SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative

What SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative does

SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative (STICC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut, with a secondary mailing address in Northborough, Massachusetts. The organization provides financial scholarships to families of adolescents struggling with significant emotional and behavioral challenges—including anxiety, depression, addictions, and other risky behaviors—so that those families can access wilderness therapy programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and aftercare counseling they could not otherwise afford. SavingTeens operates a collaborative model in which educational consultants refer families into a structured multi-phase application process; therapeutic program partners contribute discounted or partial scholarships; and the organization layers its own direct funding (including through the Thomas E. Bratter Scholarship Fund, initially capitalized with more than $450,000) and peer-parent support services onto the placement. A separate Parent Support Program, developed in partnership with Willows in the Wind, pairs experienced parents with newly struggling families using planned video conferencing group connections.

The organization is funded entirely through charitable donations, fundraising events (such as golf scrambles, wine mixers, 5K runs, and film benefit screenings), and partnership in-kind contributions. It currently operates with a small paid staff (1-10 employees) supplemented by volunteer involvement and is governed by a Board of Directors. Recent governance changes—Carrie Weatherhead's October 2016 resignation as Executive Director, Kelly S. Brown's appointment as the new Executive Director effective January 27, 2017, and Les Mann's election as Interim President and Chairman effective February 1, 2017, succeeding founder John Reuben—reflect an ongoing professionalization of leadership. In 2016 SavingTeens supported 12 families, and in the prior fiscal year it funded 14 families, against an average inbound pipeline of approximately thirty initial applications per month.

SavingTeens' go-to-market is community-led, relying on referral relationships with educational consultants, a network of therapeutic program partners (John Dewey Academy, Auldern Academy, Vantage Point by Aspiro, Gateway Academy, Summit Preparatory School, Second Nature Entrada & Cascades, ReCreation Retreat, WinGate Wilderness Therapy, Squaw Valley Academy, and Building Bridges), and grassroots fundraising events. Marketing channels include organic social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), a blog and email newsletter, press and earned media, and a community referral network. The organization does not sell products or services and has no pricing model; its "customers" are beneficiary families, and its revenue mechanics are donation-based. The technology stack is minimal, limited to a WordPress website, Mailchimp email, and BestNotes application management.

Name

SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative

Legal name

Saving Teens in Crisis Collaborative

Website

https://savingteens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships to families of troubled teens so they can access wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools, and aftercare counseling they cannot otherwise afford, operating through a referral network of educational consultants and therapeutic program partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Teen mental health scholarships
• Wilderness therapy funding
• Therapeutic boarding school assistance
• Nonprofit family support services
• Adolescent behavioral treatment scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallingford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund scholarships for troubled teens and their families.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from charity events including golf scrambles, wine mixers, 5K runs, and annual celebrations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships to families of troubled teens to fund access to wilderness therapy programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and aftercare counseling. It supports these placements through a collaborative model involving educational consultant referrals, co-funded scholarships from partner therapeutic programs, and direct donor contributions, including a dedicated Thomas E. Bratter Scholarship Fund and a Parent Support Program offering peer mentorship.

