COURTS FOR KIDS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersVANCOUVER, Washington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What COURTS FOR KIDS does
Courts for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, founded in 2007 by Derek Nesland. The organization partners North American volunteer groups with underserved international communities to build sports courts (primarily basketball, volleyball, and multi-sport) in 33 partner countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Each project is executed as a week-long immersive trip in which 16–25 North American participants live in the host community, supply volunteer labor, and pair court construction with cultural exchange. To date the organization has completed 276 courts and engaged 5,729 U.S. participants.
The core technology is a fiber mesh concrete reinforcement method used in court construction as a replacement for traditional wire mesh, applied to a standard 28m by 15m court specification. The organization funds each build with $6,000 for construction materials and labor, plus an additional $1,000 available for enhancements (paint, lighting, fencing) upon meeting benchmarks; typical all-in court cost is $8,000–$10,000. Distribution occurs through direct school, university, and athletic-department partnerships (e.g., Jesuit High School Portland, University of Oregon Athletics, University of Texas Athletics, Springfield College, Bellarmine Preparatory, Marquette University High School), service-club channels (Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Rotaract), and the third-party ServiceReef registration platform.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through charitable donations (individuals, groups, and corporate supporters including Blankenship Associates, Fabpro Polymers, Kaiser Permanente, Progressive SCG) and trip-related contributions from volunteers, who pay their own travel, lodging, and food. Supporting offerings include a Court Application Service for prospective host communities, a Scholarship Program to broaden participant access, and structured content marketing (website storytelling, Instagram, founder podcast appearances) for donor and volunteer acquisition. The organization operates with 5 employees and no parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership.
COURTS FOR KIDS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COURTS FOR KIDS
- Legal name
- Courts for Kids
- Website
- https://courtsforkids.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COURTS FOR KIDS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Service-Learning / Sports-for-Development Nonprofits
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL)
Keywords
Where COURTS FOR KIDS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- VANCOUVER, Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
COURTS FOR KIDS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, Courts for Kids primarily generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals, groups, and organizations. Donors can contribute to specific initiatives including Host-Country Partners or General Fund/Scholarships. The organization offers automatic monthly donation plans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Court Construction Funding |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
COURTS FOR KIDS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Courts for Kids organizes week-long volunteer trips in which North American groups (high schools, colleges, athletic teams, families, and corporate teams) travel to underserved international communities to build sports courts (basketball, volleyball, multi-sport), providing $6,000 for construction materials and labor plus a contingent $1,000 for court enhancements per project. The organization supplies construction expertise, volunteer labor coordination, cultural exchange programming, and selected sports equipment, while host communities contribute internal ownership and ongoing maintenance.
Product overview
Courts for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Vancouver, Washington that operates as a single-service platform focused on building sports courts internationally and facilitating cultural exchange through volunteer trips. The core offering is the Sports Court Construction Program, which partners North American volunteer groups with underserved communities worldwide to build basketball, volleyball, and multi-sport courts. The Group Volunteer Trips service organizes week-long service experiences for various constituencies including high schools, universities, sports teams, and corporate groups. Supporting services include the Court Application Service for community partners, Donation Program for financial supporters, and Scholarship Program for participants. The organization has built 276 courts across 33 countries with 5,729 U.S. participants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sports Court Construction Program Partners with North American volunteer groups to build sports courts (basketball, volleyball, multi-sport) in underserved international communities, providing $6,000 for construction materials and labor, $1,000 for contingent enhancements, fiber mesh reinforced concrete construction expertise, and volunteer labor coordination.
- Group Volunteer Trips Organized week-long trips for high schools, colleges, universities, sports teams, corporate groups, and families (ages 7 to over 70) to build courts and engage in cultural exchange with host communities; groups typically 16-25 individuals.
- Upcoming International Volunteer Projects Scheduled volunteer trips hosted on the ServiceReef platform to multiple international destinations through 2026 and 2027, available for open registration or private group participation.
- Donation Program Charitable giving program enabling individuals and organizations to financially support Courts for Kids operations, host-country partners, the general fund, or scholarships, including automatic monthly recurring donation options.
- Scholarship Program Financial assistance for participants to join volunteer trips, making the experience accessible to a broader range of volunteers who would otherwise be unable to afford trip expenses.
- Court Application Service for Communities Formal application process for international communities to apply for court construction partnerships, including application forms, in-country host packets, and bid forms available in English and Spanish.
Quantifiable outcome
- 276 courts built worldwide across 33 countries
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use COURTS FOR KIDS
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
COURTS FOR KIDS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
COURTS FOR KIDS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Oregon AthleticscoreMajor university athletic department that has sent multiple student athlete groups on Courts for Kids service trips, including documented trips to Guatemala and Dominican Republic.
