Special Spaces
Special Spaces is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and builds custom dream bedroom makeovers for children ages 2-19 with cancer, operating through ten volunteer-staffed chapters across nine U.S. states and funded entirely by donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersKnoxville, TN, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Special Spaces does
Special Spaces is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, incorporated in Tennessee and headquartered in Knoxville, that designs and builds custom dream bedroom makeovers for dependent children ages 2-19 who are within one year of cancer treatment. Its core offering transforms the child's existing bedroom into a personalized sanctuary using evidence-based design principles addressing emotional, behavioral, physical, spiritual, and environmental dimensions of healing, with each room tailored to the recipient's interests and imagination. Supporting programs include Bedroom-in-a-Box (a touchless, family-installed variant), the Fill Your Cup hospital-distribution initiative in Illinois, and the KNOX Challenge social media awareness campaign.
The organization delivers services through ten volunteer-staffed chapters across nine U.S. states (Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin), with each chapter operating its own local fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and family engagement while the national office in Knoxville coordinates strategy, national sponsorships, and expansion. Revenue is generated entirely through a nonprofit funding mix: individual donations, corporate sponsorships (including MLILY USA providing mattresses nationally and Northwestern Mutual as a multi-year childhood cancer partner), foundation grants (e.g., Foglia Family Foundation), and chapter-level fundraising events such as Music Bingo nights and Topgolf tournaments. Services are provided free of charge to families, and the organization completed its 2,000th bedroom makeover in November 2025 against a stated long-term goal of 4,000.
Operationally, Special Spaces maintains a high-touch, high-impact model with a small paid staff footprint (headcount band of 11-50) supplemented by extensive volunteer labor across chapters. The organization has no proprietary software platform, API, or mobile application; its intellectual property resides in 21 years of accumulated design methodology, chapter playbooks, and brand equity within the childhood cancer support community. Leadership transition is underway in 2026 with a professional search for a National Executive Director while founder-era Chairman Christopher Swain continues board oversight, signaling an inflection toward organizational professionalization.
Special Spaces firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Special Spaces
- Legal name
- Special Spaces, Inc.
- Website
- https://specialspaces.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Special Spaces is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and builds custom dream bedroom makeovers for children ages 2-19 with cancer, operating through ten volunteer-staffed chapters across nine U.S. states and funded entirely by donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Special Spaces industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Childhood Cancer Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interior Doorways, Pass-Throughs & Opening Modifications (HSAPAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bedroom & Closet Accessibility Modifications (HSAPANAJ)
Keywords
Where Special Spaces is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville, TN
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Special Spaces business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the mission to create dream bedrooms for children with cancer. National and chapter-specific donation pages are available on the website.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund specific bedroom makeovers or provide in-kind donations like MLILY USA mattresses. National sponsors like MLILY USA and Assurance provide ongoing support, while local businesses sponsor individual chapters.
- Foundation Grants: Support from foundations such as the Foglia Family Foundation and Northwestern Mutual Foundation for childhood cancer programs and bedroom makeovers.
- Fundraising Events: Chapter-level events including Music Bingo, Topgolf tournaments, meat raffles, and practice-with-purpose events that generate revenue for local chapter operations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Special Spaces product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Special Spaces designs and physically transforms the bedrooms of dependent children ages 2-19 with cancer who are within one year of treatment into customized dream sanctuaries built around each child's interests and imagination. The organization delivers these makeovers free of charge through 10 volunteer-led chapters across the United States, supported by additional programs such as Bedroom-in-a-Box (touchless delivery) and Fill Your Cup family support packages.
Product overview
Special Spaces operates as a single-focus nonprofit organization offering one core service: dream bedroom makeovers for children ages 2-19 with cancer. The organization provides traditional in-person bedroom transformations as well as a Bedroom-in-a-Box option for touchless delivery. Supporting programs include the Fill Your Cup family support initiative and the KNOX Challenge awareness campaign. The organization is entirely volunteer-driven with chapters across 10 U.S. states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bedroom-in-a-Box: A touch-less bedroom makeover option that allows Special Spaces to stay close to families while social distancing. Includes makeover floor plans, vision boards, furniture, paint, supplies, bedding, special crafts, and unique accessories delivered to families.
Products and services
- Dream Bedroom Makeovers Custom-designed bedroom transformations for children ages 2-19 with cancer who are within one year of treatment. Each bedroom is built around the child's interests, personality, and imagination, creating a personalized sanctuary for rest, play, and healing. Services are provided free of charge to eligible children and families.
- Bedroom-in-a-Box Touchless bedroom makeover option that delivers all necessary materials — floor plans, vision boards, furniture, paint, supplies, bedding, crafts, and accessories — to families for self-installation, enabling the organization to continue serving children while observing social distancing.
