Aurora House Foundation

What Aurora House Foundation does

Aurora House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and Texas-licensed Special Care Facility founded in 2007 by Dr. Rafael Rodriguez in Weslaco, Texas. The organization provides free residential end-of-life care to terminally ill patients enrolled in local hospice programs who have a life expectancy of three months or less, operating a 10-bed facility under license from the Texas Department of Health. All services—including 24-hour caregiving, medication administration, meals, private rooms, and family support—are delivered at no cost to patients or families; Aurora House does not bill Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or any government program and is funded entirely by donations, foundation grants, planned gifts, room sponsorships, in-kind contributions, and fundraising events. Admissions flow exclusively through hospice agency referrals from across the Rio Grande Valley, with bilingual (English/Spanish) service delivery in a home-like setting.

Beyond its core residential care mission, Aurora House operates the Aurora House Education Center for Palliative Care (AHEC-PC), established in 2010 with foundation support, which provides clinical education and training to nursing students, graduate-level social work interns, and high school students from eight or more partner institutions across the region. The organization also runs a community engagement layer that includes the RGV Death Cafe, a Lunch & Learn end-of-life planning series, a bilingual Bereavement Support Group, monthly Open House tours, and annual fundraising events such as the Christmas Gala 'All Is Bright.' Aurora House is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Marisela Gonzalez; it has no parent company and operates independently of any hospital or religious affiliation.

Name

Aurora House Foundation

Legal name

Aurora House Foundation

Website

https://aurorahouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aurora House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and licensed 10-bed Special Care Facility in Weslaco, TX providing free residential end-of-life care to terminally ill hospice patients across the Rio Grande Valley, funded entirely by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

Keywords

• End-of-life care
• Palliative care services
• Hospice residential care
• Bereavement support
• Special care facility

Headquarters

HQ city

Weslaco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and community members. Multiple giving options including online (PayPal/credit card), automatic monthly withdrawals, and mail-in donations.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from charitable foundations including Knapp Community Care Foundation, The Raul Tijerina Jr. Foundation, Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, and Meadows Foundation. Corporate sponsorships from local businesses.
3. Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: Estate planning donations and legacy gifts that help ensure long-term organizational sustainability.
4. Room Sponsorship: Sponsors can support one of 10 bedrooms for maintenance, repairs, and updates, providing families with safe, comfortable spaces.
5. In-Kind Donations: Wishlist items and Amazon wishlist donations help keep the home running smoothly.
6. Event Fundraising: Annual Christmas Gala 'All Is Bright' and other events generate sponsorship revenue and auction proceeds.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aurora House Foundation operates a 10-bed Licensed Special Care Facility in Weslaco, Texas, providing free residential end-of-life (hospice/palliative) care to terminally ill patients who cannot afford or qualify for in-home hospice. The foundation supplements bedside care with community-facing programs including an Education Center for Palliative Care, bereavement support groups, and end-of-life community education, all delivered at no cost to patients and families.

