Forever Young Foundation

What Forever Young Foundation does

Forever Young Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993 by NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young and his wife Barb Young, headquartered in Mesa, Arizona. The foundation's mission is to provide academic, athletic, and therapeutic opportunities for children facing physical, emotional, and financial challenges in the United States and Africa. It operates through six core initiatives: Sophie's Place (music therapy facilities inside children's hospitals), Forever Young Zones (recreational play and creative expression spaces), 8 to 80 Creators Zones (technology and gaming labs in underserved communities, including a Meta-branded variant), Forever Young Wellness (physical, social, and emotional wellness resources), Engage Now Africa (poverty, illiteracy, and disease programs in Ethiopia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Namibia, administered through a wholly-owned subsidiary), and the Forever Young Institute (nonprofit leadership training delivered in partnership with the Arbinger Institute).

The foundation's core technology footprint is concentrated in two areas. Sophie's Place facilities provide evidence-based music therapy treatment as an integrative medical service, built as dedicated physical rooms inside partner hospitals. The 8 to 80 zones provide industry-grade equipment in VR, coding, broadcasting, television, radio, graphic design, and game development, with Meta supplying both hardware and an operational playbook for the Creator Zones. No proprietary software platform, AI tooling, or technology IP is disclosed.

Forever Young Foundation is funded through a mix of individual donations (starting at $25 via online platform), corporate event sponsorships (Ski Classic tiers ranging from $3,200 to $20,000), program fees (Forever Young Institute at $150 per participant), and institutional contributions channeled through HGGC — a private equity firm co-founded by Steve Young whose carried interest proceeds serve as a primary benefactor mechanism. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The foundation runs four annual celebrity-driven fundraising events (Ski Classic, Bay Area Classic, Mountain Classic, Desert Classic) and operates with 11-50 employees. Its board draws heavily from the PE and finance community, including executives from HGGC, Bain Capital, and Kensington Capital Holdings.

Name

Forever Young Foundation

Legal name

The Forever Young Foundation

Website

https://foreveryoung.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forever Young Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 by NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young that delivers music therapy, recreational, technology, and wellness programs to underserved children in the United States and Africa through six initiatives and annual celebrity fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Charitable Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Children's charity services
• Music therapy programs
• Nonprofit leadership training
• Youth technology education
• Humanitarian aid programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mesa

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The foundation accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Donation options start at $25 and are tax-deductible as Forever Young Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for fundraising events including the HGGC Steve Young Ski Classic (sponsorship ranges from $3,200 to $20,000), golf tournaments, and other charity events.
3. Program Fees: Registration fees for programs such as the Forever Young Institute ($150 per participant), providing nonprofit leadership training.
4. Grant Making and Philanthropy: The foundation supports other nonprofits through grants and program underwriting, continuing to devote significant time and resources to remarkable nonprofits through their Nonprofit Institute and grant making.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forever Young Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity that delivers therapeutic, educational, recreational, and wellness programs for underprivileged and at-risk children in the United States and Africa. Its core offerings include music therapy facilities inside children's hospitals, technology and gaming labs for underserved youth, recreational play zones, nonprofit leadership training, wellness initiatives, and international humanitarian aid.

Product overview

Forever Young Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1993 by NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young, focused on passing on hope and resources for the development, strength, and education of children. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected charitable programs including Sophie's Place (music therapy facilities in children's hospitals), Forever Young Zones (recreational play areas), 8 to 80 Creators Zones (technology and gaming labs), Forever Young Institute (nonprofit leadership training), Forever Young Wellness (wellness resources), and Engage Now Africa (international aid). The Foundation also hosts four annual fundraising events (Ski Classic, Bay Area Classic, Mountain Classic, and Desert Classic) that support these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forever Young Zones: Recreational play areas and creative expression spaces for children in hospitals and underserved communities.
• 8 to 80 Zones
• Forever Young Institute
• Forever Young Wellness
• Engage Now Africa
• Sophie's Place

