Surfers For Autism
Surfers For Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free adaptive surf sessions, beach festivals, and therapeutic recreation programs for children and adults with autism and developmental delays across Florida and the Dominican Republic.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersStuart, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Surfers For Autism does
Surfers For Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Jensen Beach, Florida, that provides free adaptive surf sessions, beach festivals, and related therapeutic recreation programs for children and adults with autism and other developmental delays. The organization's core offering is six annual beach festival events across Florida (Deerfield Beach, Juno Beach, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Flagler Beach, and St. Pete Beach), each accommodating approximately 200 participants and supported by 500+ volunteers annually. It supplements the festivals with chapter-level surf sessions held in Martin and St. Lucie Counties from May through September, each capped at 15 participants per session with a 40-volunteer support ratio.
The organization has expanded its programmatic surface beyond surf therapy. In 2025, it launched the Sensory Ranch in Palm City, Florida, offering equine-assisted learning and a community garden for individuals with autism and sensory processing challenges. International expansion began in 2023 with surf events in the Dominican Republic, followed by a paid 5-day, 4-night adult surf retreat program priced at approximately $1,500 per person. Year-round paid lessons (swim at $40-$60, surf at $100) round out the programmatic surface. Branded merchandise is sold through a Shopify storefront. All core festival and chapter events remain free to participating families.
The revenue model is a hybrid of donations (accepted via Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, credit card, and mail), corporate sponsorships (partners include Sun Bum, Honda, Florida Elks/FLOE, and multiple therapy providers), earned revenue from paid lessons and retreats, and merchandise sales. Event registration is centralized on the Eventbrite platform. The organization operates with 1-10 employees, relying heavily on volunteer labor to deliver programs at scale. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with awareness primarily generated through family word-of-mouth, Facebook, email outreach, sponsor networks, and the Surfers For Autism website.
Surfers For Autism firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surfers For Autism
- Legal name
- Surfers For Autism
- Website
- https://surfersforautism.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Surfers For Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free adaptive surf sessions, beach festivals, and therapeutic recreation programs for children and adults with autism and developmental delays across Florida and the Dominican Republic.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Surfers For Autism industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adaptive Recreation Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ), Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)
Keywords
Where Surfers For Autism is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuart
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Surfers For Autism business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Charitable donations accepted via Venmo (@SurfersForAutism), PayPal, Apple Pay, and credit card. Also accepts mailed donations to the Jensen Beach office. Events are kept free for families through donor and sponsor generosity.
- Therapeutic Lessons: Revenue from swim lessons ($40 small group, $60 private), surf lessons ($100 private), and paddle boarding sessions. Sessions held at Palm City ranch pool or local Treasure Coast beaches. 45-minute sessions available Monday-Friday.
- Surf Retreats: Approximately $1,500 per person for 5-day, 4-night surf retreats in Dominican Republic including local transportation, accommodations, 3 meals/day, excursions, surfing, and donation to Surfers for Autism. 18+ only.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support enabling free events for families. Sponsors receive recognition at events and in promotional materials.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling Surfers for Autism branded merchandise through Shopify platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small Group Swim Lessons (up to 5 participants) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Swim Lessons |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Surf Lessons at Local Beaches |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Dominican Republic Surf Retreat (5 days, 4 nights) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Surfers For Autism product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surfers For Autism provides free adaptive surf festivals, chapter surf sessions, and year-round surf/paddle/swim lessons for individuals with autism and related developmental delays, delivered by volunteer instructors. It also operates the Sensory Ranch in Palm City, Florida, offering equine-assisted learning and a community garden, plus an adult surf retreat program in the Dominican Republic and branded merchandise sales. All core festival and chapter programming is offered at no cost to participating families.
Product overview
Surfers For Autism is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing free surf therapy and related programs for children and adults with autism and developmental delays. The core offering consists of six annual Beach Festivals across Florida (free events with 200 participants each, featuring DJ, games, raffles, and lunch) and Chapter Surf Sessions (smaller 45-minute sessions in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, May-September). The organization extends its portfolio through the Sensory Ranch in Palm City offering Equine-Assisted Learning and Community Garden programs, year-round Surf/Paddle/Swim Lessons (priced at $40-$100 per session), a Dominican Republic Surf Retreat program, and a Shopify-based Merchandise Store. All programs are designed to build confidence, social-emotional wellness, gross motor skills, and community connection through ocean-based and nature-based therapeutic activities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sensory Ranch: A therapeutic initiative in Palm City, Florida providing nature-based programs including equine-assisted learning and community garden activities for individuals with autism and sensory processing challenges.
Products and services
- Free Surf Beach Festivals Free full-day surf festivals for children and adults with autism and developmental delays at six Florida locations (Deerfield Beach, Juno Beach, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Flagler Beach, St. Pete Beach), accommodating approximately 200 participants each, with DJ, games, raffles, free sunscreen, water, and lunch.
- Chapter Surf Sessions Recurring 45-minute surf sessions in Martin County (Jensen Beach) and St. Lucie County (Fort Pierce) running May through September, with 15 participants and approximately 40 volunteers per session.
