LIFE Camp
LIFE Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that deploys frontline violence intervention specialists, a mobile Peacemobile unit, and wraparound wellness, workforce, and financial literacy programs to reduce gun violence and support at-risk youth and families in Southeast Queens, NYC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersJamaica, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LIFE Camp does
LIFE Camp, Inc. (Love Ignites Freedom thru Education) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in April 2002 by Erica Ford and headquartered at 111-12 Sutphin Blvd in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The organization treats gun violence as a public health crisis connected to poverty and is structured to provide youth and families impacted by violence with tools to launch sustainable careers, avert incarceration, and optimize talent. Service delivery is organized into four divisions — Violence Prevention, Wellness, Outreach, and Youth + Community — anchored by the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Model, in which trained frontline specialists canvass communities daily to mediate conflicts, de-escalate violence, and mentor at-risk youth. LIFE Camp reports 80% violence reduction in its catchment area, 25% violence reduction citywide in NYC, 562 days with no shootings, and over 10,000 youth and families impacted across 22 years of operation.
The operational platform combines a physical facility (I LOVE MY LIFE Center offering financial literacy, wealth-building, youth workforce, emergency work, and technology training), a mobile outreach asset (the Peacemobile RV unit), and a proprietary Therapeutic Wellness Services methodology (ALIGN-ALKALINE-REMIND) covering breathing/calm practices, nutrition, and mindfulness. Supporting programs include Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Healing Hearts: Mothers Of The Movement, Community Garden, Wellness Tonics, and Hydrotherapy. Ancillary offerings include the Par 4 Peace annual golf tournament, Citi Field fundraising events with tiered ticketing ($71.59 general / $109.05 premium / $162.57 VIP), The Orange Print newsletter, and the lifecamp.shop e-commerce store.
Revenue is donation-driven as a 501(c)(3), sourced from individual donations (website, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal), event-based fundraising, e-commerce merchandise, and government grants routed through NYC's Crisis Management Systems (CMS) network. LIFE Camp collaborates with fellow CMS organizations across NYC's five boroughs and, since 2023, has co-hosted the University of Chicago's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Inaugural Practicum with the Black & Brown Peace Consortium, reaching leaders from 21 cities. Political endorsements from Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng are documented. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
LIFE Camp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LIFE Camp
- Legal name
- LIFE Camp, Inc.
- Website
- https://peaceisalifestyle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LIFE Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that deploys frontline violence intervention specialists, a mobile Peacemobile unit, and wraparound wellness, workforce, and financial literacy programs to reduce gun violence and support at-risk youth and families in Southeast Queens, NYC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LIFE Camp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Services
- NAICS
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI)
Keywords
Where LIFE Camp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jamaica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
LIFE Camp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting violence prevention and community wellness programs. Collected via website, CASH APP, VENMO, PayPal, and direct donation.
- Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from community events such as Citi Field baseball game fundraiser with ticket sales at varying tiers ($71.59 general, $109.05 premium, $162.57 VIP).
- E-commerce Sales: Sale of merchandise through lifecamp.shop, including limited edition items like Planes x LIFE Camp hats.
- Government Grants: Operates as part of NYC Crisis Management Systems (CMS), receiving funding through local and federal government partnerships.
- Political Support: Support from elected officials including Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng who helped kick off fundraising efforts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission tickets for community events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Admission for community events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | VIP tickets for premium experience |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
LIFE Camp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LIFE Camp is a community-led nonprofit that delivers violence prevention and intervention services through frontline Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Specialists who canvass Southeast Queens daily to mediate conflicts and de-escalate gun violence. Its offerings include the Peacemobile mobile outreach unit, Therapeutic Wellness Services (Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Pain on Beats, Healing Hearts), Youth Development Programs (financial literacy, workforce, technology training) at the I LOVE MY LIFE Center, and annual community-building events such as Peace Week and the Par 4 Peace Golf Tournament.
Product overview
LIFE Camp is a violence prevention and intervention nonprofit organization founded in April 2002, offering a suite of programs centered on its Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) System. The core offering consists of the VIP Model, featuring frontline violence intervention specialists who conduct daily community canvassing, alongside the Peacemobile mobile outreach unit. The organization provides Therapeutic Wellness Services (TWS) encompassing programs such as Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Pain on Beats, and Healing Hearts; Youth Development Programs through the I LOVE MY LIFE Center including financial literacy, workforce development, and technology training; and hosts the annual Par 4 Peace Golf Tournament fundraiser. Additional offerings include The Orange Print Newsletter and the LIFE Camp Shop merchandise retail platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VIP Model (Violence Intervention & Prevention System) Frontline Violence Intervention and Prevention Specialists (VIPs) canvass Southeast Queens daily to mediate conflicts, de-escalate gun violence, mentor youth at risk of the school-to-prison pipeline, and distribute educational materials to community members.
- Peacemobile Mobile Outreach
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% violence reduction in catchment area
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use LIFE Camp
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LIFE Camp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
LIFE Camp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- University of Chicago - Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA)coreLIFE Camp hosted the Inaugural Practicum for CVILA, a week-long immersive training bringing together 31 emerging senior and executive leaders from 21 cities. Led by CEO Erica Ford as co-chair of the national steering committee of the Black & Brown Peace Coalition.
