Soar Detroit

What Soar Detroit does

Soar Detroit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Doug Kempton in Detroit, Michigan, originally operating under the name Eagle Sports Club. The organization's flagship service is the Soar literacy tutoring program, providing one-on-one reading instruction twice weekly to students in grades 2-5 who are reading below grade level, with reported outcomes of 2+ grade level improvements per year of tutoring. Complementing literacy tutoring, Soar Detroit operates Eagle Sports Club, a youth sports league serving approximately 2,000 children annually in soccer, baseball, flag football, and indoor/outdoor programs, making the organization a hybrid literacy-and-sports provider for Detroit youth.

The organization operates with limited proprietary technology: it relies on standard video conferencing for remote mentoring and a Squarespace-based e-commerce platform for the Soar Store (branded merchandise priced $5-$50). Tutoring is delivered primarily in person at partner sites, with Grace Community Church at 21001 Moross Road serving as both headquarters and main host location, supplemented by Oak Pointe Church and other community venues; a remote/virtual tutoring option extends reach beyond the physical footprint. The org uses no AI/ML systems; lesson plans are individualized manually by volunteer mentors. There are no mobile apps, proprietary platforms, or APIs.

Soar Detroit's business model blends three revenue streams: (1) tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations (with named financial partners including United Way, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Ballmer Group), (2) recurring monthly tutoring tuition ($40/month for the first child, $30/month per sibling), and (3) branded merchandise sales. The organization is governed by a board including Murray Sales, Paul Mattes, and Sadi Smith, with operational leadership under Founder Doug Kempton, Director of Literacy Programming Valerie Ribbron, and Assistant Director Candy Borum. It is currently running a $250,000 fundraising campaign tied to its 25-year anniversary in 2024, with cumulative impact reported at 35,000+ children and families.

Name

Soar Detroit

Legal name

Soar Detroit

Website

https://soardetroit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soar Detroit is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing one-on-one literacy tutoring to elementary students in grades 2-5 who read below grade level, supplemented by youth sports programming through its Eagle Sports Club division. Founded in 1999, the faith-based organization partners with local churches, schools, and major foundations including Kellogg and Ballmer Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Literacy and Education Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Reading Comprehension & Literacy Intervention Tutoring (Non-OG) (EDANAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Note-Taking, Reading & Comprehension Strategies (EDANADAC)

Keywords

• Literacy tutoring
• Youth sports leagues
• Community education
• Nonprofit reading program
• After-school enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Soar Detroit operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies heavily on tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund operations and programs.
2. Tutoring Tuition: Families pay monthly tuition for tutoring services: $40/month for first child, $30/month for siblings.
3. Merchandise Sales: The Soar Store sells branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and promotional items ranging from $5 to $50.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Soar Detroit is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides individualized one-on-one literacy tutoring to students in grades 2-5 who read below grade level, delivered at partner church and community sites twice per week. It also operates Eagle Sports Club youth sports leagues (soccer, baseball, flag football), a volunteer Reading Mentor and Site Assistant program, a Soar Storytime video library, and an online Soar Store selling branded apparel and accessories. The literacy tutoring program has produced an average improvement of more than 2 reading grade levels per year of tutoring.

Product overview

Soar Detroit is a nonprofit organization providing literacy tutoring and youth sports programs to children in Detroit. Its core offerings include the Soar Literacy Tutoring Program (one-on-one reading instruction for grades 2-5) and Eagle Sports Club (youth sports leagues). Supporting programs include the Reading Mentor Program, Site Assistant volunteer positions, and Soar Storytime video library. The organization also operates the Soar Store, a branded merchandise e-commerce site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soar: Literacy tutoring program for children in grades 2-5, providing one-on-one tutoring with individualized lesson plans. Students experience an average improvement of more than 2 reading grade levels in one year.
• Eagle Sports Club

Products and services

• Soar Literacy Tutoring Program One-on-one literacy tutoring program for students in grades 2-5 who are reading one or more levels below grade expectations. Students receive individualized lesson plans focused on decoding, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, delivered two days per week at partner sites. The program has produced an average improvement of more than 2 reading grade levels per tutoring year and serves approximately 150 students annually.
• Eagle Sports Club East-side Detroit youth sports league offering soccer (indoor and outdoor), baseball, and flag football programs for children. Originated as the founding program of Soar Detroit and now operates as its sports programming arm, reaching nearly 2,000 kids per year across multiple sports.
• Soar Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Students experience an average improvement of more than 2 reading grade levels in one year of tutoring
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grace Community ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host site for Soar Detroit tutoring and headquarters location. Grace Community Church at 21001 Moross Road provides space for literacy programs and sports leagues.
• Oak Pointe ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOak Pointe Church mentors tutor students at Mann and Dixon location, demonstrating church-based volunteer partnership model.
• LifeBuilder's Fisher/Denby ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership where 10 high school seniors were hired to tutor 34 grade-school students, increasing youth employment and literacy outcomes.
• Children's Literacy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational movement partner focused on better preparing children through education and literacy support.
• Detroit Schools, Community Organizations, and ChurchescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSoar Detroit actively recruits Detroit schools, community organizations, and churches to host tutoring sites, expanding program availability throughout the city.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• First Book: Nonprofit social enterprise focused on providing books and educational resources to children in low-income communities. Similar literacy-improvement mission at much larger scale, with a distribution rather than tutoring model.
• Reading Is Fundamental: One of the largest and oldest children's literacy nonprofits in the U.S. Comparable in mission (combating childhood illiteracy) but operates primarily through book distribution and broader national programs rather than one-on-one tutoring.
• Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit pediatric literacy program that works with healthcare providers to promote early literacy. Comparable in literacy-improvement mission but operates through clinical partnerships rather than tutoring centers.

Direct peers

• Reading Partners: National nonprofit providing one-on-one literacy tutoring to students reading below grade level in under-resourced schools. Directly comparable to Soar Detroit's volunteer-mentor-based literacy model, with a much larger geographic footprint.
• Raising A Reader: National nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy and family engagement around reading. Comparable in its community-and-family-based literacy intervention model targeting under-served children.
• 826 National: Network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers focused on supporting student literacy skills for under-served K–12 students. Comparable in its community-based, volunteer-driven literacy support model.
• Raise Up Reading: Literacy intervention nonprofit providing one-on-one tutoring to struggling readers. Directly comparable in core service model and target population.

Regional players

• Detroit Public Schools Community District: Detroit's K-12 public school district. Not a direct competitor but the primary institutional context where Soar Detroit's students are served — a major potential partner or customer segment for Soar.
• United Way for Southeastern Michigan: Regional United Way affiliate that is a current financial partner of Soar Detroit. Comparable in community-based fundraising and grantmaking for literacy/social services, and a direct ecosystem partner.

Emerging players

• BookSpring: Austin-based literacy nonprofit focused on improving reading outcomes for children through community-based programs. Comparable in community-led literacy intervention model, though at a smaller regional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@soardetroit313

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Soar Detroit