Friendship Circle of San Diego
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a nonprofit, founded in 1993, that pairs children, teens, and adults with disabilities with typically developing peer volunteers in San Diego County through recurring social, recreational, and educational programs funded primarily by donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersEncinitas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Friendship Circle of San Diego does
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a 501(c)-style nonprofit organization headquartered at 441 Saxony Road in Encinitas, California, serving the greater San Diego County area. Founded in 1993 as part of the broader Chabad.org Friendship Circle network, it pairs children, teens, and adults with disabilities with typically developing peer volunteers to deliver social, recreational, vocational, and educational experiences. Its primary "customer" segment is local families affected by disability, and its volunteer base — including a Teen Leadership Board — functions as the operational backbone of the organization.
The organization's product surface is a portfolio of recurring in-person programs rather than any technology product. Flagship offerings include Sunday Circle (weekly gatherings), Camp Let Loose (summer camp), the annual Friendship Walk & Fair, Friends at Home (one-on-one home visits), Friendship Dojo, Shooting Stars / Lego Builders, Bowling with Me, Men's Club, Women's Circle, Inclusivity Workshops, and JLI Course. These are supported by a Resource Hub of online informational materials and a Photo Gallery. The digital layer — website, program and volunteer registration, donations, and newsletter — runs on the Chabad.org platform, which the organization leverages rather than operates.
Commercially, this is a donor-supported nonprofit with two principal revenue streams: (1) donations and charitable contributions via online giving, stock donations, and Legacy Circle / Legacy Society planned giving, and (2) program fees paid privately or covered by scholarships, priced on a quote basis with financial assistance available. There is no disclosed revenue figure, no headcount data, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no proprietary technology IP; the organization holds Charity Navigator 4-Star and GuideStar Gold-Level transparency recognition, which signals credible financial stewardship for a small, volunteer-led regional nonprofit.
Friendship Circle of San Diego firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Friendship Circle of San Diego
- Legal name
- Friendship Circle of San Diego
- Website
- https://friendshipcirclesd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Friendship Circle of San Diego is a nonprofit, founded in 1993, that pairs children, teens, and adults with disabilities with typically developing peer volunteers in San Diego County through recurring social, recreational, and educational programs funded primarily by donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Friendship Circle of San Diego industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability and Social Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where Friendship Circle of San Diego is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Encinitas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Friendship Circle of San Diego business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on donations from individuals, families, and community members to fund operations and programs. Multiple donation pathways are offered including online donations, stock donations, and legacy society planned giving.
- Program Fees and Scholarships: Families can pay privately for programs or apply for scholarships. Pricing appears to be quote-based with financial assistance available for those who qualify.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Private Pay / Scholarship-Based Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Friendship Circle of San Diego product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a nonprofit organization that provides social, recreational, vocational, and educational programs for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their families in San Diego County. Programs include Camp Let Loose (summer day camp), Sunday Circle (weekly social/recreational program), Friendship Dojo (martial arts program), and additional inclusion-focused initiatives. The organization relies on a volunteer-driven model and offers scholarships to ensure program accessibility.
Product overview
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a nonprofit organization — not a technology product company — that operates a portfolio of social, recreational, vocational, and educational programs for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their typically developing peers. Its core offering is a suite of in-person programs centered around inclusion and friendship, including Camp Let Loose, Friendship Walk & Fair, Shooting Stars, Teen Leadership Board, Friendship Dojo, Sunday Circle, Friends at Home, Bowl With Me, Men's Club, Women's Circle, Inclusivity Workshops, Workshops, Parent's Event, JLI Course, and SD COUNTY FAIR participation. These programs are supported by a Resource Hub (online informational materials) and a Photo Gallery. The organization does not offer a unified software platform or SaaS product; instead, it provides direct community-based services driven by volunteer engagement and in-person programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Camp Let Loose
- Sunday Circle
- Friendship Dojo Martial arts program tailored for participants with disabilities, focused on physical development, discipline, and confidence-building.
- Vocational and Educational Programs
Companies that use Friendship Circle of San Diego
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Friendship Circle of San Diego technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Friendship Circle of San Diego partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Chabad.orgcoreThe organization's website and technology infrastructure is powered by Chabad.org. The website domain uses Chabad.org's web platform and hosting services. This provides the technical backbone for the organization's digital presence, registration systems, and online donation processing.
- Resource Foundation of San DiegominorCollaborative partner featured in the organization's photo gallery for the 2024 All Inclusive Day of Play event, demonstrating community partnership for inclusive programming.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Friendship Circle of San Diego competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Easterseals Southern California: Established disability services nonprofit providing recreation, therapy, and community programs across Southern California. Comparable in mission to create inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities, though with a broader services portfolio.
- Special Olympics Southern California: Large regional nonprofit providing year-round sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Comparable in serving the same population through recreational and inclusive programming in Southern California.
Direct peers
- Best Buddies International: National nonprofit pairing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with peer buddies for one-to-one friendships, social activities, and employment — overlapping strongly with Friendship Circle's friendship-pairing model.
- Friendship Circle of Michigan: The original flagship Friendship Circle chapter in Michigan, operating the same volunteer-pairing, inclusive-programming model for children and adults with disabilities. Most direct operational peer.
- Friendship Circle International: The parent Friendship Circle network that established the chapter model serving children with disabilities through paired volunteers. Directly comparable as the originating organization for the same chapter-based inclusive programming model.
Emerging players
- Keshet: Jewish disability inclusion nonprofit providing education, programs, and community for individuals with disabilities and their families. Overlaps in the Jewish-community-affiliated disability inclusion space.
Regional players
- Camp Pascucci (via JCC): Jewish community center network providing inclusive summer camps and recreational programming for children including those with disabilities. Comparable as a community-based inclusive recreation provider.
- Jewish Family Service of San Diego: San Diego-based Jewish social services nonprofit serving families and individuals in need, including those with disabilities. Comparable as a regional, Jewish-affiliated community services organization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Friendship Circle of San Diego social profiles
Digital presenceFriendship Circle of San Diego financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Friendship Circle of San Diego leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Friendship Circle of San Diego funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Friendship Circle of San Diego 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 Friendship Circle of San Diego
What does Friendship Circle of San Diego do?
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a nonprofit organization that provides social, recreational, vocational, and educational programs for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their families in San Diego County. Programs include Camp Let Loose (summer day camp), Sunday Circle (weekly social/recreational program), Friendship Dojo (martial arts program), and additional inclusion-focused initiatives. The organization relies on a volunteer-driven model and offers scholarships to ensure program accessibility.
Is Friendship Circle of San Diego a public or private company?
Friendship Circle of San Diego is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Friendship Circle of San Diego founded?
Friendship Circle of San Diego was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Friendship Circle of San Diego based?
Friendship Circle of San Diego is headquartered in Encinitas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Friendship Circle of San Diego make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are program Fees and Scholarships.
Who are Friendship Circle of San Diego's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Easterseals Southern California and Special Olympics Southern California. Direct peers are Best Buddies International, Friendship Circle of Michigan and Friendship Circle International. Keshet is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Camp Pascucci (via JCC) and Jewish Family Service of San Diego.
Does Friendship Circle of San Diego have an API?
No public API is recorded for Friendship Circle of San Diego.
What industry is Friendship Circle of San Diego in?
Friendship Circle of San Diego's product category is Disability and Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAJ, Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8300.