DC-based multi-program youth nonprofit with overlapping service lines.

Broad incumbents

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization for the youth mentoring field, advocating for mentoring and supporting local mentoring programs. Comparable as a peer in the youth mentoring nonprofit ecosystem, though it operates at a national advocacy level rather than direct service.

Regional players

• KIPP DC: DC-based charter school network serving predominantly low-income students with college-prep education and enrichment programming. Comparable in DC geographic focus, target demographic, and STEM/college-readiness programmatic overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BESTKidsDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/BESTKidsDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/best-kids-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 BEST Kids