A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee

What A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee does

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee (ASAFET) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 81-1822497) headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, that works to remove barriers to contraceptive and reproductive healthcare access across a 16-county region of East Tennessee. The organization connects individuals who live, work, or attend school in its service area with free preventive birth control, associated reproductive healthcare, and accurate reproductive health information, addressing four explicit barriers: the cost of contraception, transportation challenges, limited access to healthcare providers, and lack of accurate information. Core offerings include coverage of all preventive birth control methods at no cost to the patient, telehealth and in-person provider referrals, community-based reproductive health education, and a Help Line ((865) 657-8372) that accepts call or text inquiries and includes bilingual Spanish support.

The organization operates a human-mediated care-coordination model rather than a technology platform. Individuals contact the Help Line and are routed by team members to either a partnered healthcare provider or a telehealth option based on fit; the foundation covers the underlying clinical and lab fees so that no cost is passed to the patient. Specific provider names are not publicly disclosed. Community-based reproductive health education is delivered across the 16-county service area to support informed family-planning decisions. The organization's own communications position the work as a response to shrinking public health funding and safety-net services in Tennessee, framing rising demand for its services.

The business model is donation-funded: A Step Ahead is a tax-exempt charitable organization that raises money through community contributions and reports illustrative gift tiers (e.g., $50, $100, $500) tied to specific services such as a year of birth control pills, a Nexplanon implant providing up to five years of pregnancy prevention, and lab work fees for STI and pregnancy testing. No conventional pricing, contracts, or revenue from service delivery exist; the sole revenue stream is charitable contributions. The organization has 1-10 employees and a single mailing address (P.O. Box 20363, Knoxville, TN 37940), consistent with a small, lean operating footprint. No funding rounds, parent company, subsidiaries, patents, or technology IP were disclosed in source materials.

Name

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee

Legal name

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee

Website

https://astepaheadeasttn.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects individuals across 16 East Tennessee counties with free birth control, reproductive healthcare, telehealth, and education, funded entirely by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Reproductive Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Contraception & Family Planning Telehealth (birth control, counseling, follow-up) (HLALAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Free contraception access
• Reproductive healthcare services
• Community health education
• Birth control assistance
• Nonprofit healthcare support

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 81-1822497), A Step Ahead relies on community donations to fund operations. The organization connects individuals with free birth control and reproductive healthcare completely free of charge to patients, funded through donations. Donation examples provided: $100 covers a year of birth control pills or a Nexplanon implant providing up to 5 years of pregnancy prevention; $500 covers lab work fees for STI and pregnancy testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects individuals across 16 East Tennessee counties with free preventive birth control, associated reproductive healthcare, and Telehealth options. The organization operates a Help Line (call or text) that links qualifying residents, workers, and students to trusted healthcare providers, and delivers community-based reproductive health education throughout the region. All services are provided at no cost to patients and funded through charitable donations.

Product overview

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee is a nonprofit service organization, not a software product company. It operates as a single integrated service program that connects individuals with free birth control, reproductive healthcare, and health education. The core offerings include free birth control services (covering all preventive methods), Telehealth options for remote healthcare access, community-based reproductive health education, and Help Line support services—all working together to remove barriers to contraceptive access across 16 East Tennessee counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Birth Control Services Connects qualifying individuals in 16 East Tennessee counties with healthcare providers who deliver all preventive, easily reversible birth control methods at no cost to the patient. Covers birth control pills, Nexplanon implants, and other contraceptive methods.
• Telehealth Birth Control Access Remote Telehealth consultations connecting individuals with healthcare providers for birth control and reproductive healthcare without requiring in-person visits, available to qualifying individuals in the 16-county service area.
• Community-Based Reproductive Health Education Community-based educational programs and information services delivered across 16 East Tennessee counties to equip individuals with accurate reproductive health knowledge for informed family planning decisions.
• Help Line Care Coordination A Help Line at (865) 657-8372 available for call or text that connects qualifying individuals with care coordinators who match them to a healthcare provider or Telehealth option, with bilingual support (Se habla Español).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trusted Healthcare ProviderscoreOthersA Step Ahead partners with trusted healthcare providers to ensure individuals can receive preventive, easily reversible contraception and associated reproductive healthcare completely free of charge. Specific provider names are not disclosed on the website.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Healthy and Free Tennessee: Statewide coalition advancing reproductive health access and policy in Tennessee. Comparable population served and policy environment, though it operates more as a coalition than a direct service provider.
• SisterReach: Memphis-based reproductive justice organization serving Tennessee with education and advocacy on contraception and family planning. Comparable mission, with greater emphasis on advocacy and policy work.

Broad incumbents

• Power to Decide: National nonprofit focused on preventing unplanned pregnancy through research, education, and access programs. Comparable mission around contraceptive access, with broader national policy and research scope.
• Title X Family Planning Clinics (TN network): Federally funded family planning clinic network operating across Tennessee, offering subsidized contraception and reproductive health services. Most direct federal counterpart in the same service geography.
• National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association: National membership and advocacy organization for family planning providers, including Title X clinics. Comparable end-user population and policy environment; functions more as an umbrella than direct service.

Others

• Guttmacher Institute: Research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health, including contraception access. Comparable mission space and Tennessee-specific data environment, though not a direct service provider.
• Center for Reproductive Rights: Global legal advocacy organization working on reproductive rights including contraceptive access. Operates in the same policy environment and donor ecosystem, though it focuses on legal and policy work rather than direct service.
• NARAL Pro-Choice America: National advocacy organization advancing reproductive freedom including contraceptive access. Compares on policy environment and donor base, though it does not provide direct clinical services.

Direct peers

• A Step Ahead Foundation: National umbrella network for the A Step Ahead model; ASAFET is one of its regional affiliates. Directly comparable mission, service design (free contraception access + education), and operational playbook.
• Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi: Regional Planned Parenthood affiliate providing contraception, STI testing, and reproductive health education across the same Tennessee geography. Most direct in-market competitor and potential referral partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/asafeasttn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-step-ahead-foundation-of-east-tennessee

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee