Grandmother Collective

What Grandmother Collective does

Grandmother Collective, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 and operating virtually out of the United States. The organization builds and connects a global community to elevate, support, and activate elder women as a positive social force, serving two principal constituencies: (1) individual elder women seeking community, purpose, storytelling platforms, and recognition as changemakers, and (2) "grandmother-centered" nonprofit organizations focused on elder women's empowerment, intergenerational programming, and community development. The organization is governed by a five-member board led by Board President and co-founder Jennifer Hanks-Allaire, with an 8-person staff including Interim Executive Director Jessica Kohnen, Program Manager Karen Smith, and Operations Coordinator Leigh Horton.

The product surface comprises recurring virtual community programs — Coffee Chat (first Tuesday), Storytelling Circle (second Tuesday), Wabi Sabi Writers Group (fourth Wednesday), and Crone Authors Together (last Tuesday) — supplemented by the Grandma Magic Podcast and a research library of white papers ("Catalyzing the Grandmother Effect 2024," "Grandmothers and Social Change," "Grandmothers on the Frontlines Literature Review 2025") plus the Ashoka-co-published "Thrive Together" changemaker guide. The Grandmas4Literacy pilot in Philadelphia is the only direct-service field program, equipping grandmothers with Wilson Reading System certification and the Crochet and Read Program. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; delivery runs on commodity tools (Constant Contact, Zoom, Podbean, Givecloud, Google Drive).

The business model is donation-based. As a 501(c)(3), Grandmother Collective does not charge for participation and generates revenue through contributions processed via the Givecloud fundraising platform. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with a network of partner organizations in 15+ countries (India, Guatemala, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Spain, Senegal, Canada, Uganda, Netherlands, Jordan, Kenya, USA) acting as a quasi-distribution channel for peer support, knowledge sharing, and programmatic collaboration. The operating model combines paid staff with volunteer participation across community programs.

Name

Grandmother Collective

Legal name

Grandmother Collective, Inc

Website

https://grandmothercollective.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grandmother Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds and connects a global community of elder women through virtual programming, a partner network spanning 15+ countries, the Grandmas4Literacy pilot in Philadelphia, and research publications on intergenerational changemaking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Based Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Arts, Culture & Creative Learning for Seniors (Music, writing, crafts) (EDAAAMAI), Civic Engagement, Volunteering & Leadership Education for Seniors (EDAAAMAK), Intergenerational Day Programs (Seniors + Childcare) (HSABANAJ)

Keywords

• Community building programs
• Elder women empowerment
• Intergenerational collaboration
• Literacy mentor training
• Nonprofit community networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Grandmother Collective relies on donations and fundraising to support operations. The organization accepts donations through their Givecloud fundraising platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grandmother Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds and connects a global community to elevate, support, and activate elder women. It delivers free recurring virtual programs (Coffee Chat, Storytelling Circle, Wabi Sabi Writers Group, Crone Authors Together), the Grandmas4Literacy pilot training grandmothers as literacy mentors in Philadelphia, the Grandma Magic Podcast, and original research publications on the social impact of grandmothers. The organization also maintains a network of partner organizations spanning 15+ countries.

Product overview

Grandmother Collective is a nonprofit organization (registered 501(c)(3)) that builds and connects a global community to elevate, support, and activate elder women. The organization offers a portfolio of community programs including the Grandmother Collective Coffee Chat, Storytelling Circle, Wabi Sabi Writers Group, Crone Authors Together (CAT), and Grandma Magic Podcast. The Grandmas4Literacy program provides literacy training to grandmothers in Philadelphia. Research and learning resources include white papers on the role of grandmothers in social change, published literature reviews, and collaborative guides developed with partners like Ashoka. The organization also maintains a network of grandmother-centered organizations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grandmas4Literacy: A groundbreaking pilot project in Philadelphia that equips grandmothers with professional training and evidence-based strategies to address the literacy crisis, including certification in the Wilson Reading System and the Crochet and Read Program.
• Grandma Magic Podcast