- Surf, Paddle, and Swim Lessons Year-round lessons including small group swim lessons ($40), private swim lessons ($60), and private surf lessons ($100) at SFA Ranch in Palm City or Treasure Coast beaches, designed to improve social-emotional wellness, gross motor skills, and balance.
- Sensory Ranch Programs Nature-based therapeutic programs in Palm City, Florida for individuals with autism and sensory processing challenges, including Equine-Assisted Learning (ground-based horse interactions for communication, teamwork, and leadership) and a Community Garden with edible plants.
- Dominican Republic Surf Retreat 5-day, 4-night surf retreat in the Dominican Republic for adults 18+, priced at approximately $1,500 per person including local transportation, accommodations, 3 meals per day, excursions, surfing along the north coast, and a donation to Surfers For Autism.
- Branded Merchandise Surfers For Autism branded apparel and merchandise sold through a Shopify-powered online store.
Quantifiable outcome
- Therapeutic communication breakthroughs - non-verbal children speaking after sessions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Surfers For Autism
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Surfers For Autism technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Surfers For Autism partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Preserve Surfing BeachesminorNonprofit organization dedicated to preserving surfing beaches. Linked to preservesurfingbeaches.org. Shares similar mission alignment with SFA.
- Endless SummerminorBeach preservation organization. Logo displayed with link to preservesurfingbeaches.org.
- EventbritecoreEvent registration platform partner. All festival and chapter event registrations use Eventbrite. Registration links to deerfield-2026.eventbrite.com, juno-2026.eventbrite.com, etc.
- Home2Suites by Hilton StuartminorHotel partner offering discounts to SFA chapter participants in Jensen Beach or Fort Pierce. Located at 1440 NW Federal Hwy, Stuart, FL 34994. Contact: Gabby at 772-208-5858.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Surfers For Autism competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Best Day Foundation: Best Day Foundation is a nonprofit that runs adaptive surf, snow sports, and beach events for children and adults with disabilities, overlapping with Surfers For Autism's free adaptive surf festival model.
- A Walk on Water: A Walk on Water is a nonprofit that provides free surf therapy experiences for children with special needs, sharing Surfers For Autism's therapeutic surf and volunteer-driven mission model.
- Life Rolls On: Life Rolls On is a nonprofit that provides adaptive surfing and other action-sport experiences to people with disabilities, directly competing with Surfers For Autism for similar participants, sponsors, and volunteers in the adaptive surf category.
- Stoke for Life: Stoke for Life is an adaptive surf nonprofit offering free surf sessions for people with disabilities, directly competing for the same donor and rider base in the adaptive surf category.
- Waves of Impact: Waves of Impact is a nonprofit providing free adaptive surf and ocean therapy programs for individuals with disabilities, sharing Surfers For Autism's event-based, volunteer-driven surf therapy model.
- AccesSurf: AccesSurf is a Hawaii-based nonprofit offering adaptive surf programs and lessons for individuals with disabilities, operating a similar free adaptive surf clinic model across geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Challenged Athletes Foundation: Challenged Athletes Foundation is a larger, well-established nonprofit funding adaptive sports opportunities across many disciplines, including adaptive surfing; it competes for the same corporate sponsors and disability-focused grants.
- Surfrider Foundation: Surfrider Foundation is a major coastal nonprofit focused on beach access, water quality, and surf preservation, with adjacent mission alignment and shared sponsor relationships with Surfers For Autism.
- Autism Society of America: Autism Society of America is a large national advocacy and services organization for the autism community, relevant as a peer in the underlying beneficiary population and a potential referral or partnership channel.
Others
- International Surfing Association (Adaptive Surfing): The ISA governs adaptive surfing as a competitive discipline and works to grow the sport globally, providing a governance and event context for Surfers For Autism's recreational adaptive surf programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Surfers For Autism social profiles
Digital presenceSurfers For Autism compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Surfers For Autism financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surfers For Autism leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Surfers For Autism funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surfers For Autism M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Surfers For Autism
What does Surfers For Autism do?
Surfers For Autism provides free adaptive surf festivals, chapter surf sessions, and year-round surf/paddle/swim lessons for individuals with autism and related developmental delays, delivered by volunteer instructors. It also operates the Sensory Ranch in Palm City, Florida, offering equine-assisted learning and a community garden, plus an adult surf retreat program in the Dominican Republic and branded merchandise sales. All core festival and chapter programming is offered at no cost to participating families.
Is Surfers For Autism a public or private company?
Surfers For Autism is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Surfers For Autism founded?
Surfers For Autism was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Surfers For Autism based?
Surfers For Autism is headquartered in Stuart, United States, in the North America region.
How does Surfers For Autism make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are therapeutic Lessons, surf Retreats, sponsorships and merchandise Sales.
Who are Surfers For Autism's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Best Day Foundation, A Walk on Water, Life Rolls On, Stoke for Life, Waves of Impact and AccesSurf. Broad incumbents are Challenged Athletes Foundation, Surfrider Foundation and Autism Society of America. International Surfing Association (Adaptive Surfing) is listed as an others.
Does Surfers For Autism have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surfers For Autism.
What industry is Surfers For Autism in?
Surfers For Autism's product category is Adaptive Recreation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAKAC, Surf Schools & Surf Camps, with a secondary code of THAJAJAJ, Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps). Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7900.