What XEL Foundation does

The XEL Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in November 2021 by Richard S. Francis and Kathie Francis to honor their grandson Lex, who has autism. The foundation operates two parallel program pillars: (1) a research funding program anchored by a five-year, $1,000,000 commitment to the Autism Discovery & Treatment Fund headed by Dr. Richard Frye, with over $660,000 disbursed to date, and (2) sensory inclusion initiatives consisting of permanent sensory rooms at partner venues, the mobile Sensory Activation Vehicle (S.A.V.E.), and sensory bags equipped with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, sunglasses, and communication cards provided free of charge. The foundation's flagship installations include a sensory room at Penn State University's Beaver Stadium (the first Big Ten university to earn Sensory Inclusive certification) and a multi-city Autism Inclusion Day event series held at zoos across nine U.S. cities. Operational delivery is executed through a partnership with KultureCity, the nation's leading sensory accessibility nonprofit, which handles venue certification and mobile deployment logistics.

The foundation employs 1-10 staff under President Elisa Krakowski and generates no fee revenue; it operates as a pure donation-driven non-profit with revenue derived from individual donors (including the recurring LEX GO! Club), corporate sponsorships, in-kind professional services, and a sustainable transaction-tied stream from R&R Express Family of Companies' 'Powered by Purpose' program. Under this program, R&R Express employees donate $0.54 per truckload of goods moved, which the company matches to produce $1.08 per load donated to the foundation. The foundation has cumulative donations exceeding $1 million since inception and serves three end-user segments: neurodiverse individuals requiring sensory accommodation, their families and caregivers seeking resources, and the autism research community receiving grant funding. Its secondary B2B segment comprises venues and event organizers pursuing Sensory Inclusive certification to accommodate neurodiverse attendees. Distribution relies on direct venue partnerships, event deployments via the S.A.V.E. mobile unit, and donation intake through Network for Good, phone, and mail channels rather than traditional sales infrastructure.

Name

XEL Foundation

Legal name

The XEL Foundation

Website

https://xelfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The XEL Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds progressive autism research and deploys sensory inclusion infrastructure, including venue sensory rooms and a mobile sensory vehicle (S.A.V.E.), for neurodiverse individuals, families, and partner venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Advocacy & Inclusion Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Sensory & Occupational Support (School-Based) (EDAKAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Autism research funding
• Sensory inclusion services
• Nonprofit charitable foundation
• Disability accessibility programs
• Community inclusion events

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals who support the foundation's mission of autism research and inclusion. Includes recurring donors (LexGo Club members) and one-time Difference Makers.
2. Corporate Donations: Contributions from corporations including the R&R Express Family of Companies' 'Powered by Purpose' program where employees donate $0.54 per truckload matched by the company ($1.08 total per load). Also includes corporate sponsors for events.
3. In-Kind Contributions: Services provided at no cost including marketing strategy and creative consulting (Forward Solutions), website design and hosting (eyemg), and XEL brand identity and marketing design (EJC).
4. Recurring Donor Program (LEX GO! Club): Automatically recurring donors are members of the LEX GO! Club, providing predictable revenue streams for the foundation's ongoing operations and commitments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

XEL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that funds progressive autism research and delivers sensory inclusion programming. Its core work consists of two pillars: (1) a five-year, $1,000,000 research funding commitment with the Autism Discovery & Treatment Fund, and (2) free sensory inclusion services including dedicated sensory rooms at major venues, a mobile Sensory Activation Vehicle (S.A.V.E.) deployed to national events, sensory bags distributed at partner venues, and multi-city Autism Inclusion Day events at zoos. The foundation is sustained by individual and corporate donations, including a recurring employee giving program powered by R&R Express Family of Companies.

