Pay It Forward 9/11

What Pay It Forward 9/11 does

Pay It Forward 9/11 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Kevin Tuerff, who was a stranded traveler ("9/11 refugee") in Gander, Newfoundland, during the September 11 attacks. The organization operationalizes an annual "11 Days of Kindness" campaign (September 1–11) in which participants are encouraged to perform three acts of kindness for strangers to honor the victims and first responders of 9/11. The nonprofit serves a distributed constituency of individuals, K-12 schools and educators, businesses, religious organizations, and civic nonprofits across all 50 US states and more than a dozen countries; beneficiary engagement is reached through free participation rather than contracted services.

The product portfolio centers on the 11 Days of Kindness campaign (targeting 25,000 good deeds for the 2026 25th anniversary), the Be Kind A Cappella Campaign (a flagship activation co-produced with Sony Music, songwriter Zak Abel, and producer Deke Sharon / Total Vocal, capped at 3,000 copies of sheet music and culminating in a mega-mix composite video), free K-12 kindness lesson plans (grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), sector-specific organizational toolkits (schools, businesses, nonprofits, religious groups), branded merchandise (wristbands, Smile Cards, Post-it Notes), the Great Gander Getaway Giveaway sweepstakes, and a Come From Away screening program with a published community guide. The underlying technology stack is a Wix-based website for resource distribution and registration, with third-party integrations for donation processing (PayPal hosted button), file transfers (WeTransfer, with a <1GB per submission cap), ticketing (Eventbrite), merchandise fulfillment (Zazzle, Wrist-band.com), and streaming-licensed screenings (Apple TV).

The business model relies on three revenue streams: tax-deductible individual and organizational donations processed via PayPal (with three named recognition tiers — Kindness Advocate at $500–$999, Kindness Champion at $1,000–$2,499, Kindness Hero at $2,500+), low-volume merchandise sales through third-party storefronts with a portion of proceeds directed to the charity, and BetterWorld-powered sweepstakes entries. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with social media activation on Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, plus press releases distributed via einpresswire. Corporate giving is enabled through Benevity for employees of Dell and Disney. The charity holds a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2025 and is registered with the State of New York (Registration 5784451, EIN 85-1882961).

Name

Pay It Forward 9/11

Legal name

Pay it Forward 9/11, Inc.

Website

https://payitforward911.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pay It Forward 9/11 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 promoting kindness and 9/11 remembrance through its annual 11 Days of Kindness campaign, serving K-12 schools, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals across all 50 US states and 12+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Educational and Remembrance Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAC

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYMPAGAEAK

Community Fundraisers & Charity Events (Gala/Walks excluded)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Cultural Festivals & Community Events

SECONDARYBPAFAMAD

Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Promotional Products & Sales Promotion Services

SECONDARYEDALAOAB

Fundraising & Annual Giving

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

Keywords

• Kindness education programs
• 9/11 remembrance nonprofit
• Social emotional learning
• Community service campaigns
• Educational lesson plans

