Calm Waters

What Calm Waters does

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, operating as Oklahoma's largest grief center. The organization provides free grief and divorce support groups, individual and family counseling, school-based programs, court-mandated co-parenting seminars, professional training, and specialized youth programs (Camp Courage, Summer Chat, webinar series) for children ages 3+, adults, and families experiencing loss from death, divorce, or other significant life disruptions. Its core service portfolio is segmented into center-based delivery at its 501 N. Walker headquarters, school-based programs deployed across 150+ public schools in 20+ Oklahoma school systems via trained contract facilitators, and remote delivery through telehealth and Podia-hosted virtual seminars. The organization has served over 65,000 individuals since inception.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure combining charitable donations (individual, corporate, foundation grants, United Way partnership, monthly Sailing Club giving, Charlotte Lankard Giving Society), fee-for-service revenue (co-parenting seminars at $55, private consultations at $60/session, webinars at $20, camp at $50), income-based sliding-scale counseling that accepts multiple insurance providers, and event-driven fundraising (Ripples of Hope breakfast, Golf Tournament, Under the Big Top dinner show). The organization holds an endowment at Communities Foundation of Oklahoma and does not receive federal funding. Technology infrastructure is composed of third-party SaaS platforms (Microsoft Forms for intake, Podia for course delivery, Network for Good for donations, SignUpGenius for volunteer management) with no proprietary technology beyond its research-based grief curriculum. The organization is governed by a 14+ member Board of Directors and led by CEO Trisha Koelsch.

Name

Calm Waters

Legal name

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families

Website

https://calmwaters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 in Oklahoma City, providing free grief and divorce support groups, counseling, school-based programs, and court-mandated co-parenting seminars to children ages 3+, families, and adults across Central Oklahoma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief Support and Bereavement Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs (EDACALAJ)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Bereavement counseling
• Divorce support groups
• School-based mental health
• Co-parenting education

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. The nonprofit does not receive federal funding and relies on private philanthropy. Monthly giving program (Sailing Club), Charlotte Lankard Giving Society recognizing major donors, and general donations.
2. Fee-for-Service Programs: Revenue from court-mandated Co-Parenting Seminars ($55 per participant), private consultation sessions ($60 per session), and CEU-bearing webinars ($20 per episode). Counseling services use an income-based sliding fee scale.
3. Special Event Fundraising: Annual events including Ripples of Hope breakfast fundraiser, Golf Tournament, and Under the Big Top dinner show generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships.
4. Endowment and Planned Giving: Endowment fund held at Communities Foundation of Oklahoma. Monthly donors contribute to sustainable programming funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides grief support services to children, adults, and families experiencing loss due to death, divorce, or other significant life disruption. Core offerings include free in-center and school-based grief and divorce support groups, private grief counseling and consultation (sliding scale and insurance), court-mandated Co-Parenting Through Divorce seminars, school-based 8-week grief support groups in 150+ partner schools, grief training, CEU webinars, Camp Courage children's art camp, Summer Chat virtual groups, and a Winter Grief Workshop.

Product overview

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families is a nonprofit grief support organization offering a comprehensive suite of services for children, families, and adults experiencing loss. The core portfolio centers on free support groups—Grief Support Groups, Divorce Support Groups, and Student Support Groups (delivered in over 30 Oklahoma school districts)—complemented by fee-based Private Grief Counseling and Consultation, and court-mandated Co-Parenting Through Divorce Seminars. Additional services include Grief Training programs, the Summer Chat virtual support series, Camp Courage art camp, Webinar Series for professional education with CEUs, Winter Grief Workshop, and volunteer/internship opportunities. Fundraising events include Ripples of Hope breakfast, Golf Tournament, and Under the Big Top circus dinner show. Donor programs include the Sailing Club monthly giving and Charlotte Lankard Giving Society recognition. The organization was founded in 1992 and serves as Oklahoma's largest grief center, having assisted over 65,000 individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grief Support Groups
• Divorce Support Groups
• Student Support Groups (School-Based Grief Support)
• Private Grief Counseling and Consultation
• Co-Parenting Through Divorce Seminars (Court-Approved)
• Grief Training (Community, Clinical, and Group)
• Summer Chat (Virtual Support Groups)
• Camp Courage
• Webinar Series (CEU-Bearing Professional Education)
• Winter Grief Workshop
• Sailing Club (Monthly Giving Program)
• Charlotte Lankard Giving Society (Major Donor Recognition)
• Ripples of Hope (Annual Breakfast Fundraiser)
• Annual Charity Golf Tournament
• Under the Big Top (Annual Dinner Show Fundraiser)
• Clinical and Administrative Internship Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ individuals served since 1992
• +2 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

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Central OklahomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalm Waters is a Proud Partner Agency of United Way of Central Oklahoma, receiving support and referrals through this partnership.
• OKC Farmer's Public MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner hosting the Under the Big Top circus-themed dinner show fundraiser.
• Oklahoma Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 150+ public schools across 20+ school systems to deliver school-based grief support groups for Pre-K through 12th grade students.
• Oklahoma City Northwest Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting the Annual We Serve Charity Golf Classic with Calm Waters, benefiting both organizations.
• Will Rogers TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner hosting the annual Ripples of Hope breakfast fundraiser.
• Kickingbird GolfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf course venue for the Annual We Serve Charity Golf Classic.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Dougy Center: The Dougy Center is the national pioneer in pediatric grief support, offering free peer-support groups for grieving children, teens, and families — directly comparable to Calm Waters' core group-based grief services and research-driven curriculum model.
• Comfort Zone Camp: Comfort Zone Camp is a national nonprofit running free bereavement camps and programs for children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver — directly comparable to Calm Waters' Camp Courage offering.
• Children's Bereavement Center: Children's Bereavement Center of South Florida provides free grief support groups, school programs, and counseling for grieving children and families — directly comparable in mission, free-service model, and school-distribution approach.
• Center for Grieving Children: The Center for Grieving Children in Maine offers free peer-support groups, school outreach, and family programming for grieving children and teens — directly comparable to Calm Waters' center-based groups and school-based curriculum delivery.
• Kate's Club: Kate's Club is an Atlanta-area nonprofit supporting children and teens grieving the death of a parent or sibling through support groups, social activities, and camps — directly analogous to Calm Waters' combination of center-based groups plus Camp Courage.
• Experience Camps: Experience Camps is a national nonprofit that runs free, one-week summer camps and year-round programs for grieving children, closely comparable to Calm Waters' Camp Courage and broader children's grief programming.
• WARM Place: WARM Place is a Fort Worth-based nonprofit providing free, peer-support grief groups for children (ages 3-18) and their families, mirroring Calm Waters' center-based model, age-segmented groupings, and free-fee structure.

Regional players

• Mental Health Association Oklahoma: Mental Health Association Oklahoma is a statewide nonprofit addressing mental health needs, education, and advocacy in the same territory as Calm Waters, with adjacent family mental-health and crisis-support programming.
• Hospice of Oklahoma County: Hospice of Oklahoma County provides hospice care and bereavement support in the same Oklahoma City region as Calm Waters, with overlapping family-aftercare and grief programming — directly comparable as a local grief-support counterpart.

Emerging players

• Eluna (Camp Erin Network): Eluna operates the Camp Erin national network of bereavement camps for children and teens, with partial overlap to Calm Waters' Camp Courage plus broader prevention and family programming across multiple geographies.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CalmWatersOK
• Facebookfacebook.com/CalmWatersOK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calm-waters-center-for-children-and-families-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/calmwatersok

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Calm Waters