KIDS MAKING IT

What KIDS MAKING IT does

Kids Making It, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 in Wilmington, North Carolina, by Jimmy Pierce. The organization delivers vocational, entrepreneurial, and life skills programs to at-risk, low-income, and disadvantaged youth aged 7 through young adulthood, serving more than 500 students annually across five program tracks: the After School Program (ages 13-18), Apprentice Program (young adults), Outreach Program (ages 7+), Skilled Trades Program (electrical, plumbing, construction carpentry), and Foundations of Success Program (tutoring, financial literacy, career preparation). The articulated goal for each participant is to stay in school, avoid risky behaviors, and transition successfully into college or the workplace. All youth programs are provided free of charge.

The core operational platform is a 5,000 square foot owned facility at 617 Castle Street in Wilmington's Arts & Antiques District, expanded in 2018 with a 4,300 square foot addition. The facility houses a professional-grade woodworking shop equipped with hand tools, dust collection and filtration systems, and state-of-the-art machinery including laser engravers and CNC routers. Curriculum combines woodworking instruction with academic tutoring, mentorship, financial literacy, and exposure to skilled trades. Students produce handcrafted items—pens, cutting boards, laser-engraved products, custom signs, and storage boxes—and sell them through an on-site gift shop and at festivals, retaining 100% of profits from their own sales.

Kids Making It operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model. The majority of funding derives from individual donations, corporate contributions, and foundation/government grants (including a seed grant from the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission in 2000 and ongoing support from Cape Fear Memorial Foundation, Truist, and Cold Summit). Secondary revenue is generated through the on-site retail gift shop, festival sales, and a Custom Orders service for businesses and individuals, with proceeds reinvested into programming. Participant acquisition relies on community partnerships with local agencies, schools, nonprofits, and the Wilmington Housing Authority, complemented by outreach through the organization's website and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and currently led by Executive Director Kevin Blackburn following founder Jimmy Pierce's retirement.

Name

KIDS MAKING IT

Legal name

Kids Making It, Inc.

Website

https://kidsmakingit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kids Making It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Wilmington, NC that delivers free woodworking, entrepreneurial, and life skills programs to 500+ at-risk, low-income, and disadvantaged youth annually through after-school, apprentice, outreach, and skilled trades tracks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth vocational training
• Woodworking education programs
• Nonprofit youth services
• Skilled trades training
• Youth entrepreneurship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors, businesses, and charitable foundations provide financial support. The organization accepts checks, securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds), honorary gifts, planned giving (wills, annuities, charitable remainder trusts), and goods/services donations.
2. Custom Orders and Apprenticeship Program Revenue: Apprentices create custom designed products and bulk orders for the general public and businesses, including signature lines of custom turned pens and laser engraved products. Revenue generated is reinvested into supporting free youth programs.
3. Gift Shop Sales: Student-made woodworking products (pens, cutting boards, bottle stoppers, salt and pepper grinders, storage boxes, stools, laser-engraved items, custom signs) are sold in the on-site gift shop. Students keep 100% of profits from their sales.
4. Grant Funding: Government and foundation grants provide operational funding. Notable grants include seed-money grant from the Governor's Crime Commission (2000) to implement the program year-round.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kids Making It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free vocational, entrepreneurial, and life-skills training to at-risk, low-income, and disadvantaged youth through woodworking. It operates three core youth programs (After School, Apprentice, and Outreach) supported by a student-run gift shop and a custom-orders service that produces awards, pens, cutting boards, signs, and laser-engraved products, with proceeds reinvested in the free programs.

