Girls With Guts

What Girls With Guts does

Girls With Guts is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that operates a community and support portfolio for women living with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) and/or ostomies. The organization runs a private Facebook Forum exceeding 7,000 members as its primary community hub, supplemented by two annual in-person retreats (New Attendee Retreat for first-time attendees and an open Annual Retreat), virtual programming (ChapterCrafter every-other-month craft and book sessions), peer-support programs (Love Your Guts Mail encouragement letters, Butt Basket surgery care packages, POOP Program for ostomy supply access), educational resources (IBD Academy, Fact Sheets, Life Stages), and an advocacy tool (I Gotta Go Card) supporting Restroom Access Act and ADA accommodations. An all-volunteer organization with no paid staff, GWG is governed by a Board of Directors and supported by a Medical Advisory Board drawn from Cleveland Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Yale.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress website with the Give WP donation plugin, Facebook as the gated community platform, Vimeo for video, Bonfire for print-on-demand merchandise, and payment integrations via PayPal, Venmo, and Infinite Giving (which supports stocks, GAF grants, endowments, and cryptocurrency). No proprietary technology, mobile application, AI/ML system, or data platform is disclosed; the "product" is fundamentally the human community itself moderated by lived-experience volunteers. The organization is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant and maintains a published privacy policy.

Revenue mechanics are distributed and donation-driven. The organization accepts one-time and recurring monthly donations (program-level tiers include $25 for Love Your Guts Mail stamps, $50 for a Butt Basket, $250 to sponsor a member's retreat attendance, and $21/month recurring to sponsor a Newbie Retreat attendee), Facebook birthday fundraisers, corporate sponsorships via a formal sponsorship packet, and merchandise sales through Bonfire. There is no pricing model in the conventional sense — membership to the Facebook Forum is free and screened by admin approval — and no corporate parent, venture capital, or institutional investor involvement. Funding is exclusively philanthropic and community-derived.

Name

Girls With Guts

Legal name

Girls With Guts

Website

https://girlswithguts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Girls With Guts is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that runs a 7,000+-member private Facebook community and programming portfolio for women with inflammatory bowel disease and/or ostomies, funded entirely by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Girls With Guts relies on donations and fundraising as its primary funding source. Donations can be one-time or recurring monthly, and can be designated to specific programs. The organization also accepts stocks, GAF grants, endowments, and crypto contributions. Corporate matching programs are supported. Birthday fundraisers via Facebook are also utilized.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded merchandise through Bonfire (a print-on-demand platform) and possibly other e-commerce channels. Merch is referenced on the website navigation.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: The organization offers corporate sponsorship opportunities through a sponsorship packet, allowing companies to support GWG events and programming in exchange for recognition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Girls With Guts is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a peer-support community and programs for women living with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and/or ostomies. Its core offerings are a private Facebook Forum of more than 7,000 members, recurring peer-support programs (Love Your Guts Mail, ChapterCrafter, Butt Basket, POOP Program), twice-yearly in-person retreats, and educational resources (IBD Academy, Fact Sheets, Life Stages).

Product overview

Girls With Guts operates as a community-focused nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of peer support and educational programs for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or ostomies. The core offerings include community-building programs (ChapterCrafter virtual events, Private Facebook Forum), support programs (Love Your Guts Mail, Butt Basket, POOP Program), educational resources (IBD Academy, Fact Sheets, Brochure), advocacy tools (I Gotta Go Card), in-person events (Annual Retreat, New Attendee Retreat), and an upcoming GWG Ambassadors Program. The organization also provides public speaking and event services. All programming is accessible through membership and donation-supported operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Love Your Guts Mail: A program that sends encouragement and support letters to fellow Girls With Guts members who need extra love.
• ChapterCrafter
• Butt Basket
• POOP Program (Philanthropic Ostomy Outreach Program)

Products and services

• Private Facebook Forum Private online community with over 7,000 members providing peer support, encouragement, and knowledge sharing among women with IBD and/or an ostomy. Membership requires answering screening questions and is approved by admins.
• Love Your Guts Mail One-time snail mail and/or email program where members send encouraging love notes to fellow Girls With Guts who need extra support.
• ChapterCrafter Program Virtual event program alternating between craft-themed and book-themed sessions every other month, designed to foster social connection and community among GWG members.
• Butt Basket Care package program providing support items to women undergoing IBD-related or ostomy surgery.
• POOP Program (Philanthropic Ostomy Outreach Program) Program partnering with organizations to help individuals in need of ostomy supplies or those wishing to donate leftover supplies.
• IBD Academy Educational resource providing information about inflammatory bowel disease for patients and supporters.
• New Attendee Retreat Introductory in-person retreat for women who have never attended a GWG event, focusing on creating relationships and learning to handle the emotional toll of IBD.
• Annual Retreat In-person retreat open to all GWG members featuring team-building activities and seminars led by IBD experts.
• I Gotta Go Card Identification card for individuals with IBD or ostomy to request restroom access under the Restroom Access Act, providing proof of medical condition.
• Speaking & Event Services Public and motivational speaking, hospital visitations, conference appearances, and other IBD and ostomy event participation delivered by GWG volunteers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 women served through the private Facebook Forum community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• GI Nutrition FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWG attended the GI Nutrition Foundation's reception titled 'IBD Nutrition in Practice: A Culinary Experience' at Digestive Disease Week 2026, where nutrition and IBD care were discussed. GWG's participation at this event reflects alignment on shared goals around food, nutrition, and IBD patient wellbeing.
• Monday Night IBDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWG participated in the session 'Bridging the Communication Gap for Better IBD Care: A Collaborative Approach' organized by Monday Night IBD and Color of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI) at DDW 2026, where patients and providers came together to address care gaps.
• Color of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOGI co-organized the session 'Bridging the Communication Gap for Better IBD Care' with Monday Night IBD at DDW 2026. GWG's board members participated in this collaborative session addressing disparities and communication gaps in GI care.
• Crohn's and Colitis FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWG refers members to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation for resources such as Camp Oasis (a summer camp for children with IBD), and acknowledges the Foundation as a complementary resource. GWG also partners on advocacy and education initiatives. Jeanne Dagna is a member of the CCFA Patient Advisory Task Force and mentor in their Power of Two program.
• United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWG's POOP Program (Philanthropic Ostomy Outreach Program) partners with organizations to help individuals in need of ostomy supplies access them and to allow donation of surplus supplies. UOAA is referenced as a partner organization that helps with ostomy supply access. Jeanne Dagna also volunteers with UOAA's Patient and Educational Advisory committees.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ImproveCareNow: A collaborative learning health network focused on improving outcomes for children and adolescents with IBD. Comparable as a peer in the IBD patient-advocacy and care-improvement space, though focused on pediatric populations rather than adult women.
• The Osto Group: A nonprofit that provides free ostomy supplies to uninsured or underinsured individuals in the U.S. Overlaps with the supply-access mission of Girls With Guts' POOP Program, making it a relevant peer in the ostomy support ecosystem.
• IBD Connect: A patient advocacy nonprofit providing resources, support, and awareness for people living with IBD. Comparable as a peer IBD-focused community organization serving a similar patient population.
• Color of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI): Patient advocacy organization focused on addressing disparities in GI care for communities of color. Co-organizes DDW sessions with Monday Night IBD and Girls With Guts, making it a relevant peer in the GI patient advocacy ecosystem addressing underserved patient populations.

Direct peers

• United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA): National nonprofit serving people with ostomies through education, advocacy, and support groups. Directly comparable to Girls With Guts for the ostomy portion of GWG's mission and is a formal partner organization (GWG partners with UOAA on the POOP Program for ostomy supply access).
• Great Bowel Movement: A patient advocacy organization focused on young adults living with IBD and ostomies. Directly comparable as a peer IBD/ostomy advocacy nonprofit working to reduce stigma and build community, with overlapping programmatic approach (peer storytelling, awareness campaigns).

Broad incumbents

• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: The largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), serving both men and women across all ages. Directly comparable as a peer patient advocacy organization for the same patient population, but operates at a much larger scale and is not women-specific.
• Mount Sinai IBD Program: A leading academic medical center IBD program providing clinical care, research, and behavioral health support for IBD patients. Comparable to GWG's clinical partnerships (Medical Advisory Board includes a therapist from Mount Sinai IBD program) and represents a clinical-care peer in the IBD patient-support ecosystem.

Others

• GI Nutrition Foundation: A professional organization focused on the role of nutrition in gastrointestinal disease management. A peer in the broader GI health ecosystem and a partner organization that hosts joint receptions at DDW with Girls With Guts (e.g., 'IBD Nutrition in Practice').

Regional players

• Ostomy Canada Society: Canadian nonprofit supporting people with ostomies through chapters, peer support, and education. Comparable in mission and programming model to GWG's ostomy programming, but operates primarily in Canada rather than the United States.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IBDgirls
• YouTubevimeo.com/ibdgirls
• Facebookfacebook.com/IBDgirls
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibdgirls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibdgirls

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Girls With Guts