Kids of Courage

What Kids of Courage does

Kids of Courage is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered in Cedarhurst, NY, with a secondary office in Brooklyn. The organization provides free, medically-supervised adventure experiences and year-round support services for children and young adults (ages 5-25) living with serious, life-threatening, or chronic illnesses such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, familial dysautonomia, and cystic fibrosis. Its program portfolio includes the flagship nine-day Summer Adventure Camp (a cross-country trip with chartered flights accommodating wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators, and feeding pumps), an Adaptive Ski Weekend at Mount Snow in Vermont with AbilityPLUS, Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentorship, Medical Transportation coordination via Hatzolah paramedics, Hospital Care visits, a Medical Referrals and Hotline service, Community Weekends, and Celebrity/VIP Entertainment experiences.

The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers, including a 21-person medical team of physicians, nurses, and paramedics per trip, supported by 200+ volunteers drawn from a network of "distinguished practitioners across the country." There is no proprietary technology product; the digital footprint consists of a donation-processing website (kidsoc.org), social media channels, and an email newsletter. The underlying "platform" is operational rather than technical: 10+ years of accumulated logistics expertise for moving medically fragile children, supported by partnerships with United Airlines (charter flights), AbilityPLUS (adaptive skiing), Hatzolah (emergency medical transport), and multiple professional sports franchises (Angels, Yankees, Rangers, Jets, Heat).

Kids of Courage generates no earned revenue; all programs are provided free of charge to qualifying families. Funding comes from individual donations (credit card, PayPal, and stock), corporate sponsorships (J Drugs, Apria Healthcare, Sheraton Springfield, First Class Caterers, Royal Care, Peak Resorts, etc.), and community fundraising events including the Race for Courage marathon in Miami Beach and the Bahamas Marathon. Because the organization employs no salaried staff or professional fundraisers, 100% of contributions are stated to flow directly to programs, with major trips costing an estimated $750,000-$830,000 each. Reach spans the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel, with camper recruitment across multiple countries.

Name

Kids of Courage

Legal name

Kids of Courage Inc.

Website

https://kidsoc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kids of Courage is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that provides free, medically-supervised adventure experiences and year-round support for children and young adults (ages 5-25) with serious, life-threatening, or chronic illnesses across the US, Canada, Europe, and Israel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Chronic Illness Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG), Physical Activity & Motor Development Programs (Health-Focused) (EDACAMAI)

Keywords

• Pediatric chronic illness support
• Adaptive adventure programs
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Medical supervised recreation
• Volunteer driven charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedarhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Community supported organization accepting donations from individuals via credit card, PayPal, and stock donations. 100% of contributions go directly to programs as there are no salaries or professional fundraisers.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide funding and in-kind support for adventure trips and programs. Sponsors include airlines, hotels, caterers, and healthcare companies.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Race for Courage marathon in Miami Beach, community BBQs, and other fundraising activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kids of Courage provides free, medically supervised adventure experiences and year-round programming for children and young adults (ages 5–25) living with serious, life-threatening, and chronic illnesses. Its core offerings include a nine-day Summer Adventure Camp (a chartered cross-country trip for ~100 children with 300 medical staff), the Adaptive Ski Weekend at Mount Snow in Vermont, Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentorship, complex medical transportation, hospital care support, a 24/7 medical referrals hotline, community weekends, and VIP/celebrity entertainment experiences. All services are delivered free of charge by an entirely volunteer-driven organization, with 100% of donations flowing directly to programs.

