EmBark Foundation, Inc.

What EmBark Foundation, Inc. does

EmBark Foundation, Inc. is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that provides compassionate support and services to survivors of trauma — particularly survivors of domestic and sexual violence — and their rescue animal companions. The organization explicitly centers intersectionality in its service model and frames its mission as fostering the integration of rescue-animal companionship into survivors' recovery through community partnerships, advocacy, and inclusive fundraising. It offers a Survivor Support Program with an application process and resource hub, an open blog and monthly newsletter as community-healing surfaces, and an annual events program including the DVAM Virtual 5K, Yappy Hour, and a Pen Pal Program.

The foundation's commercial surface consists of a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop on its own Wix-hosted website selling branded apparel, accessories, pet products (pet bowls, bandana collars, personalized pet crewnecks), and home goods — produced on demand with free shipping — alongside digital gift cards ($25–$200) and a $20/year National Membership tier that opens participation to supporters outside Wisconsin. Additional revenue comes from tax-deductible donations processed through Zeffy and from event-based fundraisers with local Madison businesses (Great Dane donating 10% of proceeds on designated days, Scent and Sprout donating 30% of candle and calendar sales), plus annual sponsorships from pet/wellness brands such as Earthwise, Bad Dog Frida, and Petphoria.

Operationally, EmBark is volunteer-run with no paid staff (headcount noted as 9, all unpaid unless otherwise specified), is governed by a Board of Directors it is actively recruiting in the Madison and Milwaukee areas, and runs an official UW-Madison student chapter as a core partnership for volunteer pipelines and campus programming. It explicitly does not solicit donations in states where it is not registered, constraining its national fundraising until further state registrations are completed.

Name

EmBark Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

The EmBark Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://embarkfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EmBark Foundation is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that supports survivors of trauma and their rescue animal companions through community partnerships, advocacy, an e-commerce merchandise shop, donations, a $20/year national membership, and events such as Yappy Hour and the DVAM Virtual 5K.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trauma Survivor Support Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Trauma survivor services
• Animal-assisted support
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Branded merchandise sales
• Community advocacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wisconsin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations collected primarily through Zeffy platform. The organization states donations are not solicited from states where the nonprofit is not registered.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, pet products, and drinkware. All proceeds go directly to supporting the mission and organization operations. Free shipping on all orders.
3. Gift Cards: Digital eGift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200.
4. National Membership: Annual national membership program at $20 per year, allowing supporters outside Wisconsin to become members and support the mission.
5. Event-based Fundraising: Third-party fundraising events where partner businesses donate a percentage of proceeds. Examples include Great Dane restaurant donating 10% of proceeds on specific days, and Scent and Sprout donating 30% of candle sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EmBark Foundation is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides compassionate support and services to survivors of trauma and their rescue animal companions. It funds this mission through tax-deductible donations (Zeffy), a branded merchandise e-commerce shop (apparel, accessories, pet products, home goods), digital gift cards, a $20/year national membership, and third-party partner fundraisers. Survivor support is delivered through a Survivor Support Program with application-based assistance, community partnerships, advocacy, and intersectional identity-aware programming, supplemented by a UW-Madison student chapter, blog, monthly newsletter, and events such as Yappy Hour and DVAM Virtual 5k.

Product overview

EmBark Foundation, Inc. is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization founded in 2021 that provides compassionate support and services to survivors of trauma and their furry friends (pets). The organization operates an e-commerce merchandise shop selling branded apparel and accessories including hoodies, t-shirts, headwear, pet products, and home goods. Additional offerings include a gift card program, annual national membership, survivor support services, blog content, monthly newsletter, and events programming. All proceeds from the shop and donations support the organization's mission to integrate rescue animal companionship into survivors' lives through community partnerships and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Survivor Support Program Application-based trauma-informed support services for survivors of interpersonal violence (including domestic violence and sexual assault) and their rescue animal companions. Includes survivor intake/application processes, resources, and partnership-mediated assistance designed to address barriers such as inability to take pets when leaving abusive situations and lack of pet-friendly housing. Intended for individual trauma survivors seeking integrated human-and-pet recovery support.
• EmBark Branded Merchandise Shop Cause-commerce e-commerce storefront selling branded apparel (hoodies, crewnecks, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, beanies, hats, windbreakers, tie-dye items), accessories (water bottles, mugs, notepads, scrunchies, sherpa blankets), pet products (pet bowl, pet bandana collar, personalized pet crewnecks), and UW-branded items. All proceeds support the mission; products are made on demand to reduce overproduction; free shipping on all orders globally. Targeted at cause-aligned individual consumers and gift purchasers.
• National Annual Membership Recurring annual membership priced at $20.00 per year that allows supporters outside Wisconsin to formally join the organization and engage with its mission. Functions as a recurring donation mechanism and community identifier for nationwide individual supporters.
• EmBark Gift Card Digital eGift cards available in fixed denominations of $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200, redeemable in the EmBark shop. Functions both as a consumer gift product and as a contribution mechanism to the mission.

