The Foundation for Independent Living

What The Foundation for Independent Living does

The Foundation for Independent Living (FIL), founded in 1985 by the Bederman and Mishner families, is a private, not-for-profit residential community headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida, serving adults aged 18+ with cognitive and physical disabilities (typically IQ 70-90). Its core offering is the Cypress Shores Apartments residential program, where residents live in private one- or two-bedroom apartments supported by 24/7 on-call staff, live-in independent living coaches, life-skills training, vocational services, health and wellness programming (including the Med Room and the James I. Coddington Fitness Center opened in 2021), the optional Healthy Café meal plan, and a broad enrichment calendar including music therapy, the Read Moore Book Club, and community outings. FIL has extended its reach with a Non-Residential Day Program (Rec L.A.B.) for individuals not requiring full residential placement.

The organization's business model is strictly private pay: FIL does not accept Medicaid, insurance, or other government programs, instead generating revenue through monthly residential room-and-board fees, optional meal plan subscriptions, and donations processed via DonorPerfect and solicited through email (Constant Contact), social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), community events, and direct outreach. The go-to-market is community-led and family-referral driven, with a structured admissions funnel (inquiry, tour, application review, trial stay, transition meetings) supplemented by participation in Family Café in Orlando, the largest US disability convention. The technology stack is limited to standard nonprofit tools: Constant Contact for email, DonorPerfect for donations, and basic website CMS — there is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, and no disclosed AI or ML capabilities. The organization's differentiators are 40+ years of operational continuity, long-tenured specialized staff, deeply rooted resident community, and a family-founded mission culture that is unusual in the disability services sector.

Name

The Foundation for Independent Living

Legal name

The Foundation for Independent Living, Inc.

Website

https://filinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Foundation for Independent Living is a Coconut Creek, Florida-based nonprofit founded in 1985 that provides private-pay residential independent living, life-skills coaching, vocational training, and wellness programs to 50+ adults with cognitive disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Residential and Independent Living Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE)

Keywords

• Independent living services
• Disability residential care
• Life skills coaching
• Vocational training programs
• Community-based housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Coconut Creek

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Pay Residential Fees: FIL operates as a private pay-only organization, not accepting insurance, Medicaid, or other government programs. Residents and families pay for Monthly Room & Board which includes apartment residence, access to fitness and programs, coaching, transportation for FIL activities, and on-call support.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, FIL relies heavily on donations from supporters, families, and community partners to enhance and extend services. Donations help maintain facilities, support staff, programs, and provide resources for residents.
3. Healthy Café Meal Plan: Optional à la carte meal plan offering fresh, chef-prepared meals seven days a week, available as an add-on to the base residential services.
4. Vocational/Employment Services: Career discovery, job coaching, and workplace readiness services integrated into the residential program at no additional cost, helping residents achieve independence through employment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Foundation for Independent Living operates a private-pay residential community and day services program for adults with cognitive and physical disabilities at the Cypress Shores Apartments campus in Coconut Creek, Florida. Its core offering is monthly Room & Board that bundles private apartment housing with independent living coaching, vocational/employment services, health and wellness programming (Med Room, fitness center, optional Healthy Café meal plan), 24/7 on-site staff support, transportation, and daily enrichment activities. A non-residential day program (Rec L.A.B.) extends the same enrichment and coaching services to participants who do not need full residential placement.

Product overview

The Foundation for Independent Living (FIL) is a purpose-driven residential community offering adults with cognitive and physical disabilities a comprehensive suite of independent living services. The organization operates primarily through its Cypress Shores Apartments property and main campus in Coconut Creek, Florida, providing a platform-plus-services model centered on personalized support. Core offerings include Residential Services (private apartment living at Cypress Shores), the Rec L.A.B. for enrichment activities, the James I. Coddington Fitness Center for health and wellness, the Healthy Café for optional meal plans, Med Room for medical coordination, Employment Services for vocational training, Independent Living Coaching for life-skills development, and Enrichment Programming including the Read Moore Book Club and music therapy. FIL also offers a flexible Non-Residential Day Program for those who do not require full residential placement, with transportation services supporting participation across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cypress Shores Residential Program
• Non-Residential Day Program (Rec L.A.B.)
• Employment Services
• Healthy Café Meal Plan
• James I. Coddington Fitness Center
• Med Room
• Read Moore Book Club
• Independent Living Coaching
• Enrichment Programming
• Transportation Services Rides provided to FIL activities, community outings, and to work when available, supporting resident participation across all programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 residents supported in achieving independence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• ParkshorecoreOthersParkshore provides medication packaging and delivery services to FIL. Medications are safely packaged and delivered to FIL for added accuracy and convenience, supporting the Med Room team's coordination of medication management.
• Brookgreen GardensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach is a cultural and historical destination that FIL residents visit during community trips. The 9,000-acre garden features sculpture exhibitions, wildlife sanctuary, and historical rice field tours.
• Food for the PoorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFIL partnered with Food for the Poor to host a Spring Games event where residents competed in various challenges. This community partnership provides enrichment activities and social engagement opportunities.
• The Family CafémajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Family Café is the largest disability fair and convention in the United States, held annually in Orlando. FIL participates as an exhibitor with booths and their FIL Coffee Cart to connect with families seeking support for loved ones with disabilities.
• Local Employers and Community OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFIL maintains partnerships with local employers and community organizations for employment and volunteer placements. Settings include restaurants, cafés, car washes, service centers, fulfillment centers, animal shelters, grocery stores, retail shops, and nonprofits where residents gain real-world work experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Arc of the United States: National network of chapters providing advocacy, residential, and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Closely comparable mission to FIL in supporting adults with IDD to live independently in the community.
• AHRC New York City: Established nonprofit providing residential, day, employment, and clinical supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Direct peer in IDD-focused community living with a person-centered service philosophy like FIL.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: Large national nonprofit providing disability services including residential, day, employment, and community living supports. Overlaps with FIL's full-suite community-based IDD service model but at far greater geographic and population scale.
• Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network): One of the largest U.S. providers of home- and community-based services for adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering residential, day, and employment supports directly comparable to FIL's service mix.
• UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) National / UCP affiliates: National federation of affiliates delivering housing, day programs, employment, and advocacy for adults with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Comparable population and service portfolio to FIL's independent-living and enrichment offerings.
• Sunrise Senior Living: National private-pay senior living operator providing independent, assisted, and memory care in apartment-style settings. Comparable apartment-based residential model with bundled services but serves an elderly rather than IDD population.
• Brookdale Senior Living: Largest U.S. senior living operator with private-pay independent living and assisted living apartments and bundled services. Useful as a benchmark for private-pay residential care unit economics, though the resident population differs from FIL's IDD focus.

Emerging players

• Jewish Disability Advocates (JDA) / Weinberg Apartments-style IDD housing: Smaller specialized community-based programs offering supported independent living for adults with developmental disabilities. Comparably sized to FIL with similar private-pay, person-centered residential and enrichment programming.

Others

• Parkshore (pharmacy partner): Long-term-care pharmacy providing medication packaging and delivery to group homes and residential IDD/assisted-living programs. Adjacent ecosystem partner to FIL via the Med Room, not a direct competitor but commercially linked.

Regional players

• Bayaud Industries: Nonprofit providing employment, vocational, and community-based services for people with disabilities, similar to FIL's Employment Services and Rec L.A.B. offerings. Useful regional comparable for IDD employment and enrichment services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKkN-cZ_vyK0rTQ2fqQnvgA
• Facebookfacebook.com/filinc.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-foundation-for-independent-living-inc/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/filcommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The Foundation for Independent Living