What BeLikeTommy Project does

BeLikeTommy Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 88-1050811) founded in 2021 in Minnetrista, Minnesota, in the wake of Tommy Nash's death at age 14 from sudden cardiac arrest. The organization's stated mission is to create personalized "Joyful Experiences" — such as birthday parties, shopping sprees, fishing trips, and other tailored moments — for youth ages 10–18 who have experienced hardship, particularly those vulnerable to exclusion, discrimination, anxiety, depression, and social isolation. The core program is delivered through community nominations submitted by parents, teachers, coaches, and neighbors, and operationally supported by a partnership with WeCAN for family-facing service delivery.

The organization runs three flagship annual events — the Golden Gala (largest fundraiser with auctions and live music), Tommy's Olympic Speed Walk (a free 1.1-mile community walk), and Tommy's Trees (a holiday campaign selling $50 artificial Christmas trees and $35 BeKind, BeCozy gift bags co-developed with A Kindness Co. from Michaels Light). It also operates a branded merchandise e-commerce store offering hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, mugs, and tote bags. There is no proprietary technology platform; the organization relies on Squarespace-hosted web properties, standard third-party payment and donation infrastructure (Stripe, PayPal, Donorbox), and Instagram for community engagement.

Revenue is generated through individual tax-deductible donations (pre-set tiers of $25, $50, $75, $100, $250, $500 with custom amounts accepted, plus optional transaction fee coverage), merchandise sales, holiday campaign product sales, event sponsorships, and employer matching gift programs. Operating with a team of approximately 5 employees and serving a beneficiary base described as "hundreds," the organization functions as a small, regionally focused community foundation rather than a scalable enterprise. No revenue figures, funding rounds, or institutional backing were disclosed in the source material.

Name

BeLikeTommy Project

Legal name

BeLikeTommy Project

Website

https://beliketommy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BeLikeTommy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Minnetrista, Minnesota that creates personalized Joyful Experiences for youth ages 10–18 experiencing hardship, funded primarily through donations, branded merchandise, and annual community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Party Favors, Gifts & Custom Merchandise (HSACACAM)

Keywords

• Youth development services
• Charitable fundraising
• Community youth programs
• Nonprofit foundation services
• Branded merchandise store

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnetrista

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. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, processed through secure third-party payment processors. Donors can make one-time or recurring donations (weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual). The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 88-1050811.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel and merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, mugs, and tote bags. Proceeds from sales directly support the creation of Joyful Experiences for youth.
3. Holiday Campaign (Tommy's Trees): Annual holiday giving campaign selling decorated 4-foot artificial Christmas trees ($50) and BeKind, BeCozy gift bags ($35). Proceeds dedicated to supporting families with Joyful Experiences through WeCAN partnership.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual events including Golden Gala (largest fundraiser featuring auctions, live music, and activities) and Olympic Speed Walk (free community event). Sponsorship opportunities available for businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BeLikeTommy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and delivers personalized, one-of-a-kind Joyful Experiences (e.g., birthday parties, fishing trips, shopping sprees for senior portraits or prom) to youth ages 10-18 who have experienced hardship, exclusion, discrimination, anxiety, or depression. The organization is funded through tax-deductible donations, an online branded merchandise store (apparel, hats, mugs, totes), employer matching gift programs, and annual fundraising events including the Golden Gala, Tommy's Olympic Speed Walk, and Tommy's Trees holiday campaign.

Product overview

BeLikeTommy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates primarily as a charitable foundation rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization provides a portfolio of branded merchandise (apparel, accessories, and drinkware), organizes community fundraising events (Golden Gala, Olympic Speed Walk, Tommy's Trees), and delivers a core program called Joyful Experiences for youth ages 10-18 facing hardship. The merchandise portfolio includes hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, bags, and mugs sold through an online store. The organization also facilitates employer matching gift programs and accepts donations through payment processors Stripe, PayPal, and Donorbox. No AI, API, or technology platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tommy's Trees: Holiday campaign providing 4-foot artificial trees for $50, with proceeds supporting families in need with Joyful Experiences.
• Golden Gala
• Olympic Speed Walk

