Sam Simon Foundation
The Sam Simon Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that trains rescue dogs from animal shelters to become Hearing Service Dogs for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in California and Oregon, placing them free of charge. It is fully funded by The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Giving Fund and accredited by Assistance Dogs International.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersMalibu, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sam Simon Foundation does
The Sam Simon Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization operating the Sam Simon Foundation Assistance Dogs program, which trains rescue dogs sourced from animal shelters to become Hearing Service Dogs for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The foundation places trained dogs at no cost with qualifying applicants residing in California and Oregon, alerting recipients to common household sounds such as door knocks, phone calls, appliance chimes, and smoke alarms. The organization also facilitates adoption of Career Change Dogs — animals that did not qualify as Certified Assistance Dogs but are well-suited as companion pets — and operates a Rehoming Your Dog service that channels surrendered dogs back into the assistance dog pipeline.
The foundation was established in 2016 under The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity created by Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons. All services are provided free of charge and 100% funded by The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Giving Fund, with no commercial revenue, paid pricing tiers, or external investor structure. The organization is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), the global standards body for assistance dog training and placement. The operating footprint is limited to California and Oregon, with a small employee base of 1-10 staff. The foundation has recently expanded into a Service Dogs for Veterans program line and maintains a multi-platform social media presence for community engagement and awareness.
The business model is purely philanthropic: there are no paying customers, no transactional pricing, and no revenue mechanics beyond grant inflows from the parent charitable giving fund. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on animal shelter partnerships for dog supply, social media and word-of-mouth for beneficiary awareness, and a structured application and readiness assessment process for placement. The core technology is the proprietary behavioral training curriculum and dog-to-recipient matching methodology; no digital platform, software stack, or AI components are disclosed.
Sam Simon Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sam Simon Foundation
- Legal name
- The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation
- Website
- https://samsimonfoundation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Sam Simon Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that trains rescue dogs from animal shelters to become Hearing Service Dogs for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in California and Oregon, placing them free of charge. It is fully funded by The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Giving Fund and accredited by Assistance Dogs International.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sam Simon Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistance Dog Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), K9 Care, Kenneling & Veterinary Support Services (BPAKAKAM)
Keywords
Where Sam Simon Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Malibu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Sam Simon Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations and Foundation Funding: The Sam Simon Foundation is a charitable organization that is 100% funded by The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Giving Fund. All services provided (Hearing Dogs, Career Change Dog adoptions) are free to recipients. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but relies entirely on charitable donations and foundation grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free Services - All programs offered at no cost to beneficiaries |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Sam Simon Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sam Simon Foundation (operating as Sam Simon Foundation Assistance Dogs / SSF Dogs) trains rescue dogs sourced from animal shelters to become Hearing Service Dogs for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It also offers Career Change Dog adoptions for dogs that did not qualify as Certified Assistance Dogs, and a Rehoming service that helps owners place their dogs into new homes or assistance dog roles. All programs are provided at no cost to qualifying residents of California and Oregon.
Product overview
The Sam Simon Foundation operates as a single-service nonprofit organization offering dog training and placement programs. The core offerings include Hearing Service Dogs trained to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, Dogs for Adoption (Career Change Dogs) that transition from assistance dog training to companion pet roles, and a Rehoming Your Dog service. All programs serve residents of California and Oregon and are provided free of charge, funded entirely by The Sam Simon Charitable Foundation Giving Fund.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hearing Service Dogs
Companies that use Sam Simon Foundation
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sam Simon Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sam Simon Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Assistance Dogs International (ADI)coreThe Sam Simon Foundation Assistance Dogs is an accredited member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), the global coalition that establishes standards and best practices for assistance dog organizations. This accreditation demonstrates the foundation meets internationally recognized standards for assistance dog training and placement.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sam Simon Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pet Partners: Large nonprofit focused on therapy animal programs, adjacent to but distinct from assistance-dog training. Comparable nonprofit animal-services positioning but different beneficiary model (therapy visits vs. service dog placement).
- Guide Dogs of America: Long-established ADI-accredited nonprofit that trains guide and service dogs at significantly larger scale. Comparable service-dog training operation but broader scope and far larger capacity than Sam Simon Foundation.
Direct peers
- 4 Paws for Ability: Nonprofit that trains service dogs for children and adults with disabilities, including hearing impairment. Comparable ADI-accredited service-dog training model and beneficiary focus.
- NEADS World Class Service Dogs: Nonprofit organization that trains and places service dogs for individuals with disabilities including deafness. Comparable mission, ADI accreditation, and free-to-recipient model.
- Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest nonprofit providers of trained assistance dogs in the U.S., serving people with disabilities including hearing loss. Directly comparable service offering and ADI-accredited operating model, though at significantly larger national scale than Sam Simon Foundation.
- Paws With a Cause: Nonprofit that custom-trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities, including hearing dog placements. Comparable service-dog training and placement mission, with broader disability coverage.
- Susquehanna Service Dogs: Nonprofit that trains and places assistance dogs, including hearing dogs, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region. Directly comparable mission and ADI-accredited model, though geographically distinct from Sam Simon.
- Freedom Service Dogs: Nonprofit that rescues dogs (primarily from shelters) and trains them as service dogs for clients including veterans and people with hearing loss. Highly comparable in rescue-to-service-dog sourcing and free-to-recipient delivery.
- Dogs for the Deaf: Oregon-based nonprofit that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them as service dogs, primarily for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Highly comparable to Sam Simon Foundation in both beneficiary population (deaf/hard of hearing) and rescue-dog sourcing model.
Regional players
- Service Dogs of Virginia: Nonprofit that trains and places service dogs (including hearing dogs) primarily serving Virginia and surrounding states. Comparable ADI-accredited service-dog mission but operates in a different U.S. region from Sam Simon Foundation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sam Simon Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSam Simon Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sam Simon Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sam Simon Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sam Simon Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sam Simon Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sam Simon Foundation
What does Sam Simon Foundation do?
The Sam Simon Foundation (operating as Sam Simon Foundation Assistance Dogs / SSF Dogs) trains rescue dogs sourced from animal shelters to become Hearing Service Dogs for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It also offers Career Change Dog adoptions for dogs that did not qualify as Certified Assistance Dogs, and a Rehoming service that helps owners place their dogs into new homes or assistance dog roles. All programs are provided at no cost to qualifying residents of California and Oregon.
Is Sam Simon Foundation a public or private company?
Sam Simon Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sam Simon Foundation founded?
Sam Simon Foundation was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sam Simon Foundation based?
Sam Simon Foundation is headquartered in Malibu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sam Simon Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Donations and Foundation Funding.
Who are Sam Simon Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pet Partners and Guide Dogs of America. Direct peers are 4 Paws for Ability, NEADS World Class Service Dogs, Canine Companions for Independence, Paws With a Cause, Susquehanna Service Dogs, Freedom Service Dogs and Dogs for the Deaf. Service Dogs of Virginia is listed as a regional player.
Does Sam Simon Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sam Simon Foundation.
What industry is Sam Simon Foundation in?
Sam Simon Foundation's product category is Assistance Dog Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAA, Animal Shelters & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of AFAEALAB, Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8300.