What Fostering Success does

Fostering Success is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in the greater Chicago metropolitan area, providing structured mentorship, community programming, and financial assistance to teens and young adults experiencing the foster care system in DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois. Its core product is a Mentor Program that pairs foster youth with adult mentors (minimum age 25) committing to at least a one-year relationship at an annual cost of $850 per matched pair, supported by small-group meetings, in-person touchpoints (minimum two per month), and a calendar of community events including holiday parties, an anniversary celebration, and the inaugural Success Stride 5K run/walk held on April 19, 2025. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a Squarespace-hosted website serves as the primary intake and donation portal, supplemented by a Constant Contact newsletter and organic social media; no proprietary software, mobile applications, or data platform is described.

The organization's revenue model is donation-driven, with preset gift tiers ($10, $30, $40, $75, $100, $250) available as one-time, weekly, or monthly contributions, alongside program-unit sponsorships covering quarterly group events ($120), back-to-school shopping ($100), groceries and holiday meals ($100), backpacks ($40), monthly mentor/mentee activities ($240), training and support ($200), and full mentor/mentee relationship sponsorships ($850 annually). The Wisdom Family Foundation is the founding sponsor, with Kristi Wisdom on the Board of Directors. Customer segments comprise three personas: the primary beneficiary segment (teens and young adults in foster care), a secondary segment of volunteer mentors (primarily local adults age 25+), and a tertiary segment of individual donors and corporate sponsors. With 11 employees, the organization is small and founder-led, with leadership including a President/CPA/PwC partner (Danielle Valkner), a Program Director (Holly Petrovich), and a founding board member who personally aged out of foster care (Elizabeth Sutherland, author of 'No Ordinary Liz'), forming the basis for its differentiated mission-driven positioning.

Name

Fostering Success

Legal name

Fostering Success

Website

https://fosteringsuccess21.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fostering Success is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that provides structured mentorship, community events, and financial assistance to teens and young adults in the foster care system across DuPage and Kane counties in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Foster Care Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Foster youth services
• Youth mentorship programs
• Foster care support
• Community nonprofit services
• Youth financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bartlett

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. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission. Donation options include one-time, weekly, or monthly recurring donations at preset amounts ($10, $30, $40, $75, $100, $250) or custom amounts.
2. Program Sponsorship: Corporate or individual sponsors fund specific programs and activities including quarterly group events ($120), back-to-school shopping ($100), groceries/holiday meals ($100), monthly mentor/mentee activities ($240), and training and support ($200).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fostering Success is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and financial assistance to teens and young adults aging out of foster care. The organization operates a structured Mentor Program, distributes direct financial assistance to program participants, and hosts community-building events such as the Prom Dress Drive and Success Stride 5K in the DuPage and Kane counties of Illinois.

Product overview

Fostering Success operates as a single, unified nonprofit service focused on providing mentorship, financial assistance, and community support to teens and young adults in the foster care system. The core offering consists of a structured Mentor Program that pairs youth with adult mentors for guidance during their transition into adulthood. This program is complemented by Community Events (including holiday parties and the annual Success Stride 5K), a Financial Assistance Program (funding mentor relationships and various youth needs), a Prom Dress Drive (providing prom attire to mentees), and a Newsletter Subscription service. All offerings are coordinated through their Squarespace-based website and operate primarily in DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentor Program A structured one-to-one mentoring initiative pairing vetted volunteer adult mentors with teens and young adults aging out of foster care in DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois, to provide relational support during the transition to independence.
• Financial Assistance Program Direct grant-style financial support disbursed to program participants to help cover essential needs such as housing, education, and daily living expenses during their transition out of foster care.
• Community Events and Drives Public-facing community engagement programs including the annual Prom Dress Drive (collecting and distributing prom attire to local foster youth) and the Success Stride 5K (a fundraising run/walk), designed to raise awareness, build community, and generate funds for the organization's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 3 people who aged out of foster care experience homelessness or couch surfing by age 26 without intervention
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Abbott Tree CareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 April 2025Mike and Sue Abbott and Abbott Tree Care were sponsors of the inaugural Success Stride 5K event on April 19, 2025.
• National Honor Society (Bartlett High School and South Elgin High School)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 April 2025Student volunteers from Bartlett High School and South Elgin High School National Honor Society participated in the Success Stride 5K event as volunteer groups.
• Fox River and Countryside Fire DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 April 2025Volunteer group that supported the Success Stride 5K event on April 19, 2025.
• Project Access (U-46)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated with Project Access through U-46 school district and Men's Wearhouse to offer prom dresses and tuxedos to mentees attending prom in 2023.
• Men's WearhouseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Partnered to provide tuxedos to mentees who wanted to attend prom, supporting the prom dress drive initiative.
• Mercy HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFostering Success hosted a holiday party for the children and mentors at Mercy Home in Chicago, IL in December 2021. The event included ice skating and holiday gift stockings. Father Scott Donahue, President/CEO of Mercy Home, expressed gratitude for the partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Youth Advocate Program: Multi-state nonprofit providing foster care, mentoring, and community-based services for at-risk youth and families. Broader incumbent with overlapping foster-care mentoring and youth-transition programming across multiple states.
• Children's Home & Aid: Large Illinois-based child welfare nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, mentoring, and family support services statewide. Broader incumbent offering overlapping foster-care mentoring and youth-transition services across Illinois and beyond Fostering Success's two-county footprint.
• Boys & Girls Club of America: National youth development organization providing mentoring, after-school programming, and life-skills support to youth, including those in foster care. Overlaps in mentoring and youth-development mission; broader incumbent with national scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• CASA Kane County: Court Appointed Special Advocates program in Kane County, Illinois recruiting and training volunteer advocates for children in foster care. Highly comparable volunteer-driven, community-based model serving the same geographic catchment and overlapping population.
• Mercy Home for Boys & Girls: Chicago-based nonprofit providing residential care, mentoring, and community programs for youth in foster care and at-risk situations. Direct peer as Fostering Success already partners with Mercy Home on holiday parties and serves overlapping Illinois foster-youth populations with similar mentoring and life-skills programming.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Long-established 1:1 youth mentoring organization serving at-risk children and teens in the Chicago metropolitan area. Directly comparable volunteer-driven mentoring model, donation-funded structure, and target demographic of youth needing consistent adult role models.

Emerging players

• FosterClub: National network supporting teens and young adults currently or formerly in foster care, with peer support, leadership training, and transition resources. Comparable target population of foster-care transition-age youth and similar community/peer support emphasis.
• Kidsave: Nonprofit focused specifically on older foster youth and teens aging out of foster care, connecting them with permanent family connections and supportive adults. Comparable niche on transition-age foster youth, similar volunteer mentor model, and overlapping donor appeal.
• City Year: Youth development nonprofit placing near-peer mentors in schools to support students facing academic and social challenges. Comparable mission around consistent adult/mentor relationships for at-risk youth, with relevance reinforced by board member Fiona Cismesia's prior City Year experience.

Others

• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois: Large Illinois human services nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, mentoring, and youth programs statewide. Adjacent provider sharing donor pool and referral networks with Fostering Success in Illinois foster-care space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fostering-success

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Fostering Success