Product overview

Kids of Courage is a volunteer-centric 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2008 that provides adventure experiences for children and young adults with serious, life-threatening, and chronic illnesses. The organization operates a portfolio of programs centered around its flagship Summer Adventure Camp (a nine-day cross-country trip) and Adaptive Ski Weekend, supported by complementary services including Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentorship, medical transportation, hospital care, a medical referrals hotline, community weekends, and celebrity/VIP entertainment experiences. Programs are provided free of charge to qualifying children ages 5-25 with conditions including cancer, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and other serious illnesses. The organization maintains strict medical supervision with ratios of 1:1 to 3:1 counselors to campers, administering over 700 doses of medication daily during trips.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Adventure Camp A nine-day cross-country journey providing children with serious illnesses the opportunity to experience travel and adventure under strict medical supervision. The flagship annual event includes visits to top attractions, chartered flights adapted for wheelchairs and oxygen, and serves approximately 100 campers and 300 medical staff from across the US, Canada, Europe, and Israel.
• Adaptive Ski Weekend A four-day adaptive skiing adventure held each winter at Mount Snow in Vermont, enabling 50+ courageous children with serious medical conditions to learn skiing using specially-trained volunteers from Adaptive Sports and over 100 medical professionals, including children requiring ventilator support.
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters A mentorship program pairing volunteers as 'best buddies' with ill children while ensuring siblings receive extra attention to help cope with the challenges of having a medically-fragile brother or sister.
• Medical Transportation Complex medical transportation services arranged and executed by K.O.C. physicians, nurses and paramedics, leveraging relationships with government agencies, airlines, airports, and Hatzolah paramedics with over ten years of experience.
• Advocacy and the Government Advocacy efforts fighting for the rights of physically and medically challenged individuals, including meetings with senators in Washington D.C. about issues such as restrictions on medical oxygen on commercial flights, and working with theme parks and sports venues to improve accessibility.
• Hospital Care Support services for hospitalized children including care during the hospital stay, providing parents with respite, transportation, hot meals, games, celebrity visits, and carefully matched volunteers based on child's background.
• Medical Referrals and Hotline A 24/7 hotline assisting parents with medical referrals, second opinions, insurance questions, and connecting families with K.O.C.'s team of physicians who are among the most distinguished practitioners across the country.
• Community Weekends Weekend experiences hosted by communities around the country where Couragers are invited to spend time showcasing bonds between children, caretakers and hosts, removing the mystery surrounding physical disabilities and demonstrating what it means to truly give of oneself to help others.
• Celebrities and VIP Entertainment Programs helping Couragers' wildest dreams come true through VIP experiences including being guests of sports teams (Yankees, Rangers, Jets, Heat), recording songs with celebrities, and unique entertainment experiences such as David Blaine's five-hour private magic show on a Boeing 737.
• Race for Courage (Bahamas Marathon) An annual marathon event held in the Bahamas (and Miami Beach) where supporters run to raise funds for Kids of Courage, with participating campers as guests and wheelchair participants in the race.
• Super Bowl Event Annual Super Bowl viewing parties and events for Couragers and families, with the organization sending buses to attend the Super Bowl parade for winning team celebrations.
• Dr. D's Pediatric Blog A pediatric blog by Dr. Stuart Ditchek covering topics such as child health, safety, and wellness, including articles on social media safety and melatonin use in children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kids get sick less on trips than at home - immune systems work better due to happiness
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Sharing SeatsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 October 2014Organization that donates seats to concerts and sporting events for those in need. Partnered with Kids of Courage to provide concert tickets for campers.
• Mike Dube / DubezoneminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Individual philanthropist who connected Kids of Courage with Selena Gomez concert opportunity and donated experiences for campers.
• JJ Watt (NFL)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 May 2013Houston Texans defensive end met with camper Itzy Cagen after social media campaign coordinated by Kids of Courage volunteers and supporters.
• David BlaineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Magician flew with Kids of Courage on a private Boeing 737, entertaining campers with five hours of non-stop personal magic.
• United AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Airlines provides charter flights for Kids of Courage trips, accommodating wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators, feeding pumps, and medical equipment. Pilots and staff go above and beyond for campers, creating honorary pilot certificates and decorations. The airline sent letters to all 88,000 employees highlighting the partnership.
• AbilityPLUS / Adaptive Sports at Mount SnowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdaptive skiing partner that provides trained volunteers and adaptive skiing equipment for the winter ski program. Enables children with various disabilities including ventilator support to ski down Mount Snow in Vermont.
• HatzolahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency medical services organization whose volunteers assist with medical transportation logistics. Paramedics from Hatzolah help coordinate complex transport arrangements with government agencies, airlines, and airports.
• Major League Baseball Teams (Angels, Yankees, Rangers, Jets, Heat)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports teams host Kids of Courage groups as VIP guests at games. Teams including the LA Angels, Yankees, Rangers, Jets, and Miami Heat open their facilities and provide special experiences for campers.
• Elliot ZimetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIllusionist performed at community fundraising event for Kids of Courage, entertaining children and families at Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, NJ.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: The largest U.S. nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Both organizations serve medically fragile children ages roughly 5-18+, provide free wish/adventure experiences, and rely on donations, volunteers, and corporate partnerships (airlines, theme parks).
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers programs — including hospital entertainment, wish-granting-adjacent experiences, and distraction programs — to seriously ill children and families. Comparable mission of brightening lives of medically fragile kids through free, donor-funded programming.
• Chai Lifeline: Provides crisis intervention, medical referrals, hospital visits, and recreational programming for seriously ill children and their families, often in the Jewish community — closely paralleling K.O.C.'s target population, programs, and community-supported funding model.
• Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Founded by Paul Newman, the original SeriousFun member camp offering free, medically supported residential camp experiences for children with serious illnesses. Directly comparable in mission, medical supervision model, and donor-supported free programming.
• SeriousFun Children's Network: Founded as the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, SeriousFun is a global network of year-round camps serving children with serious illnesses and their families. Like Kids of Courage, it delivers medically supervised adventure programming (camps, skiing, travel) at no cost.
• Children's Wish Foundation International: Grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses globally. Like Kids of Courage, it operates free of charge to families, draws on volunteer and corporate sponsor support, and serves medically fragile children.
• Camp Korey: A Pacific Northwest-based nonprofit providing medically supervised camp experiences for children with serious illnesses and disabilities. Directly comparable free, medically staffed adventure programming model.

Broad incumbents

• Special Olympics: Provides year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Overlaps with K.O.C. on adaptive sports (skiing) and serving disabled youth, though at much greater scale and broader scope.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides housing and family-support services to families of hospitalized children. While not adventure-focused, it overlaps on the mission of supporting families of seriously ill children and operates at far greater scale via a global network.

Regional players

• AbilityPLUS: Adaptive sports organization (Mount Snow partner) providing skiing and outdoor recreation for individuals with disabilities. Comparable on the adaptive skiing program component of Kids of Courage, though focused on sports rather than medically complex pediatric populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KidsOfCourage
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsofcourage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsofcourage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kids of Courage