Ele's Place

What Ele's Place does

Ele's Place, Inc. is a Michigan-based nonprofit healing center founded in 1991 by grieving parents Betsy and Woody Stover, mental health professionals, and community volunteers following the death of the Stovers' infant daughter Ele (Helen Louise Snow Stover). The organization delivers free, peer-based grief support to children ages 3-18, young adults ages 18-26, and their families across three branch locations: the original Capital Region (Lansing) site founded in 1991, Ann Arbor (established 2007, with a dedicated healing center opened in 2019 serving approximately 160 children, teens, and families weekly across four evenings), and West Michigan in Grand Rapids (opened 2013, expanded with a second programming night in fall 2025). Core services include age-segmented peer grief support groups, school-based Ele's Group programs delivered in partnership with local school districts, a monthly virtual young adult Zoom group, concurrent parent/guardian support groups facilitated by licensed clinicians, and individual clinical consultations. All services are provided at no cost to families and are available for as long as needed.

The organization is not a technology company and operates without proprietary software or AI systems; its delivery model relies on trained volunteer facilitators operating under licensed clinical staff oversight (LMSW, LLMSW, LPC credentials are represented across all three branches). The underlying 'platform' is a 23-hour volunteer training curriculum combined with established clinical supervision and a Resource Library of educational materials for parents, educators, and medical professionals.

Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible contributions: individual donations (one-time and recurring), corporate sponsorships, planned giving and estate gifts, and event fundraising. Annual fundraising events include Ele's Race 5K (Capital Region), Healing Hearts 5K (West Michigan), Derby Day Soirée ($275/ticket), Cars & Cocoa, Healing Hearts Fundraising Breakfast, Dress for the Derby, and Courage, Comfort & Cocktails, supplemented by a branded merchandise store. Go-to-market is community-led: families are referred through schools, healthcare providers, community organizations, and word-of-mouth, while donor acquisition is driven by events, volunteer advocacy, newsletters, and the website. Ele's Place is governed by an independent mission-driven board with no parent company or subsidiaries and is led by President & CEO Yvonne Fleener, CFO Lisa Fanzini, and Director of Operations Teri Dodson.

Name

Ele's Place

Legal name

Ele's Place, Inc.

Website

https://elesplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ele's Place is a Michigan-based nonprofit operating three healing centers that deliver free, peer-based grief support groups and clinical services to grieving children, teens, young adults, and their families, funded by donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Peer support groups
• Youth bereavement counseling
• Family counseling programs
• School-based counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals who support the organization's mission to ensure no child grieves alone in Michigan. Monthly giving programs allow donors to contribute regularly.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors displayed on the Ways to Give page. Companies sponsor events and provide ongoing operational support.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from fundraising events including Ele's Race 5K, Derby Day Soirée ($275/ticket), Healing Hearts 5K, and other community events.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests, trusts, and other planned gifts included in estate plans to create lasting impact and legacy support for the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ele's Place is a nonprofit healing center that provides free, peer-based grief support groups for children ages 3-18, young adults ages 18-26, and their families in Michigan. Services include evening peer support groups divided by age/grade level, school-based Ele's Groups delivered in partnership with local school districts, virtual young adult groups via Zoom, parent/guardian support groups facilitated by licensed clinicians, and individual clinical consultations. All services are provided at no charge to families for as long as they need them.

Product overview

Ele's Place is a nonprofit healing center offering a coordinated suite of grief support services for children, teens, young adults, and their families in Michigan. The organization operates three branch locations (Ann Arbor, Capital Region/Lansing, and West Michigan/Grand Rapids) providing peer-based grief support programs. Core services include Peer Grief Support Groups (evening groups for ages 3-18), School-Based Grief Support through Ele's Group partnerships with local school districts, Virtual Young Adult Peer Grief Support via Zoom for ages 18-26, and Parent/Guardian Support Groups facilitated by licensed clinicians. Additional offerings include Clinical Consultations, an educational Resource Library with book lists and articles, and annual fundraising events including Healing Hearts 5K, Ele's Race 5K, Derby Day Soirée, Cars & Cocoa, and Courage Comfort & Cocktails. Ele's Place Store sells branded merchandise. All grief support services are provided free of charge to families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Grief Support Groups (Evening Groups) Weekly peer support groups for grieving children and teens ages 3-18 and their families, held Monday through Thursday evenings during the school year. Groups are divided by age/grade (Preschool/Kindergarten, Early Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School) and facilitated by trained volunteers with oversight from licensed Clinical Program Staff.
• School-Based Grief Support (Ele's Group) 8-week peer support groups offered in partnership with local school districts, providing grief support to students during the school day. School clinical staff collaborate with Ele's Place to remove barriers and meet grieving students where they are.
• Young Adult Peer Grief Support (Virtual)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 31,000 individuals served since founding in 1991
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elesplacegr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Ele's Place