Product overview

Aurora House Foundation operates a single-site licensed Special Care Facility (10 beds) in Weslaco, TX, providing free end-of-life residential care in a home-like environment. The core offering is the end-of-life care services for terminally ill patients. Adjacent to this core service, the organization offers educational programming through the Aurora House Education Center for Palliative Care (AHEC-PC), community support programs including bereavement support, the Community Conversation Series, RGV Death Cafe, and monthly Open House tours. The organization also operates caregiver employment and volunteer programs. All services are provided free of charge to patients, funded entirely by donations and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• End-of-Life Residential Care Free 24/7 residential hospice/palliative care provided in a 10-bed Licensed Special Care Facility for terminally ill patients in the Rio Grande Valley who cannot afford or qualify for in-home hospice services. Care is delivered by staff and trained volunteers and is provided at no cost to patients or families.
• Aurora House Education Center for Palliative Care (AHEC-PC) Education center established to train physicians, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals in end-of-life and palliative care, addressing the lack of formal palliative care education in regional medical and nursing curricula.
• Bereavement Support Group Community bereavement program offered free of charge to families and community members who have experienced the loss of a loved one, including those whose loved ones were not Aurora House patients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 residents and families served in 16+ years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• South Texas College (STC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner celebrating 15 years of collaboration in 2024. STC nursing students receive clinical education and training at Aurora House. Joint EMPATHY program for nursing students.
• Rio Grande Valley Hospice ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll patients admitted to Aurora House must be enrolled in a local hospice program. Hospice provides medical care (symptom management, pain control, equipment, medications, IVs, wound care) through an interdisciplinary team while Aurora House provides shelter and personal care.
• Tri-GenminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House's mission and operations.
• Harold John & Deborah Zurlo (Sanjose Hospice Care)minorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• AIB (American International Boost)minorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• Vida EMSminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• McAfee AgencyminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• Kaizen Clinical PartnersminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• Hollon Oil CompanyminorOthersGEM supporter and corporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• Oil Can Harry'sminorOthersLocal business supporter of Aurora House.
• Rios of MercedesminorOthersCorporate sponsor supporting Aurora House.
• Mercedes EDCminorOthersEconomic development corporation supporter of Aurora House.
• McCaleb Funeral HomeminorOthersGEM supporter providing corporate sponsorship.
• Rainbow Pediatric Clinic RGVminorOthersGEM supporter and corporate sponsor.
• Llano GrandeminorOthersVenue host for Aurora House's Annual Christmas Gala 'All Is Bright' event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hope Hospice (New Braunfels, TX): Hope Hospice is a Texas-based nonprofit hospice serving the New Braunfels / San Antonio region with home hospice and grief support programs — comparable Texas nonprofit hospice mission, though not operating a dedicated residential hospice house.
• Hospice Austin: Hospice Austin is a Central Texas nonprofit hospice providing home hospice, inpatient hospice at its Christopher House, and bereavement services — a Texas-based peer with both community hospice and a residential hospice house similar to Aurora House.

Direct peers

• Alive Hospice: Alive Hospice is a Nashville-based nonprofit operating a residential hospice home plus community-based hospice services, with an established education and grief support program — directly comparable in mission, residential model, and education extension.
• Hosparus Health: Hosparus Health is a Kentucky/Indiana nonprofit hospice operating inpatient hospice houses plus home hospice services with a strong volunteer and bereavement program — comparable to Aurora House in residential hospice delivery and community education.
• Gilchrist Hospice Care: Gilchrist is a Maryland-based nonprofit hospice operating hospice houses (inpatient residential), home hospice, and palliative care with grief counseling — directly comparable in residential hospice model and nonprofit community mission.
• Casa de la Luz Hospice: Casa de la Luz operates a residential hospice house in Tucson, AZ providing 24/7 end-of-life care in a home-like setting with no cost to patients — the closest direct analogue to Aurora House's facility-based, free, donation-funded residential hospice model.
• Nathan Adelson Hospice: Nathan Adelson Hospice is a Las Vegas-based nonprofit operating an inpatient hospice facility plus home hospice, palliative care, and bereavement services — a closely matched residential hospice house model with educational outreach.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice of the Valley: Hospice of the Valley is a large Arizona-based nonprofit hospice serving tens of thousands of patients annually across multiple inpatient hospice homes and home-based services — a scaled, established peer operating the same residential hospice model at much greater volume.

Others

• Texas & New Mexico Hospice Organization: The Texas & New Mexico Hospice Organization is the regional industry association representing hospice providers in Aurora House's service geography — relevant as the governing/advocacy peer rather than a direct competitor.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): NHPCO is the national industry association for hospice and palliative care providers — directly relevant as the standards-setting and advocacy peer organization influencing the regulatory and reimbursement environment Aurora House operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aurora-house-foundation

Compliance2 records

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 Aurora House Foundation