The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation

Name

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation

Legal name

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation

Website

https://jimmymillerfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan Beach

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: JMMF operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All Ocean Therapy sessions are offered free of charge to participants, funded entirely through individual donations (one-time and recurring monthly), corporate sponsorships, event fundraising (BeneFiesta gala, The Jimmy Surf Fiesta, Poker By the Beach), foundation grants, and government/hospital partnerships. The stated goal is that 80% of funding goes directly to programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JMMF provides Ocean Therapy, a structured therapeutic protocol combining licensed therapist-led group talk discussions with surfing and ocean-related activities, delivered free of charge to participants. Programs are organized into specialized modules serving military/veterans, at-promise youth, healthcare workers, first responders, individuals with special needs, and survivors/victims of trauma. All sessions are funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events, with 80% of the foundation's budget allocated directly to programming.

Product overview

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation is the world leader in Ocean/Surf Therapy, offering a unified therapeutic program combining therapist-led group discussions with surfing instruction and ocean activities. The core Ocean Therapy product serves multiple populations through specialized program modules: Military/Veterans Ocean Therapy, At-Promise Youth Ocean Therapy, Special Needs Ocean Therapy, Healthcare Workers Ocean Therapy (named FROPOWR), First Responders Ocean Therapy, and Survivors & Victims Ocean Therapy. All sessions are free to participants and led by licensed therapists with certified surf instructors and safety coordinators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Therapy A structured therapeutic protocol combining licensed therapist-led group talk discussions with surfing and ocean-related activities. Sessions include pre and post surfing talking circles centered on chosen daily themes, delivered free of charge to participants referred through partner organizations.
• Military/Veterans Ocean Therapy Program Ocean-based alternative therapy protocol serving active-duty military members and veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, and addiction. Conducts sessions with Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton averaging two sessions per month, expanding to Hawaii and Navy Wounded Warriors in 2025.
• Healthcare Workers Ocean Therapy Program Ocean Therapy program dedicated to healthcare providers suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional trauma resulting from COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Delivered in partnership with Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Providence Healthcare's Little Company of Mary, and Beach Cities Health District.
• FROPOWR (First Responders Oceanic Performance Optimization Wellness & Resiliency) First Responders Ocean Therapy program focused on performance optimization, wellness and resiliency rather than traditional PTSD therapy framing. Serves police, fire, medics, and dispatch personnel who face traumatic incidents in their line of duty.
• Special Needs Ocean Therapy Program Ocean/surf therapy program for individuals with special needs and neurodivergent populations, including autism and developmental disorders. Delivered in partnership with the Friendship Foundation, Mychal's Learning Place, and populations with Down Syndrome Regression Disorder.
• At-Promise Youth Ocean Therapy Program Ocean Therapy sessions for at-promise youth (formerly at-risk), coupling group discussions with individual surfing instruction, body surfing, and water safety education. Serves youth who have experienced physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse, domestic violence, gang warfare, and foster care environments.
• Survivors and Victims Ocean Therapy Program Ocean Therapy for survivors and victims of trauma including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse; victims of gang violence; children who have lost loved ones to cancer; children living with heart disease; and those suffering from Type 1 diabetes effects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% increase in sessions held compared to 2021 (81+ sessions)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• You're Just My TypeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership established in 2025 to aid those suffering with effects of Type 1 diabetes through ocean therapy.
• Camp Del CorazonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In 2024, JMMF combined efforts with Camp Del Corazon to serve children living with heart disease.
• Providence Little Company of Mary HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, JMMF expanded healthcare worker ocean therapy to include teams from Providence Healthcare's Little Company of Mary Hospital, increasing to twelve sessions that year.
• Beach Cities Health DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Beach Cities Health District provided grant support for the initial healthcare worker ocean therapy sessions and continues to partner in expanding surf therapy programs.
• Friendship FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership initiated in 2022 to bring ocean/surf therapy to people with special needs and neurodivergent populations. A pilot session was transformative and led to expanded programming.
• Mychal's Learning PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Serves special needs children and young adults through JMMF ocean therapy sessions.
• Torrance Memorial Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Launched the Healthcare Workers Ocean Therapy Program in fall 2021 in partnership with Torrance Memorial Medical Center, conducting five pilot sessions supported by a Beach Cities Health District grant. The program created a self-sustaining support group among participants.
• Wounded Warrior Battalion WestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Since 2007, JMMF has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton to conduct ocean therapy sessions for active-duty Marines. The program began as a pilot under Col Greg Martin and continues with approximately two sessions per month. In 2025, expanded to include the WWB-West Hawaii detachment and Navy Wounded Warriors from Balboa/Coronado.
• Veterans Village San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJMMF partners with Veterans Village San Diego to serve veterans from the San Diego VA Domiciliary (Aspire Center) and various veteran organizations in ocean therapy sessions.
• Greater Los Angeles Veterans Association (GLAVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GLAVA to serve veterans living in the domiciliary in West LA with 4-6 sessions per year at El Porto, focused on those struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and homelessness.
• Uplift Family Services (Hollygrove)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth services organization serving at-promise youth who participate in JMMF's summer ocean therapy sessions in Manhattan Beach.
• Hillsides of PasadenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild and family services organization partnered with JMMF for at-promise youth ocean therapy programs.
• Richstone Family CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes at-promise youth and survivors/victims of abuse through JMMF ocean therapy sessions.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with JMMF for summer ocean therapy programs serving at-promise youth.
• Happy Trails Children's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's foundation partnered with JMMF for youth ocean therapy programming.
• Walk With SallycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides ocean therapy for children who have lost parents or loved ones to cancer, and also serves youth who have experienced trauma.
• Just Keep LivincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth empowerment organization co-hosting the annual Beach Day with surf and art experiences and participating in JMMF ocean therapy.
• Didi HirschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuicide prevention organization partnered with JMMF for at-promise youth ocean therapy programs.
• South Bay Boardriders ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides contest management and judging for The Jimmy Surf Fiesta competition.
• International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJMMF is a founding member of ISTO and continues to lead the international surf therapy field through this organization.
• Veterans GuideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans benefits guide partnered with JMMF's military ocean therapy program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Warrior Surf Foundation: Nonprofit providing surf therapy specifically to wounded, ill, and injured veterans and their families on the U.S. East Coast. Directly comparable to JMMF's Military/Veterans Ocean Therapy Program in modality, clinical framing, and referral-based delivery, and competes for VA-affiliated partner relationships.
• Operation Surf: California-based nonprofit that runs free surf therapy programs for active-duty military, veterans, and first responders. Comparable to JMMF on coastal-California surf therapy delivery for trauma-affected service populations, and a likely competitor for Wounded Warrior Battalion referrals.
• Waves for Change: South Africa-based nonprofit delivering surf therapy to at-risk youth facing violence, trauma, and mental health challenges. Directly comparable to JMMF's At-Promise Youth Ocean Therapy Program in modality and therapeutic theory of change, and one of the few organizations worldwide operating at scale with published impact data in the same surf-therapy category.
• The Resurface Foundation: California-based nonprofit delivering surf therapy programs to veterans, active-duty military, and first responders. Closest direct peer to JMMF given overlapping mission, modality (surf therapy), and target populations, including the first-responder segment where JMMF's FROPOWR program competes for partner mind-share.

