drawchange

What drawchange does

drawchange is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by visual artist Jennie Lobato in Atlanta, Georgia, that delivers trauma-informed, art therapy-based programming to children experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including homelessness, refugee status, asylum-seeking, and domestic-violence exposure. Its core products are in-person art therapy sessions delivered at homeless shelters, orphanages, and community centers; seasonal Art Camp programming (including a Summer Art & Percussion Camp and a new Spring Break camp) with full scholarships for lower-income participants; and the drawchange Blueprint — a replication toolkit that packages the curriculum, volunteer handbook, training resources, art supplies, video instructions, and licensed art therapist support for community-led implementation.

The organization operates across 8 cities in 4 countries: domestically in Atlanta, Orlando, Tucson, Puerto Rico, and at the MX/AZ border Welcome Center, and internationally in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (since 2016) and Costa Rica. Its curriculum is audited by licensed art therapists and built around seven core competencies (Imagination, Collaboration, Empowerment, Dream-building, Self-esteem, Creation, Stress Relief), and the organization has reached more than 14,000 children cumulatively with reported mood-improvement outcomes above 90% across 937 mood assessments.

drawchange is funded primarily through individual donations, $25+/month sustaining memberships, peer-to-peer community fundraising, fee-based international volunteer trips ($3,600-$4,000 per Ethiopia trip), program fees from Art Camps, merchandise sales, and episodic grants such as the $20,000 L'Oréal Paris Woman of Worth award in 2022. The organization holds a Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency, meets BBB standards for charitable solicitations, and operates with a small paid staff supplemented by a global network of licensed-art-therapist volunteers and Federal Work Study students from SCAD.

Name

drawchange

Legal name

drawchange Inc.

Website

https://drawchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

drawchange is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 in Atlanta that delivers trauma-informed art therapy programs to ACE-affected, homeless, refugee, and asylum-seeking children across 8 cities and 4 countries, supported by donations, grants, and volunteer-driven curriculum delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services / Nonprofit Art Therapy Programming

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood) (EDACAOAD)

Keywords

• Art therapy programs
• Trauma-informed youth services
• Nonprofit children's programs
• Community art education
• Adverse childhood experiences support

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, monthly sustaining memberships ($25+ per month), and one-time gifts from donors supporting the organization's mission to empower children through art therapy
2. Art Camp Program Fees: Fees for Art Camp programs including Summer Art & Percussion Camp, with scholarship opportunities available for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including Greeting Cards of Hope and drawchange branded items like hoodies
4. International Volunteer Trip Fees: Fees for international volunteer experiences such as Ethiopia Art Beyond Borders trips covering airfare, meals, accommodations, and transportation ($3600-$4000 per trip)
5. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Community members create personalized fundraising pages to raise money for the organization, expanding reach and donations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

drawchange delivers trauma-informed, art therapy-based programming for children ages 5-10 experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including homelessness, refugee status, asylum-seeking, and domestic violence situations. Core offerings include in-person group sessions at shelters and community centers, seasonal Art Camps with scholarships, the drawchange Blueprint replication toolkit, and an online Interactive Kids Art Club, all grounded in a proprietary curriculum developed and audited by licensed art therapists.