- Fill Your Cup Program Illinois chapter family-support initiative that distributes curated Yeti cup packages containing practical items (phone chargers, chapstick, mints) and information about Special Spaces dream bedroom services to newly diagnosed families at local hospitals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,000 dream bedroom makeovers completed in 21 years, with goal to reach 4,000 makeovers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Special Spaces
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Special Spaces technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Special Spaces partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Northwestern Mutualcore10-year childhood cancer program partnership including 10 dream bedroom makeovers across the US in 2022. Northwestern Mutual Foundation has contributed over $45 million to childhood cancer causes since 2012. Partnership included collaboration with HGTV star Mina Starsiak Hawk for hometown bedroom reveal.
- MLILY USAcoreNational partnership where MLILY USA provides co-branded JAMA mattresses for dream bedrooms nationwide. MLILY is a mattress company that supports the mission with products specifically designed for children, emphasizing the importance of sleep for healing.
- National Debt HoldingsminorCorporate sponsorship of Boca Raton chapter bedroom makeover. Jeremy Poehler, Founder & CEO, stated the sponsorship is about giving children a sanctuary where they can feel safe and like a kid again.
- Crescent ElectricminorCorporate sponsor displayed on national website sponsors section.
- ShurTape TechnologiesminorCorporate sponsor displayed on national website sponsors section.
- HGTV Star Mina Starsiak HawkminorGood Bones TV personality collaborated on Luke's WWII-themed bedroom reveal in her hometown of Indianapolis as part of Northwestern Mutual partnership.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves2 records
Special Spaces competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Starlight Children's Foundation: Nonprofit delivering programs to seriously ill children and their families, including hospital-based comfort and distraction programs. Directly comparable beneficiary population (pediatric critical illness) and similar in-home/hospital touchpoints.
- Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes for children with critical illnesses, including bedroom and room makeovers. Most directly comparable in mission and beneficiary population, though operates at significantly larger scale and broader wish scope.
- The Marty Lyons Foundation: Nonprofit granting wishes to children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses, including home-related wishes. Comparable in mission and population, though more general wish-granting rather than bedroom-specific.
- Kids Wish Network: Wish-granting nonprofit for children with life-threatening illnesses, including room makeovers and bedroom transformations. Closest functional analog to Special Spaces' bedroom-focused model, serving a near-identical beneficiary population.
Broad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities: Large established nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children with housing near hospitals and family-centered programming. Much larger scale; overlapping beneficiary base but distinct service (lodging vs. bedroom makeovers).
- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Leading childhood cancer foundation funding research and family support. Larger scale and research-focused mission, but overlapping donor ecosystem and beneficiary base; competes for the same corporate sponsorship dollars.
- Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: Nonprofit supporting children with brain tumors and their families through research, family support, and resources. Comparable disease sub-population and nonprofit fundraising model; broader than Special Spaces' bedroom-only focus.
- National Children's Cancer Society: National nonprofit providing financial, emotional, and educational support to children with cancer and their families. Broader service portfolio than Special Spaces but directly comparable beneficiary population and nonprofit model.
- CURE Childhood Cancer: Nonprofit dedicated to childhood cancer research and family support. Overlapping donor/funder base and beneficiary population with Special Spaces, though focused primarily on research funding rather than direct services.
Emerging players
- Camp Quality USA: Nonprofit running free camps and year-round programs for children with cancer and their families. Comparable beneficiary population and volunteer-driven model, but delivers experiential rather than bedroom-based programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Special Spaces social profiles
Digital presenceSpecial Spaces financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Special Spaces leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
Special Spaces funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Special Spaces M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Special Spaces
What does Special Spaces do?
Special Spaces designs and physically transforms the bedrooms of dependent children ages 2-19 with cancer who are within one year of treatment into customized dream sanctuaries built around each child's interests and imagination. The organization delivers these makeovers free of charge through 10 volunteer-led chapters across the United States, supported by additional programs such as Bedroom-in-a-Box (touchless delivery) and Fill Your Cup family support packages.
Is Special Spaces a public or private company?
Special Spaces is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Special Spaces founded?
Special Spaces was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Special Spaces based?
Special Spaces is headquartered in Knoxville, TN, United States, in the North America region.
How does Special Spaces make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, foundation Grants and fundraising Events.
Who are Special Spaces's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Starlight Children's Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Marty Lyons Foundation and Kids Wish Network. Broad incumbents are Ronald McDonald House Charities, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, National Children's Cancer Society and CURE Childhood Cancer. Camp Quality USA is listed as an emerging player.
Does Special Spaces have an API?
No public API is recorded for Special Spaces.
What industry is Special Spaces in?
Special Spaces's product category is Childhood Cancer Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAPAFAE, Interior Doorways, Pass-Throughs & Opening Modifications, with a secondary code of HSAPANAJ, Bedroom & Closet Accessibility Modifications. Its NAICS code is 624110.