Wheel It Forward

What Wheel It Forward does

Wheel It Forward is a 501c3 public charity (EIN 85-2687534) incorporated in Connecticut that operates a community lending library for durable medical equipment (DME), serving individuals with temporary mobility needs such as post-surgery, post-injury, or short-term illness recovery. Borrowers access wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and other mobility aids by joining the library online, selecting equipment, making a small suggested donation, and arranging pickup at one of four Connecticut branches in Stamford, Bridgeport-Stratford, Newtown, and North Haven (the latter on the Quinnipiac University campus). The organization also accepts donations of gently used DME from individuals who no longer need it and recruits community volunteers to operate the lending library.

The technology stack is intentionally lean: a SquareSpace-hosted website (wheelitforwardusa.org) integrates with the third-party myTurn platform for equipment selection, reservation, and inventory tracking, while PayPal processes online monetary donations. The organization operates without paid staff and is volunteer-run across its branch network, with operating hours concentrated Monday through Friday 10AM-3PM and appointment-only service at the Newtown and North Haven sites. Got DME National Directory partnership provides referral traffic, and a Fall 2025 newsletter plus social media channels sustain community engagement.

Revenue mechanics are entirely donation-based, comprising three streams: voluntary suggested donations tied to borrowing transactions, in-kind equipment donations (tax-deductible under the 501c3 designation), and direct monetary contributions processed via PayPal and a GiveButter monthly donation page. No fixed rental, subscription, or membership fees are charged, and the organization explicitly disclaims publicly disclosed financial figures. The pricing posture is effectively free-to-borrow with optional contribution, positioning the operation as a community-impact nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Wheel It Forward

Legal name

Wheel It Forward, Inc.

Website

https://wheelitforwardusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wheel It Forward is a volunteer-run Connecticut 501c3 charity that lends durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers to individuals with temporary mobility needs, supported by suggested donations, equipment contributions, and four community branch locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Equipment Lending Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology Lending Libraries, Trials & Device Loan Programs (EDAKAIAL)

Keywords

• Durable medical equipment
• Medical equipment lending
• Mobility aid library
• Nonprofit community library
• Assistive equipment reuse

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Suggested Donations for Borrowing: Borrowers make a small suggested donation to support the volunteer-run community library. This is the primary revenue stream for sustaining operations.
2. Equipment Donations: Community members donate lightly used durable medical equipment. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501c3 public charity.
3. Monetary Donations: Direct monetary donations accepted through the website. Processing handled via PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wheel It Forward operates a volunteer-run community lending library that lends durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches to individuals for free, supported by suggested donations. It also runs a donation program that accepts gently used DME from community members and redistributes it to borrowers, while operating through four physical branch locations in Connecticut.

Product overview

Wheel It Forward is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that operates a community lending library for durable medical equipment (DME). The organization provides a single, unified platform combining three core offerings: a DME lending library that allows individuals to borrow equipment with a small suggested donation, an equipment donation program that accepts gently used DME from donors, and a volunteer program. The organization serves multiple communities through four physical branch locations in Connecticut (Stamford, Bridgeport-Stratford, Newtown, and North-Haven at Quinnipiac University).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DME Lending Library A volunteer-run community library that allows individuals to borrow durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and other mobility aids for free with a small suggested donation. Members join the library online, select equipment via the myTurn inventory platform, sign a liability waiver, and arrange pickup at one of four Connecticut branch locations.
• Equipment Donation Program A program that accepts donations of gently used durable medical equipment (DME) from individuals who no longer need it, redistributes items to borrowers through the lending library, and issues tax-deductible donation receipts under the organization's 501c3 status. Donors review the list of accepted equipment, complete a brief donation form, and arrange drop-off at a branch location.
• Volunteer Program An engagement opportunity for community members to volunteer their time to support the organization's mission of providing accessible durable medical equipment to those in need. Volunteers learn about opportunities, complete the volunteer application form online, and are contacted with next steps for onboarding.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• myTurncoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party platform provider for inventory management, equipment selection, reservation, and borrowing tracking system. Users select and reserve equipment through myTurn platform.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor for handling online donations and payments. Credit card information processed through PayPal's payment infrastructure.
• Got DMEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational directory partner that provides referrals to Wheel It Forward services. Listed as a quick link on the website for community discovery.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Numotion: One of the largest U.S. providers of wheelchairs and complex rehab DME, primarily through insurance billing. Provides comparable mobility-aid products but as a paid commercial distributor, contrasting with Wheel It Forward's free donation-based lending.
• Easterseals: Large national nonprofit providing services and equipment loans for people with disabilities, including DME access programs. Comparable mission and beneficiary base, but operates at far greater scale and with a broader service portfolio than Wheel It Forward's lending-only focus.
• Apria Healthcare: Major national DME supplier covering mobility, respiratory, and home medical equipment. Comparable product categories (wheelchairs, walkers, mobility aids) but delivers through insurance and out-of-pocket channels rather than free community lending.

Emerging players

• ALS Association: National nonprofit that lends DME (wheelchairs, communication devices, etc.) to people living with ALS through local chapters. Shares the free-loan DME model and target population overlap, though scope is disease-specific rather than general community lending.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA): National nonprofit providing DME loans, assistive technology, and mobility equipment to individuals with neuromuscular diseases. Comparable lending/equipment-access model with disease-specific beneficiary focus versus Wheel It Forward's general community model.

Regional players

• Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC): Georgia-based nonprofit that refurbishes and provides DME (wheelchairs, hospital beds, mobility aids) at low or no cost. Operates the same equipment-reuse-and-distribution model as Wheel It Forward but serves a different regional catchment.

Direct peers

• AT3 Center: National assistive technology reuse and lending resource center supporting state-level AT device loan programs. Directly comparable as an enabler and convener of the same community AT/DME lending model Wheel It Forward operates.
• ReCares: Community-based DME lending library operating in the Pacific Northwest with a near-identical model: lightly used equipment donated, cleaned, and lent for free. Closest operational peer to Wheel It Forward in structure, mission, and volunteer-run execution.
• Pass It On Center: National nonprofit focused on reutilizing and refurbishing assistive technology and DME for redistribution. Operates the same device-lending/reuse model and serves as a resource hub for community lending libraries including those like Wheel It Forward.
• Got DME: National directory and referral network for DME lending libraries. Directly comparable to Wheel It Forward as the umbrella platform that lists and routes borrowers to community-based DME lenders, including Wheel It Forward itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WheelitForwardUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wheel-it-forward

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 Wheel It Forward