Walts Waltz

What Walts Waltz does

Walt's Waltz is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-3226395) founded in 2019 in Greenville, South Carolina, by Susan Crooks and her son Will Crooks in memory of Walt, who died on August 22, 2019 from treatment-resistant anxiety and PTSD. The organization delivers community-based mental health programming across multiple named initiatives: Painting Mental Health Workshops, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification cohorts, the Stigma-Free Environment institutional program, the Generational Blend community cookbook, the Mental Health Moonshot initiative, and the Take Your Mental Health Temperature campaign. In 2025 it reports reaching 9,600+ people at tabling events, training 1,063+ workshop attendees, certifying 300+ individuals in MHFA, distributing 1,118 cookbooks and 8,000+ temperature cards, and producing 10,000+ butterfly artifacts, supported by 29 press features.

The underlying "platform" is operational rather than technological: a small core team of 2-10 people runs in-person workshops, certification training, community events, and printed/digital awareness artifacts, with third-party SaaS tools (GiveButer for donations, Flodesk for email) providing back-office infrastructure. There is no proprietary software, data platform, or AI component disclosed. The business model is donation- and grant-driven: revenue comes from individual donations processed through GiveButer, corporate contributions (e.g., $5,000 from Hughes Investments on 2025-11-19), grants (Milliken ask returned $0 on 2024-08-21), and fundraising events, with all programmatic outputs delivered free of charge to community beneficiaries and institutional partners such as Prisma Health (Core partner funding MHFA), the University of South Carolina Upstate, and the City of Greenville (designated as the first municipality Stigma-Free Environment on 2025-09-16).

Name

Walts Waltz

Legal name

Walt's Waltz

Website

https://waltswaltz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Walt's Waltz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 in Greenville, South Carolina that delivers free community mental health programming — workshops, MHFA certification, and Stigma-Free Environment institutional partnerships — funded through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Mental health education
• Stigma reduction advocacy
• Community mental health workshops
• Mental health first aid
• Nonprofit mental health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream consists of individual donations through their GiveButer platform, Amazon Wish List donations, and annual fundraising events such as the Raffle Rouser. The organization also participates in employer giving programs like the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX Birdies for Charity (25% match). Checks can also be mailed directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Walt's Waltz is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free mental health education, stigma reduction, and advocacy programs to individuals, families, and organizations. Its portfolio includes Painting Mental Health Workshops, Mental Health First Aid certification, Lunch and Learns, the Stigma-Free Environment certification, the Generational Blend community cookbook program, the Take Your Mental Health Temperature screening initiative, the Mental Health Moonshot research effort, and the Highly Sensitive People program. All programs are offered at no cost and supported by donations, grants, and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

Walt's Waltz is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of mental health education and advocacy programs centered around its three-pillar Waltz approach: Education, Equity, and Stigma-Free. The core offerings include Painting Mental Health Workshops, Mental Health First Aid Certification courses, Mental Health Literacy/Lunch and Learns, and Community Cookbook/Generational Blend programs. Supporting initiatives include the Take Your Mental Health Temperature screening program, Mental Health Moonshot documentary and research initiative, and the Stigma-Free Environment certification for organizations. The organization also provides You Matter Kits (self-care gift bags) at workshops, and integrates arts through its Arts Integration program featuring art exhibits and Songs & Stories. All programs work together to break stigma, reduce suffering, and empower lives affected by mental health challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Painting Mental Health Workshops Guided workshops that use art as a tool for healing and self-expression, helping participants explore mental health topics such as stigma, emotional triggers, and self-care strategies through hands-on painting. Offered free to community members and partner organizations.
• Mental Health First Aid Virtual Course An 8-hour certification program that promotes mental health literacy, teaching participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. Open to those 18+.
• Mental Health Literacy / Lunch and Learns Educational presentations and workshops for organizations focusing on mental health education, including nine available Lunch and Learns covering various mental health topics, delivered in partnership with organizations such as PsychU and the Department of Public Health.
• Community Cookbook / Generational Blend: Nourishing Hearts and Minds A program connecting seniors and youth through shared stories, traditional recipes, and art-based activities to foster understanding, emotional healing, and intergenerational bonds. Includes a community cookbook distributed to participants.
• Walt's Waltz Stigma-Free Environment An initiative where organizations and municipalities pledge to increase mental health awareness and work to eliminate stigma by creating safe spaces for open dialogue about mental health. Certified Stigma-Free Environments include universities, municipalities, healthcare providers, and businesses.
• Take Your Mental Health Temperature An initiative encouraging individuals to regularly assess their mental health using screenings from Mental Health America, providing resources and connecting people to support services including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• Mental Health Moonshot A documentary and research initiative featuring interviews with experts in genetics and epigenetics, aimed at advancing understanding of biological factors in mental health and advocating for increased research funding.
• Highly Sensitive People Program Educational resources and advocacy for individuals with the high sensitivity trait, an estimated 20% of the population, promoting early identification, parental and school involvement, and tools for success.
• You Matter Kits / Self-Care Kits Mascot canvas totes containing watercolor paints, positive affirmations with mirrors, self-care tips, mascot pins, and Take Your Mental Health Temperature cards distributed to workshop participants.
• Arts Integration Art integration initiative featuring Painting Mental Health Workshops, Art Exhibits, and Songs & Stories programs that use visual and performing arts as tools for self-expression, healing, and mental health awareness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,600+ individuals reached through tabling events; 1,063+ Painting Mental Health Workshop attendees; 300+ Mental Health First Aid certifications; 8,000+ 'Take your mental health temperature' cards distributed; 10,000+ butterfly paintings at events

