Ripples of Hope

What Ripples of Hope does

Ripples of Hope is a US-based non-profit organization headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts, founded in 2009 by Kristen Atwood to facilitate cross-cultural service journeys and leadership development primarily between the United States and South Africa. Its programmatic portfolio centers on three pillars: (1) the Ripples of Hope International Fellowship, launched in 2022, a year-long cohort experience selecting 12-15 young adult leaders annually from South Africa and the US for monthly virtual workshops, two intensive cultural immersions, and personalized coaching; (2) Lekgotla Journeys, service-focused travel experiences for families and civic leaders to destinations including New Orleans, Boston, Haiti, India, the Bahamas, and South Africa; and (3) the Family Gratitude Turkey Trot, an annual Dedham-based road race that engages 2,000 participants and distributes over $30,000 annually to local beneficiaries such as the Dedham Food Pantry and Dedham Youth Commission.

The organization's core technology is human-curated programming — proprietary fellowship curriculum, coaching frameworks, and a cross-cultural immersion methodology — delivered through direct website enrollment, alumni referrals, and partnerships with grassroots organizations across South Africa (Kliptown Youth Program, City Year South Africa, Songo, Koena Art Institute) and the US. Its 2024 partnership with Creative Visions/Students Rebuild (Bezos Family Foundation) extends reach through a $5-per-engagement matching model. Operating technology is minimal: a Squarespace-built website, email newsletter, and standard social channels.

The business model is non-profit fundraising-driven, with revenue from individual donations, event participation fees (Turkey Trot entries, discounted Lekgotla journey fees), and corporate/foundation grants (Creative Visions, Needham Bank, Donahue Real Estate Co., Dick's Sporting Goods). Since its inaugural Turkey Trot in 2012, the organization has raised and distributed $450,000 cumulatively. Leadership transitioned in 2024 with Cindy Laba (founder of Beacon Academy) joining as the organization's first Executive Director, while founder Kristen Atwood remains Board Chair.

Name

Ripples of Hope

Legal name

Ripples of Hope Inc

Website

https://ripplesofhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ripples of Hope is a US non-profit founded in 2009 that runs a year-long International Fellowship, family service journeys, and an annual Turkey Trot, primarily connecting young leaders and families between the United States and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Leadership Development and Cross-Cultural Exchange Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Cross-cultural fellowship
• Community service journeys
• Youth civic engagement
• Nonprofit fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Dedham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Ripples of Hope raises funds through individual donations, community events, and direct support campaigns. The organization has raised and distributed $450,000 since its inaugural year in 2012.
2. Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from family service journey participation fees. The organization offers discounted levels of participation fees to ensure diverse cadres of participants from varied backgrounds.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as Creative Visions and Students Rebuild (Bezos Family Foundation), as well as corporate sponsors for the Turkey Trot event including Needham Bank, Donahue Real Estate Co., Dick's Sporting Goods, and others.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ripples of Hope is a nonprofit that runs leadership development and cross-cultural exchange programs for young adults, families, and civic leaders. Its primary offerings are the year-long International Fellowship for US and South African leaders, Lekgotla service journeys to multiple countries, a coaching program for fellows, and signature community fundraisers such as the Family Gratitude Turkey Trot. Programs are funded through donations, grants, and event participation fees.

Product overview

Ripples of Hope is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on leadership development, community service, and cross-cultural exchange. The core offerings include the Ripples of Hope International Fellowship (a year-long program with virtual workshops, cultural immersions, and coaching), Lekgotla Journeys (service-focused travel experiences), the Fellowship Coaching Program (one-on-one mentorship), and the Family Gratitude Turkey Trot (annual fundraising road race). These programs work together to cultivate civic leaders and build bridges between communities in the US and South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ripples of Hope International Fellowship: A year-long fellowship program engaging young leaders from the United States and South Africa in learning across boundaries, with monthly virtual workshops, cultural immersions, and personalized coaching.

