HOPE & PEACE FOUNDATION INC

What HOPE & PEACE FOUNDATION INC does

HOPE & PEACE FOUNDATION INC is a Maryland-based 501-C3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Chuck Ritz, focused on commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks and supporting veterans and first responders. The foundation operates a portfolio of annual remembrance events including the 9/11 Patriot Day Ride (a 29-mile police-escorted motorcycle ride held at Darlington VFC and described as the largest 9/11 remembrance event in the tristate area), the 2,987 Steps Memorial Walk at Towson University, the Path of Honor flag placement, the Bells of Remembrance Ceremony at Parkville Fire & Police Stations, and the Spirits in the Night Candlelight Vigil. Alongside events, the foundation runs ongoing programs: Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial (a mobile exhibit), America's 9/11 Living Classroom (educational initiative), a 9/11 artifacts collection, 9/11 interview videos, the Price of Freedom military recognition program, and Caring for K9s support for K9 units from 9/11 recovery efforts.

The organization does not sell products or services and generates all revenue through voluntary public donations, with a prominent "Make A Donation" call-to-action on its website and event registrations processed via Zeffy. Headcount is 7 employees and operations are concentrated in Maryland with broader tristate (MD, DE, PA) reach for the Patriot Day Ride. Distribution is event-driven: participants engage via public ceremonies, community partnerships with fire and police departments, and the physically transported Rolling Memorial, with supplementary reach through Facebook and earned media coverage.

Name

HOPE & PEACE FOUNDATION INC

Legal name

Hope and Peace Foundation

Website

https://thehopeandpeacefoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hope and Peace Foundation Inc is a Maryland-based 501-C3 nonprofit founded in 2011 that organizes annual 9/11 remembrance events and operates the mobile 9/11 Rolling Memorial, serving the general public, veterans, and first-responder communities in the tristate region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Memorial and Remembrance Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

Keywords

• 9/11 memorial events
• Veteran support programs
• Community remembrance events
• Charitable foundation programs
• Memorial education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bowling Green, Kentucky

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As an IRS approved 501-C3 non-profit organization, the foundation generates revenue through public donations. The website features a prominent 'Make A Donation' call-to-action, suggesting a donation-based funding model rather than commercial product or service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hope and Peace Foundation is a 501-C3 nonprofit that delivers 9/11 memorial programs and annual remembrance events for the general public, veterans, and first responders across Maryland and the tristate area. Its offerings include a mobile Rolling Memorial exhibit, educational artifacts and interview videos, veteran honor programs (Price of Freedom, Caring for K9s), and recurring events such as the Patriot Day Ride, 2,987 Steps Memorial Walk, Bells of Remembrance Ceremony, Spirits in the Night Candlelight Vigil, and Path of Honor. All programs and events are offered free of charge and funded through donations.

Product overview

Hope and Peace Foundation is a 501-C3 non-profit organization that operates a collection of memorial programs and remembrance events dedicated to honoring the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001. The organization's offerings include mobile memorial programs (Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial, America's 9/11 Living Classroom), artifact preservation (9/11 Artifacts, 9/11 Interview Videos), and multiple annual events including the 9/11 Patriot Day Ride, 2,987 Steps Memorial Walk, candlelight vigils, and ceremonies. The Foundation also supports first responders through programs like Caring for K9s and Price of Freedom. The organization does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial A mobile memorial exhibit that travels throughout Maryland, bringing awareness to the events and victims of September 11, 2001. Available for community events by request.
• America's 9/11 Living Classroom An educational initiative designed to teach the next generation about the events and lessons of September 11, 2001.
• 9/11 Artifacts Collection Collection and preservation of physical artifacts related to the September 11, 2001 attacks for educational and memorial purposes.
• 9/11 Interview Videos Video recordings of interviews with witnesses, first responders, and others affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks, used for educational and memorial purposes.
• Price of Freedom Program honoring military personnel and their sacrifices in defense of American freedom, with a focus on veteran support and recognition.
• Caring for K9s Program supporting and caring for K9 units involved in September 11 rescue and recovery efforts.
• 9/11 Patriot Day Ride Annual motorcycle ride event described as Maryland's largest 9/11 remembrance event, a 29-mile fully police-escorted and fire-supported ride spanning the tristate area (MD, DE, PA).
• 2,987 Steps 9/11 Memorial Walk Annual memorial walk held at Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson University, honoring the 2,987 lives lost on September 11, 2001.
• Bells of Remembrance Ceremony Annual ceremony held on September 11th at Parkville Fire & Police Stations to honor 9/11 victims, scheduled for Friday September 11th 2026 at 8:46 am.
• Spirits in the Night 9/11 Candlelight Vigil Annual candlelight vigil ceremony to remember those lost on September 11, 2001. The 16th Annual edition scheduled for September 11, 2026.
• Path of Honor Annual flag-placing ceremony inviting community members to place flags to honor 9/11 victims and those who have since passed due to 9/11 related cancers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,987 participants expected at annual memorial walks honoring lives lost on 9/11
• +2 more outcomes