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting the kindness education programs. EIN: 85-1882961.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded items including wristbands ($63 for 300 qty), Smile cards ($19.68 for 100 qty), and Post-it notes ($6.89/pad). A portion of proceeds benefits the charity.
3. Sweepstakes/Contest Entries: Entry donations for the Great Gander Getaway Giveaway (approximately $5,000 prize package) supporting the nonprofit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Pay It Forward 9/11 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the annual 11 Days of Kindness campaign (September 1-11) encouraging individuals to perform three good deeds for strangers, supported by free K-12 kindness lesson plans, organizational toolkits for schools, businesses, nonprofits and religious groups, and a Great Gander Getaway Giveaway sweepstakes. The organization also operates the 2026 Be Kind A Cappella global campaign with Sony Music and Deke Sharon, and a Come From Away community screening program, distributing these offerings free of charge and funding operations through donations and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Pay It Forward 9/11 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering a portfolio of kindness-focused programs anchored by the annual '11 Days of Kindness' campaign (September 1-11) and the 2026 'Be Kind' A Cappella Campaign marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Supporting offerings include free K-12 lesson plans, organizational toolkits for schools/businesses/nonprofits/religious groups, merchandise (wristbands, Smile Cards, Post-it Notes), the Great Gander Getaway Giveaway, and Come From Away community screening resources. The movement encourages participants to perform three acts of kindness for strangers, creating a ripple effect to honor 9/11 victims and heroes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11 Days of Kindness Campaign Annual kindness initiative running September 1-11 encouraging participants to perform three good deeds for strangers and ask recipients to pay it forward, creating a ripple effect; the 2026 edition targets 25,000 good deeds for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
• Be Kind A Cappella Campaign Global music initiative for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 where a cappella groups record and submit performances of Zak Abel's song 'Be Kind' for a composite mega-mix video released September 1, 2026; participation is free with sheet music and audio files provided.
• K-12 Kindness Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities Free downloadable educational materials for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 teaching social-emotional benefits of kindness, with handouts, objectives, vocabulary, procedures, extension opportunities, debrief questions, and book suggestions.
• Organizational Toolkits Six-step guides and resources for schools (grades 6-12), businesses, nonprofits, and religious organizations to implement Pay It Forward 9/11 programs, with tips, checklists, and customizable materials tailored to each sector.
• Pay It Forward 9/11 Merchandise Official branded merchandise including silicone wristbands ($63 for 300 units), Smile Cards ($19.68 for 100), and Post-it Notes ($6.89/pad) to support kindness activations, with proceeds benefiting the charity.
• Great Gander Getaway Giveaway Sweepstakes offering winners a trip to Gander, Newfoundland to experience the real location featured in the Come From Away musical, with prize including Air Canada flights, hotel, show tickets, and guided tours with real people portrayed in the production.
• Come From Away Screening Program Community screening guide and toolkit for organizing group viewings of the Come From Away musical (available on Apple TV), including step-by-step planning checklist, A/V requirements, and kindness discussion facilitation materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000 good deeds targeted for 2026 (25th anniversary)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Sony Music EntertainmentflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 February 2026Sony Music and songwriter Zak Abel donated performance rights to the song 'Be Kind,' allowing student, amateur, and professional vocal groups globally to record and share renditions without licensing costs for the 25th anniversary commemoration.
• Deke Sharon / Total VocalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026Global a cappella music producer Deke Sharon (known for Pitch Perfect films and NBC's 'Sing Off') is partnering with Pay It Forward 9/11 to mobilize hundreds of a cappella groups for the '11 Days of Kindness' campaign. Creating the mega-mix composite video of hundreds of voices.
• Paper Mill PlayhousecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 February 2026Partnership for the 2026 Great Gander Getaway Giveaway tied to Paper Mill Playhouse's production of 'Come From Away' (February 4 to March 1, 2026). Winner receives trip to Gander, Newfoundland valued at approximately $5,000.
• Zak AbelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerEnglish singer, songwriter and musician who donated performance rights to his hit song 'Be Kind' (58 million streams, 2.5 million video views) for the global a cappella campaign.
• Small Changes | Big Shifts FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation that inspired the '11 Days of Kindness' lesson plans and original decks of cards designed to help kids grow up in a kinder world.
• 9/11 Memorial & MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial resource provider for teaching resources about the 9/11 attacks, with interactive lesson plans for students in grades 3 to 12. Pay It Forward 9/11 supplements these materials with kindness-focused content.
• BenevityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployee matching gift platform enabling employees at Dell and Disney to make donations to Pay It Forward 9/11 through workplace giving programs.
• Come From Away Productions (Various Theaters)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHundreds of regional and community theaters worldwide producing licensed 'Come From Away' musical productions. Partnered organizations host screenings, donation drives, and kindness activations in connection with performances.
• eSpeakersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKevin Tuerff is certified as a virtual presenter by eSpeakers marketplace for speaking engagements.
• United WayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chapters of United Way participate in the Pay It Forward 9/11 movement as civic and nonprofit organization partners.
• Girl Scouts / Boy ScoutsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth organizations with local chapters participating in the Pay It Forward 9/11 kindness movement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Major 9/11-related charity founded in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, building mortgage-free smart homes for fallen first responders and military veterans. Operates in the same 9/11 remembrance and beneficiary-support nonprofit space with broader financial scale.
• Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to inspiring kindness movements through schools, workplaces, and communities. Operates a Kindness Curriculum for K-12 and a Kindness Revolution campaign that overlap directly with Pay It Forward 9/11's kindness-education model.
• Life Vest Inside: Global kindness nonprofit behind the 'Kindness Boomerang' viral video and school-based kindness programs. Operates a directly comparable kindness movement with similar K-12 classroom and social-media-driven activation model.
• The Kindness Rocks Project: Grassroots kindness movement centered on painting and distributing inspirational rocks in communities worldwide. Comparable as a free-participation, social-media-amplified kindness movement targeting similar individuals, schools, and community groups.
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum: The principal institutional steward of 9/11 remembrance and educational programming; Pay It Forward 9/11 already partners with its teaching resources. Highly relevant for shared 9/11 commemoration audience and K-12 educational content overlap.
• Tuesday's Children: Nonprofit formed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to support children who lost parents in the attacks and later expanded to serve military families. Closest peer in 9/11 legacy nonprofit programming with a focus on youth, families, and long-term community building.
• 9/11 Day (founded by David Paine): Nonprofit that established September 11 as a federally recognized Day of Service and Remembrance and organizes the annual 9/11 Day observance. Direct competitor in the same annual 9/11 service/commemoration calendar slot.
• Good Deeds Day (Ruach Tova): International day of service mobilizing millions of volunteers across 100+ countries each spring. Comparable as a global, annually-anchored volunteer activation model with corporate, municipal, and educational partnerships.

Emerging players

• Small Changes Big Shifts Foundation: Smaller foundation that co-developed the '11 Days of Kindness' lesson plans with Pay It Forward 9/11. A direct strategic partner and emerging peer in kindness education curriculum development for K-12.

Others

• BetterWorld (sweepstakes platform): Charitable giving and sweepstakes platform used by Pay It Forward 9/11 to host the Gander Getaway Giveaway. Adjacent infrastructure peer in nonprofit fundraising mechanics rather than a competing mission-aligned organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/911PayitForward
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzdHwP9QNxSheiFCEDcHB0w
• Facebookfacebook.com/PayItForward9.11
• Instagraminstagram.com/payitforward911
• TikToktiktok.com/@payitforward911.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pay-it-forward-9-11

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Pay It Forward 9/11