The Christmas Box International

What The Christmas Box International does

The Christmas Box International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by author Richard Paul Evans and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It provides emergency residential shelters, a distributed network of Resource Rooms, and structured support programs for children and young adults who are abused, neglected, trafficked, or experiencing homelessness. The operating model combines three physical emergency shelters (Salt Lake City, Ogden, Moab) with 23 Resource Rooms deployed across 22 of Utah's 29 counties, supplemented by programs including Project Elf, Kids Helping Kids, Christmas in July, the Transition to Adult Living (TTAL) program for ages 14–22, and international projects in Kenya, Colombia, India, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and Ghana.

The organization reports cumulative reach of more than 170,000 children served since inception and currently serves more than 14,000 children and young adults annually, including 810 in residential shelters and 1,500+ through TTAL. It maintains 113+ community partnerships and processes more than $800,000 in in-kind donations each year. Delivery is executed by a small core team of approximately 10–11 staff, relying heavily on partnerships, volunteers, and distributed physical infrastructure rather than headcount scaling.

As a nonprofit, the organization is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and in-kind contributions rather than priced services. Its customers are twofold: the beneficiary population (at-risk youth and their families) and the donor/funder base. Strategic positioning is anchored in the brand equity of its founder, the licensed regulatory status of its shelter operations, and an embedded referral relationship with Utah's child welfare system, with the international programs representing a newer vector for mission-driven expansion.

Name

The Christmas Box International

Legal name

The Christmas Box International

Website

https://thechristmasbox.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Christmas Box International is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates emergency shelters, a 23-location Resource Room network, and youth transition programs serving abused, neglected, trafficked, and homeless children across Utah and seven international countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG)

Keywords

• Emergency child shelter
• Foster care support
• Child welfare services
• Resource room distribution
• Youth transition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals supporting children served by the organization. Accepts one-time and recurring donations through website portal.
2. Corporate Giving Programs: Corporate partners support programs through workplace fundraisers, event sponsorships, employee matching gifts, and in-kind donation drives.
3. Planned Giving: Long-term financial planning vehicles including wills, trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance, and donor advised funds.
4. In-Kind Donations: Processing over $800,000 worth of in-kind donations annually including clothing, toys, household items, and supplies that support shelter operations and resource rooms.
5. Event-Based Fundraising: Revenue generated through ticketed events, gala fundraisers, and community fundraising campaigns.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Christmas Box International operates short-term emergency shelters, resource rooms stocked with essential supplies, and youth transition programs for children and young adults who have experienced abuse, neglect, trafficking, or homelessness. Services are delivered free of charge through three Christmas Box House shelters (Salt Lake City, Ogden, Moab), 23 resource rooms across 22 Utah counties, and supporting programs such as Project Elf and Transition to Adult Living. The organization is funded entirely through donations, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, in-kind contributions, and event-based fundraising.

Product overview

The Christmas Box International is a nonprofit charity organization operating a portfolio of child welfare programs centered around emergency shelter, resource distribution, and youth support services. The core offerings include three Christmas Box House Emergency Shelters providing immediate crisis housing, twenty-three Christmas Box Resource Rooms distributing essential supplies statewide, Project Elf for holiday gift provision, and Teens Transitioning to Adult Living for youth aging out of foster care. Supporting programs include Christmas in July, Partner Share (donation redistribution), International Projects, and Kids Helping Kids (youth fundraising). Together these programs serve children 0-22 who have experienced abuse, neglect, trafficking, or homelessness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Elf: Holiday program that provides Christmas morning gifts for children and young adults experiencing abuse, neglect, or homelessness through community donations
• Kids Helping Kids
• Partner Share
• Transition to Adult Living (TTAL)
• Christmas Box Resource Rooms

Products and services

• Christmas Box House Emergency Shelters Short-term emergency shelter for children and teens removed from homes due to abuse, neglect, trafficking, or homelessness. Provides immediate safety, meals, on-site therapy, medical and dental evaluations, classrooms, and recreational activities in a home-like environment while caseworkers arrange permanent placements.
• Christmas Box Resource Rooms Stocked rooms located in shelters and DCFS offices providing essential items including clothing, shoes, baby supplies, bedding, school supplies, hygiene kits, books, and toys to children in foster care, kinship care, receiving in-home services, aging out, or at Christmas Box Houses.
• Project Elf Holiday gift program providing Christmas morning gifts and essentials to children, teens, and young adults experiencing abuse, neglect, or homelessness, while also stocking Resource Rooms for year-round access.
• Teens Transitioning to Adult Living (TTAL) Program supporting young adults ages 14-22 aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness through move-in kits for first apartments, community resource connections, recreation opportunities, and youth leadership programs.
• Christmas in July Campaign Summer campaign providing children in shelters with summer essentials such as swimsuits, sunscreen, and hygiene kits, along with back-to-school supplies and summer activity opportunities.
• Partner Share Program that processes in-kind donations and shares excess resources with 113+ trusted community partnerships across Utah including county and state agencies and fellow nonprofit organizations to maximize donation impact.
• International Projects Provides resources including hygiene items, clothing, toys, and school supplies to children in Kenya, Colombia, India, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and Ghana through partner volunteer organizations.
• Kids Helping Kids School-based fundraising program enabling students to raise funds or conduct donation drives, developing leadership skills while supporting children affected by abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 810 children supported in shelters in the past year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary, historical and minor.

• Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner operating Christmas Box House shelters in partnership with DCFS. DCFS caseworkers identify permanent placements for children staying at shelters.
• Salt Lake County Youth Services (DYS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership operating the Salt Lake Christmas Box House emergency shelter, providing shelter, dental care, well-child visits, and therapy services.
• Family Support Centers of UtahsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing services to children and families in conjunction with Christmas Box House programs.
• University of UtahhistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly founding partner with Richard Paul Evans in establishing The Christmas Box House concept.
• Father & Son Carpet CleaningminorOthersCommunity partner providing cleaning services for shelters.
• YoliminorOthersCommunity partner supporting organization operations.
• Trimlight SelectminorOthersCommunity partner providing services for organization.
• Cubes Self StorageminorOthersCommunity partner providing storage services.
• Modern DisplayminorOthersCommunity partner providing display services.
• Flex ETC (RunningLU)minorOthersCommunity partner supporting organization.
• KUTVminorOthersMedia partner covering organization stories and impact.
• ABC4minorOthersMedia partner covering organization stories.
• FOX13minorOthersMedia partner featuring interviews with Executive Director and coverage of shelter needs.
• KSL TVminorOthersMedia partner covering organization stories and donation drives.
• Granite School DistrictminorOthersProvides teacher (Mrs. Hall) for Salt Lake Christmas Box House school program since 2000.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Childhelp: Childhelp operates a national network focused on child abuse prevention, treatment, and advocacy including residential programs and hotlines. Its mission to defend children from abuse and neglect closely mirrors The Christmas Box International's stated purpose.
• Covenant House: Covenant House provides emergency shelter and supportive services to youth experiencing homelessness, trafficking, and crisis—directly comparable to Christmas Box International's shelter mission and transition-age youth focus. Both organizations accept children from state custody referrals.
• Safe Horizon: Safe Horizon operates emergency shelters, hotlines, and victim support services for children and families in crisis, including trafficking survivors. Its shelter and resource-distribution model is closely comparable to Christmas Box International's programs.
• Boys Town: Boys Town operates residential emergency shelters and long-term care for abused, neglected, and at-risk youth, paralleling The Christmas Box International's shelter-and-support model. Both organizations serve children in state custody nationwide with integrated education, therapy, and family services.
• National Children's Alliance: National Children's Alliance supports Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims, aligning with Christmas Box International's child welfare and abuse-response mission. Both are nonprofit intermediaries supporting state child welfare systems.

Emerging players

• Florence Crittenton Services: Florence Crittenton provides residential and support services for at-risk adolescent girls and young women, including those in state custody. The residential and transition-support model is structurally similar to Christmas Box International's shelter and TTAL program.
• Together We Rise: Together We Rise supports foster youth through in-kind donation programs (Sweet Cases, scholarships, holiday gifts) and is highly comparable to Christmas Box International's Resource Room, Project Elf, and donation-redistribution model.
• National Network for Youth: National Network for Youth is a membership and advocacy organization focused on youth homelessness and youth in crisis—adjacent to Christmas Box International's mission around trafficked, neglected, and unhoused youth. Less operationally direct but thematically aligned.
• National CASA / CASA for Children: National CASA trains volunteers to advocate for children in the child welfare system, overlapping in target population and government partnership structure. Less direct on shelter services but highly relevant for referral pipelines.

Regional players

• Treehouse (Washington State): Treehouse provides educational and essential-item support to youth in foster care in Washington State, closely paralleling Christmas Box International's Resource Room model. Geographic complementarity: Treehouse serves the Pacific Northwest, Christmas Box serves Utah.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TheChristmasBox
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thechristmasboxinternation8405
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheChristmasBoxInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christmas-box-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/thechristmasbox_intl/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 The Christmas Box International