Products and services

• Joyful Experiences
• Golden Gala
• Tommy's Olympic Speed Walk
• Tommy's Trees
• BeKind, BeCozy Gift Bag
• Navy BeLikeTommy Kindness Hoodie
• BeLikeTommy Grey On Grey Cozy Hoody
• BeLikeTommy Embroidered Hoody
• BeLikeTommy Inspirational 1/4 Zip Sweatshirt
• #BeLikeTommy Long Sleeve Tee
• BeLikeTommy Trucker Hat
• BeLikeTommy Low Profile Hats
• BeLikeTommy Canvas Tote
• BeLikeTommy Project Color Changing Mug
• BeLikeTommy Project Mug
• Employer Matching Gift Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of kids and young adults have felt a greater sense of belonging through BeLikeTommy Project experiences

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• A Kindness Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with A Kindness Co. from Michaels Light to create the BeKind, BeCozy holiday gift bag. Each $35 bag includes an 'Icy' candle from A Kindness Co., hot chocolate spoon, and BeLikeTommy coffee mug. This collaboration supports the Tommy's Trees holiday campaign.
• WeCANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProceeds from Tommy Trees campaign are dedicated to WeCAN to support families in need with Joyful Experiences. WeCAN serves as the operational partner for delivering support to families.
• Back Channel BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBack Channel Brewing serves as the pickup location for Tommy Tree orders and BeKind BeCozy gift bags during the Jingle Bar holiday celebration. The venue hosts festive holiday sales events.
• Employer Matching Gift ProgramsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with employers offering matching gift programs. Donors can combine their employee benefit and donation, with qualifying corporate matching programs potentially doubling or tripling donations. Templates provided for match request letters.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National 501(c)(3) that grants wishes and creates transformative experiences for youth facing critical illnesses. Most directly comparable to BeLikeTommy because both deliver personalized, joy-centered experiences to youth experiencing hardship rather than staples like food or shelter.
• Camp Sunshine: Provides retreat-style experiences and programs for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Comparable in delivering joy-centered, experience-based programming to youth in hardship, with similar fundraising galas and donor-driven model.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers joy, comfort, and entertainment to hospitalized and seriously ill children through programs and wish-like experiences. Comparable mission of using joy and play to support youth in hardship, with similar experience-based (rather than goods-based) delivery model.

Emerging players

• Do Something.org: National nonprofit focused on youth social impact, mental health, and belonging campaigns for young people ages 13-25. Comparable youth-belonging and mental-health positioning with similar age band, but focuses on activism/volunteer mobilization rather than personalized experiences.
• Cookies for Kids' Cancer: National nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research through grassroots bake-sale and community-event fundraisers. Comparable small-team, founder-led, event-driven fundraising playbook that emerged from a specific family story, similar to BeLikeTommy's founder-narrative model.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: National childhood-cancer charity founded by a child patient that grew from a lemonade stand into a multi-million-dollar fundraiser. Directly comparable origin story (child tribute → grassroots nonprofit), event/community fundraising model, and youth-centered mission that has scaled nationally.

Regional players

• Pacific Foundation for Blind Children: Not a strong direct peer — placeholder removed in favor of a stronger match below.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest youth development nonprofit in the US, providing safe places, mentorship, and enrichment programs for ages 6-18. Comparable target demographic and youth-development mission, but operates fixed facilities and a much broader program mix versus BeLikeTommy's curated experience model.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National charity raising funds for children's hospitals through events and corporate partnerships. Comparable youth-focused mission, event-driven fundraising (miracle balloon campaigns, dance marathons), and 501(c)(3) donor-supported model, though serving medical rather than psychosocial hardship.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit focused on creating meaningful one-to-one relationships that improve belonging and resilience for youth. Comparable youth-belonging mission and nonprofit/donation model, but delivers mentorship rather than curated joyful experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/beliketommyproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beliketommy-project

Compliance1 record

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 BeLikeTommy Project