Sprout Society

Name

Sprout Society

Legal name

The Russell J. Efros Foundation, Inc. dba Sprout Society

Website

https://sproutsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Wellness Peer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

Keywords

• Peer mental wellness
• Community support groups
• Nonprofit mental health
• Free counseling services
• Loneliness support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

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: As a nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 83-1298420), Sprout Society is funded through donations from individuals and organizations. Their inaugural gala raised over $750,000. Donation tiers support specific programs: $30 for one peer group participant, $50 for workshop attendance, $500 for Connect to Learn sessions, and $1,500 for one year of weekly peer sessions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sprout Society provides free, peer-led mental wellness support programs including one-on-one Empathetic Strangers connections, Peer Groups for shared experiences, and weekly Connect to Learn expert sessions. Services are delivered virtually and in person at the Brooklyn, NY community center, and are offered at zero cost to participants experiencing loneliness or mental health challenges.

Product overview

Sprout Society is a peer-based mental wellness organization offering a suite of three interconnected programs: Empathetic Strangers (one-on-one peer connection), Peer Groups (shared-experience group support), and Connect to Learn (expert-led educational sessions). All programs are delivered peer-to-peer, both online and in person at the organization's Bushwick, Brooklyn physical center, and are provided free of cost to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Served nearly 4,000 people in one year alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and historical.

• Believe New YorkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 July 2024Grassroots 501c3 organization connecting New Yorkers with support services. Believe New York and Sprout Society partnered for a Free Mental Health Support Fair in July 2024, bringing together 20+ mental health and wellness organizations. Over 100 individuals attended the event. Sprout Society participated alongside organizations offering services from Medicaid enrollment to psychiatric assistance.
• School of Visual Arts (SVA) - Russell J. Efros Memorial Award FundhistoricalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The Russell J. Efros Memorial Award Fund was established in 2018 by The Russell J. Efros Foundation to commemorate Russell J. Efros's legacy. The fund provides $1,000 grants to fourth-year film students at SVA. In 2023, Arnav Mangla received the award for his short film 'Subah (Awakening)'. Sprout Society HQ hosted a screening of the film with a Q&A session.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• 7 Cups: 7 Cups is a free, peer-to-peer emotional support platform offering 1:1 chat with trained listeners and access to volunteer peer support communities. It directly mirrors Sprout Society's Empathetic Strangers and Peer Groups programs but at greater scale and with a global online audience.
• TalkLife: TalkLife is a peer support social network for people experiencing mental health challenges, offering moderated peer-to-peer conversation and community-based support. Its online peer support model and target population (people experiencing depression, anxiety, loneliness) directly overlap with Sprout Society's mission.
• Togetherall: Togetherall is a clinically moderated, peer-to-peer mental health support platform offered through partnerships with universities, employers, and health plans. It compares to Sprout Society in offering anonymous peer communities with 24/7 access, though it is typically delivered through institutional partnerships rather than free direct-to-consumer.
• Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line is a nonprofit providing free, 24/7 text-based crisis support staffed by trained volunteers. It is highly comparable to Sprout Society's Empathetic Strangers offering in terms of free, peer-staffed, immediate mental wellness support, though with a narrower crisis-only scope.
• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project provides free, confidential peer support (crisis intervention via chat, text, and phone) for LGBTQ+ young people, similar to Sprout Society's Empathetic Strangers and Peer Groups but specialized to a specific demographic. It compares as a free, peer-delivered mental wellness nonprofit with strong donor funding.

Broad incumbents

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): NAMI is the largest U.S. grassroots mental health nonprofit, providing peer-led support groups, education, and advocacy. It is comparable to Sprout Society as a peer-support-driven nonprofit serving individuals with mental health conditions, but operates at a far larger national scale with a much broader portfolio of services.
• Mental Health America: Mental Health America is a longstanding nonprofit providing community-based mental health support, screening, education, and peer services. Like Sprout Society, it focuses on free, peer-supported mental wellness, but operates nationally with a broader advocacy and research mandate.

Emerging players

• Lyra Health: Lyra Health is a digital mental health benefits platform offering therapy, coaching, and live chat support to employees through employer partnerships. It is comparable to Sprout Society in providing accessible mental wellness support, but as a venture-backed commercial enterprise rather than a free nonprofit.
• Big Health: Big Health is a digital mental health company offering self-help programs (e.g., Sleepio, Daylight) for anxiety, insomnia, and depression through employer and health plan channels. It overlaps with Sprout Society in addressing mental wellness gaps through scalable digital delivery, but with a commercial, clinically validated product model.

Others

• Mental Health First Aid (National Council for Mental Wellbeing): Mental Health First Aid is a training program that teaches community members how to identify and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. It is adjacent to Sprout Society's Connect to Learn expert-led sessions, providing structured, evidence-based mental wellness education to community members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sproutsocietyorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/sproutsocietyorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sprout Society