Products and services

• Grandmother Collective Coffee Chat Monthly virtual gathering for older women to share changemaking work, seek support, and connect with others; held the first Tuesday of each month at 12pm Eastern US Time.
• Storytelling Circle Open monthly virtual gathering on the second Tuesday at 8pm Eastern US Time for sharing and celebrating stories that connect community members of older women.
• Wabi Sabi Writers Group Monthly writing group held the fourth Wednesday at 11am Eastern US Time for grandmothers exploring personal storytelling, legacy writing, and embracing life's unfinished and imperfect moments through writing.
• Crone Authors Together (CAT) Monthly online circle held the last Tuesday at 1:00pm Eastern US Time for women authors who want to reach readers and build audiences, sharing reader outreach, launch strategies, and marketing ideas.
• Grandma Magic Podcast Podcast channel featuring stories and content related to grandmothers and intergenerational changemaking, distributed on Podbean.
• Grandmas4Literacy Pilot project led by Toya (Gigi) Algarin that equips grandmothers with professional training and evidence-based strategies to address the literacy crisis, including certification in the Wilson Reading System and the Crochet and Read Program, delivered in Philadelphia classrooms, senior centers, and community spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• A fourth-grade student named Jordan jumped two full reading levels through the Grandmas4Literacy program
• +1 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

One partnership is on record.

• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrandmother Collective partnered with Ashoka to develop 'Thrive Together: A Changemaking Guide to Intergenerational Collaboration.' This guide equips grandmothers and older changemakers with practical ideas for engaging with changemaking or starting programs in their areas. The guide offers a roadmap for transitioning from age-segregated to intergenerational community models.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Aging: U.S. nonprofit advocating for older adults' health, economic security, and community participation. Overlaps with Grandmother Collective's elder empowerment focus but operates at much greater scale and policy influence.
• Ashoka: Global organization supporting leading social entrepreneurs, with whom Grandmother Collective co-developed the 'Thrive Together' intergenerational changemaking guide. Comparable in mission to amplify changemakers, though Ashoka operates at significantly larger scale across all age groups.
• AARP: The largest U.S. advocacy and membership organization for people aged 50+, AARP addresses aging, social engagement, and policy. Comparable to Grandmother Collective in championing older adults' social contributions, though with a far broader scope and much larger budget.

Emerging players

• Purposeful: An international organization that supports grandmothers and older women to drive community change, particularly in Africa. Comparable in mobilizing elder women as changemakers, though with a stronger geographic concentration in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Village to Village Network: U.S. nonprofit supporting the creation of 'villages' that help older adults age in place through community-based mutual support. Comparable community-led model for older adults, though focused on aging-in-place logistics rather than changemaking.
• Elders Climate Action: U.S. nonprofit mobilizing older adults to advocate for climate action. Comparable in positioning elders as active changemakers rather than passive recipients, though focused exclusively on climate policy.

Direct peers

• Encore.org: Nonprofit focused on engaging older adults in second-act careers and social impact work, including intergenerational programs. Directly comparable mission of mobilizing older adults as changemakers, with deeper programming infrastructure.
• Grandmother Project - Change through Generations: A nonprofit working internationally to empower grandmothers as agents of social change, including in Senegal and other low- and middle-income countries. Direct peer in mission and methodology; also a current network partner of Grandmother Collective.
• Older Women's League (OWL): U.S. membership organization advocating for older women on issues including aging, economic security, and social engagement. Directly comparable in centering elder women's empowerment and community voice.

Regional players

• Barefoot College: India-based (with Guatemala and other global sites) organization training rural grandmothers in skills like solar engineering, education, and healthcare. Strong peer in grandmother-led development, though with a more technical-skills-training orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GranCollective
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grandmothercollective
• Facebookfacebook.com/grandmothercollective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grandmothercollective
• Instagraminstagram.com/grandmothercollective

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Grandmother Collective