- Black & Brown Peace ConsortiumcoreCollaborated on the groundbreaking CVILA Inaugural Practicum initiative to combat gun violence nationally.
- NYPD Training Academy (College Point, NY)minorState-of-the-art facility where the CVILA Practicum was held, providing space for interactive simulations and engaging dialogue.
- Senator Chuck SchumermajorSenator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng kicked off the 2023 fundraising effort with a generous donation, providing political and financial support.
- Congresswoman Grace MengmajorCongresswoman Grace Meng joined Senator Schumer in supporting LIFE Camp's 2023 fundraising efforts with a generous donation.
- NYC Crisis Management Systems (CMS) OrganizationscoreCollaborates with fellow CMS organizations across NYC's five boroughs for coordinated peace-keeping efforts, including annual Peace Week events and Ride 4 Peace.
- NYC CMS OrganizationscoreAnnual Peace Week held by NYC CMS sites in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, with City Hall press conferences and advocacy for united peace-keeping efforts.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LIFE Camp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Safe Horizon: NYC-based victim-services nonprofit offering counseling, shelters, and community programs for those affected by violence and crime. Operates in the same NYC ecosystem as LIFE Camp with overlapping client populations affected by gun violence trauma.
- Center for Court Innovation: NYC-based criminal-justice reform organization that pilots problem-solving courts and violence-reduction programs. Adjacent to LIFE Camp's violence-intervention work with overlapping goals around reducing incarceration and supporting at-risk youth in NYC.
- Urban Resource Institute: NYC nonprofit providing social services, domestic-violence programs, and community-based support to vulnerable families. Comparable scale and NYC geography to LIFE Camp, with overlapping focus on families impacted by violence and trauma.
Direct peers
- Cure Violence Global: National violence-interruption organization that treats gun violence as a public health epidemic using trained street-level interrupters. Highly comparable to LIFE Camp's VIP Model, ALIGN-style methodology, and 22-year community-canvassing approach.
- Advance Peace: Oakland-based nonprofit running the Peacemaker Fellowship, which provides stipends and mentorship to individuals most likely to be involved in gun violence. Operationally near-identical to LIFE Camp's VIP Model and aligned on violence-as-public-health framing.
- Roca: Massachusetts-based nonprofit that works with highest-risk young men through intensive street outreach, workforce development, and cognitive-behavioral programming. Directly comparable to LIFE Camp's VIP frontline-worker model combined with Youth WorkForce and Emergency Work Programs.
- READI Chicago: Chicago-based violence-prevention initiative that combines cognitive-behavioral therapy, workforce training, and supportive services for individuals at high risk of gun violence. Comparable programmatic mix to LIFE Camp's VIP and Youth Development programming.
- Black & Brown Peace Consortium: National coalition of violence-prevention organizations in which LIFE Camp's CEO Erica Ford serves as co-chair of the steering committee. Operates the kind of multi-city, faith-rooted violence intervention that LIFE Camp's CVILA practicum work extends.
Broad incumbents
- Cities United: National network of mayors focused on reducing gun violence among Black men and boys in U.S. cities. Comparable in mission scope and national convening role to LIFE Camp's work with the Black & Brown Peace Consortium and CVILA.
- National Network for Safe Communities: National nonprofit that supports the Group Violence Intervention strategy and trains cities on violence-reduction frameworks. Functions as a broader umbrella organization overlapping with LIFE Camp's violence-as-public-health methodology and CMS-style coordination role.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LIFE Camp social profiles
Digital presenceLIFE Camp compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
LIFE Camp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LIFE Camp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
LIFE Camp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LIFE Camp 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 LIFE Camp
What does LIFE Camp do?
LIFE Camp is a community-led nonprofit that delivers violence prevention and intervention services through frontline Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Specialists who canvass Southeast Queens daily to mediate conflicts and de-escalate gun violence. Its offerings include the Peacemobile mobile outreach unit, Therapeutic Wellness Services (Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Pain on Beats, Healing Hearts), Youth Development Programs (financial literacy, workforce, technology training) at the I LOVE MY LIFE Center, and annual community-building events such as Peace Week and the Par 4 Peace Golf Tournament.
Is LIFE Camp a public or private company?
LIFE Camp is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LIFE Camp founded?
LIFE Camp was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LIFE Camp based?
LIFE Camp is headquartered in Jamaica, United States, in the North America region.
How does LIFE Camp make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are event Fundraising, E-commerce Sales, government Grants and political Support.
Who are LIFE Camp's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Safe Horizon, Center for Court Innovation and Urban Resource Institute. Direct peers are Cure Violence Global, Advance Peace, Roca, READI Chicago and Black & Brown Peace Consortium. Broad incumbents are Cities United and National Network for Safe Communities.
Does LIFE Camp have an API?
No public API is recorded for LIFE Camp.
What industry is LIFE Camp in?
LIFE Camp's product category is Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAFAO, Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs, with a secondary code of THAGAMAI, Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work). Its NAICS code is 6232 and its SIC code is 7900.