Products and services

• Sophie's Place Dedicated music therapy facilities built inside children's hospitals that provide evidence-based music therapy treatment for young people suffering from pain, chronic illness, and serious injury.
• Forever Young Zones

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 nonprofit leaders trained since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Engage Now AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Forever Young's charitable efforts in Africa are administered through Engage Now Africa, created by Lynette and Bob Gay in 2002. Engage Now's purpose is to 'Heal, Rescue, and Lift' by empowering communities through sustainable self-help solutions, fighting poverty, illiteracy, and disease through funding and building of schools, microcredit loans, and humanitarian assistance. Operations span Ethiopia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Namibia.
• Arbinger InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Forever Young Institute partners with the Arbinger Institute, a leader in management training and team building, to provide year-long training for nonprofit professionals. The partnership provides participants with nonprofit mentorship and business management education, including how to develop operating plans and strategic business plans.
• Wasatch Adaptive SportsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Wasatch Adaptive Sports Program for the annual HGGC Steve Young Ski Classic event. Funds raised benefit children and adults with special needs and disabilities served by Wasatch Adaptive Sports. Wasatch provides adaptive recreational activities including skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, fishing, and camping for individuals with adaptive needs.
• Better Being Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBetter Being Co. presents the Forever Young Wellness initiative, supporting emotional health and providing access to resources for emotional wellbeing among children and young adults.
• Anasazi FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in the Forever Young Wellness initiative, Anasazi Foundation provides young people with primitive living experiences and philosophy that invites healing at the hands of nature. Helps restore and strengthen parent-child relationships for youth struggling with substance abuse, depression, and school failure. Also benefits from Desert Classic event proceeds.
• MetamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeta partnered with Forever Young Foundation to create the 8 to 80 Meta Creators Zones, providing Meta hardware, VR equipment, and best practices for running technology and gaming spaces. Meta developed 'The Playbook' with safety and engagement requirements for optimal operation of the Creator Zones.
• Taylor Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA featured Family of Charities partner. The Taylor Family Foundation was founded in 1991 to raise money for children in Northern California with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, skin disease, heart disease, Crohn's, colitis, diabetes, autism, and other terminal illnesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Large-scale US-based charity granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable donor base, brand model, and pediatric focus, though much larger in scale and scope.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest US youth development nonprofit serving under-resourced communities through after-school programming. Comparable mission (youth in underserved communities) and program breadth, though much broader in scope.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National fundraising network for children's hospitals — overlaps with Forever Young's hospital partnerships (Sophie's Place) and broader children's hospital fundraising channel.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit. Comparable as a long-established, broad youth-mentoring and positive youth development organization serving similar at-risk populations.

Direct peers

• SeriousFun Children's Network: Founded by Paul Newman to provide free camp experiences for children with serious illnesses and their families. Comparable in serving children with serious medical conditions through recreational and therapeutic programming.
• Musicians on Call: Brings live and recorded music to patients in hospitals, including pediatric facilities. Directly comparable to Sophie's Place music therapy programming in delivery model and beneficiary population.
• Right To Play: Uses sport and play to educate and empower children in underserved communities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Comparable to Forever Young Zones and Engage Now Africa's recreation-based youth development model.
• Anasazi Foundation: Featured partner in Forever Young Wellness; provides wilderness-based therapy for struggling youth including substance abuse and family-relationship issues. Comparable therapeutic wilderness/youth model.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers in-hospital programs (entertainment, gaming, and distraction therapy) for hospitalized children across the US — directly comparable to Forever Young's Sophie's Place and Forever Young Zones inside children's hospitals.
• TGR Foundation: Founded by Tiger Woods to deliver STEM education and college-access programs to underserved youth — directly comparable as another elite-athlete-founded youth development charity with education focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/4everyoungfndtn
• Facebookfacebook.com/110172735736429
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forever-young-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Forever Young Foundation