Hunters Hope

What Hunters Hope does

Hunter's Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization established in 1997 by Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and his wife Jill Kelly following their son Hunter's diagnosis with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, a rare and fatal inherited nervous system disease. Headquartered in Orchard Park, NY, with 11-50 employees, the foundation serves families affected by leukodystrophies — including Krabbe Disease, ALD, MLD, and Alexander Disease — through a portfolio of integrated programs: direct family support services (registration, wish gifts, equipment exchange, Wall of Fame), the Leukodystrophy Care Network of 16 Certified Care Centers and growing Affiliate Centers providing multidisciplinary clinical care, newborn screening advocacy at the state and federal level, the faith-based Immeasurably More podcast, inspirational publications, the Beau's Blessings ICU family ministry, and the Hunter Kelly Legacy Endowment.

The foundation's core "products" are non-commercial service and advocacy programs rather than technology platforms, supported by standard non-profit infrastructure (WordPress website, Shopify storefront, Classy.org donation portal, podcast distribution on Apple/Spotify/Amazon). Its revenue model relies on (1) one-time and recurring individual donations via the Hunter's Hero monthly program, (2) merchandise sales across the Legacy Collection, Beau Collection, LCN Family Collection, HH x MH Collection, Kelly family books, and commemorative bears, and (3) distributions from the principle-protected Hunter Kelly Legacy Endowment. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer/direct-to-donor via the website, social media (Instagram, X), email newsletters, annual events including the Family and Medical Symposium and Hunter's Day of Hope and Prayer for Children, and public-facing media appearances by the Kelly family.

Name

Hunters Hope

Legal name

Hunter's Hope Foundation

Website

https://huntershope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hunter's Hope Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1997 by Jim and Jill Kelly that supports families affected by leukodystrophies through the 16-center Leukodystrophy Care Network, direct family services, newborn screening advocacy, and faith-based content. Revenue comes from individual donations, merchandise sales, and the Hunter Kelly Legacy Endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Patient Advocacy / Rare Disease Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG)

Keywords

• Leukodystrophy research funding
• Family support services
• Krabbe disease advocacy
• Newborn screening programs
• Rare disease foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Orchard Park

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. Donations: The primary revenue source comes from one-time and monthly donations from individual donors, referred to as Hunter's Heroes. Donors contribute through the organization's website and Classy.org platform.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates a Shopify store selling merchandise including the Legacy Collection, bears (Hunter's Gifts of Love, Beau Bear), apparel (Beau Collection, LCN Family Collection), and books authored by the Kelly family.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hunter's Hope Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that provides support services to families affected by leukodystrophies, funds research into these diseases (particularly Krabbe Leukodystrophy), advocates for newborn screening programs, and sells HHF-branded apparel and merchandise. Founded in 1997 by Jim and Jill Kelly after their son Hunter's diagnosis, the foundation operates from Orchard Park, NY.

Product overview

Hunter's Hope is a non-profit charitable foundation established in 1997 by Jim and Jill Kelly following their son Hunter's diagnosis with Krabbe Leukodystrophy. The organization does not operate a unified technology product but rather offers a portfolio of programs and services centered on family support, awareness, and research for Leukodystrophies. Core offerings include the Immeasurably More Podcast (faith-based podcast), the Leukodystrophy Care Network (16 Certified Care Centers providing multidisciplinary care), Leukodystrophy Family Support Programs (registration, equipment exchange, wish gifts), Newborn Screening Advocacy, and inspirational publications. Additional programs include Beau's Blessings (ICU family support), Hope & Prayer Resources (bears, prayer support), the Hunter Kelly Legacy Program, and a Merchandise Store. These programs are standalone initiatives unified by the foundation's mission to provide hope through education, awareness, research, and family care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hunter's Gifts of Love: Special bears shared with special people and organizations throughout Western NY
• Immeasurably More Podcast
• Beau's Blessings
• Hunter Kelly Legacy Program
• Leukodystrophy Care Network (LCN)
• Hunter Kelly Legacy Endowment

Products and services

• HHF Merchandise Hunter's Hope Foundation branded apparel and merchandise sold to supporters, donors, and the general public to raise funds and awareness for the foundation's mission.
• Family Support Services Direct support programs provided to families and caregivers of children diagnosed with Krabbe disease and other leukodystrophies, including informational, emotional, and financial assistance resources.
• Leukodystrophy Research Grants Grant funding provided to researchers and academic institutions conducting studies on Krabbe disease and other leukodystrophies, with the grant program overseen by the foundation's Grant Officer.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jerry and Jacque Waggoner (Hunter's Grandparents)coreOthersThe Waggoners made the initial $10,000 donation to establish the Hunter Kelly Legacy Endowment on January 4, 2024. Both the Waggoner and Kelly families have committed to ongoing contributions to this endowment, which will support the Hunter Kelly Legacy Program financing initiatives like the Podcast, Scripture Booklets, Books, Bears, Retreats, and other projects promoting the message of Hope in Christ.
• Beau's BlessingsminorOthersA ministry created by Erin and Parker Bean in honor of their son Beau Hunter Bean. Beau's Blessings provides care packages to parents with children in the ICU, including DoorDash gift cards and encouragement from God's Word. Funded through The Beau Collection merchandise sales.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): Largest U.S. umbrella advocacy organization for rare diseases. Provides grantmaking, policy advocacy, and patient support programs that overlap with Hunter's Hope's mission, particularly on RUSP and state-level NBS policy.
• March of Dimes: Established maternal and child health nonprofit with deep involvement in newborn screening policy and family support. Operates at much larger scale and provides the historical policy template Hunter's Hope's NBS advocacy follows.

Direct peers

• MLD Foundation: Family-led foundation focused on Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, one of the leukodystrophies Hunter's Hope explicitly covers. Operates the same disease-specific family support, research funding, and newborn screening advocacy model at smaller scale.
• United Leukodystrophy Foundation: Long-standing umbrella organization serving families across all leukodystrophies. The most direct category competitor to Hunter's Hope, with overlapping family services, research funding, and clinical conference programming.
• ALD Alliance: Dedicated foundation for Adrenoleukodystrophy, referenced directly as an NBS partner on Hunter's Hope's site. Runs a near-identical family support, newborn screening advocacy, and care coordination model for a single leukodystrophy.
• Cure SMA: Disease-specific nonprofit for Spinal Muscular Atrophy that successfully drove newborn screening adoption and built a national care network. Highly analogous playbook on NBS advocacy, family services, and certified care centers.
• Myelin Project: Family-founded nonprofit funding research and supporting families affected by demyelinating diseases including leukodystrophies. Comparable disease-specific nonprofit model with research-grantmaking orientation.
• Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders: Family-driven foundation supporting patients with Zellweger spectrum and related peroxisomal disorders, several of which are classified within the broader leukodystrophy family Hunter's Hope serves. Similar parent-founded, small-team operating model.

Regional players

• Children's Hospital Foundations (e.g., Children's Hospital of Buffalo Foundation): Hospital-affiliated fundraising arms in the same Western New York geography, competing for the same regional donor base and corporate sponsorships. Comparable 501(c)(3) model focused on pediatric care in the Buffalo ecosystem.

Emerging players

• A Kid's Brain Tumor Cure / Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: Pediatric rare-disease nonprofit focused on childhood brain tumors. Operates a similar family-support-plus-research-funding model and competes for the same rare pediatric disease donor demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HuntersHopeFDN
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_immeasurablymore_podcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/HuntersHope

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 Hunters Hope