SandCastles Grief Support Program

What SandCastles Grief Support Program does

SandCastles Grief Support Program (legally Henry Ford SandCastles) is a Detroit-based nonprofit founded in 1997 and operated as a program under Henry Ford Health System. It provides preventative grief support services to children, teens, and families who have experienced the death of a loved one, with the stated aim of teaching healthy coping mechanisms and building self-esteem in a supportive environment. The organization is staffed by 7 employees at its headquarters at 3031 West Grand Blvd., Suite 300, Detroit, MI, supplemented by a trained volunteer network.

Service delivery spans four core programs — the Year-Round Program (ongoing support), the Navigators Program (specialized grief navigation), SandCastles Camp (an immersive overnight camp), and Customized Grief Trainings (delivered to schools and organizations) — alongside bi-weekly virtual support groups for children, teens, and adults. The program also publishes an extensive library of downloadable resources including activity worksheets for children, teens, families, and professional helpers, plus a Family Holiday Packet. Distribution leverages Henry Ford Health System referrals (hospital, hospice, Optimeyes) and direct outreach via social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest) and email newsletter.

The business model is that of a community-based nonprofit: services are provided at no cost to participants, with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue. Funding derives from Henry Ford Health System institutional support, donations (facilitated through a "Donate/Purchase" channel and events such as The Castle Cup Mini Golf Classic), and partner support including the New York Life Foundation. Operating geography is Southeast Michigan, with virtual channels offering modest reach extension. There is no proprietary technology stack, app, or API, and no AI/ML capabilities are evident; the model is fundamentally human-facilitated.

Name

SandCastles Grief Support Program

Legal name

Henry Ford SandCastles

Website

https://aboutsandcastles.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Henry Ford SandCastles is a Detroit-based nonprofit (founded 1997) that provides free, preventative grief support to children, teens, and families in Southeast Michigan through year-round programs, an overnight camp, virtual groups, and customized trainings, operated under Henry Ford Health System.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief Support Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Children grief counseling
• Bereavement support programs
• Family grief resources
• Community grief services

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Healthcare System Affiliation: SandCastles operates as a program under Henry Ford Health System, suggesting institutional funding and healthcare system support rather than direct revenue generation from participants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SandCastles is a preventative grief support program for children, teens, and families who have lost a loved one. It delivers its services at no cost through year-round in-person programs, bi-weekly virtual support groups, an overnight grief camp, and customized grief trainings for organizations. Free downloadable activity packets and holiday resources extend support between sessions.

Product overview

SandCastles Grief Support Program is a preventive grief support service for children, teens, and families who have experienced the death of a loved one. The program operates as a single unified service offering with multiple delivery channels: Year-Round Program (ongoing support), Navigators Program (specialized navigation), SandCastles Camp, Customized Grief Trainings, and Virtual Services. In addition to direct program services, the organization provides extensive downloadable resources including activity worksheets for children, teens, and families, holiday support materials, and professional tools for educators and therapists. The program is part of Henry Ford Health System and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Year-Round Program: Year-round grief support program for children, teens, and families
• Navigators Program
• SandCastles Camp

Products and services

• Year-Round Program
• Navigators Program
• SandCastles Camp
• Customized Grief Trainings
• Virtual Services (Bi-weekly Support Groups)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Henry Ford Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandCastles is a program under Henry Ford Health System, operating as an integral part of the healthcare system's behavioral health and family support services.
• Henry Ford HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Henry Ford Hospice services to provide grief support resources for families experiencing end-of-life loss.
• New York Life FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a partner on the website, with the New York Life Foundation providing bereavement resources for schools and grieving families.
• Henry Ford OptimeyesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-promotional partnership within the Henry Ford Health System network.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• GriefNet: GriefNet operates online community support groups for people experiencing grief, including children's loss communities. It is an emerging/virtual-first player with partial overlap to SandCastles' virtual bi-weekly support groups.
• Kids Grief Network: Kids Grief Network is a Canadian organization providing free educational resources and tools for adults supporting grieving children and teens. It is comparable to SandCastles' resource library for parents, teachers, and therapists, though it does not run direct support programs.

Broad incumbents

• Eluna Network (Camp Erin): Eluna Network operates Camp Erin, a nationwide network of free bereavement camps for children and teens, and supports additional family-impact programs. It is a larger, more established player in the same children's grief-support space as SandCastles.

Direct peers

• Dougy Center: The Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon is a pioneer in children's and family grief support, offering year-round peer support groups, camps, and training. It is directly comparable to SandCastles as a community-based, free grief-support program serving children, teens, and families.
• Bereaved Parents of the USA: Bereaved Parents of the USA is a national nonprofit offering peer support and resources for parents who have lost children. It overlaps with SandCastles' family-segment grief-support work, though its primary focus is bereaved parents rather than grieving children.
• The Children's Room: The Children's Room in Arlington, Massachusetts provides free peer support programs and resources for grieving children, teens, and families. It is directly comparable to SandCastles Year-Round Program and resource library offerings.
• Experience Camps: Experience Camps is a national nonprofit that runs free, overnight summer camps and year-round programs for grieving children and teens. It is directly comparable to SandCastles Camp and Year-Round Program in mission, free-service model, and target population.
• The Wendt Center for Loss & Healing: The Wendt Center in Washington, D.C. provides grief counseling, support groups, and training for children and adults. It is directly comparable to SandCastles in offering year-round grief support programs plus customized grief trainings for organizations.
• Comfort Zone Camp: Comfort Zone Camp is a nonprofit providing free bereavement camps and programs for children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver. It is directly comparable to SandCastles Camp in delivery model and target population.

Others

• National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG): NACG is a national membership and advocacy organization supporting professionals serving grieving children and families. It is adjacent to SandCastles as an industry convener and resource clearinghouse rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/henryfordsandcastles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henryfordsandcastles
• Instagraminstagram.com/henryford.sandcastles
• Pinterestpinterest.com/henryfordsandcastles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SandCastles Grief Support Program