The Athlife Foundation, Inc

What The Athlife Foundation, Inc does

The AthLife Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered at 273 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Huntington, NY. Its mission is to help student-athletes in secondary education achieve lifelong success beyond sport by funding and supporting the Academic Athletic Coach (AAC) profession. The foundation's core offering is a School Grant Program that provides grant funding to eligible middle schools and high schools to create and sustain dedicated AAC positions, paired with up to $250 per staff member in Professional Development Grants. For the 2025-2026 school year, the foundation has awarded grants to 71 schools across nine states and Washington, D.C., including 16 Baltimore City Public Schools, eight Hartford Public Schools, and the first multi-district region bridging 7th through 12th grade programming in Lehigh Valley, PA.

The foundation's product ecosystem includes the 3ACE Connected Community (a national peer-to-peer network for AACs and educators at no cost), an annual National Conference (scheduled for July 21-23, 2026 at the University of Maryland), Student-Athlete Leadership Events, and a Positive Youth Development Through Sport Framework. The technology stack is intentionally minimal: a WordPress-based website, a grant application portal, and the 3ACE Connected Community platform. The foundation also serves as the fiscal sponsor for Coach Beam's Legacy Foundation, launched in 2025 to honor Coach John Beam.

The business model is nonprofit grant-making rather than commercial revenue. Funding flows from corporate partners (St. Luke's University Health Network, Under Armour Foundation, NFL Foundation), national nonprofits (Heisman Trophy Trust, New York Community Trust, Joe Moore Award), state governments (Connecticut Department of Education, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), and individual donations. The foundation is governed by a board chaired by Jim Steeg (former NFL SVP of Special Events) and led by Jon Harris (President, also Founder & CEO of AthLife, Inc.) and Jeff McCann (Executive Director). Operations rely heavily on volunteer educational consultants and pro bono professional services, with a small full-time staff including a marketing and communications intern.

Name

The Athlife Foundation, Inc

Legal name

The AthLife Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://athlifefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The AthLife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit, founded in 2010, that funds and supports Academic Athletic Coach positions in U.S. secondary schools through grants, a national peer network (3ACE), and an annual conference, serving 71 schools across nine states and Washington, D.C. for the 2025-2026 school year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Academic athletic coaching
• Student athlete development
• Secondary education grants
• Youth development programs
• Professional learning communities

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010, the foundation operates through grant funding provided by partner organizations and donations from individuals and corporations. Funding is used to support schools in creating and sustaining Academic Athletic Coach positions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The AthLife Foundation funds and supports the creation of Academic Athletic Coach (AAC) positions in secondary schools through grant funding, professional development, and a national peer network. Schools apply via an online grant portal to receive funding for AAC staff and Professional Development Grants up to $250 per staff member. The foundation complements this with the 3ACE Connected Community online platform and an annual National Conference held at the University of Maryland for training, best-practice sharing, and peer support among AAC professionals.

Product overview

The AthLife Foundation operates as a nonprofit platform offering grant funding, training, and resources to help schools create Academic Athletic Coach positions in secondary education. The core offering includes the Academic Athletic Coach Program supported by a School Grant Program for funding, augmented by the 3ACE Connected Community platform for professional networking and resource sharing, and the annual National Conference for training and development. Additional offerings include Student-Athlete Leadership Events and the Coach Beam's Legacy Foundation legacy initiative. The organization connects these components to provide a comprehensive ecosystem supporting student-athlete holistic development from middle school through high school across multiple states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3ACE Connected Community: The Alliance for Academic Athletic Coaches & Educators - a national peer-to-peer network for student athlete development professionals in Secondary Education.
• Coach Beam's Legacy Foundation

Products and services

• Academic Athletic Coach (AAC) Program Professional staff position in secondary education where trusted adults serve as mentors, advocates, and culture-builders to help student-athletes succeed academically, develop leadership skills, build resilience, and achieve postsecondary readiness through sport as a pathway. The foundation funds and supports schools in creating these roles.
• School Grant Program for Academic Athletic Coaches Grant funding initiative providing financial support to schools and school districts to create and sustain Academic Athletic Coach positions, with eligible schools receiving Professional Development Grants up to $250 per staff member for conference attendance. Schools apply through the foundation's online grant portal.
• 3ACE Connected Community National peer-to-peer network (Alliance for Academic Athletic Coaches & Educators) for secondary education professionals. Provides industry best practices, programmatic resources, professional development content, and a communications platform for academic athletic coaches and student-athlete support staff. Open to all educators at no cost.
• 3ACE National Conference Annual three-day professional development conference featuring workshops, training sessions, program building, best practice sharing, and mental health/wellness content for academic athletic coaches and educators. The 2026 edition is scheduled for July 21-23 at the University of Maryland.
• Student-Athlete Leadership Events Regional student-athlete leadership development events and experiences held at locations including Moravian, Baltimore, and Oakland, featuring programming such as the 'I Feel Seen' initiative.
• Coach Beam's Legacy Foundation Fiscally sponsored legacy initiative established to honor Coach John Beam, providing ongoing community benefit and support in continuation of his dedication to uplifting and inspiring young people through sport.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 schools across 9 states and Washington D.C. received grants for 2025-2026 school year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joe Moore Award and Foundation for TeamworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025Strategic partner focused on teamwork and excellence in college football, supporting the foundation's programs.
• University of Maryland / Gossett Student-Athlete CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for the annual national conference, providing state-of-the-art facilities including the Gossett Student-Athlete Center and Edward St. John Learning Center.
• Baltimore City Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor school district partner expanding grant support to 16 schools, building on strong tradition including Patterson High School's established program.
• Hartford Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight high schools receiving state-funded grants through Connecticut Department of Education partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest U.S. youth-development nonprofit, with afterschool programs that include athletics and mentoring. Comparable as a broad incumbent in youth development, but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth across many program areas.

Direct peers

• National Police Athletic League (National PAL): Nonprofit network of youth athletic programs affiliated with law enforcement, focused on youth development through sports and mentoring. Comparable in offering structured sport-based youth programming in communities, with a similar grant/affiliate-driven model.
• National Football Foundation (NFF): Nonprofit promoting amateur football and student-athlete development, with scholarship and academic recognition programs. Comparable focus on football's role in academic/character development and similar donor ecosystem in the college football community.
• Up2Us Sports: National nonprofit training coaches as mentors in underserved communities to improve youth outcomes. Comparable model of elevating the coach's role beyond athletics and using sport as a vehicle for youth development in school and community settings.
• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation: Nonprofit focused on youth development through sport, providing grants and programming to schools and youth organizations. Directly comparable mission of using sport as a pathway for at-risk youth, with a similar grant-funded model and school partnerships.
• TGR Foundation: Tiger Woods's nonprofit focused on youth education and character development through STEM and college-access programming. Comparable as an athlete-driven foundation targeting underserved students in education, with a similarly concentrated programmatic model.
• Beyond Sport: Global nonprofit collective supporting organizations using sport for social impact. Comparable as a sector-organizing and capacity-building body in the sport-for-development space, working with funders and program operators.
• Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation: Athlete-founded legacy foundation supporting underserved youth through sport and education. Comparable as a sport-philanthropy organization channeling funding to youth programs in schools and communities, with high brand visibility driven by the athlete legacy angle.
• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA): Nonprofit working to transform youth sports culture through coach education and development of "Double-Goal Coaches" who pursue both winning and life-teaching. Strong overlap in mission to elevate the youth coaching profession and serve secondary school athletic communities.
• Aspen Institute Project Play: Initiative of the Aspen Institute focused on advancing youth sport and elevating the role of coaches. Comparable in framing the youth coach as a developmental professional and aggregating national dialogue around youth sport access and quality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGfUqWNyF0YHKyPKH8Rf2Zg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-athlife-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Athlife Foundation, Inc