What Open Circle Foundation does

Open Circle Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN 92-3097629) founded in 2019 and headquartered in Ojai, California, with operational presence across Alaska, California, and Oregon. The organization delivers nature-based human development programs — including wilderness rites of passage, veterans' healing retreats, frontline worker support, women's leadership development, and community leadership training — to five primary participant segments: young adults affected by trauma, veterans and first responders, community and nonprofit leaders, women leaders, and grassroots service workers. Its portfolio comprises six named programs (Wayfinders, Heroes Healing Homestead Alaska, Strength To Serve, Guiding Change, Walking Wild, and Wellness in the Wild) plus ancillary coaching, mentoring, and the Beyond Listening podcast as a content platform.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Program delivery is conducted in-person through wilderness retreats and structured experiences; revenue collection is processed through the third-party Givebutter donation platform integrated across each program's donation page. The organization maintains an ongoing research partnership with the University of Utah's Cognition Center to build scientific evidence around its wilderness programs, with reported statistically significant findings in social connection, self-efficacy, and mental health outcomes.

The business model is donation-based and nonprofit in structure. Revenue is sourced from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grant-making organizations via the Givebutter platform; no fee-based pricing or paid tuition is disclosed. Co-founders Adam Rumack and Miriam Jones lead a team of 1-10 employees, supported by a board that includes Atz Kilcher (founder of partner Heroes Healing Homestead Alaska). Distribution relies on word-of-mouth referrals, partner organization referrals, the organization's website, and the Beyond Listening podcast, with strategic partnerships — notably with Heroes Healing Homestead Alaska and the University of Utah Cognition Center — functioning as primary growth and credibility levers.

Name

Open Circle Foundation

Legal name

Open Circle Foundation

Website

https://weareopencircle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Circle Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit that delivers nature-based wilderness retreats, rites of passage, mentoring, and leadership training programs to young adults, veterans, first responders, frontline workers, and community leaders across Alaska, California, and Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Social emotional learning
• Wilderness mentorship programs
• Veteran support services
• Youth development services
• Nonprofit community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ojai

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: Open Circle Foundation operates as a 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN 92-3097629) that generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and grant-making organizations. Programs are funded through donation-based support via givebutter.com platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Open Circle Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that promotes social and emotional learning through listening, mentorship, and community services. It delivers these services primarily via wilderness-based programs targeted at veterans, young adults, frontline workers, women leaders, and community leaders.

Product overview

Open Circle Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of wilderness-based human development programs. The core offerings include six named programs: Wayfinders (wilderness rite of passage for youth), Heroes Healing Homestead Alaska (veterans' healing retreats), Strength To Serve 2026 (frontline workers support), Guiding Change (leadership scholarships), Walking Wild (women's leadership), and Wellness in the Wild (brain research with University of Utah). These programs are delivered through three primary service modalities: nature-based developmental retreats, coaching/mentoring, and leadership training. The organization also produces the Beyond Listening Podcast as a content platform for sharing stories and amplifying its mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wilderness-Based Social Emotional Learning Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Statistically significant findings in social connection, self-efficacy, and mental health
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Heroes Healing Homestead AlaskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeroes Healing Homestead was founded by Atz Kilcher, a military veteran and Alaskan legend known from Discovery Channel's 'The Last Frontier'. Open Circle's partnership began through a shared Veterans Wilderness Program in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The collaboration has grown into a vital partnership expanding work with Veterans and inviting young adults affected by trauma to experience the healing power of nature. Atz Kilcher's vision combines the healing power of nature, the warrior spirit, and homesteading way of life.
• University of Utah Cognition CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Circle maintains an ongoing research partnership with the University of Utah's Cognition Center to build scientific evidence behind the results of wilderness programs. The partnership has produced statistically significant findings in social connection, self-efficacy, and mental health. Researchers are expanding studies to further measure program impact on participants, with the goal of shaping future public policy around nature-based mental health interventions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Student Conservation Association: Nonprofit engaging youth in hands-on conservation and outdoor service experiences. Comparable youth-outdoor programming and intergenerational community-service orientation.
• Warrior Expeditions: Nonprofit organizing long-distance wilderness expeditions for veterans. Direct overlap with Heroes Healing Homestead on veteran wilderness healing and rites-of-passage programming.
• Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB): Nonprofit supporting veterans' reintegration through community and physical activity. Highly comparable given overlapping veteran-focused mission and community-driven engagement model.
• No Barriers USA: Nonprofit that empowers people facing challenges through outdoor experiences and mentorship. Comparable programming structure combining wilderness, mentorship, and personal transformation.
• Big City Mountaineers: Nonprofit that mentors under-resourced urban youth through wilderness experiences. Directly comparable youth-wilderness-rites-of-passage model against Open Circle's Wayfinders program.
• Outward Bound USA: Long-established nonprofit delivering wilderness-based experiential education and rites-of-passage programs for youth and adults. Most directly comparable peer given shared wilderness-experiential methodology and youth-development mission.
• Boulder Crest Foundation: Nonprofit providing combat-related PTSD recovery programs including wilderness retreats for veterans. Comparable on veteran mental-health focus and retreat-based delivery model.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Nonprofit wilderness education provider running outdoor expeditions and leadership courses. Comparable operating model of in-person wilderness programming with leadership-development outcomes.

Emerging players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Nonprofit supporting outdoor recreation, conservation, and community engagement across the Northeast US. Thematically adjacent via outdoor community-building and conservation programming.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club Foundation: Established foundation affiliated with the Sierra Club, supporting outdoor, environmental, and community causes. Broader scope than Open Circle but operates in the same outdoor/nonprofit philanthropy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weareopencircle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-are-open-circle

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Circle Foundation