The Blue Ribbon Project

What The Blue Ribbon Project does

The Blue Ribbon Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Taylor Pyles and headquartered in a 5,000-square-foot facility on the historic Crownsville Hospital campus in Crownsville, Maryland. The organization delivers a defined portfolio of trauma-informed, survivor-centered programs serving children and youth in foster care, foster and kinship families, and adult survivors of childhood trauma throughout Maryland. Its flagship program, Backpacks of Love, was launched in January 2015 in partnership with Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services and provides filled backpacks with clothing, hygiene items, comfort objects, and school supplies to children entering foster care. The broader portfolio includes Mirah's Closet (boutique-style clothing), Foster Friends and Celebrations Club (enrichment and milestone events), Aging Up...Not Out and A Hand to Hold (life skills and mentorship for youth aging out of care), Speak Up...Speak Out (child abuse awareness training), and a private Facebook community for adult survivors of childhood trauma.

The organization operates on a donation-funded model with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Revenue is generated through individual and corporate financial contributions, in-kind donations of clothing and supplies (accepted at the facility and at community partner drop-off locations), an endowment fund, and a vehicle donation program operated in partnership with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS), which provides free nationwide pickup and remits proceeds to Blue Ribbon within five business days of sale. The annual Blue Ribbon Bash fundraiser has grown to over 25 corporate sponsors for 2026, including Annapolis Subaru, HeimLantz CPAs, and CovingtonAlsina.

Operations are delivered by a small part-time staff of approximately five employees supplemented by a volunteer Leadership Team, with an additional layer of community volunteers who assemble backpacks, sort donations, and support events. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of a content website, email newsletter, video library, and the private adult-survivor Facebook group. Blue Ribbon holds formal referral partnerships with Departments of Social Services across Maryland and an MOU-style relationship with CASA, and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes practitioners embedded in the Maryland child welfare system.

Name

The Blue Ribbon Project

Legal name

The Blue Ribbon Project

Website

https://blueribbonproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Blue Ribbon Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that delivers trauma-informed programs — including backpacks, clothing, enrichment, mentorship, and abuse-prevention training — to children and youth in foster care and to adult survivors of childhood trauma throughout Maryland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Foster care support
• Child abuse prevention
• Nonprofit social services
• Trauma-informed programs
• Community outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Crownsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Financial Contributions: Individual and corporate donations received through the organization's website, mail, and in-person at events. Donors can allocate their contributions to specific campaigns or programs such as Backpacks of Love, Mirah's Closet, or general operations.
2. Vehicle Donation Program: Accepts donated vehicles (cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, etc.) through partnership with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS). Proceeds from vehicle sales support programs including Backpacks of Love, Mirah's Closet, and Foster Friends.
3. Clothing & In-Kind Donations: Receives donations of new clothing, diapers, personal care items, backpacks, school supplies, and other essentials. Items are distributed through programs to children in foster care and those affected by abuse and neglect.
4. Endowment Fund: Long-term funding mechanism through an endowment fund for sustainable operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Blue Ribbon Project is a Maryland-based nonprofit that delivers free, trauma-informed direct services to children affected by abuse and neglect and children and youth in foster care. Its core offerings include providing filled backpacks and boutique-style clothing to children entering foster care, scholarships and celebration events for foster youth, life skills and mentorship programs for youth aging out of care, child abuse awareness training, and peer support for adult survivors of childhood trauma. All programs are funded through donations, grants, and sponsorships and delivered at no cost to beneficiaries.

Product overview

The Blue Ribbon Project is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of trauma-informed, survivor-centered programs for children affected by abuse and neglect, and children and youth in foster care throughout Maryland. The core program portfolio includes Backpacks of Love (providing essential supplies to children entering foster care), Mirah's Closet (a boutique-style clothing closet), Foster Friends and Celebrations Club (enrichment activities and milestone celebrations), Aging Up...Not Out Life Skills Program (independence preparation), A Hand to Hold Youth Advocacy Program (mentorship), and Speak Up...Speak Out Child Abuse Awareness Training (prevention education). Additional programs include Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma Support Group, Vehicle Donation Program, Clothing & In-Kind Donations, Financial Contributions, and an educational Resource Library. The organization operates from a 5,000-square-foot facility on the historic Crownsville Hospital campus in Maryland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Backpacks of Love: Program providing filled backpacks with essential personal items, clothing, hygiene products, comfort objects, and school supplies to children entering foster care
• Mirah's Closet
• Aging Up...Not Out
• Foster Friends
• Speak Up...Speak Out
• A Hand to Hold
• Celebrations Club