Product overview

drawchange is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of trauma-informed art therapy programs for children experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), homelessness, and poverty. The core offering consists of in-person art therapy sessions at shelters, community centers, and camps across U.S. cities (Atlanta, Orlando, Tucson, Puerto Rico) and internationally (Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Mexico/Arizona border). Key products include Art Camp (seasonal and year-round), the drawchange Blueprint (a franchise toolkit for launching programs elsewhere), and an online Interactive Kids Art Club. The organization provides its curriculum and methodology through volunteer-led sessions, with complementary fundraising tools and a private volunteer portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Therapy-Based Programming Core trauma-informed art therapy sessions delivered at homeless shelters, orphanages, and community centers. Uses research-based art therapy principles to help children ages 5-10 build self-esteem, emotional resilience, and coping skills.
• Art Camp Seasonal and year-round art therapy camps for children aged 5-9 in Atlanta, combining art with music and percussion. Includes full scholarships for at-risk youth and Mood Assessments to track emotional outcomes.
• U.S. Programs In-person art therapy programming in Atlanta, Orlando, Tucson, and Puerto Rico, serving children experiencing homelessness, poverty, and trauma through weekly sessions at shelters and community centers.
• Ethiopia Art Beyond Borders International art therapy program operating in Addis Ababa since 2016, with annual volunteer trips, local Program Lead training, and ongoing support to community centers serving impoverished children in the Karakore community.
• Costa Rica Program Long-running international program in Costa Rica, established as part of drawchange's global expansion serving children through community centers.
• MX/AZ Art Beyond Borders Border-region program bringing art therapy to asylum-seeking and refugee families at Welcome Centers in Tucson, Arizona.
• drawchange Blueprint Comprehensive replication toolkit enabling individuals to launch drawchange-style art therapy programs in their own communities. Includes curriculum, volunteer handbook, training resources, art supplies, video instructions, and access to staff art therapists.
• Interactive Kids Art Club Online virtual art club providing interactive creative programming for children, including options to sponsor unhoused children's participation.
• International Volunteer Trip (Ethiopia) 10-day volunteer trips to Addis Ababa for 3-6 team members, including training local Program Leads, restocking supplies, and painting projects. $3,600-$4,000 per trip includes airfare, meals, accommodations, and transportation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of children leave summer camp in a euthymic mood (3+ on 5-point scale) based on 937 Mood Assessments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Federal Work Study program partnership enabling SCAD students to support drawchange work while earning academic hours. Students gain hands-on experience in nonprofit art therapy operations.
• AaEA (Action allies for Evaluation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with AaEA's Evaluation Support program to strengthen drawchange's evaluation practices, deepen understanding of impact, refine programs, and identify areas for growth.
• Caminar LatinocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Pilot program transitioning to permanent offering providing consistent, trauma-informed art therapy for children navigating the transition from domestic violence. Goal is to establish permanent partnership in 2026.
• Alliance TheatreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Theatre partnership to raise crucial funds through 'Millions' theatrical experience. drawchange serves as charity partner for special performances.
• Scofflaw Brewing CominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Official Charity Partner for 5K event in Atlanta, Georgia. Staff and volunteers participated to raise awareness and funds.
• Candid (GuideStar)coreOthersThird-party charity verification organization providing Seal of Transparency Platinum.drawchange meets Better Business Bureau standards for charitable solicitations.
• Community Centers in EthiopiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with community centers in Karakore, Addis Ababa (one of the poorest areas). Centers provide food, staple items, and creative enrichment to 50+ children. drawchange provides ongoing curriculum, training, and support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Splashes of Hope: Splashes of Hope is a nonprofit that partners with hospitals and care facilities to deliver therapeutic art to children and families in crisis, comparable to drawchange's shelter and community-center delivery model.
• Art Start: Art Start is a New York-based nonprofit using the arts to empower homeless and underserved youth — closely aligned with drawchange's mission, target population (children experiencing homelessness and poverty), and art-based intervention model.
• Create Arts: Create Arts is a nonprofit bringing visual and performing arts to underserved children and families in NYC, sharing drawchange's mission to use creative arts as a tool for empowerment among vulnerable youth.
• A Window Between Worlds: A Window Between Worlds is a nonprofit that uses art to heal trauma in children and teens affected by domestic violence and homelessness — overlapping directly with drawchange's trauma-informed art therapy focus and target beneficiaries.
• Free Arts NYC: Free Arts NYC provides arts programs to children in homeless and domestic violence shelters across New York City, mirroring drawchange's shelter-based delivery model and ACE-focused child population.
• Children's Healing Art Project (CHAP): CHAP brings art programs to children experiencing trauma, illness, and loss, comparable to drawchange's volunteer-led art therapy sessions delivered in care and shelter settings.
• The Art Therapy Project: The Art Therapy Project provides group art therapy to communities impacted by trauma, sharing drawchange's therapeutic art model for vulnerable children and adults.

Broad incumbents

• International Child Art Foundation: The International Child Art Foundation fosters children's creativity and cross-cultural understanding through art, comparable to drawchange's international programming in Ethiopia and Costa Rica and its emphasis on art for child development.
• Turnaround Arts (Kennedy Center): Turnaround Arts is a Kennedy Center program bringing arts education to high-poverty schools nationwide. It overlaps with drawchange in using arts to support underserved children's outcomes, but operates at much larger scale through public-school channels.

Emerging players

• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): KIND serves migrant and refugee children — overlapping with drawchange's MX/AZ asylum-seeking program and broader ACE-affected child population, though KIND's model is legal-services-led rather than arts-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drawchange
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/drawchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/drawchange
• Instagraminstagram.com/drawchange
• Pinterestpinterest.com/drawchange
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drawchange

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 drawchange