Simon Says Give
Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2011 that runs Birthday Celebrations, Youth Leadership programs, and the annual High Five for Supplies backpack drive for underprivileged children. Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, the organization is supported by a network of corporate Legacy Donors and operates with under 10 employees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersEagan, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Simon Says Give does
Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by 7-year-old Mandi Simon and headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota. Operating under the tagline 'Kids Celebrating Kids', the organization runs three core programs: Birthday Celebrations (delivering personalized birthday boxes and cakes to children in need, including the recently launched 'Birthdays for Ben' memorial program), Youth Leadership (providing volunteer and board opportunities to develop leadership skills in young people), and the annual High Five for Supplies backpack drive, which set a Guinness World Record in 2018 for stuffing 8,148 backpacks in 8 hours.
The organization is supported by a network of corporate Legacy Donors including MoneyGram Foundation, Salesforce, Mall of America, Versique, Celarity, General Mills, and Deluxe Corporation, alongside individual donations processed via PayPal. Technology infrastructure is limited to Salesforce CRM for donor management, volunteer coordination, and birthday celebration logistics, with no public API, mobile app, or AI capabilities. GTM relies on community-led engagement, event-driven fundraising (annual High Five events, birthday box builds), and direct-to-consumer donations via the website, with marketing primarily through Facebook, email newsletter, and corporate partnership channels.
The organization operates with 1-10 employees and an all-volunteer board that includes executive-level professionals from Versique, Huron Consulting Group, Winthrop & Weinstine, and Centerspace. Geographic footprint has historically spanned Minnesota, South Dakota, and Massachusetts, though the Worcester, MA chapter closed in January 2025 and the South Dakota chapter has wound down operations. The organization claims 96% of every dollar goes directly to those served and has supported over 82,963 children with school supplies over its 14-year history.
Simon Says Give firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simon Says Give
- Legal name
- Simon Says Give
- Website
- https://simonsaysgive.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2011 that runs Birthday Celebrations, Youth Leadership programs, and the annual High Five for Supplies backpack drive for underprivileged children. Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, the organization is supported by a network of corporate Legacy Donors and operates with under 10 employees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Simon Says Give industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
Keywords
Where Simon Says Give is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eagan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Simon Says Give business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors. Donors can designate contributions to specific programs (Birthdays, High Five for Supplies, or Youth Leadership).
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for High Five for Supplies events and general organizational support. Includes legacy donor partnerships with companies like Versique, Celarity, and others.
- Supply Drive Sponsorships: Organizations can sponsor supply drives or donate physical supplies to fill backpacks for the annual High Five for Supplies event.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | High Five for Supplies donation |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Simon Says Give product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that runs three core programs benefiting children: Birthday Celebrations (including the Birthdays for Ben initiative) which delivers gift boxes and birthday parties to kids in need, the annual High Five for Supplies backpack drive collecting school supplies, and Youth Leadership programs operating volunteer chapters in schools. The organization is funded primarily through individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that operates three core programs: Birthday Celebrations for kids in need (including the Birthdays for Ben initiative), Youth Leadership opportunities, and the annual High Five for Supplies® backpack drive. These programs work together to develop the next generation of leaders through hands-on service and volunteer experiences. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but rather facilitates charitable programs where kids celebrate kids through donations, volunteer activities, and community events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- High Five for Supplies: Annual backpack drive providing school supplies to children in need
- Birthdays for Ben
- Kids Celebrating Kids
Products and services
- High Five for Supplies
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of donations go directly to those served
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Simon Says Give
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Simon Says Give technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Simon Says Give partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- MoneyGram FoundationcoreLong-term strategic partner supporting High Five for Supplies. MoneyGram team has participated in events including Guinness World Record attempt, with Head of Social Impact Aimee Griffiths publicly endorsing the mission.
- Innovative Office SolutionscoreGenerously opened their space and lent volunteer team for the first Birthdays for Ben event in April 2025, helping create 210 birthday boxes.
- SalesforcemajorListed as a Legacy Donor supporting the organization. Salesforce CRM is used for managing donor relationships and birthday celebration logistics.
