Adopt America Network

What Adopt America Network does

Adopt America Network (AAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit adoption agency headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, founded in 1983 by Richard K. Ransom. The organization is licensed by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (continuously since 1987) and operated with a team of 38 staff as of recent disclosures. Its functional role is to connect children waiting in Ohio's foster care system with permanent adoptive families, while providing support services to adoptive, kinship, and foster families across the full lifecycle — before, during, and after placement. Since inception, AAN reports placing nearly 5,000 children into permanent homes and currently serves 300+ children and 500+ families annually.

AAN's core offering is a portfolio of human-mediated services rather than a technology product: OAKS (Ongoing Adoption and Kinship Support) provides post-placement family support; HAP (Home Assessment Program) operates statewide for Ohio's public and private agencies; the Heart Gallery is a traveling photo display of waiting children shown at libraries, churches, and community events; Waiting Children Profiles are published online; and Family Matching Services connect children with prospective families. The organization does not disclose any proprietary software platform; its technology footprint consists of a Squarespace-hosted website, Constant Contact email newsletters, PayPal donation processing, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X). Community partnerships span NACAC (membership), Open Homes (Heart Gallery co-implementation), Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (major gala sponsor), local Wendy's restaurants (recurring donor), YWCA of Northwest Ohio, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, and Bethlehem Baptist Church.

AAN's revenue model is donation- and event-driven: families receive services at no charge, and the organization is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, workplace giving via the Combined Federal Campaign (code #10543), and an annual event portfolio led by the Home for Good Gala (350+ attendees, ticket pricing at $150/person or $1,500/table). The 2020 Gala generated $113,000+ and a 2023 regional Wendy's campaign contributed $23,002. AAN reports that approximately 85 cents of every dollar spent in 2018 went directly to programs, with an average cost per child matched of approximately $5,000. Leadership transitioned in July 2024 when Brett Loney, a Certified Fund Raising Executive, succeeded Wendy Spoerl (retired after 25 years) as President, with Amy Tyson serving as Board Chair.

Name

Adopt America Network

Legal name

Adopt America Network

Website

https://adoptamericanetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adopt America Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Ohio-licensed adoption agency founded in 1983 that connects children in foster care with permanent families through matching, home assessment, and ongoing support services across Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adoption and Foster Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Foster care adoption
• Adoption matching services
• Home assessment program
• Kinship support services
• Adoption support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toledo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Primary revenue source from individual donors, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. The organization hosts annual galas, 5K events, and operates ongoing donation programs including online PayPal donations, memorial/tribute gifts, and workplace giving campaigns through Combined Federal Campaign (code #10543).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Adopt America Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits adoptive, kinship, and foster families and matches them with children waiting in foster care. It provides home assessments through a statewide licensed assessor program, ongoing pre- and post-adoption support through the OAKS program, and runs the Heart Gallery traveling display and Waiting Children online profiles to raise awareness. All services are provided at no cost to families and are funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Adopt America Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit adoption agency that operates as a service-oriented organization rather than a technology product company. The organization provides a portfolio of programs and services including OAKS (Ongoing Adoption and Kinship Support) for family support, HAP (Home Assessment Program) for home evaluations, a Heart Gallery traveling display, and online Waiting Children profiles that showcase children available for adoption. The core offering is a matching service connecting children in foster care with permanent families, along with community events, fundraising activities (such as the Home for Good Gala), and volunteer/mentorship programs. The organization does not offer a software product or platform, but rather provides direct social services for adoption and foster care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OAKS: Ongoing Adoption and Kinship Support
• HAP: Home Assessment Program
• Waiting Children Profiles
• Heart Gallery

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000 children placed in permanent homes since 1983
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North American Council of Adoptable Children (NACAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership organization for families, agencies, and professionals dedicated to achieving permanency for children in foster care and ensuring families thrive. AAN is a member of this organization.
• Open HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal agency partner for the Heart Gallery traveling display of waiting children across Northwest Ohio. Heart Gallery raises awareness about the need for adoptive families.
• YWCA of Northwest OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Foster Appreciation Breakfast event celebrating families who foster youth in Northwest Ohio.
• Toledo Lucas County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host Heart Gallery displays at various library branch locations for community awareness.
• Dillard's ToledominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for youth fashion shows at the Franklin Park Mall location. Provides venue and supports adoption awareness events.
• Bethlehem Baptist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner hosting Heart Gallery displays to reach faith-based community for adoption awareness.
• Daunte CulpepperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFormer NFL quarterback and adoptee served as special guest at 2024 Home for Good Gala. Advocated for adoption after being adopted as an infant.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-based nonprofit child welfare organization providing foster care, adoption, and family support across the Midwest. Closest geographic peer to AAN, with directly comparable program mix (matching, home assessment, post-adoption services) and similar nonprofit operating scale.
• Children's Home Society of California: California-focused nonprofit child welfare agency providing adoption, foster care, and family services. Comparable as a regional nonprofit adoption agency model to AAN, but operating in a different geography (West Coast) with similar mission and program structure (matching, home studies, post-adoption support).

Others

• North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC): National membership and advocacy organization for adoption and foster care professionals, agencies, and families. AAN is a member of NACAC; comparable as the umbrella industry body governing practice standards for adoption agencies like AAN.
• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: National nonprofit foundation dedicated to finding permanent homes for children in foster care. Listed as a major 2024 AAN gala sponsor and shares AAN's mission focus, but operates as a grant-making funder and awareness organization rather than a direct adoption service provider.
• Adoption Exchange Association: National network that facilitates adoptions of waiting children through photo listings and recruitment partnerships. Comparable as an ecosystem partner AAN collaborates with to find families for hard-to-place children, though operates as a network/matchmaker rather than a direct service provider.

Direct peers

• Bethany Christian Services: National faith-based nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, and family support services across multiple states. Most directly comparable to AAN as both organizations operate the same core adoption matching and post-placement support model, with Bethany simply operating at far greater geographic scale.
• Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children: Private nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption, home studies, and post-adoption support. Directly comparable as a similarly sized private 501(c)(3) offering a no-fee or low-fee family-matching service model with comparable programs to AAN's OAKS and HAP offerings.
• Children's Aid Society: Long-established nonprofit child welfare organization providing adoption, foster care, and family preservation services. Directly comparable mission and service mix — both focus on permanency outcomes for children in foster care with full pre- and post-adoption support — though Children's Aid operates at much larger scale and broader geography.

Broad incumbents

• Lutheran Services in America: National network of 300+ Lutheran social service organizations, including adoption and foster care programs. Comparable as a faith-rooted nonprofit social services provider with overlapping child welfare offerings, though LSA's portfolio is much broader than AAN's focused adoption mandate.
• Catholic Charities USA: National federation of Catholic Charities agencies providing adoption, foster care, pregnancy support, and broader social services. Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit network engaged in adoption work, though operating at vastly greater scale and with a much wider service portfolio than AAN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Adopt_America
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdoptAmericaNetwork
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptamericanetwork

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adopt America Network