- University of Texas AthleticscoreUniversity athletic department partnering on service projects, with documented student athlete trips to Guatemala.
- Jesuit High School PortlandcoreLong-standing Jesuit school partner with multiple documented service trips to Guatemala and Panama.
- Springfield CollegecoreHistoric sports college (birthplace of basketball) partnering on Uganda court construction projects.
- Kansas State UniversityminorUniversity athletic department listed as partner organization.
- University of Washington AthleticsminorUniversity athletic department listed as partner organization with documented Guatemala trips.
- Marquette University High SchoolcoreMilwaukee high school with multiple documented trips including recent 2024 Guatemala and 2025 Togo projects.
- Bellarmine Preparatory SchoolcoreTacoma private school with multiple documented trips to Costa Rica and Guatemala.
- Fellowship of Christian AthletescoreFCA chapters from Southern Oregon, Southwest Washington, Wyoming, and Portland organizing service group trips.
- Kaiser PermanenteminorHealthcare corporation with participating employee teams in service trips.
- InspireCitizensminorOrganization aligned with Courts for Kids mission focused on global citizenship education.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
COURTS FOR KIDS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BuildOn: Runs Service Learning trips where U.S. students help build schools in developing countries. Closely comparable volunteer-build model with high-school recruitment and recurring institutional partnerships.
- Soccer Without Borders: Uses soccer for refugee and immigrant youth integration. Comparable sport-for-impact mission with field-based infrastructure builds and youth programming.
- PeacePlayers International: Uses basketball to unite divided communities across the U.S., South Africa, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East. Closely matches Courts for Kids' sport-for-development DNA and volunteer-driven program model.
- Global Volunteers: Long-established nonprofit facilitating volunteer service trips in the U.S. and abroad, including community-infrastructure projects — directly comparable service-travel format and donor model.
- Rustic Pathways: Operates high-school and university service trips across the developing world. Highly comparable volunteer travel model with similar school-based recruitment channel.
Broad incumbents
- IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ): Largest volunteer-travel platform offering construction and community projects in 50+ countries. Overlaps with Courts for Kids on volunteer-driven international infrastructure builds.
- Habitat for Humanity (Global Village): Operates international volunteer build trips through its Global Village program. Larger and broader scope, but directly overlaps on volunteer-construction model and donor-driven funding.
- Right To Play: Global nonprofit using sport and play to educate and empower children in disadvantaged regions. Larger and broader in scope, but overlaps directly on sport-based international development programming.
- Projects Abroad: Large international volunteer-sending organization with construction and community-development placements. Overlaps on volunteer travel and infrastructure-building projects.
Emerging players
- Up2Us Sports: U.S. nonprofit deploying sports-based youth development programming. Comparable youth/sport impact model, though primarily domestic rather than international court-building.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
COURTS FOR KIDS social profiles
Digital presenceCOURTS FOR KIDS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COURTS FOR KIDS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
COURTS FOR KIDS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COURTS FOR KIDS 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 COURTS FOR KIDS
What does COURTS FOR KIDS do?
Courts for Kids organizes week-long volunteer trips in which North American groups (high schools, colleges, athletic teams, families, and corporate teams) travel to underserved international communities to build sports courts (basketball, volleyball, multi-sport), providing $6,000 for construction materials and labor plus a contingent $1,000 for court enhancements per project. The organization supplies construction expertise, volunteer labor coordination, cultural exchange programming, and selected sports equipment, while host communities contribute internal ownership and ongoing maintenance.
Is COURTS FOR KIDS a public or private company?
COURTS FOR KIDS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was COURTS FOR KIDS founded?
COURTS FOR KIDS was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is COURTS FOR KIDS based?
COURTS FOR KIDS is headquartered in VANCOUVER, Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does COURTS FOR KIDS make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are COURTS FOR KIDS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BuildOn, Soccer Without Borders, PeacePlayers International, Global Volunteers and Rustic Pathways. Broad incumbents are IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ), Habitat for Humanity (Global Village), Right To Play and Projects Abroad. Up2Us Sports is listed as an emerging player.
Does COURTS FOR KIDS have an API?
No public API is recorded for COURTS FOR KIDS.
What industry is COURTS FOR KIDS in?
COURTS FOR KIDS's product category is International Service-Learning / Sports-for-Development Nonprofits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAEAH, Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks, with a secondary code of MPAKACAF, Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues). Its NAICS code is 713940 and its SIC code is 7990.