Product overview

The XEL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a unified mission-focused entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The foundation's core offerings center on two pillars: autism research funding and sensory inclusion initiatives. Research activities are consolidated under the Research Funding Program, a five-year $1,000,000 commitment with the Autism Discovery & Treatment Fund. Inclusion work encompasses Sensory Rooms installed at venues like Penn State Beaver Stadium, the mobile Sensory Activation Vehicle (S.A.V.E.) for event accessibility, and Sensory-Inclusive Event Support partnerships. Supporting offerings include the annual Autism Inclusion Day multi-city zoo events, Family Resources directory, Newsletter Subscription, and Autism Awareness Programs. The foundation does not offer a commercial technology product but rather provides charitable programs and community initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Funding Program A multi-year research grant program funding hand-selected, progressive autism research through the Autism Discovery & Treatment Fund, aimed at understanding and potentially ending the increasing rates of autism. More than $660,000 has been donated to date against the $1,000,000 commitment.
• Sensory Rooms Calming, low-stimulation physical spaces installed at partner venues to provide a safe space for individuals with sensory needs and invisible disabilities such as autism, dementia, Down Syndrome, and PTSD. Free for attendees and accompanied by sensory bags (noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, sunglasses, communication cards).
• Sensory Activation Vehicle (S.A.V.E.) A mobile sensory vehicle that deploys nationwide to events lacking a dedicated sensory room, providing inclusive sensory experiences for neurodiverse individuals at large-scale public events.
• Sensory-Inclusive Event Support Partnership-based service that delivers sensory spaces and sensory bags to events and venues (e.g., Penn State THON), enabling accessibility for individuals with sensory processing disorders such as autism, ADHD, and PTSD.
• Autism Inclusion Day at the Zoo An annual, multi-city community event held at zoos to promote inclusion and autism awareness, featuring sensory trailers, sensory bags, and free admission for individuals with sensory needs and their families in partnership with local autism organizations.
• Autism Awareness Programs Educational and awareness initiatives including World Autism Month campaigns, dissemination of autism facts, and community engagement to promote understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million raised in under 4 years since founding
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.

• Penn State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025XEL Foundation installed a sensory room at Penn State's Beaver Stadium (2nd largest stadium in US) making it the first Big Ten university with Sensory Inclusive certification. The foundation also supported Penn State's first sensory-inclusive THON event in February 2025.
• Autism PittsburghmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Partnership for Autism Inclusion Day at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Through Autism Pittsburgh, XEL Foundation gifted over 200 individuals with sensory needs and their family members free tickets to the inclusive event.
• Zoo Partnerships (Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Houston, Denver, Kansas City, Tampa, Boston, Phoenix)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024XEL Foundation partners with zoos in 8 cities across the United States for Autism Inclusion Day events. Each location has local organizational partners (Autism Pittsburgh, Jacksonville School for Autism, Champions Club, Summit Supports, Children's Mercy of Kansas City, Spellers Tampa, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center).
• KultureCitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKultureCity is the nation's leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities. XEL Foundation partners with KultureCity to provide sensory inclusive certifications for venues, install sensory rooms, and operate the Sensory Activation Vehicle (S.A.V.E.) that travels to events providing mobile sensory experiences.
• Autism Discovery & Treatment FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXEL Foundation has committed to a five-year, $1,000,000 funding partnership with the Autism Discovery & Treatment Fund, headed by Dr. Richard Frye, MD, PhD, FAAP, FAAN, CPI. The foundation funds hand-selected, progressive autism research through this partnership.
• Penn State Beaver StadiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation of XEL Foundation's sensory room behind section SF on level 3. The stadium has a capacity of 106,572 and is the 2nd largest stadium in the United States.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Different Needz Foundation: Smaller family-founded autism nonprofit funding inclusion, sensory tools, and family support — closely comparable in scale, structure, and grassroots-events operating model.
• The Autism Community in Action (TACA): National autism nonprofit focused on education, resources, and community events for families — comparable grassroots-events-plus-family-resources operating model to XEL.
• KultureCity: The nation's leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance; XEL's core operational partner for venue certifications, sensory rooms, and the S.A.V.E. mobile vehicle — making it both collaborator and closest functional peer in sensory inclusion.
• Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism: Family-founded autism nonprofit funding research, inclusion, and family support — directly comparable structure to XEL with a similar grassroots-events-plus-grants operating model.
• Autism Research Institute: Long-running autism research funder with parallel focus on translating science into family-facing resources; comparable research-grant-plus-family-support posture.
• Organization for Autism Research: Autism-focused research funder that also emphasizes community engagement and family resources — closely comparable mix of research funding and applied family support.

Broad incumbents

• Autism Speaks: Largest US autism advocacy and research nonprofit; competes with XEL for corporate sponsorships and donor dollars while operating overlapping awareness, research funding, and inclusion programs at vastly greater scale.
• Autism Society of America: Long-standing national autism organization providing advocacy, resources, and inclusion programs; overlaps with XEL's family resources and community-event focus.
• Easterseals: Major disability-services nonprofit operating inclusion, accessibility, and community programs nationwide; broader scope but overlapping venue and community inclusion initiatives relevant to XEL.

Regional players

• Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC): Regional autism research and inclusion organization that has partnered with XEL on Autism Inclusion Day events; comparable programmatic mix at a more geographically concentrated footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/FoundationXel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClkR_FiNV9sunaeFj7usadg
• Facebookfacebook.com/XELFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xel-foundation/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/xelfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 XEL Foundation