Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO)

What Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO) does

Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 in Rexburg, Idaho by Rex and Melodie Head, headquartered operationally in Highland, Utah with a US base in Rexburg, Idaho and field operations in Cuenca and Quito, Ecuador, plus Tepoztlán, Mexico. The organization places fee-paying volunteers — individuals, families, and groups — in 14 government-regulated partner orphanages (11 in Ecuador, 3 in Mexico) to provide in-person emotional support and individual attention to orphaned and abandoned children, including those with disabilities and survivors of trafficking. Across its 25+ year history OSSO has hosted over 5,000 volunteers delivering nearly 1.5 million hours of service.

OSSO's revenue model combines volunteer program fees (covering housing, food, local staff support, and cultural excursions across Short Term, Semester Abroad, and Family programs) with tax-deductible donations, including monthly recurring giving and Donor-Advised Fund grants across five major US sponsors. Distribution runs through a self-serve application portal (osso.gogrid.co), direct website donations, college-fair recruitment, and community word-of-mouth — particularly within LDS-affiliated networks though open to all faiths. The supporting service catalog includes a paid Nonprofit Management Internship and humanitarian service kits.

OSSO runs on a standard web technology stack with no proprietary systems: Stripe processes payments, Google Analytics tracks site traffic, and Cloudflare provides security and bot management. Field operations are staffed by 110 employees including full-time bilingual Directors of Volunteer Experience stationed at each site. The organization holds a Candid Platinum Seal, Charity Navigator rating, Great Nonprofits badge, and CCPA compliance, and partner Henry Davis Foundation has been recognized by Ecuador's National Assembly.

Name

Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO)

Legal name

Orphanage Support Services Organization

Website

https://orphanagesupport.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that places fee-paying individual, family, and group volunteers in 14 government-regulated partner orphanages across Ecuador and Mexico to provide emotional support and individual attention to orphaned and abandoned children.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Volunteer Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Volunteer abroad programs
• Orphanage support services
• Humanitarian volunteer programs
• International service trips
• Nonprofit child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland, Utah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Program Fees: Volunteers pay program fees that cover housing, food, local staff support, and cultural excursions. Fees vary by program length (1 week to semester). Application fee is separate and non-refundable.
2. Donations: 100% of donations go directly to orphanages. Donors can give to Area of Greatest Need, General Orphanage Fund, or OSSO Scholarship Fund. Monthly recurring donations available. Also accepts Donor-Advised Fund grants from Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, JPMorgan Chase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OSSO is a volunteer-based humanitarian organization that recruits, trains, and places individual volunteers, families, and groups to provide direct emotional support and caregiving to orphaned and abandoned children at government-regulated orphanages in Ecuador and Mexico. The organization runs Short Term (1-11 weeks), Semester Abroad, and Family volunteer programs, supported by an in-country team of Directors of Volunteer Experience (DOVEs), gated volunteer housing, and structured program management. OSSO also funds orphanage operations via donations (100% pass-through) and humanitarian service kits.

