Project Joy & Hope

What Project Joy & Hope does

Project Joy & Hope (PJH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by Dr. Jan Wheeler, headquartered at 3207 Tulip Street in Pasadena, Texas. The organization provides stability and supportive care for families of children with serious medical conditions, primarily those receiving treatment at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Its core asset is the Tulip Project, a residential campus of 12 fully furnished three-bedroom duplex homes where families can stay up to 90 days (extendable) while a child undergoes treatment, transplant recovery, or palliative care. The organization also operates the Pediatric Palliative Care Center (PPCC) and runs a portfolio of complementary programs including Family Assistance Grants, Sibshop sibling support, Life Planning Institute, Parent Support Line, Holiday Hearts and Hands, the Texas Pediatric Palliative Care Consortium, and the Hope Scholarships program, which has awarded over $1.3 million since 2001.

PJH is a service organization, not a technology company. Its underlying technology stack consists of standard third-party SaaS tools (Stripe, Network for Good, RunSignUp) supporting online donations and event registration; there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML components. The business model is a nonprofit hybrid: donations, event sponsorships, and corporate giving are the dominant revenue sources, supplemented by a $250 nonrefundable application fee and a $450/month housing fee from resident families, plus retail merchandise (greeting cards at $12/box). Annual signature events include the Golf Classic (27th year, ~300 golfers), Christmas in October Gala, Bingo by the Bay, and a 5K Fun Run. The recurring "Power of 24" program ($24/month) provides a predictable subscription revenue line. Access to housing services is gated through referrals from Texas Medical Center healthcare providers and social workers, making the distribution model referral-driven rather than self-serve.

Name

Project Joy & Hope

Legal name

Project Joy & Hope

Website

https://joyandhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Joy & Hope is a Pasadena, Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Tulip Project, a 12-duplex residential campus providing temporary housing and supportive care for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at the Texas Medical Center, funded primarily through donations and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Caregiver Relief & Coaching (Respite-Integrated) (HSABAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospice & Palliative Respite Care (HSABAGAG), Planned/Vacation Respite (Scheduled Short-Term Coverage) (HLADAKAF)

Keywords

• Pediatric palliative care
• Residential family housing
• Supportive care services
• Nonprofit healthcare support
• Family assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Golf Classic and Gala Sponsorships: The Annual Golf Classic and Gala are the primary sources of funding for all agency programs. The Golf Classic attracts approximately 300 golfers each year. Gala sponsorships range from $1,500 to $25,000, with various perks including tables at events, recognition, and marketing exposure.
2. Direct Donations and Monthly Giving: The Power of 24 monthly giving program allows donors to contribute $24/month to provide a day of housing for families. One-time gifts and memorial/honor donations are also accepted through the website.
3. Family Housing Fees: Families pay a $250 nonrefundable application fee and a monthly service fee of $450 (approximately $15/day) for housing at the Tulip Project.
4. Hope Scholarship Program: Sponsorships for the Hope Scholarship program, which has awarded over $1.3 million in scholarships to deserving seniors since 2001. Various sponsorship levels available.
5. Merchandise Sales: Greeting card sales including all occasion cards and holiday cards, priced at $12 per box of 8 cards with envelopes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Project Joy & Hope operates the Tulip Project, a residential campus of 12 duplex-style homes in Pasadena, Texas providing temporary furnished housing for out-of-town families whose seriously ill children (age 22 or younger) are receiving treatment, transplant care, or palliative/hospice services at Texas Medical Center hospitals. Beyond housing, PJH delivers a comprehensive supportive care program addressing emotional, financial, spiritual, and logistical needs of the entire family through case management, peer support, family assistance grants, sibling programs, scholarships, and holiday support.

Product overview

Project Joy & Hope is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive supportive care program for families with seriously ill children. The core offerings include The Tulip Project (12 duplex residential homes providing temporary housing near the Texas Medical Center) and the Pediatric Palliative Care Center (PPCC) providing education and supportive care programs. Supporting programs include Family Assistance Grants, Hope Scholarships, Sibshop sibling support, Holiday Hearts and Hands Program, Life Planning Institute, Texas Pediatric Palliative Care Consortium, and Parent Support Line. The Power of 24 monthly giving program enables donors to sponsor housing days for families. Annual fundraising events include the Golf Classic, Christmas in October Gala, Bingo by the Bay, and 5K Fun Run. Retail products include greeting cards featuring artwork by Valerie Wheeler.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Tulip Project: A unique pediatric palliative care residential complex comprised of twelve residential homes where families discover a home away from home while children are undergoing treatment, requiring palliative care, or awaiting or recovering from a transplant.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Center (PPCC)
• Hope Scholarships
• Sibshop
• Power of 24

Products and services

• The Tulip Project
• Pediatric Palliative Care Center (PPCC)
• Family Assistance Grants
• Hope Scholarships
• Sibshop
• Holiday Hearts and Hands Program
• Life Planning Institute
• Texas Pediatric Palliative Care Consortium
• Parent Support Line
• Greeting Cards and Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 years of service helping families navigate serious childhood illness
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of PasadenacoreOthersPartnered with PJH to establish the permanent Tulip Project site in 2013, providing support for the residential campus development.
• Texas Gulf Coast Housing PartnerscoreOthersCollaborated with PJH in 2013 to establish the permanent site for families at the Tulip Project campus.
• Texas Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare partner where PJH families' children receive treatment. Hospital social workers refer families to PJH services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Large national nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. While not a housing provider, it serves a closely overlapping population (families of critically ill children) and operates a similar donation- and volunteer-driven nonprofit model at much larger scale.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National nonprofit raising funds for children's hospitals across North America. Operates at much larger scale with broader pediatric healthcare mission, but shares the family-centered pediatric care funding/awareness space with PJH.
• Hope Lodge (American Cancer Society): American Cancer Society program offering free lodging for adult cancer patients and caregivers near treatment centers. Comparable residential-support model but focused on adults and operated at significantly larger scale across 30+ locations nationwide.

Emerging players

• Compass to Care: Nonprofit arranging and funding travel and lodging for families of children with cancer to access treatment. Highly comparable in supporting pediatric cancer families with non-medical needs during treatment, though focused on transportation/lodging logistics rather than residential campuses.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Nonprofit providing financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families, including lodging assistance during treatment. Comparable in mission and family-support orientation, though operates nationally without a residential campus model.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Pediatric cancer nonprofit funding research and family support programs. Shares the pediatric serious-illness family support mission with PJH, though focused on cancer specifically and on research funding rather than residential housing.
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation: Network of parent-led childhood cancer support groups providing family support, financial assistance, and advocacy. Shares family-caregiver support orientation with PJH's mission and operates through donations and local chapters.

Direct peers

• Hospitality Homes (Boston): Nonprofit providing short-term housing in private homes and apartments for families of patients receiving medical care in the Boston area. Closely comparable to PJH in mission of family lodging during pediatric medical treatment, though uses volunteer host homes rather than a dedicated campus.
• Family House (Pittsburgh): Nonprofit providing temporary housing for families of seriously ill adults and children receiving medical treatment at Pittsburgh-area hospitals. Operates a campus of residential homes near UPMC medical center, mirroring PJH's Tulip Project model anchored to a major medical hub.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Global nonprofit providing lodging and support for families with sick children receiving medical treatment near hospitals. RMHC is the most direct comparable in terms of residential housing for pediatric medical families, though it operates at much larger scale and serves broader conditions than PJH's palliative/transplant focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/joyandhope
• Xx.com/ProjectJoyHope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-joy-and-hope-for-texas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Project Joy & Hope