The Holiday Heroes

What The Holiday Heroes does

The Holiday Heroes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, founded in 2009 to provide emotional support, distraction, and joy to pediatric patients (ages 0-18) with chronic illnesses during hospitalization. Its core program portfolio consists of three pillars: (1) Hero Packs — curated grab-and-go activity kits with crafts, capes, masks, and activity books delivered to hospital rooms, outpatient clinics, and nominated children's homes; (2) In-Person Hospital Parties — four themed celebration events per year at each hospital partner featuring costumed characters, age-appropriate crafts, catered meals, and themed gift bags; and (3) a Virtual Gaming Program built on TwitchTV streaming and Nintendo Switch consoles that connects pediatric patients across hospital locations. A fourth program component, Sensory Bags, provides comfort-focused tools to help children stay calm during treatment. All programs are designed under the guidance of certified Child Life Specialists to ensure age- and developmentally appropriate content aligned with hospital-specific policies.

The organization operates through a partnership-driven model with 18+ children's hospitals across at least seven U.S. states (Illinois, California, Colorado, Delaware, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin), including named partners such as Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Texas Children's Hospital, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, and Children's Wisconsin. Since 2009, Holiday Heroes reports serving more than 63,000 "Little Heroes" and families, with 14,500 patients and families impacted in 2025 alone, 6,000 Hero Packs delivered, 5,700 sensory bags distributed, and 78 in-person hospital parties held.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic streams: individual donations via the website, corporate sponsorships structured in six tiers from $3,000 to $25,000, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, employer matching gifts (facilitated through Double The Donation), stock donations (processed via Wintrust Wealth Management), payroll giving, and signature fundraising events including a Hearts & Heroes Gala, a TopGolf fundraiser, and a Mike Taylor Memorial Golf Tournament. All programs are provided at no cost to patients, families, or hospital partners. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Tim Taylor, with an Auxiliary Board of young professionals drawn from major consumer, financial, and technology employers (HubSpot, Snowflake, Morningstar, Byline Bank, Molson Coors, Mintel) supporting fundraising and awareness. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is led by Executive Director Lynn Reckamp, and operates its website and donation processing on the Neon One nonprofit platform.

Name

The Holiday Heroes

Legal name

Holiday Heroes Foundation

Website

https://holiday-heroes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Holiday Heroes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers themed in-person hospital parties, Hero Pack activity kits, and a TwitchTV-based virtual gaming program to pediatric patients at 18+ U.S. children's hospitals, funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Plaines

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Holiday Heroes relies on generous donors to provide all programs at no cost. Individual donors can make one-time or recurring donations through the organization's website using credit card or debit payment methods.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor Holiday Heroes programs at various levels ($3,000 to $25,000) in exchange for recognition and visibility. Sponsorship tiers fund specific program elements including hospital parties, Hero Packs, character visits, and meals.
3. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Individual supporters create personal fundraising campaigns for birthdays and other occasions, inviting friends and family to donate to Holiday Heroes in their honor.
4. Employer Matching: Donors leverage employer matching gift programs to double or triple their contributions to Holiday Heroes through workplace giving programs.
5. Stock Donations: Donors can contribute appreciated stock directly to Holiday Heroes, potentially offering tax advantages including charitable deductions and avoidance of capital gains taxes. Stock donations are processed through Wintrust Wealth Management.
6. Payroll Giving: Employees support Holiday Heroes through recurring paycheck contributions via employer payroll giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Holiday Heroes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers pediatric psychosocial support programs to hospitalized children (ages 0–18) and their families at no cost. Core offerings include signature Hero Pack activity kits delivered to hospital rooms and clinics, four themed in-person hospital parties per year at each hospital partner featuring costumed characters and crafts, and a Virtual Gaming Program using TwitchTV and Nintendo Switch that connects patients across hospital locations. Programs are designed with guidance from certified Child Life Specialists to ensure age-appropriateness and adherence to hospital-specific policies.