Others

• Travis Manion Foundation: Veteran-services nonprofit that empowers veterans and families of fallen service members through character-based programming, community service, and veteran peer-support networks. Comparable to JMMF only thematically; explicitly named in JMMF management bios as a previous employer and potential partnership network, not a direct surf-therapy competitor.
• International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO): Industry association for the surf therapy field, of which JMMF is a founding member. Not a competitor but a peer organization setting standards and convening practitioners globally; useful comparison point on field professionalization, research dissemination, and category governance.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: National nonprofit using fly fishing and outdoor recreational therapy to support disabled veterans' physical and mental recovery. Conceptually similar to JMMF in applying outdoor recreation as a clinical modality for trauma-affected veterans, but uses a different sport and a nationwide volunteer chapter model.

Broad incumbents

• Wounded Warrior Project: One of the largest U.S. nonprofits serving post-9/11 wounded veterans across mental health, physical rehabilitation, career transition, and long-term support. A broad incumbent that overlaps with JMMF's Military/Veterans program but at vastly larger scale and with a multi-modality service portfolio rather than a specialized surf-therapy niche.
• Soldier On: Nonprofit providing transitional housing, supportive services, and wellness programming to homeless and at-risk veterans across multiple states. Adjacent to JMMF's GLAVA-partnered veterans-in-recovery ocean therapy sessions but operates in housing and case management rather than surf-based therapy.
• Team Red White & Blue (Team RWB): National nonprofit focused on veteran community, wellness, and physical activity programming across the United States. Overlaps with JMMF on veteran mental health and physical wellness, but delivers primarily through community events, fitness programs, and local chapters rather than specialized surf therapy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JMMFFOUNDATION
• Facebookfacebook.com/jimmymillermemorialfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/15279521
• Instagraminstagram.com/jmmfoundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@jmmfoundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation