The Bennett Project

What The Bennett Project does

The Bennett Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 in Florissant, Missouri, by Emily Dyall in memory of her brother Bennett Reinier, who died of colon cancer and an inoperable brain tumor at age 10. The organization provides direct support services to families in the St. Louis region whose children are facing pediatric cancer, serving newly diagnosed, in-treatment, post-treatment, and bereaved families. Its program portfolio includes the Birthday Club, Quarterly Family Social Events, Family Photo Sessions, Extracurricular Activity Grants, the Little Wishes Program, and the flagship Annual Holiday Shop, the latter powered by more than 200 volunteers and toy/gift card drives.

The organization operates with no technology products or proprietary platforms; its core deliverable is in-person and event-based human services rather than software. Operations are volunteer-run with a board that includes Emily Dyall (Founder/President), Debbie Schultz (Treasurer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), Debbie Reinier, Kim Hoffman (IHG Corporate), and Yvonne Tedder (CSI Leasing). The Bennett Project directs over 96% of donations into family support and programming, and sustains operations through individual giving, corporate sponsorships from regional St. Louis businesses (Holiday Inn Creve Coeur, Brinkmann Constructors, Midwest BankCentre, Marler Law Partners, Hendel's Market Cafe, Florissant City Diner, Goeke Produce), and donations collected via PayPal, Venmo, and GiveButter. Geographic reach is limited to the St. Louis region, and the organization is private with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity.

Name

The Bennett Project

Legal name

The Bennett Project

Website

https://thebennettproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bennett Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that provides direct financial assistance, social events, and holiday support programs to St. Louis-area families facing pediatric cancer. The volunteer-run organization directs over 96% of donations into family programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Pediatric cancer support
• Nonprofit family services
• Charitable giving programs
• Community volunteer programs
• Child illness assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Florissant

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The Bennett Project operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and community supporters. The organization directs over 96% of donations into family support and programming.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Bennett Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides direct support programs to families in the St. Louis region facing pediatric cancer. Its programs include the Birthday Club, Quarterly Family Social Events, Family Photo Sessions, Extracurricular Activity Grants, the Little Wishes Program, and the signature Annual Holiday Shop, all delivered free of charge through volunteer-run operations.

Product overview

The Bennett Project is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single, unified charitable program portfolio rather than a technology platform. The organization offers direct support programs for St. Louis families facing pediatric cancer, including the Birthday Club, Quarterly Family Social Events, Family Photo Sessions, Extracurricular Activity Grants, and the Little Wishes Program. The standout initiative is the Annual Holiday Shop, where families select gifts for their children at no cost. The organization directs over 96% of donations into family support and programming, supporting families at every stage from newly diagnosed through bereaved families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birthday Club
• Quarterly Family Social Events
• Family Photo Sessions
• Extracurricular Activity Grants
• Little Wishes Program
• Annual Holiday Shop

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Holiday Inn St. Louis - Creve CoeurminorOthersLocal hotel sponsor providing support to The Bennett Project. Located near many businesses and attractions in the Creve Coeur area of St. Louis.
• Brinkmann ConstructorsminorOthersConstruction company sponsor whose purpose is people and passion for building. Provides value for clients through creative solutions.
• Midwest BankCentreminorOthersRegional bank that serves as a trusted advisor while keeping money in the region to open more doors for more people.
• Marler Law PartnersminorOthersSt. Louis and Southeast Missouri law firm providing trauma-informed legal services with a person-centered approach.
• Hendel's Market CafeminorOthersHistoric restaurant in Old Town Florissant, Missouri. Established in 1873 as a grocery store, purchased by the Hendel family in 1915, opened as a restaurant by the Bennett family in November 1994.
• Florissant City DinerminorOthersClassic, unfussy diner with a handful of tables serving American standards for breakfast and lunch located in Florissant, Missouri.
• Goeke ProduceminorOthersFamily owned and operated market with main focus on fresh produce and a great selection of spices located in Florissant, Missouri.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• St. Baldrick's Foundation: Leading volunteer-driven pediatric cancer research and support foundation; comparable fundraising model (event-driven, community-led) targeting the same donor demographic.
• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: Children's cancer organization funding research and family support; comparable peer in the pediatric cancer nonprofit space.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Grants wishes to children with critical illnesses including cancer; comparable peer via the Little Wishes program and similar family-centric wish-granting model.
• The B+ Foundation: Childhood cancer foundation providing financial assistance to families and funding research; closely comparable peer combining direct family support with disease-focused fundraising.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: National nonprofit focused exclusively on pediatric cancer research and family support; directly comparable as a disease-specific pediatric cancer charity.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides family-centered support during pediatric medical treatment including cancer; directly comparable peer addressing family burden during childhood illness.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: National pediatric cancer nonprofit funding research and family support; directly comparable as a mission-aligned childhood cancer charity competing for the same donor dollars.
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation: National organization supporting families of children with cancer across the treatment journey; directly comparable peer providing family support services to pediatric cancer families.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Oncology Group: Largest pediatric cancer research organization; broader incumbent operating in the same disease space though primarily research-focused rather than direct family support.

Emerging players

• HopeCam: Smaller nonprofit helping children with cancer stay socially connected during treatment; emerging peer with a more narrow programmatic focus but similar mission area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebennettproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bennett-project

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Bennett Project