Product overview

OSSO is a volunteer-based humanitarian organization offering structured volunteer programs at orphanages in Latin America (Ecuador and Mexico). The core offerings include Short Term, Semester Abroad, and Family volunteer programs, plus a Nonprofit Management Internship. Supporting services include Donation Programs (General Orphanage Fund, Scholarship Fund, Area of Greatest Need), Donor-Advised Fund giving, and Humanitarian Service Kits (School Supply, Beauty, and Activity Kits). The organization operates volunteer programs in three locations: Cuenca and Quito in Ecuador, and Tepoztlán in Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short Term Volunteer Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 volunteers have provided nearly 1.5 million hours of face-to-face service since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Henry Davis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Christian orphanage in Quito recognized by Ecuador's National Assembly. Houses about 30 children ages 0-18. New OSSO Quito headquarters as of February 2026. Partnership provides structured volunteer support.
• Hogar de JesucristocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Orphanage in Azogues, Ecuador founded by an order of nuns based in South Korea. OSSO began supporting in 2022. Home to about 15 children ages 4-16.
• Hogar Niño ManuelitocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Newer orphanage in Azogues, Ecuador sponsored by the mayor's wife. Hosts about 25 kids from 6 months to 17 years. Partnership began 2022.
• Hogar de ÁngelescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008OSSO-built and fully managed orphanage for children with disabilities in Cuenca. Home to 15-20 children, teens, and young adults. Built by OSSO in 2008 to provide proper care for disabled children.
• Tashirat OrphanagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Home-style orphanage in Tepoztlán, Mexico providing care for disabled children since 2003. OSSO's primary partner in Mexico. Children abandoned or removed from custody due to extreme abuse or neglect.
• Hogar Miguel LeóncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Girls' orphanage in downtown Cuenca managed by Catholic nuns. Home to 25-40 girls ages 6-18. The orphanage that inspired Rex Head to found OSSO over 20 years ago.
• San Vicente de PaúlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Main orphanage in Quito, Ecuador managed by Catholic nuns. Home to about 40-60 children from newborns to 18 years old. Long-term OSSO partner since program founding.
• CandidminorOthersNonprofit transparency platform providing Platinum Seal rating for OSSO. Helps donors make informed decisions about nonprofit credibility.
• Charity NavigatorminorOthersCharity rating organization providing financial health and accountability ratings for nonprofits. OSSO maintains a Charity Navigator rating.
• Fidelity CharitableminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonor-Advised Fund provider. DAF holders can recommend grants to OSSO through OSSO's DAF widget on the website.
• VanguardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonor-Advised Fund provider. DAF holders can recommend grants to OSSO.
• Wells Fargo BankminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonor-Advised Fund provider. DAF holders can recommend grants to OSSO.
• Charles SchwabminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonor-Advised Fund provider. DAF holders can recommend grants to OSSO.
• JPMorgan ChaseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonor-Advised Fund provider. DAF holders can recommend grants to OSSO.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad runs fee-paid volunteer and internship placements across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable in business model (volunteer pays program fee, organization arranges housing and placement) and in targeting students and young adults seeking international service.
• Cross-Cultural Solutions: Cross-Cultural Solutions is a nonprofit running international volunteer programs with placement in orphanages and community projects. Comparable nonprofit structure and Latin America presence.
• Global Volunteers: Global Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running short- and long-term volunteer programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable mission, structure, and donation-plus-program-fee revenue mix as OSSO.
• Maximo Nivel: Maximo Nivel operates volunteer, Spanish-language, and internship programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Highly comparable as a Latin-America-focused, fee-based volunteer placement provider serving individual volunteers and families.
• GoEco: GoEco is an international volunteer placement organization with programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable as a fee-based platform targeting individual volunteers and gap-year participants.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): IVHQ is the largest global volunteer abroad platform with programs across dozens of countries including Ecuador and Mexico. Directly comparable as a fee-based short-term international volunteer placement organization targeting individuals, students, and gap-year travelers.
• Love Volunteers: Love Volunteers places paying volunteers in orphanages, teaching, and community programs across Latin America and beyond. Comparable fee-based model and orphanage-placement focus.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat is a much larger established nonprofit engaging fee-paying and donor-supported volunteers globally on housing-related projects. Broader incumbent in international volunteer-based humanitarian work, relevant as a scale benchmark.

Others

• VolunteerMatch: VolunteerMatch is a volunteer-engagement platform connecting individuals to nonprofits including international opportunities. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem participant for volunteer acquisition and discovery rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Casa de la Esperanza / Orphanage Volunteer Programs (broader Ecuador voluntourism set): VolunteerWorld and similar aggregators list competing Ecuador and Mexico orphanage volunteer programs. Comparable as emerging, lower-overhead competitors in the same niche and geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ossocares
• Facebookfacebook.com/OSSO99
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ossocares
• Instagraminstagram.com/ossocares

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO)