Humble Heroes of FDNY

What Humble Heroes of FDNY does

Humble Heroes of FDNY is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-4093990) based in Staten Island, New York. Founded in 2015 by FDNY firefighter Robert Banome and friends following an impromptu Halloween visit to a children's hospital, the organization was legally incorporated in 2020 and operates under official FDNY sponsorship. Its core service is costumed volunteer visits — teams of volunteers dress as Marvel and DC superheroes and conduct in-person visits to pediatric hospitals, special needs schools, and grief centers, accompanied by small gifts and activities. The program portfolio spans NY, NJ, PA, TN (St. Jude), and FL (Night to Shine), with named hospital partners including St. Luke's, NY Presbyterian, St. Peter's, Maimonides, and St. Jude, and school partners including I.S. 34, Groveland Elementary, and Staten Island Rise Academy.

The organization is 100% volunteer-based with approximately 9 personnel across leadership and support roles. Revenue is generated through three streams: tax-deductible charitable donations (processed via website and Donorbox), merchandise sales through a Printful-powered e-commerce store offering branded t-shirts, hats, and tank tops, and event fundraising via cornhole tournaments, pickleball events, and music bingo nights ticketed through Zeffy and Eventbrite. A secondary program, the Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge launched in 2021, cultivates volunteerism among middle school students and awards scholarships. Costume design and fabrication, led by Vice President Kenny Restrepo, is positioned as a core creative competency. Technology footprint is minimal and limited to commodity SaaS integrations (Printful, Zeffy, Donorbox, Eventbrite, Amazon Wishlist); the organization holds no patents, employs no AI/ML systems, and has not raised institutional funding.

Name

Humble Heroes of FDNY

Legal name

Humble Heroes of FDNY Inc

Website

https://hhfdny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Humble Heroes of FDNY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 by FDNY firefighters whose volunteers dress as superheroes to visit hospitalized, special needs, and grieving children, funded through donations, merchandise sales, and community fundraisers across multiple US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Charitable Outreach Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Charitable hospital visits
• Nonprofit organization services
• Children's outreach programs
• Community fundraising events
• Volunteer-based charity

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting the mission of bringing joy to children in hospitals and special needs schools.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel including t-shirts, hats, and accessories. Revenue supports operational costs, costumes, toys, and scholarships.
3. Event Fundraising: Ticket sales and sponsorship revenue from community events such as cornhole tournaments, pickleball fundraisers, and music bingo nights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Humble Heroes of FDNY is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sends costumed volunteer superheroes to visit children in hospitals, special needs schools, and grief centers to lift their spirits. The organization supplements its charitable mission with a branded merchandise store selling superhero and FDNY-themed apparel and accessories, plus the Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge youth volunteerism program with scholarship prizes.

Product overview

Humble Heroes of FDNY is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily as a charitable service provider and community outreach program. Their core offering is the Superhero Costume Visits service, where volunteers dress as famous superheroes to visit hospitals, special needs schools, and grief centers. The merchandise store complements their mission by selling superhero-themed apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hats, and tank tops in various styles for men, women, youth, and unisex categories. Additional programs include the Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge (a scholarship-based youth volunteerism program) and a Toy Drive Program through Amazon wish lists. The product portfolio is unified around the charitable mission of bringing joy to children, with merchandise serving as both a fundraising mechanism and a way to spread awareness of the cause.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Superhero Costume Visits
• Heart of Humble Heroes Hundred-Day Challenge
• Toy Drive Program
• HH FDNY Firefighter Superhero Men's T-Shirt

Quantifiable outcome

• Near $5,000 raised at single pickleball fundraiser
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FDNY (Fire Department of New York City)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sponsorship by FDNY. Founded by FDNY members and their families. Organization operates as officially affiliated charity of FDNY. FDNY firefighters volunteer and participate in visits.
• Carl Bini FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided mentorship and guidance during organization's formation, coaching them until ready to operate independently as a 501(c)(3).
• The Sons and Daughters of Italy: Father Vincent R. Capodanno Lodge #212minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Italian American Fundraiser and donated $2,000 in proceeds.
• Brother's BakeryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of pickleball fundraiser event.
• Bella Wine & SpiritsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of pickleball fundraiser event.
• Tekie GeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of pickleball fundraiser event.
• Camp Good GriefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp on Staten Island for children who lost parents or loved ones. Origin of Humble Heroes concept. Became annual visit location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• A Kid Again: National nonprofit providing cost-free adventures and events for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Comparable mission of memory-making for seriously ill children.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Operates in the same impact category (joy delivery to hospitalized/ill children) at vastly larger scale, providing aspirational target for mission expansion.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit delivering programs to hospitalized children including entertainment, distraction, and family support. Comparable in mission and hospital-channel delivery model.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides comfort and care to sick children and their families in hospital settings. Operates in the same beneficiary universe (pediatric hospital patients) with a different delivery model.

Direct peers

• Marty Lyons Foundation: Grants wishes to children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Similar in mission (joy for seriously ill children), scale, and volunteer-driven operations.
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Major FDNY-affiliated 501(c)(3) supporting first responders and military families. Closest comparable to Humble Heroes given shared FDNY lineage and child/family mission orientation.
• Super Sam Foundation: Pediatric cancer charity supporting children and families through financial assistance and joyful experiences. Comparable small-scale, mission-aligned nonprofit in the same beneficiary segment.
• Camp Good Grief (Mothers and Others of Staten Island): Staten Island-based bereavement camp for children who lost parents/loved ones — origin point of Humble Heroes' early work and direct programmatic partner. Same beneficiary segment (grieving children).

Emerging players

• Brave Hearts for Strong Minds: Small nonprofit delivering joy and experiences to children facing serious illness. Comparable in scale and grassroots volunteer model.

Others

• Carl Bini Fund: 9/11-related Staten Island nonprofit that mentored Humble Heroes during formation. Operates in the same geographic and first-responder-affiliated community, providing deep operational adjacency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCciRFK52LQlaNU9qvJL89qQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumbleHeroesNY
• Instagraminstagram.com/humbleheroes_ny/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humble-heroes-of-fdny

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Humble Heroes of FDNY