- Mall of AmericamajorLegacy Donor partner. Hosted World's Largest Birthday Celebration event at Mall of America, packing 2,500 birthday boxes for kids in need.
- Boys & Girls Club of WorcestercoreKey community partner in Worcester, MA chapter, helping serve middle school students and coordinate birthday celebrations.
- Annies Kindness BlanketsminorPartner organization supporting Worcester chapter events and community outreach.
- Saint Johns High SchoolminorEducational partner supporting Worcester chapter with student volunteers and leadership development.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Simon Says Give competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Points of Light: Points of Light mobilizes volunteers and corporate volunteer programs for community impact. Comparable as a corporate-volunteer-engagement infrastructure provider that many of Simon Says Give's partners (MoneyGram Foundation, Salesforce) participate in, though operates at a larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- United Way: United Way is a federated giving organization that distributes funds across education, health, and basic-needs programs. Comparable as a multi-state nonprofit platform for directing corporate donations to community programs, though vastly larger in scope.
- Make-A-Wish Foundation: Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with critical illnesses, including birthday-themed celebrations. Comparable in mission (creating meaningful celebrations for children facing hardship) and donor-engagement model, but operates at a vastly larger national scale and serves a different beneficiary sub-segment.
- Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit, distributing goods through a national network. Comparable as a high-pass-through (90%+ goods-to-beneficiaries) nonprofit operating annual large-scale distribution events with corporate sponsors.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national youth development organization providing after-school programming, leadership, and academic support to K-12 youth. Comparable to Simon Says Give's Youth Leadership program and is also an existing operational partner of the org.
Direct peers
- AdoptAClassroom.org: AdoptAClassroom provides teachers with funds to purchase school supplies for students in need. Directly comparable in the K-12 school-supply mission and donor/sponsor engagement model, though teacher-mediated rather than directly youth-led.
- DoSomething.org: DoSomething.org is a youth-led nonprofit mobilizing young people in social-impact campaigns. Closely comparable to Simon Says Give's youth-led chapter model and 'Kids Celebrating Kids' positioning, though it operates as a digital-first national platform.
- Kids In Need Foundation: Kids In Need Foundation distributes school supplies to underprivileged students nationwide through a network of teacher-led affiliates. Directly comparable to the High Five for Supplies program in mission and beneficiary (K-12 students lacking supplies), though operating at a national scale.
- Birthday Wishes: Birthday Wishes provides birthday celebrations for children experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable to Simon Says Give's Birthday Celebrations program in both beneficiary profile and program model (gift boxes, cake, volunteers), though focused specifically on the homeless-children segment.
- Generation On (Youth Service America): Youth Service America / Generation On develops youth volunteer and service-leadership opportunities for young people ages 5-25. Directly comparable to the Youth Leadership program in beneficiary age and skill-development focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Simon Says Give social profiles
Digital presenceSimon Says Give compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Simon Says Give financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simon Says Give leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Simon Says Give funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simon Says Give M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Simon Says Give
What does Simon Says Give do?
Simon Says Give is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that runs three core programs benefiting children: Birthday Celebrations (including the Birthdays for Ben initiative) which delivers gift boxes and birthday parties to kids in need, the annual High Five for Supplies backpack drive collecting school supplies, and Youth Leadership programs operating volunteer chapters in schools. The organization is funded primarily through individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
Is Simon Says Give a public or private company?
Simon Says Give is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Simon Says Give founded?
Simon Says Give was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Simon Says Give based?
Simon Says Give is headquartered in Eagan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Simon Says Give make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and supply Drive Sponsorships.
Who are Simon Says Give's main competitors?
Points of Light is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are United Way, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Feeding America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Direct peers are AdoptAClassroom.org, DoSomething.org, Kids In Need Foundation, Birthday Wishes and Generation On (Youth Service America).
Does Simon Says Give have an API?
No public API is recorded for Simon Says Give.
What industry is Simon Says Give in?
Simon Says Give's product category is Youth Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.