Supplies for Success
Supplies for Success is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides filled backpacks, CareKits, and Mandala Kits to disadvantaged children across the US through 300+ nonprofit partners, funded entirely by tax-deductible donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSagaponack, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Supplies for Success does
Supplies for Success Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2002 by Mindy Richenstein and headquartered in Sagaponack, New York. The organization collects tax-deductible charitable donations and uses them—together with bulk purchasing at negotiated below-wholesale pricing—to assemble and distribute three core charitable products: (1) filled backpacks containing age-appropriate school supplies at $27 per child, (2) CareKits of art and educational supplies for young learners at $15 each, and (3) Mandala Kits under the Coloring a Better World mental health program at $10 each. The Better Collection, a women's luxury fashion resale social venture launched in 2019, donates 100% of profits to operations. A Board underwrites 100% of overhead costs, positioning the charity's dollar-to-mission conversion as a primary differentiator.
The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven: corporate sponsors, individual donors, summer camps, schools, and sororities either fund minimum commitments of 24 backpacks or 36 CareKits or host volunteer packing events. Over its history the organization has scaled from 68 children in year one to 40,000+ in year 23 (2024), reaching 348,217 cumulative children served since founding and 50,000+ CareKits distributed since the 2020 pandemic launch. Distribution occurs through direct drop shipments and a network of 300+ nonprofit community partners including major hospital systems (Northwell Health, Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Montefiore), school districts, homeless and domestic violence shelters, foster care agencies (JCCA, Lawyers for Children), and Feeding America food banks.
Revenue mechanics are donation-centric rather than transactional, supported by corporate sponsorship tiers ranging from $1,000 to $100,000+ (Schonfeld), unit-priced individual giving, and online peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns on GiveLively. The volunteer-led organization maintains a small named leadership team—Founder and President Mindy Richenstein, Vice President and Secretary Jill Bodian, Treasurer Lisa Goldman, and Communication Coordinator Laken Pomerantz—supported by a 30+ member Leadership Council. Geographic reach now spans NYC, NJ, CT, MD, FL, TN, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and additional metros via partner networks.
Supplies for Success firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Supplies for Success
- Legal name
- Supplies for Success Inc.
- Website
- https://suppliesforsuccess.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Supplies for Success is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides filled backpacks, CareKits, and Mandala Kits to disadvantaged children across the US through 300+ nonprofit partners, funded entirely by tax-deductible donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Supplies for Success industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Charitable Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- School Supplies Distribution (CRAOALAK)
Keywords
Where Supplies for Success is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sagaponack
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Supplies for Success business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Tax-Deductible Charitable Donations: Supplies for Success operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Primary funding streams include: individual donations ($27 fills one backpack, $15 provides one CareKit, $10 provides a Mandala Kit), corporate sponsorships at various levels ($1,000 to $100,000+), and fundraising campaign events. The Better Collection, a curated women's luxury fashion and accessories collection, donates 100% of profits to support operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $27 per filled backpack for one child |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $15 per CareKit with educational arts and crafts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $10 per Mandala Kit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Supplies for Success product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Supplies for Success is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies to children in need before the start of the school year, along with year-round distribution of CareKits (educational arts and crafts kits) and Mandala Kits (mental health-focused coloring books). The organization operates through a volunteer-driven model with bulk purchasing power and a network of 300+ nonprofit community distribution partners, ensuring 100% of donations convert directly into supplies because the Board underwrites overhead costs.
Product overview
Supplies for Success is a nonprofit charity organization operating as a single unified charitable program rather than a platform product. The organization provides three core charitable offerings: (1) Filled Backpacks containing age-appropriate school supplies for children in need before the school year, (2) CareKits which are art-filled educational kits with supplies for young learners, and (3) Mandala Kits as part of the Coloring a Better World program promoting mental health. The Eric Richenstein Memorial Fund is a special emergency response program that provides CareKits during crises. The organization also facilitates backpack assembly events and direct shipping of supplies to community partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CareKits: Art-filled activity kits distributed to children containing educational arts and crafts, modeling clay, coloring books, paper, glue, safety scissors, and more to promote learning, creativity, and reduce stress.
- Eric Richenstein Memorial Fund
- Coloring a Better World
Products and services
- Filled Backpacks Backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies distributed to children in need before the first day of school. Every $27 donation fills one backpack; $540 can provide backpacks for an entire class and $1,500 can sponsor a whole grade.
- CareKits Art-filled educational kits containing arts and crafts supplies, modeling clay, coloring/activity books, paper, glue, and safety scissors distributed to young learners year-round to promote learning, creativity, and reduce stress. Each CareKit is provided by a $15 donation.
- Mandala Kit Mandala coloring book kit designed to combat bigotry and hatred while promoting mental health as part of the Coloring a Better World program. Each kit is provided by a $10 donation.
- The Better Collection A curated women's luxury fashion and accessories collection launched in 2019 that donates 100% of its profits to support Supplies for Success operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Children served increased threefold annually since 2019
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Supplies for Success
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Supplies for Success technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Supplies for Success partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Northwell HealthmajorHospital partnership for book bag drives and CareKit distribution during COVID-19 and ongoing programs. Featured in Northwell Health 2024 press coverage. Northwell Health is a major healthcare system in New York.
- Johns Hopkins HospitalmajorBaltimore-based hospital partnership for CareKit distribution during COVID response and ongoing health crisis support.
- Island HarvestcoreFeeding America food bank partner in Hauppauge, NY. Collaboration during COVID to distribute nearly 50,000 CareKits to food-insecure families.
- Feeding WestchestercoreFeeding America food bank partner in Westchester County. Collaborated to distribute CareKits during COVID pandemic response.
- JCCA (Jewish Child Care Association)coreFoster care organization partnership. Raquette Lake Camps matched with JCCA to distribute 800 backpacks to foster children in metro NY.
- UJA-Federation of New YorkcoreOriginal incubator of Supplies for Success from 2002-2018. Provided back office and marketing support. Organization branched out as independent nonprofit in December 2018.
- The Jewish BoardmajorMajor nonprofit partner receiving 1,175 backpacks for 11 sites. Manager of Volunteer Services praised partnership for strengthening communities.
- Lawyers for ChildrenmajorLegal aid organization serving foster children. Executive Director Karen J. Freedman praised donation benefiting clients and staff.
- Raquette Lake CampsmajorSummer camp that sponsored 800 backpacks for foster children. Campers participated in packing assembly line. Owners Kathi and Ed Lapidus sponsored all supplies.
- Bank LeumimajorCorporate employee volunteer program. Packed 400 backpacks in 2017, tripled to 1,200 in 2019 at midtown NYC office.
- My Little School TriBeCaminorEarly childhood education center in NYC. Hosted backpack assembly event. Director of Community Programs praised partnership and scheduled for following year.
- Design DistributorscorePartner for trucking and warehousing services through the years.
- Sid Jacobson JCCcoreHosted 2019 backpack assembly in Nassau County and independent assemblies.
- Solomon Schechter SchoolcoreHosted backpack assemblies in Nassau County for multiple years.
- Bridgehampton Community HousecoreHosted 2019 backpack assembly in the Hamptons.
- Miss ChocolateminorPartner for trucking and warehousing through the years.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Supplies for Success competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Toys for Tots: Marine Corps Reserve program that distributes toys to underprivileged children during the holidays. Comparable charity model of curated gift distribution to children in need via corporate sponsors and volunteer networks, but with different product and seasonal window.
- UJA-Federation of New York: Large Jewish philanthropic federation that incubated Supplies for Success from 2002–2018 before the org spun out as independent. Connected via founder lineage, overlapping NYC donor base, and shared educational/youth programming focus.
Direct peers
- Schoolhouse Supplies: Portland-based nonprofit that provides free school supplies to students in need through in-school 'Free Stores' and direct distribution. Closely comparable model combining donated supplies, volunteer engagement, and school-based distribution.
- Kids in Need Foundation: National 501(c)(3) that distributes free school supplies to under-resourced students and teachers across the US via a network of partner programs. Closest mission-aligned peer with a parallel backpack/supplies distribution model.
- Operation Backpack (Volunteers of America): Volunteers of America's Operation Backpack program delivers backpacks filled with school supplies to homeless and at-risk children before the start of the school year. Directly analogous mission, beneficiary population, and product (filled backpack).
Regional players
- Pencils of Promise: Education-focused nonprofit that builds schools and provides educational resources in developing countries. Comparable mission of expanding educational access for underserved children, but operates internationally rather than domestically.
Emerging players
- DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that connects individual donors with public school teachers requesting classroom supplies and resources. Adjacent mission of funding school supplies for underserved students, but uses a marketplace model rather than direct distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Baby2Baby: Large-scale nonprofit that distributes diapers, clothing, and basic necessities to children in poverty across the US. Comparable donor base, volunteer-driven model, and corporate sponsorship structure, but operates at significantly larger scale with celebrity-driven fundraising.
- The Salvation Army: Major international charitable organization with back-to-school and children's services programs. Comparable donor base, corporate partnerships, and volunteer-driven distribution, but operates as a broad multi-program incumbent rather than a focused school-supply specialist.
- Cradles to Crayons: National nonprofit providing children from birth through age 12 with clothing, school supplies, and other essentials. Overlapping beneficiary segment, similar volunteer/give-away model, and similar donation-funded unit economics, but with broader scope and national footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Supplies for Success social profiles
Digital presenceSupplies for Success financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Supplies for Success leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Supplies for Success funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Supplies for Success 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 Supplies for Success
What does Supplies for Success do?
Supplies for Success is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies to children in need before the start of the school year, along with year-round distribution of CareKits (educational arts and crafts kits) and Mandala Kits (mental health-focused coloring books). The organization operates through a volunteer-driven model with bulk purchasing power and a network of 300+ nonprofit community distribution partners, ensuring 100% of donations convert directly into supplies because the Board underwrites overhead costs.
Is Supplies for Success a public or private company?
Supplies for Success is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Supplies for Success founded?
Supplies for Success was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Supplies for Success based?
Supplies for Success is headquartered in Sagaponack, United States, in the North America region.
How does Supplies for Success make money?
One revenue line is on record: tax-Deductible Charitable Donations.
Who are Supplies for Success's main competitors?
Others on record are Toys for Tots and UJA-Federation of New York. Direct peers are Schoolhouse Supplies, Kids in Need Foundation and Operation Backpack (Volunteers of America). Pencils of Promise is listed as a regional player. DonorsChoose is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Baby2Baby, The Salvation Army and Cradles to Crayons.
Does Supplies for Success have an API?
No public API is recorded for Supplies for Success.
What industry is Supplies for Success in?
Supplies for Success's product category is Nonprofit Charitable Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits, with a secondary code of CRAOALAK, School Supplies Distribution. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.