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prisma HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Prisma Health funds Mental Health First Aid certification courses for Upstate and Midlands, SC through their SAMHSA Grant. This 8-hour certification promotes mental health literacy and is open to those 18+.
• PsychUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Walt's Waltz to provide Lunch and Learn sessions focused on mental health education, open to anyone 18+.
• DPH (Department of Public Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Walt's Waltz to provide Lunch and Learn sessions focused on mental health education.
• University of South Carolina UpstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst campus in America to become a Walt's Waltz Stigma-Free Environment. A leading regional public university that promotes mental health awareness through the Stigma-Free Environment initiative.
• City of GreenvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst municipality to become a Walt's Waltz Stigma-Free Environment. Mayor Know White proclaimed on September 16th that the City of Greenville is now a Stigma-Free Environment.
• Greenville Center for Creative ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Stigma-Free Zone in South Carolina. Non-profit organization that enriches cultural fabric through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration.
• Glow Lyric TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerforming arts organization that became a Stigma-Free Zone. Recognizes the importance of mental health in creating the best opera and musical theatre.
• The Phoenix CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit agency providing substance abuse services in Greenville County. Over 45 years of experience in prevention, intervention, and treatment services.
• Just Say SomethingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit dedicated to empowering youth, parents, and communities to make healthy choices and avoid risky behaviors through prevention education.
• Spartanburg Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated to making art accessible to all people. Mission to advance contemporary visual arts by inspiring and engaging diverse audiences.
• Sustaining WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvisions a world where all neighborhoods, people and nature thrive. Uses education, collaboration, and advocacy to create sustainable and equitable communities.
• Swamp Rabbit Cafe & GroceryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassionate about being a force for good in the community. Vision of a community that celebrates and supports a just and sustainable food system.
• Spartanburg Regional Healthcare SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated healthcare delivery system providing care from birth through senior years. Over 100 years of partnership with the community.
• Greenville Swamp RabbitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional ice hockey team that wants the Greenville Community to understand that asking for help with mental health struggles takes strength.
• Compass of CarolinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit strengthening individuals and families through counseling, education, and support services including accessible mental health counseling.
• Bridges to a Brighter FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally awarded comprehensive college access and success program for Greenville County students whose potential outdistances their circumstances.
• Climb @ Blue RidgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst climbing gym in the Upstate since 1995. Only gym in the upstate with capacity for top rope, bouldering, and lead climbing.
• iTrust Wellness GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers psychiatric medication management and therapy for individuals aged 15-75, with office locations in Greenville and Seneca.
• Conestee Nature PreserveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner640-acre nonprofit owned and operated Wildlife Sanctuary with over 13 miles of trails and boardwalks.
• The Children's Museum of the UpstateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class, play-based learning space for young children in the Upstate region. Mission to ignite a community of compassionate problem solvers.
• Unity Health on MainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center providing Greenville pediatrics and comprehensive primary care services that are culturally competent and client-driven.
• Ellie Mental HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides support for a wide range of mental disorders in a judgment-free zone. Offers individual, family, and couples therapy.
• CHCF Brain FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromotes research aimed at identifying populations at-risk for serious mental health disease through genetic/epigenetic testing. Partner in Mental Health Moonshot initiative.
• Gene XcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall nonprofit empowering teenagers and young adults with essential life skills including mental health education.
• Carolina Literacy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelps increase English literacy of immigrant and refugee children while providing mental health resources.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Give an Hour: Nonprofit providing free mental health services via a provider volunteer network. Indirect peer: addresses the supply-side mental health access gap that Walt's Waltz advocates for under its Equity pillar.

Emerging players

• Born This Way Foundation: Youth mental health nonprofit co-founded by Lady Gaga, focused on kindness, mental health resources, and stigma reduction. Comparable storytelling-first, brand-led approach to mental health advocacy.
• The Trevor Project: Leading youth mental health crisis intervention nonprofit. Comparable in advocacy and youth focus, with stronger technology infrastructure (crisis chat/text) that contrasts with Walt's Waltz's workshop-heavy model.

Direct peers

• Active Minds: Youth and young adult mental health awareness nonprofit operating on college campuses. Directly comparable to Walt's Waltz's USC Upstate campus partnership and youth-targeted programs.
• Bring Change to Mind: Mental health stigma-reduction nonprofit with school-based programs and a celebrity-driven brand. Closest direct peer: similarly focused on reducing stigma through education and community engagement rather than direct clinical services.
• To Write Love on Her Arms: Nonprofit focused on mental health support, treatment, and recovery, also founded following a personal loss. Similar grassroots-to-national trajectory and stigma-reducing messaging through storytelling and arts.

Broad incumbents

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): Leading suicide prevention nonprofit with education programs and loss survivor support. Highly relevant given Walt's Waltz's origin story (suicide loss) and Mental Health First Aid / 988 referral content.
• Mental Health America: Community-based nonprofit focused on mental health screening, education, and advocacy. Operates the MHA Screening program, which parallels Walt's Waltz's Take Your Mental Health Temperature initiative.
• The Jed Foundation: Protects emotional health of teens and young adults via campus-based programming. Overlaps with Walt's Waltz's Youth MH resources and Stigma-Free campus initiative.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Largest US mental health advocacy nonprofit offering education, support groups, and public policy advocacy. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Walt's Waltz's education and stigma-reduction mandate but operates at a national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walt-s-waltz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Walts Waltz