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Darlington VFCcoreOthersDarlington Volunteer Fire Company serves as the primary host venue for the annual 9/11 Patriot Day Ride, described as Maryland's largest 9/11 remembrance event. The partnership provides the physical location (2600 Castleton Rd, Darlington MD) and support infrastructure for the ride.
• Parkville Fire & Police StationscoreOthersLocal fire and police department facilities serve as venues for the Bells of Remembrance Ceremony and Path of Honor events. These partnerships enable the foundation to hold remembrance ceremonies at meaningful civic locations.
• Paulie's PushcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation's founder, Chuck Ritz, traveled to Boston, Massachusetts with Maryland's 9/11 Rolling Memorial to participate in the fourth and final Paulie's Push event in August 2024, demonstrating a collaborative relationship in the 9/11 memorial community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Large humanitarian organization with disaster relief, blood services, and emergency preparedness programming, including active support around 9/11 anniversaries. Comparable as a donation-funded humanitarian nonprofit with disaster/emergency programming, though vastly broader in scope.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: National nonprofit honoring fallen firefighters through memorial events, family support, and safety programs. Comparable mission overlap on fire-service remembrance and family support, though broader in scope (all line-of-duty deaths) and federally supported.
• Gary Sinise Foundation: Large veteran-services nonprofit supporting wounded heroes, first responders, and military families through programs, events, and entertainment initiatives. Comparable as a memorial/veteran-support nonprofit with event-driven community engagement, though much broader in scope and scale.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large veteran-services nonprofit delivering physical/mental health programs, career transition, and long-term support to post-9/11 era veterans. Comparable veteran-support adjacency, though much larger and serving a broader veteran population than the Hope and Peace Foundation.

Direct peers

• FealGood Foundation: Advocacy and support nonprofit for 9/11 first responders and their families, focused on health monitoring, compensation advocacy, and community events. Comparable as a 9/11 first-responder nonprofit combining health/illness-related programming with community events.
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: A major 9/11-focused nonprofit that honors first responders and military through awareness events, fundraising rides/runs, and family support programs. Directly comparable to Hope and Peace Foundation in mission, event-driven model, and 9/11 first-responder focus, but at a substantially larger scale.
• National September 11 Memorial & Museum: The official 9/11 memorial institution operating at the World Trade Center site with permanent commemoration, education programs, and artifact preservation. Directly comparable in 9/11 remembrance, education ('Living Classroom'-style programming), and artifact stewardship, though at vastly greater scale and institutional backing.
• Tuesday's Children: A 9/11-focused nonprofit providing long-term support to families of victims, including youth mentoring, family programming, and community-building events. Comparable as a 9/11 legacy nonprofit delivering ongoing community programs to affected families rather than operating a physical site.
• Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Note: Same entity as Tunnel to Towers above, listed separately due to founder-name brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100064318526673
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hope-&-peace-foundation-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HOPE & PEACE FOUNDATION INC