What Tickets for Kids does

Tickets for Kids Charities (legal entity), operating since 1994 from its Pittsburgh headquarters, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 02-0559825) that distributes donated event tickets to low-income and at-risk children. The organization's core product is the Ticket Distribution Program, which routes unused tickets donated by sports leagues (MLB, NFL teams), entertainment providers (Feld Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Disney on Ice), museums, theaters, and local venues through a vetted network of 2,000+ youth-serving agency partners (nonprofits, schools, and government agencies) that deliver the experiences to children in their programs. Tickets are provided at no cost to either the agencies or the beneficiary families, with revenue derived entirely from monetary donations (individuals, corporations, foundations) and in-kind ticket donations.

Operations are coordinated through a web-based Agency Portal where approved partners browse event listings, request tickets, and submit post-event reports. The organization runs a lean 10-person staff across four regional offices (Pittsburgh, St. Paul/Twin Cities, New York, and Falls Church/D.C. metro) and reports serving 23 states with approximately 141,621 tickets distributed last year across 1,600 events. A secondary program, ConnectAbility, extends services to children with disabilities or special needs.

Tickets for Kids pursues a community-led go-to-market that relies on vetting inbound agency applications (requiring IRS determination letters, board information, and a mandatory virtual orientation, with a 2-4 week approval cycle), while the supply side is built on long-standing relationships with major ticket donors and ongoing corporate/foundation fundraising via website, social media, email, earned media, and four annual fundraising events. The organization has scaled through two completed mergers—Tix for Tots (Minneapolis) in 2017 and Most Valuable Kids D.C. in 2021—and holds Candid Platinum Transparency and Great Nonprofits Top-Rated recognition. Leadership is President & CEO Jason J. Riley, who joined as executive director in July 2015.

Name

Tickets for Kids

Legal name

Tickets for Kids Charities

Website

https://ticketsforkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tickets for Kids Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that distributes donated event tickets to low-income and at-risk children through a vetted network of 2,000+ youth-serving agencies across 23 states, funded by individual, corporate, and foundation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Youth Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps) (BPAFAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ticketing Platforms (Paid Events, Seat Maps, Access Control) (THAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Youth ticket distribution
• Nonprofit charity services
• Community enrichment programs
• Youth services network
• Charitable ticket donation

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Donations: The organization receives unused tickets donated by individuals, venues, sports teams, and entertainment providers. These tickets are then distributed at no cost to approved agency partners serving low-income youth.
2. Monetary Donations: Individual donors, corporations, and foundations provide financial support to fund operations, staff, and program delivery. The organization does not charge agencies or families for tickets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tickets for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that acquires donated tickets from venues, sports leagues, and entertainment providers and distributes them at no cost to a national network of vetted youth-serving organizations (nonprofits, schools, and government agencies) that serve low-income and at-risk children. Tickets are not provided directly to individuals or families; instead, approved agency partners access event listings and request tickets through a dedicated web-based Agency Portal after a 2-4 week vetting process. The organization also operates the ConnectAbility Program to extend accessible experiences to children with disabilities or special needs.