Product overview

SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic organization that provides a multi-phase support solution for troubled teens and their families. The organization primarily offers scholarship programs (including the Thomas E. Bratter Scholarship Fund) to help families access wilderness therapy programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and aftercare counseling services. Additional services include a Parent Support Program developed in partnership with Willows in the Wind, which provides peer mentorship and group support for parents navigating the therapeutic care system. The organization operates a structured application process requiring Educational Consultant referrals, with support from BestNotes application management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Program Financial scholarships awarded to families of troubled teens to help cover costs of wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and aftercare counseling when families cannot afford these services due to financial limitations. The organization processes referrals from educational consultants and coordinates co-funded scholarships from therapeutic program partners and donors.
• Parent Support Program A free peer mentorship and group support program developed in partnership with Willows in the Wind, pairing struggling parents with experienced parents who have navigated the therapeutic care system, with eventual video conferencing group connections.
• Thomas E. Bratter Scholarship Fund A dedicated scholarship fund established to support the organization's mission of serving families in need, initially financed by a donation of more than $450,000 from a not-for-profit company formed by friends, family and alumni of the John Dewey Academy.
• Family Support Services Comprehensive support for families including guidance through the application process, educational consultant referrals, and coordination with therapeutic programs to help teens struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 families received scholarship support in 2016 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gateway AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2016Gateway Academy provides therapeutic education where every experience is designed to support teens. This marked SavingTeens' first partnership with Gateway Academy for a scholarship recipient in fiscal year 2017.
• Pamela BardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 September 2016New Jersey Educational Consultant Pamela Bard referred a family to SavingTeens when she realized the family did not have sufficient financial resources for planned residential treatment.
• ReCreation RetreatminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2016ReCreation Retreat is a residential treatment center and private therapeutic boarding school for troubled girls. They partnered with SavingTeens to help a young woman from Seattle transition from Wingate Wilderness Therapy.
• WinGate Wilderness TherapyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2016WinGate Wilderness Therapy is a premier wilderness therapy program for troubled teens and young adults. They partnered with SavingTeens to provide scholarships for treatment programs.
• Dean Doering & AssociatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 August 2016Dana Dean Doering of Dean Doering & Associates provided pro bono educational consulting to help connect a Seattle teen with appropriate therapeutic programs.
• Auldern AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2016Auldern Academy partnered with SavingTeens to provide support to a struggling young woman from North Carolina. They offered a substantial scholarship to enable the student to stay in her local community while receiving therapeutic support.
• Kim Davis ConsultingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 June 2016Kim Davis (educational consultant) provided pro bono support to help refer a young woman from North Carolina to Auldern Academy through SavingTeens.
• Vantage Point by AspirocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2016Vantage Point by Aspiro is designed for individuals facing emotional, learning, neurodevelopmental, psychological and behavioral difficulties. They partnered with SavingTeens to offer generous discounts to help a young man enroll in their program.
• Educational DirectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 June 2016Educational Directions, Inc. provides student-centered, nurturing environment to help individuals realize their full potential. Matthew Hart at Educational Directions referred a young man to SavingTeens through pro bono support.
• John Dewey AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2016The John Dewey Academy provides an individualized and comprehensive education in a non-traditional therapeutic boarding school setting. They partnered with SavingTeens to offer scholarships through the Thomas Bratter Scholarship Fund for bright, troubled adolescents with a history of self-defeating or self-destructive choices.
• Myrna Harris (harriskramer.com)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 June 2016Myrna Harris worked pro bono to refer a student to SavingTeens and John Dewey Academy through the Thomas Bratter Scholarship Fund.
• Building Bridges (Fairbanks Family)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2016Building Bridges, a program run by the Fairbanks family in Thompson Falls, Montana, was an early partner of SavingTeens. They funded one of SavingTeens' earliest scholarship recipients six years ago.
• Summit Preparatory SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2016Summit Preparatory School provides a nurturing relationship-based developmental approach to helping teens get unstuck. They offered a partial scholarship through SavingTeens for a young man with anxiety and drug use issues.
• Squaw Valley AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2016Squaw Valley Academy challenged students to Go Beyond Yourself and achieve more than they thought possible. They partnered with SavingTeens to help a young woman from Idaho continue her treatment.
• Loi EberleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 April 2016Loi Eberle, M.A., C.P.C., CPFC provided services at a very discounted rate to refer a young woman from Idaho to SavingTeens during her stay at Wingate Wilderness Therapy.
• Second Nature Entrada & CascadescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2015In honor of Entrada's 10-year Anniversary, Second Nature Entrada and Cascades partnered with SavingTeens to offer five scholarships constituting 65% of tuition. This wilderness therapy provider has been a long-time partner with SavingTeens.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Youth Villages: Nonprofit delivering intensive in-home, residential, and crisis intervention services for troubled children and teens. Comparable because it addresses the same emotional, behavioral, and family-system challenges SavingTeens targets, though through direct service rather than scholarships.
• Willows in the Wind: Nonprofit supporting families through wilderness therapy and parent peer mentorship. Directly comparable as SavingTeens' partner on the Parent Support Program and addresses the same family peer-support use case.
• Teen Lifeline: Nonprofit crisis support and peer-help line for adolescents. Comparable because it serves the same at-risk teen population with emotional/behavioral challenges, but via crisis intervention rather than scholarship funding.

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: Large established nonprofit providing residential care, behavioral health, and family support for at-risk youth. Comparable because it serves the same troubled-teen population through a broader service portfolio that SavingTeens only funds.
• National Children's Alliance: National nonprofit accrediting and supporting Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims. Comparable as a broader-incumbent in the at-risk youth services space that SavingTeens families frequently intersect with.
• Childhelp: Established nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention, treatment, and advocacy. Comparable because it serves overlapping at-risk youth populations and operates residential/group home programs that SavingTeens families often need access to.

Others

• National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP): Industry association representing therapeutic schools and programs. Comparable as the umbrella organization that defines standards and accreditation across many of SavingTeens' partner programs.

Emerging players

• John Dewey Academy: Therapeutic boarding school for troubled adolescents and the original contributor to SavingTeens' Thomas E. Bratter Scholarship Fund. Comparable as a downstream placement partner in the same at-risk-youth treatment ecosystem.
• Auldern Academy: Therapeutic boarding school for girls that partners with SavingTeens on discounted placements. Comparable as a therapeutic-school placement partner serving the same at-risk-teen population.
• Second Nature Entrada: Wilderness therapy program and long-time SavingTeens partner that offers discounted tuition scholarships. Comparable as a therapeutic wilderness provider sitting at the entry stage of SavingTeens' multi-phase placement pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/savingteen
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Saving-Teens-in-Crisis-Collaborative/133269186708697
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saving-teens-in-crisis-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SavingTeens in Crisis Collaborative