Product overview

Holiday Heroes operates as a nonprofit organization offering a suite of pediatric support programs centered around bringing joy to hospitalized children. The core offerings include: (1) Hero Packs – signature curated activity kits delivered to hospital rooms and outpatient clinics; (2) In-Person Hospital Parties – four themed celebration events per year at each hospital partner featuring costumed characters, crafts, and catered meals; (3) Virtual Gaming Program – TwitchTV-based interactive gaming connecting pediatric patients; and (4) Sensory Bags – comfort tools for during treatment. Additional offerings include Corporate Packing Parties for group volunteering and a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising platform. All programs are provided at no cost to patients and families, created with guidance from Child Life Specialists and hospital-specific policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hero Packs Curated activity kits designed to uplift pediatric patients and their families while staying in hospitals. Delivered to hospital rooms and outpatient clinics, these grab-and-go bags include craft supplies, hero-themed activities like decorating capes and masks, and activity books. Also available to eligible children ages 0-18 with chronic illness anywhere in the U.S. via the Nominate a Hero home delivery program.
• In-Person Hospital Parties Four themed celebration events per year at each hospital partner, featuring monthly themes (Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Spring, Superhero, Beach, 4th of July, School, Football, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Wonderland), costumed character visits, age-appropriate activity boxes with craft supplies, catered meals, and themed gift bags for pediatric patients and their families.
• Virtual Gaming Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 63,000+ Little Heroes and families served since 2009
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Chicago BlackhawksflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Chicago Blackhawks professional hockey team partnered with Holiday Heroes for a hospital celebration event at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Players packed activity boxes and distributed them to pediatric patients during a special visit to celebrate the newly designed Chicago Blackhawks room at the hospital.
• Wintrust Wealth Management STRAD TeamcoreOthersWintrust Wealth Management serves as the contact for stock donations to Holiday Heroes. Donors can transfer appreciated stock through their STRAD Team at Wintrust's Chicago location to support the organization's pediatric programs.
• Shirley Ryan AbilityLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShirley Ryan AbilityLab is a key hospital partner hosting regular Holiday Heroes celebrations including Valentine's Day, Superhero, Beach, and Thanksgiving themed events. The hospital served as the venue for the Chicago Blackhawks partnership event.
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Holiday Heroes' primary hospital partners in Chicago, hosting monthly themed celebrations including Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Superhero, 4th of July, and Halloween events for pediatric patients and families.
• Advocate Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocate Children's Hospital (Oak Lawn and Park Ridge locations) is a key hospital partner receiving regular Holiday Heroes programming including costumed character visits, craft activities, and themed celebration events throughout the year.
• Children's WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisconsin-based children's hospital partner receiving Holiday Heroes programming including Valentine's Day, Superhero, and Winter Wonderland themed celebrations for pediatric patients.
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at VanderbiltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee hospital partner receiving Holiday Heroes programming, including Valentine's Day celebrations for pediatric patients and families in the Nashville area.
• Ronald McDonald House (affiliated with Lurie Children's Hospital)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois clinic and organization partner providing support services for families of pediatric patients receiving care at Lurie Children's Hospital.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon hosts the Holiday Heroes wishlist where supporters can purchase items directly that are shipped to the organization to support its programs.
• Double The DonationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHoliday Heroes uses Double The Donation's matching gift database to help donors identify and utilize employer matching gift programs to amplify their contributions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: National nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children through housing, in-hospital programs, and family-centered services. Comparable as a pediatric-focused nonprofit delivering non-clinical support inside hospital ecosystems, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader family lodging offerings.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National fundraising organization supporting pediatric care at 170+ children's hospitals across North America. Comparable as a nonprofit channel for hospital-based pediatric funding, but operates a broader hospital-partnership and fundraising infrastructure rather than direct activity programming.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Large national nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable target population (chronically ill pediatric patients) and donation-funded model, though operates wish-granting rather than hospital-delivered activity programming.

Others

• Children's Hospital Association: Membership association representing over 200 children's hospitals, advancing child health policy, quality, and operational performance. Not a direct competitor but a critical adjacent ecosystem player that influences the hospital partnerships on which Holiday Heroes depends.

Direct peers

• Project Sunshine: Nonprofit providing volunteer-led programs, arts and crafts activities, and social support to children with chronic and terminal illnesses in hospitals. Directly comparable activity-based programming model, volunteer mobilization approach, and pediatric hospital distribution.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Nonprofit delivering entertainment, distraction, and emotional support programs (including gaming consoles, Hero carts, and digital programs) to hospitalized children nationwide. Directly comparable mission and program design, including a focus on gaming tech, costumes, and activity kits delivered to pediatric patients in hospitals.
• Kids Wish Network: Nonprofit granting wishes and delivering in-hospital programs for children with life-threatening illnesses. Comparable target population and nonprofit pediatric support model, though with a heavier emphasis on wish-granting rather than ongoing activity programming.
• Child's Play: Nonprofit providing toys, games, and entertainment to children in hospitals worldwide, including video game programs delivered directly to pediatric units. Directly comparable mission of leveraging games and entertainment to improve the hospital experience for sick children.
• Clifford Beers Foundation (cliffordbeers.org): Nonprofit supporting pediatric mental and behavioral health through hospital- and community-based programs. Comparable as a hospital-partnered nonprofit serving pediatric populations with non-clinical social and emotional support, though focused on behavioral health specifically.

Regional players

• Camp Sunshine: Nonprofit providing year-round programs, retreats, and supportive experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Comparable mission of supporting chronically ill children with joyful experiences, though primarily retreat-based rather than hospital-embedded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=S9nsFxaM9-0
• Xx.com/holidayheroes2
• Facebookfacebook.com/holidayheroes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holiday-heroes-foundation

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 Holiday Heroes