Product overview

Tickets for Kids operates as a nonprofit charitable organization offering a single unified program portfolio centered on ticket distribution. The core Ticket Distribution Program connects donated venue tickets with youth-serving organizations serving low-income and at-risk children. The ConnectAbility Program extends services to children with disabilities. The Agency Portal provides the technology interface through which partner organizations request tickets and manage their participation. The organization does not operate as a commercial software platform with modules, but rather as a charitable program with programmatic offerings and a web-based operational portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ticket Distribution Program The flagship program through which Tickets for Kids acquires donated tickets from venues, sports leagues, and entertainment providers and distributes them free of charge to vetted youth-serving organizations that serve low-income and at-risk children and youth.
• ConnectAbility Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,935,891 tickets distributed since 1994
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Most Valuable Kids D.C.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2021Most Valuable Kids D.C. merged operations into Tickets for Kids beginning June 1, 2021. Daryle Bobb joined the national board of directors. This consolidation expanded TFK's impact in the D.C. metro area. Most Valuable Kids chapters in Cincinnati and Atlanta remain independent.
• Minnesota OperaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Partnership during COVID-19 pandemic to distribute 2,800 masks to agency partners. The Opera's costume shop sewed masks for distribution through TFK's network.
• Tix for Tots (Minneapolis)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Minneapolis-based Tix for Tots merged into Tickets for Kids on January 1, 2017. Tix for Tots had operated since 2000 with a parallel mission. Staff members Betsy Tate Anderson and Emily Wilant joined TFK. The merger created a stronger midwest presence.
• MindWareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated 45 board games to homeless and domestic violence shelters served by TFK during the pandemic.
• South Asian Arts and Theater HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted virtual Bollywood Dance Class for TFK youth-serving partners during pandemic.
• Kid Power, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC-based mentoring organization uses Tickets for Kids to provide free events for volunteer mentors and their protégés, facilitating relationship building and program retention.
• Pittsburgh PiratescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPirates Charities partners with TFK for annual CARE-a-van events, bowling with kids, pizza lunches, and gift distributions.
• Minnesota United FCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides ticket donations for TFK kids to attend professional soccer matches, including record-breaking 500+ tickets for final game at TCF Bank Stadium.
• Major League BaseballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLB has partnered with TFK for FanFest events and ongoing ticket donations, including the 2014 Minneapolis FanFest collaboration that led to Tix for Tots merger discussions.
• Feld EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTicket provider for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, and Monster Jam events.
• Cirque du SoleilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor entertainment provider donating tickets for TFK distribution.
• Pittsburgh PanthersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity of Pittsburgh athletics partnership supporting TFK mission.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• StubHub: Major secondary ticketing marketplace for live events. Industry overlap with TFK in ticketing infrastructure, but operates purely commercially with no charitable beneficiary component.
• Ticketmaster: Largest commercial ticketing platform in the U.S., handling ticket distribution at massive scale for live entertainment. Operates in the same ticketing industry but as a paid B2C platform rather than a charitable intermediary.
• Goldstar: Discount ticketing marketplace for shows, concerts, and attractions. Same ticketing category as TFK but commercial model targeting consumer discounts rather than charitable access for underserved youth.

Direct peers

• Most Valuable Kids: Most Valuable Kids operated parallel chapters that distributed donated tickets to underserved youth; the D.C. chapter merged into TFK in 2021, while the Cincinnati and Atlanta chapters remain independent with the same direct donor-agency-youth model, making them a directly comparable peer.
• Heart of America Foundation: Nonprofit that mobilizes corporate and foundation resources to provide enriching educational materials and experiences to underserved youth, often routed through schools and youth organizations. Directly comparable distribution model and beneficiary base to TFK.
• Variety the Children's Charity: International nonprofit that provides direct assistance, experiences, and equipment to children in need, including through partnerships with entertainment providers. Comparable to TFK in mission (serving vulnerable youth) and experiential delivery, though it has a broader scope including medical equipment.
• Tickets for Good: UK-based charitable intermediary that distributes donated event tickets to key workers, students, and people in need; operates an effectively identical donor-to-agency-to-beneficiary model as TFK, making it the closest international analogue.

Emerging players

• Good360: Nonprofit that matches donated product from companies to a network of vetted nonprofits, providing technology and logistics for redistribution at scale. Comparable to TFK in operating a three-way donor-agency-beneficiary network, but with broader product categories beyond tickets.
• The Toy Foundation: Industry charity of the toy industry that distributes toys and play experiences to children in need via a vetted network of social service agencies. Comparable as a sector-specific product-donation intermediary serving TFK's same end beneficiaries through agency channels.

Others

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth-serving nonprofit that delivers after-school and enrichment programming to under-resourced youth; a potential TFK agency partner (similar to Kid Power, Inc.) and serves overlapping beneficiary populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ticketsforkids
• Xx.com/tix4kids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Tickets for Kids