Products and services

• Ripples of Hope International Fellowship
• Lekgotla Journeys Meaningful service journeys of purpose, goodwill, and education to destinations including New Orleans, Boston, Haiti, India, the Bahamas, and South Africa, emphasizing education and curiosity over traditional tourism.
• Fellowship Coaching Program A coaching component of the fellowship providing safe space for Fellows to explore ideas, practice problem solving, build confidence, and develop lasting relationships with coaches who serve as thought partners.
• Family Gratitude Turkey Trot An annual family-oriented gratitude event held on Thanksgiving morning in Dedham that includes a 5K run and kids half-mile run, raising funds for the local food pantry and youth commission.
• Joyous Community Building Events and Fundraisers Community-building events that foster relationships, celebrate diversity, and raise funds for community-based organizations, including the annual Turkey Trot road race.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ runners and spectators engaged over 14 years of Turkey Trot events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creative VisionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2024Second-year partnership with Creative Visions on Students Rebuild: Unique & United initiative that invites young people ages 5-25 to explore their identities and celebrate differences through creative expression. For each creative work or student engaged, Creative Visions donates $5 to organizations fostering connection. Ripples joins 10 other global organizations in this program.
• Students RebuildcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative Visions program created by Bezos Family Foundation in 2010. Students Rebuild mobilized 1.3 million participants in 102 countries and raised $16.6 million in matching funds. Through the partnership, Ripples engages South African community partners in peace-building creative projects.
• Kliptown Youth Program (KYP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime Ripples partner based in Kliptown, Johannesburg, South Africa. Engaged in Spark Peace Project showcasing performing arts including plays about South Africa's history, contemporary dance addressing social issues, and choir performances. Engaged learners through creative expression.
• City Year South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged 220 young people in Spark Peace Project in partnership with Together Action Group (TAG) in Westbury, Johannesburg. Created inspirational peace songs and engaged 121 young people in creative expressions, raising $1,100.
• SongocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRipples partner based in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Engaged 78 young people in Spark Peace Project featuring emotional regulation workshops, dancing sessions, and acted story productions titled 'Moon Valley and Sun Valley.'
• Dignity in FlowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Kliptown and Soweto, Johannesburg. Founded by Ripples of Hope Fellowship Alumna Jenine Scott. Created Spark Peace Project 'Cultivating Love and Harmony through Art' engaging 57 young girls in creative expression, producing 34 art pieces with poems and songs, raising $285.
• Uyanda FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Sir Lowry's Pass, Cape Town, SA. Founded by Ripples of Hope Class of 2024 Fellow Athi Ndwebi. Ran two Spark Peace Projects: 'Amani Warriors' engaging 59 youth in street art raising $750, and 'Release Powerhouse' engaging 22 young creatives raising $110.
• Botswalle: The Sisterhood Youth FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Khosikhadi Mmatlala wu Madau (Class of 2026) and Kgosi Tshabalala (Class of 2025). Partner in Students Rebuild: Unique & United Project working with young people through creative activities.
• Koena Art InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African community partner working with Ripples of Hope on the Students Rebuild: Unique & United Project, focusing on youth empowerment through creative arts and cultural exchange.
• Dedham Food PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Dedham, MA nonprofit partner. Annual recipient of Turkey Trot fundraising, receiving food donations and monetary support. Over 14 years, the partnership has distributed over 30,000 pounds of food.
• Dedham Youth CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Dedham, MA government body focused on youth services. Annual recipient of Turkey Trot fundraising supporting youth programs and opportunities in the Dedham community.
• Needham BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead Inspirational Sponsor of the annual Turkey Trot road race event.
• Donahue Real Estate Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead Inspirational Sponsor of the annual Turkey Trot road race event.
• Dick's Sporting GoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead Inspirational Sponsor of the annual Turkey Trot road race event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Peace Corps: U.S. government-funded international service program that places cohorts of Americans in cross-cultural service assignments — a much larger, more established counterpart to Ripples of Hope's US-South Africa service immersion model.
• New Profit: Founded by Vanessa Kirsch (Ripples of Hope board member), New Profit is a venture philanthropy organization that supports a portfolio of social entrepreneurs, providing a comparable ecosystem organization that helps scale impact of social-purpose leaders.

Direct peers

• African Leadership University: Pan-African higher education institution focused on developing ethical, entrepreneurial leaders across the continent, with a similar mission of cultivating young African change agents.
• African Leadership Academy: South Africa-based pan-African leadership development institution that recruits and trains cohorts of young African leaders, with overlapping target demographic, values-based curriculum, and social entrepreneur pipeline goals.
• Public Allies: Founded by Ripples of Hope board member Vanessa Kirsch, Public Allies is a national youth leadership program that selects cohorts of young adults (typically 18-30) for a year-long service and leadership development experience — closely aligned with the Ripples of Hope Fellowship model.
• United World Colleges: A global network of schools and short programs that uses cross-cultural education and immersion to develop young leaders, with a mission and pedagogy directly comparable to Ripples of Hope's fellowship and Lekgotla Journeys.
• Global Citizen Year: Operates a year-long fellowship for young adults combining cross-cultural immersion, mentorship, and leadership development — directly comparable to the Ripples of Hope International Fellowship in cohort structure and target demographic.
• City Year South Africa: Founded by Ripples of Hope's founder Kristen Atwood, City Year South Africa runs a youth service and leadership program that directly mirrors the fellowship's mission of building young civic leaders across cultural and economic divides.
• Rustic Pathways: Provider of service-learning travel programs for high school and college students, with cross-cultural community engagement experiences closely analogous to Ripples of Hope's Lekgotla Journeys service-travel model.

Others

• Kliptown Youth Program: Longtime South African partner of Ripples of Hope based in Kliptown, Johannesburg. While not a peer, it shares the same youth-empowerment and creative-arts-based community development approach adopted by Ripples' Spark Peace Project.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ripples-of-hope-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Ripples of Hope