Segments2 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 minor and core.

• Great Dane (Madison)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreat Dane restaurant locations in Madison donate 10% of proceeds on designated fundraiser days to EmBark Foundation. This partnership provides passive revenue for the organization through customer dining at partner locations.
• Scent and SproutminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScent and Sprout sells limited edition candles with special DVAM labels, donating 30% of proceeds to EmBark Foundation. Additionally sells stress-relieving calendars with EmBark branding, with 30% of proceeds donated.
• Earthwise, Bad Dog Frida, PetphoriaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsors for Yappy Hour: Drink For A Cause event. These businesses provided sponsorship support for the organization's dog-friendly fundraising event.
• UW-Madison ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial student organization chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Allows the foundation to engage student volunteers, conduct campus events, and build the next generation of supporters and advocates. The chapter organizes its own events and volunteer activities.
• Glasswing InternationalminorOthersFeatured in an event about mental health and cycles of violence. Glasswing International works in Latin American countries addressing trauma and violence cycles. Their TED Talk was shared as part of EmBark's educational programming.
• The Boneyard (Madison)minorOthersVenue location for Yappy Hour events. The Boneyard Madison hosts the organization's annual dog-friendly fundraising events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): RAINN is the largest U.S. anti-sexual-violence organization, operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline. It serves as a broad incumbent in the survivor services space where EmBark also operates.
• Safe Horizon: Safe Horizon is a large New York-based victim services nonprofit providing domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking support. It competes with EmBark for survivor-services funding and grant dollars.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): HSUS is a broad national animal welfare incumbent that increasingly addresses the intersection of domestic violence and pet safety through programs like Safe Haven. While much larger in scope, it competes for donor attention in animal-related cause marketing.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Humane Society: Wisconsin Humane Society is a regional animal welfare organization based in the same Wisconsin geography as EmBark. While focused on animal sheltering rather than survivor support, it competes for Wisconsin-based animal-cause donors.
• Madison Community Foundation: Madison Community Foundation is a Wisconsin-based community grantmaker that funds nonprofits serving Madison-area residents. It represents a potential funding source or comparable community foundation for EmBark's Wisconsin-anchored work.

Direct peers

• Pet Peace of Mind: Pet Peace of Mind keeps pets and hospice/bonded owners together, similar to EmBark's mission of preserving human-animal bonds during vulnerable life transitions. Both are nonprofit organizations supporting pet companionship in crisis contexts.
• Pets of the Homeless: Pets of the Homeless provides pet food and veterinary care to homeless and at-risk individuals, sharing EmBark's model of pairing vulnerable human populations with animal companionship support. Both focus on keeping pets with their owners during crisis.
• Sheltering Animals and Families Together (SAF-T): SAF-T is a national program that helps domestic violence shelters become pet-friendly, addressing the same pet-inclusive survivor support problem EmBark targets. Both organizations work to remove the pet barrier for survivors fleeing abuse.
• RedRover: RedRover provides emergency sheltering and financial assistance for the pets of families fleeing domestic violence, directly mirroring EmBark's intersection of survivor support and animal welfare. Both organizations operate at the pet-inclusive DV space with national scope.

Emerging players

• Purple Leash Project (Purina + RedRover): The Purple Leash Project funds renovations of domestic violence shelters to make them pet-friendly, operating in the same pet-inclusive DV space as EmBark. Backed by Purina/RedRover, it represents a well-resourced emerging initiative that overlaps with EmBark's survivor-pet support mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/embarkfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmBarkFdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/embark-foundation-inc

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 EmBark Foundation, Inc.