Elizabeth Smart Foundation

What Elizabeth Smart Foundation does

The Elizabeth Smart Foundation is a women and survivor-led nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Elizabeth Smart and headquartered in Herriman, Utah. The foundation's mission centers on bringing hope, empowerment, and change in the fight against sexual violence through a portfolio of integrated programs spanning prevention education, direct survivor support, and advocacy. Core offerings include Smart Defense (a holistic self-defense program combining sexual violence prevention education with martial arts techniques, with 1,500+ participants at a 97% satisfaction rate), the Smart Talks podcast (70+ episodes, 220K downloads), the We Believe You survivor storytelling platform (reaching 700,000+ people on social media), the Survivor Support Fund (direct financial assistance for therapy, legal, education, and housing needs), and an Awareness program for education and advocacy.

The foundation operates with a small team of approximately 7 employees and is funded primarily through individual and corporate donations, with supplementary revenue from merchandise sales and Elizabeth Smart's memoir "Detours: Hope & Growth After Life's Hardest Turns." Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website for Smart Defense enrollment, donations, and e-commerce, complemented by listed resource partnerships with RAINN, NCMEC, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, NSVRC, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. In January 2022, the foundation officially merged with the Malouf Foundation, becoming part of a broader anti-sexual-exploitation structure that includes complementary programs such as OnWatch, the Raise App, Juniper Scholarship, Rooms Restored, and Heroes Landing.

Name

Elizabeth Smart Foundation

Legal name

Elizabeth Smart Foundation

Website

https://elizabethsmartfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Elizabeth Smart Foundation is a women and survivor-led nonprofit founded in 2011 by Elizabeth Smart, providing sexual violence prevention and survivor support programs including Smart Defense self-defense training, the Survivor Support Fund, the We Believe You storytelling platform, and the Smart Talks podcast for adult survivors, youth, and the general public across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Sexual Violence Prevention and Survivor Support

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Sexual violence prevention
• Survivor support services
• Self-defense training
• Nonprofit advocacy
• Survivor financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Herriman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation operates as a nonprofit organization primarily funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and other foundations. In January 2022, ESF officially became part of the Malouf Foundation.
2. Merchandise and Book Sales: The organization sells merchandise and Elizabeth Smart's book 'Detours: Hope & Growth After Life's Hardest Turns' through its online store.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Elizabeth Smart Foundation is a women and survivor-led nonprofit that delivers sexual violence prevention and survivor support programs. Its portfolio spans the Smart Defense holistic self-defense curriculum, the Smart Talks podcast, the We Believe You survivor storytelling platform, the Survivor Support Fund that provides direct financial assistance to adult survivors, and the Awareness education and advocacy program. The foundation also generates earned revenue through merchandise and Elizabeth Smart's memoir "Detours" sold via its online store.

Product overview

The Elizabeth Smart Foundation is a women and survivor-led organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on sexual violence prevention, survivor support, and advocacy. The core offerings include Smart Defense, a holistic self-defense program (including Smart Defense+ as an enhanced version), the Smart Talks podcast featuring empowerment stories, the We Believe You survivor storytelling initiative, the Survivor Support Fund providing direct financial assistance, and the Awareness program for education and advocacy. Additionally, the foundation offers Elizabeth Smart's memoir 'Detours' through its store. These programs work together to bring hope, empowerment, and change in the fight against sexual violence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smart Defense: A holistic self-defense program that emphasizes the education surrounding sexual violence prevention, in addition to martial arts techniques used for defense and escape.
• Smart Talks
• We Believe You
• Survivor Support Fund

Products and services

• Smart Defense A holistic self-defense training program emphasizing sexual violence prevention education alongside martial arts techniques for defense and escape; targeted at adults, children, and men with dedicated tracks.
• Smart Defense+ An enhanced, advanced tier of the Smart Defense self-defense program offering additional features or advanced training beyond the core curriculum.
• Smart Talks Podcast A podcast featuring Elizabeth Smart speaking with individuals making a difference in the field of anti-sexual violence, focusing on stories of empowerment, recovery, and hope.
• We Believe You A survivor storytelling movement/platform that recognizes the power of storytelling in healing and advocacy, providing survivors a platform to reclaim their voices and share experiences on their own terms.
• Survivor Support Fund Direct financial assistance program for adult survivors of sexual violence across the U.S., covering needs like therapy, legal support, education, housing, and other recovery expenses.
• Awareness Program An education, advocacy, and storytelling program that empowers individuals and communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to sexual violence and foster a culture of safety and lasting change.
• "Detours: Hope & Growth After Life's Hardest Turns" (Memoir) Elizabeth Smart's memoir of survival and healing, sold through the foundation's online store, that empowers readers to navigate life's detours, embrace resilience, and find healing and purpose after adversity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500+ participants trained with 97% satisfaction rate through Smart Defense program
• +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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Malouf FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In January 2022, the Elizabeth Smart Foundation officially became a part of the Malouf Foundation to confront sexual exploitation. Each foundation fulfills their mission by providing education through OnWatch, Smart Defense, and the Raise App; promoting healing through the Juniper Scholarship, Rooms Restored, and restorative care services; and advocating for survivors through Heroes Landing and We Believe You.
• Rainn (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)minorOthersRAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization and a resource partner listed on ESF's resources page. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)minorOthersNCMEC is listed as a resource partner on ESF's resources page. They work with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.
• National Human Trafficking HotlineminorOthersListed as a resource partner connecting victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking with services and supports to get help and stay safe.
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)minorOthersListed as a resource partner, the leading nonprofit providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
• National Domestic Violence HotlineminorOthersListed as a resource partner operating around the clock to provide lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable victims to find safety and live lives free of abuse.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): RAINN is the largest U.S. anti-sexual violence organization, operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline. It is a direct peer to ESF in mission (survivor support, prevention, awareness) and is even listed as a resource partner on ESF's site.
• MeToo International: MeToo International is a global survivor-led movement focused on ending sexual violence through awareness, survivor support, and policy advocacy. It overlaps directly with ESF's We Believe You platform in amplifying survivor voices.
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): NSVRC is the leading U.S. nonprofit providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. It is a listed ESF resource partner and operates in the identical prevention/advocacy niche with broader institutional reach.
• Saprea: Saprea (formerly known within Younique's "Hope for Survivors" effort) focuses on healing and prevention of child sexual abuse through retreats, therapy, and education. It is a strong peer in the survivor-support and prevention space with overlap to ESF's Survivor Support Fund and Smart Defense programs.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: The National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24/7 crisis and resource line serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence. It is listed as an ESF resource partner and competes for the same survivor-services donor dollars.
• Joyful Heart Foundation: Founded by actress and survivor Mariska Hargitay, Joyful Heart combines survivor advocacy, prevention education, and direct services like the Joyful Heart Healing Helpline. It mirrors ESF's survivor-led, celebrity-amplified model in the same anti-sexual violence space.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): NCMEC works on missing children recovery and child sexual exploitation prevention. It is a listed ESF resource partner and shares a child-protection and abduction-prevention mission tied to Elizabeth Smart's founding story.
• PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment): PAVE is a survivor-founded nonprofit that combines prevention education, survivor empowerment programming, and policy advocacy around sexual violence, closely paralleling ESF's Smart Defense and Survivor Support Fund offerings.

Emerging players

• Defend Innocence: Defend Innocence is a smaller nonprofit focused on preventing child sexual abuse through education, family empowerment, and survivor healing. It targets the same child-protection niche as ESF's youth-oriented programming but at a smaller scale.

Others

• Malouf Foundation: Malouf Foundation is ESF's parent organization since January 2022 and operates parallel anti-sexual exploitation programs (OnWatch, Raise App, Heroes Landing, Juniper Scholarship). It is an ecosystem/parent peer sharing donor and operational infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elizabeth-smart-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Elizabeth Smart Foundation