For The Children

What For The Children does

For The Children is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 that equips local churches to deliver trauma-informed summer camps and year-round mentoring programs for children ages 6-12 in the U.S. foster care system. Its core products are Royal Family KIDS Camp, a five-day residential camp using the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) methodology licensed from Texas Christian University's Child Development Institute, and Royal Family KIDS Mentoring, a school-year program providing monthly contact with the same safe adult mentors. A third product, Bridge to Belonging, distributes free trauma-informed church training and lesson plans. Programs are delivered through a decentralized network of 200+ local church chapters across 44 U.S. states and 10 countries, supported by 21,000+ vetted volunteers and 2,000+ church partners; the organization has served 170,000+ children since inception.

Revenue is generated exclusively through charitable contributions, including individual one-time gifts, a $40/month recurring "Moment Maker" subscription, foundation grants (Lilly, INO, Heavin, Samueli), and corporate sponsorships (State Farm, Anchor). The go-to-market is relationship-driven and dual-sided: churches are recruited and onboarded by a Chapter Growth team, trained through the annual LIFT Summit, and then serve children referred through foster parents and social workers. The organization carries the highest-tier transparency ratings from Candid/Guidestar (Platinum), Charity Navigator (Four-Star), ECFA accreditation, and the CAFO Gold Seal.

Operationally, the entity is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Doug Nordman (GM at GE Healthcare) and led by President Wendy McMahan. Strategic direction since the 2020 rebrand from Royal Family KIDS has emphasized depth over breadth: deeper trauma-informed training (Bridge to Belonging), digital extension of leadership training (LIFT replay), and international replication, while annual beneficiary count appears to have consolidated relative to peak 2010 levels.

Name

For The Children

Legal name

For The Children Foundation

Website

https://forthechildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

For The Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips 200+ local church chapters across 44 U.S. states and 10 countries to deliver trauma-informed summer camps and year-round mentoring programs for children ages 6-12 in foster care, funded by individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care and Trauma-Informed Youth Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Foster care programs
• Trauma-informed youth services
• Church-based mentoring
• Children's residential camps
• Nonprofit child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana Heights

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 Contributions: For The Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, churches, foundations, and corporations. The organization states that 100% of each dollar donated has direct impact with programs serving children in foster care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

For The Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips and mobilizes local churches to deliver Royal Family KIDS Camp (a five-day residential camp for children ages 6-12 in foster care) and Royal Family KIDS Mentoring (a year-round monthly mentoring program) using the evidence-based Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) methodology. The organization also provides Bridge to Belonging, a free church-equipping curriculum, and the LIFT Training Program for chapter leadership development. All programs are delivered at no cost to children and families.

Product overview

For The Children is a nonprofit that operates a suite of interconnected programs for children in foster care who have experienced relational trauma. The core offerings are Royal Family KIDS Camp (a five-day TBRI-based residential camp for children ages 6–12), Royal Family KIDS Mentoring (a year-round monthly mentoring program extending camp relationships), and Bridge to Belonging (a free church-equipping resource providing trauma-informed training and lesson plans). The LIFT Training Program supports chapter and volunteer leadership development. All programs are delivered through a network of local churches trained and managed as For The Children chapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Royal Family KIDS Camp: Five-day camps creating a space where children entering or already in the child welfare system can learn to develop healthy relationships, build trust and begin healing.
• Royal Family KIDS Mentoring
• Bridge to Belonging

Products and services

• Royal Family KIDS Camp A five-day residential camp program for children ages 6-12 who have experienced relational trauma, using Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) to foster resiliency, self-esteem, hope, and positive memories. Children learn to develop healthy relationships and begin healing in a structured, supportive environment hosted by local church chapters.
• Royal Family KIDS Mentoring A year-round school-year mentoring program that provides dependable monthly contact with the same safe adult mentors for children who have attended camp. The program extends the healing and trust built at camp through regular group mentoring sessions, building lasting relationships and supporting long-term recovery from trauma.
• Bridge to Belonging A free church-equipping initiative that provides training, ready-to-use lesson plans, and trauma-informed tools to help churches become safe havens for vulnerable children and families, supporting deeper connection, healing, and ministry impact. All materials are available at no cost.
• LIFT Training Program An annual leadership and training summit (and replay option) for For The Children chapter directors and volunteers, providing in-person and virtual training on camp and mentoring leadership, trauma-informed ministry, and program development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of survey respondents (475 participants including volunteers, pastors, social workers, foster parents) believe Royal Family KIDS Camp and Mentoring programs create life-changing moments for children
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CAFO to connect For The Children volunteers with resources around fostering and adopting, acknowledging growth in interest in these areas from the organization's network.
• Assemblies of GodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding denomination; one-third of churches partnering with the ministry belong to the Assemblies of God. Rick DuBose, Assistant General Superintendent, describes camp as an 'on-ramp' for congregations to become involved in foster care ministry.
• Texas Christian University - Child Development InstitutecoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed use of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) methodology developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross at TCU's Child Development Institute.
• Southeast Christian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChapter partner in Parker, Colorado hosting Royal Family KIDS programs.
• Atmosphere ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChapter partner in Thousand Oaks, California hosting Royal Family KIDS Camp.
• Christian ChapelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChapter partner in Tulsa, Oklahoma participating in Royal Family KIDS Camp for over 20 years.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Show Hope: Faith-based nonprofit founded by Steven Curtis Chapman providing adoption aid grants and Care Centers for foster and adoptive families. Highly comparable to For The Children as a Christian nonprofit serving vulnerable children through trauma-informed programming and family support.
• Arrow Child & Family Ministries: Faith-based child welfare organization providing foster care, family preservation, and residential services. Closely comparable to For The Children in mission and faith-based delivery model, with similar focus on vulnerable children and trauma-informed care.
• Promise686: Faith-based nonprofit equipping churches to engage in foster care, adoption, and family support. Highly comparable to FTC's church-empowerment model, with overlapping strategies of mobilizing local congregations to wrap around foster families.

Others

• Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO): Coalition of 300+ organizations and churches united around caring for orphans and vulnerable children. For The Children is a CAFO Gold Seal member, and CAFO functions as an ecosystem connector and ecosystem partner rather than a direct service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Olive Crest: Large faith-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family preservation services across the western U.S. Comparable to For The Children's mission of serving foster children, but operates residential and counseling programs at significantly larger scale. Note: FTC board member Kerri Dunkelberger is Executive Director of Olive Crest's OC/SD region.
• KVC Health Systems: Large child welfare nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, in-home family services, and behavioral healthcare across multiple states. Comparable in serving foster children with trauma-informed approaches, though operates at significantly larger scale and with broader service array.
• CASA (National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association): National nonprofit network providing volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in foster care. Comparable to FTC in mobilizing volunteers to support foster children, though CASA's advocacy model differs from FTC's camp/mentoring approach.
• Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, pregnancy counseling, and refugee services across the U.S. Shares FTC's Christian-anchored child welfare mission, but operates as a much broader, multi-service agency rather than a camp/mentoring specialist.

Emerging players

• Together We Rise: Nonprofit providing support services and resources for foster youth, including welcome boxes, scholarships, and the Sweet Cases program. Comparable as a foster-care-focused nonprofit, though more product/fulfillment-oriented than FTC's camp/mentoring model.
• Empowered to Connect: Faith-based organization focused on TBRI awareness, training, and caregiver support. Highly comparable as a TBRI-focused entity serving foster and adoptive families, with overlapping methodology and audience to For The Children.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/forthechildreninternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForTheChildrenUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/for-the-children-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/__forthechildren

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about For The Children