Products and services

• Backpacks of Love Provides filled backpacks containing age-appropriate clothing, hygiene items, comfort objects, and school supplies to children entering foster care in Maryland, replacing trash bags with a message of care and worth.
• Mirah's Closet Boutique-style program at the Crownsville facility providing free access to clothing, shoes, school supplies, and essential items for children and youth in foster care, kinship care, and qualifying situations, allowing children to choose items that fit their needs and personal style.
• Aging Up...Not Out Life Skills Program Life skills program supporting Maryland youth aging out of foster care with resources, training, and guidance for a successful transition to independence.
• Foster Friends Program dedicated to helping children and youth in foster care experience the joys of childhood through scholarships, sponsorships, birthday celebrations, holiday events, and enrichment activities including sports, arts, and camps.
• Speak Up...Speak Out Child Abuse Awareness Training Program Education, awareness, and prevention program that empowers community members through outreach, training, and public engagement to recognize warning signs of child abuse and understand reporting responsibilities.
• A Hand to Hold Youth Advocacy Program Mentorship program offering guidance and support to youth aging out of foster care, helping them gain life skills, stability, and a sense of community as they move toward independence.
• Celebrations Club Program hosting and supporting milestone events for children and youth in foster care, including birthday parties and high school graduation celebrations.
• Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma Support Group Private Facebook community providing a safe space for adult survivors of childhood trauma to share stories, find understanding, and begin or continue their healing journey through peer support.
• Vehicle Donation Program Program accepting donated vehicles (cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles) running or not, partnered with CARS for nationwide free pickup and proceeds remitted to support Backpacks of Love, Mirah's Closet, and Foster Friends.
• Clothing & In-Kind Donations Program accepting new clothing, diapers, personal care items, backpacks, and school supplies to support children entering foster care, accepted at the Crownsville facility and at community partner drop-off locations throughout Maryland.
• Financial Contributions Program accepting financial donations to fund essential programs including Backpacks of Love, Mirah's Closet, Foster Friends, and Celebrations Club, with optional donor allocation to specific campaigns.
• Endowment Fund Long-term funding mechanism through an endowment fund supporting sustainable program operations for The Blue Ribbon Project.
• Resource Library Online resource library providing educational content on healing and resilience, prevention and safety, foster care, survivor voices, understanding trauma, suicide prevention, news items, and video content including life skills training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Launched Backpacks of Love program in January 2015 with Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services; first recipients were two young brothers entering foster care.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS) to process vehicle donations. CARS provides free vehicle pick-up services in all 50 states, handles all paperwork and title transfers, sells vehicles through their network of 400+ vendors, and remits proceeds to The Blue Ribbon Project within 5 business days of sale. This enables the organization to accept vehicle donations from donors nationwide.
• Anne Arundel County Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Formal partnership with Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services to deliver the Backpacks of Love program. The DSS approved the program in January 2015, and on launch day, two young brothers entering foster care became the first recipients. The partnership enables children entering care throughout the county to receive filled backpacks with essential items.
• Annapolis SubaruminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the 2026 Blue Ribbon Bash annual fundraising event. Visit website link provided on organization website.
• HeimLantz, CPAs and AdvisorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the 2026 Blue Ribbon Bash annual fundraising event.
• CovingtonAlsinaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the 2025 Blue Ribbon Bash annual fundraising event. Ann M. Covington of CovingtonAlsina also contributes financial literacy educational content to the organization's video library.
• Friendship Quilters Guild of LinthicumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerous ongoing donor providing custom quilts for children. Due to their donations, The Blue Ribbon Project usually has many custom quilts on hand for distribution.
• Amazon WishlistminorOthersThe Blue Ribbon Project maintains an Amazon Wishlist allowing donors to purchase and send needed items directly. The wishlist includes clothing, personal care items, and teen 'toys' for backpacks.
• Maryland Departments of Social Services (statewide)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local Departments of Social Services across Maryland to deliver programs and services to children and families throughout the state. Tracy Madera, Board Secretary, serves as Recruitment and Retention Specialist in the Resource Homes unit at Anne Arundel County DSS.
• Anne Arundel County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization serving children in the foster care system. Marj Cahn Sparer, Board President, previously spent 15 years as a volunteer with Anne Arundel County Court Appointed Special Advocates before joining The Blue Ribbon Project's leadership team.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Childhelp: Large national nonprofit dedicated to child abuse prevention and treatment; a broader incumbent that overlaps with Blue Ribbon Project's Speak Up...Speak Out prevention training and broader awareness mission.
• Casey Family Programs: Large national child welfare foundation operating across foster care, kinship care, and adoption; a much larger incumbent addressing overlapping beneficiary populations with a broader portfolio of services and policy work.
• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: National child welfare foundation focused on adoption and foster care permanence; competes for the same donor base and works with many of the same state child welfare systems, but with a permanence-focused rather than direct-material-support orientation.
• National Children's Alliance: National membership and accrediting body for Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims; an adjacent incumbent that overlaps with Blue Ribbon Project's prevention and survivor-support mission at the national policy and standards level.

Direct peers

• Together We Rise: National nonprofit supporting foster youth through Sweet Cases, family engagement, and youth transition programs; a larger-scale, broadly comparable peer pursuing the same donor pool and similar mix of material support, enrichment, and aging-out services.
• FosterClub: National nonprofit led by and for foster youth, focused on transition-age foster youth leadership, advocacy, and life-skills resources — directly comparable to Blue Ribbon Project's Aging Up...Not Out and A Hand to Hold programs.
• A Sense of Home: Nonprofit that furnishes first homes for foster youth aging out of care, addressing the same independence-transition need as Blue Ribbon Project's Aging Up...Not Out, with a more productized furniture donation model.
• Comfort Cases: National nonprofit that provides backpacks and duffel bags filled with essentials to children entering foster care — the closest functional analog to The Blue Ribbon Project's flagship Backpacks of Love program, serving the same beneficiary moment with a similar product.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) / National CASA & GAL: National network of volunteer advocates for children in foster care; a current community partner of Blue Ribbon Project (Anne Arundel County CASA) and a comparable nonprofit operating in the same child-welfare advocacy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-ribbon-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Blue Ribbon Project