A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee

What A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee does

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, that provides free long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) — specifically IUDs (hormonal Mirena/Liletta/Kyleena/Skyla and non-hormonal Paragard) and the Nexplanon arm implant — to any person of child-bearing age residing or attending school in 29 middle Tennessee counties. All services, including device cost, insertion, follow-up, removal, and re-insertion, are provided at no cost to clients regardless of insurance, income, or documentation status, with transportation to appointments also covered. The organization operates through a staff of approximately 8 personnel (Executive Director, Program & Operations Director, specialists in community outreach, education, bilingual English/Spanish/Arabic scheduling, and reporting) and a centralized call center (615-671-STEP) handling appointment scheduling.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its core function is healthcare service coordination, delivered through a network of partner health clinics that perform the actual LARC procedures. Partner clinics bill insurance on behalf of insured patients and A Step Ahead covers any co-pays, while the foundation pays full cost for uninsured patients. Demand is generated through a Partners in Prevention referral network of 20+ community organizations (addiction recovery, homeless services, higher education, social services), supplemented by educational programming (Teen Talk, Real Life Real Talk, Family Planning Education) and a text-message LARC Reminder service that prompts clients when devices near expiration. Distribution channels include organic social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn, plus email newsletter and community events.

As a registered 501(c)(3) public charity, the organization generates no revenue from service delivery. Its operating budget is funded by tax-deductible donations from individuals and foundations, plus annual corporate sponsorships disclosed for 2025 and 2026 from HCA Healthcare, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Lewis Thomason, Dowdle Attorney, Harken Hall, and Neighborhood Health. The foundation is an independent affiliate of the statewide A Step Ahead Foundation network, whose parent organization was founded in Memphis, TN in 2011 and has expanded to Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Tri-Cities regions.

Name

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Legal name

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Website

https://astepaheadmiddletn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free IUDs and Nexplanon arm implants, plus contraception education, to women and individuals of child-bearing age across 29 middle Tennessee counties, funded by donations and corporate sponsorships and delivered via partner clinics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reproductive Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family Planning & Contraception (Including Abortion Care) (HLAKAJAG)

Keywords

• Free contraception services
• Family planning education
• Long-acting reversible contraception
• Reproductive health nonprofit
• LARC clinical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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 Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) public charity exempt from income tax under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), the organization relies on tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual corporate sponsorships from healthcare organizations (HCA Healthcare), financial institutions (Pinnacle Financial Partners), law firms (Lewis Thomason, Dowdle Attorney), and healthcare providers (Neighborhood Health).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee provides 100% free long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) services, including IUD insertion (hormonal and non-hormonal options) and birth control implant (Nexplanon) placement, to residents of 29 middle Tennessee counties. Services cover the device, insertion, follow-up, removal, transportation, and ancillary well-woman exams. The organization also delivers free family planning and reproductive health education programs for adults, teens, and young adults.

Product overview

A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee is a 501(c)(3) non-profit healthcare organization that provides free long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) services. The core service offerings consist of IUD insertion (hormonal and non-hormonal options) and birth control implant (Nexplanon) placement, both provided at no cost to clients. These are complemented by educational programs including Family Planning Education, Teen Talk, and Real Life, Real Talk for various age groups. The organization also offers a text reminder service to notify clients when their LARC device expires, and operates a Partners in Prevention referral network to increase community awareness. All services are provided free of charge to residents of 29 middle Tennessee counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IUD (Intrauterine Device)

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of unplanned pregnancies are the result of incorrect use of birth control
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Partners in Prevention NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral network of 20+ organizations trained on A Step Ahead's mission and model. Partners include addiction recovery centers, homeless shelters, higher education institutions, and community organizations. Partners receive training to help combat unintended pregnancies and increase awareness of LARC methods.
• Anchora TNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Prevention - addiction recovery organization referring clients for LARC services
• Build Her a BridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Prevention referral organization
• Centerstone TeenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Prevention - behavioral health organization for teens referring clients
• Mercy Community HealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Prevention - Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing healthcare services
• Neighborhood HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Prevention - FQHC partner organization also listed as 2025 sponsor
• Partner Health ClinicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of healthcare clinics where LARC insertion/implant procedures are performed. Partner clinics bill insurance on behalf of clients and A Step Ahead covers any co-pays.
• A Step Ahead Foundation MemphismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding affiliate organization; A Step Ahead Foundation was founded in Memphis, TN in 2011. Model has been implemented statewide including Middle Tennessee, Chattanooga, East Tennessee (Knoxville), and Tri-Cities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Advocates for Youth: National organization supporting youth reproductive health education and access; aligned with A Step Ahead's Teen Talk and Real Life Real Talk education programs and shares funder base.
• National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA): National membership and advocacy association for family planning providers including Title X grantees; not a service provider but a direct peer in policy, funding, and ecosystem support for A Step Ahead's service category.

Regional players

• NashvilleHealth (formerly Tennessee Health Foundation): Middle Tennessee-focused health nonprofit addressing community health priorities; potential partner/funder rather than direct competitor but operates in overlapping regional health-equity space.
• Healthy and Free Tennessee: Tennessee-focused reproductive health and rights coalition; not a service provider but a peer in the regional advocacy and funding ecosystem serving the same populations.

Direct peers

• Power to Decide: National reproductive-health nonprofit (formerly National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) that funds and supports community programs to reduce unintended pregnancies; closely aligned mission and funder ecosystem.
• Upstream USA: National nonprofit focused on expanding access to contraceptive options (especially LARC) by training providers and removing patient barriers; operates a similar mission-driven model and competes for the same philanthropic funding pool.
• A Step Ahead Foundation Memphis: Founding affiliate of the same A Step Ahead network; operates the identical free LARC referral model in the Memphis/West Tennessee region and shares brand, mission, and program design with A Step Ahead of Middle Tennessee.
• Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi: Direct provider of contraception (including LARC), STI testing, and women's preventive health services across Tennessee; serves a similar low-barrier patient base and competes for the same donor and grant dollars in family planning.

Emerging players

• Contraceptive Access Initiative: Advocacy and education initiative focused on over-the-counter contraception access; operates in the same contraceptive-access mission space but at the policy/awareness layer rather than direct service delivery.
• SisterLove Inc. Reproductive justice nonprofit addressing HIV/STI prevention and family planning in the South; partial overlap in audience (women of reproductive age in the Southeast) and community-health channel approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC26TxY_LX5SVpEwYd0qwqww
• Facebookfacebook.com/astepaheadmiddletn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astepaheadmiddletn
• Instagraminstagram.com/astepaheadmiddletn
• TikToktiktok.com/@astepaheadmiddletn?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Middle Tennessee