Product overview

Kids Making It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit youth woodworking organization offering a multi-program portfolio centered on teaching vocational, entrepreneurial, and life skills to at-risk, low income, and disadvantaged youth. The core offerings include the After School Program for ages 13-18, the Apprentice Program for young adults seeking career training, and the Outreach Program for ages 7+. These programs are supported by a Gift Shop where students sell handcrafted items (pens, cutting boards, laser-engraved products, custom signs, and more) and a Custom Orders service that generates revenue for the organization. Advanced sub-programs include the Skilled Trades Program (electrical, plumbing, construction carpentry) and the Foundations of Success Program (tutoring, financial literacy, career preparation). The organization also operates a Volunteer Program and accepts Wish List donations. Founded in 1994, the program serves over 500 students annually from a 5,000+ square foot facility in Wilmington, NC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After School Program A free woodworking and youth development program for students ages 13-18 that teaches vocational, entrepreneurial, and life skills through hands-on woodworking projects, mentorship, and academic support, with the goal of keeping participants in school and supporting successful transition to college or careers.
• Apprentice Program A continuing vocational pathway for young adults seeking additional training to achieve viable careers, providing state-of-the-art machinery training (laser engraver, CNC router), job readiness, and life skills through creation of custom products for the public and businesses.
• Outreach Program Partner-based woodworking workshops and events for youth ages 7+, offered in Standard (one-time workshop) and Comprehensive (8 weeks or multiple events) formats, delivered at no cost through collaboration with local agencies and nonprofits.
• Gift Shop A retail shop at 617 Castle Street, Wilmington NC selling handcrafted items made by students, including pens, cutting boards, bottle stoppers, salt and pepper grinders, storage boxes, stools, laser-engraved items, custom signs, coasters, and desk organizers. Students earn 100% of profits from their sales.
• Custom Orders Custom designed products and bulk orders for the general public and businesses, including awards, cutting boards, pens, name tags, signs, coasters, and desk organizers, created by apprentices with 100% of revenue reinvested into Kids Making It's youth programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ students served annually through five youth programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wilmington Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial partnership established when founder Jimmy Pierce partnered with the Wilmington Housing Authority as a volunteer in 1996. This partnership enabled the launch and growth of the youth woodworking program.
• Local Agencies and NonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local agencies and nonprofits to deliver outreach programs to youth aged 7+. Programs are provided at no cost through these partnerships, enabling Kids Making It to reach its target demographic.
• Schools and School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local schools to provide after-school programming and support academic achievement for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 4-H: National youth development organization that, like Kids Making It, combines hands-on practical skill-building (agriculture, STEM, civic engagement) with mentorship and positive youth development for school-age participants.
• YMCA of the USA: Community-based nonprofit operating after-school programs, mentoring, and youth development services nationwide — overlapping in target population (at-risk youth) and program structure.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Nonprofit combining volunteer engagement with hands-on construction skills and youth programming (Habitat Youth Programs), sharing the practical-skills-plus-mentorship model used by Kids Making It.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large-scale youth development nonprofit providing after-school programming, mentorship, and life skills to at-risk youth across the U.S. — comparable mission and target demographic to Kids Making It, though much broader in scope.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Youth mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with at-risk youth, addressing similar outcome goals (school retention, avoiding risky behavior, career readiness) through relationship-driven intervention.
• Junior Achievement USA: National nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship, work-readiness, and financial literacy education to K-12 youth, overlapping with Kids Making It's entrepreneurial and life-skills curriculum.

Direct peers

• SkillsUSA: Nonprofit serving middle-school, high-school, and college students preparing for skilled trades, technical, and vocational careers — directly comparable to Kids Making It's Skilled Trades sub-program (electrical, plumbing, construction carpentry).
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship education to young people from low-income communities, closely aligned with Kids Making It's youth entrepreneurship component (students selling their work and keeping 100% of profits).

Emerging players

• After-School All-Stars: National nonprofit providing comprehensive after-school programs to youth in low-income communities, with overlapping after-school, life skills, and college/career readiness focus for the same demographic.

Others

• The Wood Whisperer Guild / Woodworking School Network: Woodworking education community and adjacent craft-school ecosystem — relevant to Kids Making It's core craft medium (woodworking instruction with CNC, laser engraving, and hand tools) without being a direct youth-development competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KidsMakingIt
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsmakingit
• TikToktiktok.com/@kidsmakingit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsmakingit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 KIDS MAKING IT