+swappow PLUS Foundation

What +swappow PLUS Foundation does

+swappow PLUS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 in Tempe, Arizona, by Joe Dunnigan (also founder of the earlier +swappow peer-to-peer action-sports marketplace). The foundation delivers skateboarding-based workshops and development programs to Arizona foster youth ages 6 to 21, combining physical instruction with life-skills, personal development, and professional/entrepreneurial training. Programs are organized as three scaffolded tiers: a Tier 1 Skateboard Workshop ($150 per child, one-time and three-day formats), a Tier 2 Personal Development Program ($350, 12-week curriculum), and a Tier 3 Professional Development Program ($500, 12-week business/marketing curriculum focused on the skateboard industry), all of which include equipment provision (skateboard and protective gear) and one-on-one coaching. A complementary Virtual Skateboarding Academy delivers online personal and professional development content alongside in-person events.

The organization operates from a single headquarters in Tempe, Arizona (1425 W 12th Pl, Suite 104), with a team of 1-10 employees. Its technology footprint consists of an online curriculum platform for course delivery, a PayPal-hosted donation storefront, and a Constant Contact newsletter — there is no disclosed AI, API, or SDK capability. Distribution is primarily event-driven and direct: live skateboarding workshops and 12-week programs are delivered at partner locations including Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) offices, community centers, schools, and through events across Arizona, with referrals flowing from DCS and the Arizona Foster Care Coalition.

The revenue model is donations-based and comprises three streams: per-child individual sponsorships ($150/$350/$500 tiers), the Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit (the foundation holds AZ QFCO Code 11075, enabling donors to claim up to $618 single / $1,234 joint), and corporate/foundation grants and product sponsorships from partners including GoPro, Vans, the Arizona Cardinals, ASU, Grand Canyon University, Arizona Community Foundation, and Social Venture Partners Arizona. Cumulative impact includes 1,500+ foster children served with skateboards distributed and 8,300+ action-sports items repurposed through sustainability programming. The organization holds federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and is governed by a Board of Directors; Joe Dunnigan serves as Founder and Board Chairman, and Michael Shapiro serves as Executive Director.

Name

+swappow PLUS Foundation

Legal name

+swappow PLUS Foundation

Website

https://swappowplus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The +swappow PLUS Foundation is a Tempe, Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers skateboarding-based workshops and development programs to Arizona foster youth ages 6-21, combining physical instruction with life-skills and entrepreneurial training through a three-tier sponsorship model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Services / Foster Care Nonprofit Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Foster youth programs
• Skateboarding workshops
• Youth development services
• Nonprofit charitable programs
• Personal development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual and corporate donations directly supporting foster youth programs. Donors can sponsor children at three tier levels ($150, $350, $500) which fund skateboarding workshops, personal development, and professional development programs.
2. Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit: The organization is a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization (QFCO Code: 11075). Arizona taxpayers can claim dollar-for-dollar tax credits up to $618 (single) or $1,234 (married filing joint) for contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

+swappow PLUS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers skateboarding-based workshops and development programs for foster youth ages 6-21 in Arizona. Programs are scaffolded across three tiers—Skateboard Workshop, Personal Development (12-week), and Professional Development (12-week)—each including skateboards, protective gear, and one-on-one coaching, supplemented by a virtual curriculum for personal and professional growth.

Product overview

+swappow PLUS Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a three-tiered scaffolded program for foster youth ages 6-21 in Arizona. The programs range from entry-level Skateboard Workshops (Tier 1) providing one-time and three-day sessions with equipment and coaching, through the 12-week Personal Development Program (Tier 2) combining skateboarding with life skills curriculum, to the Professional Development Program (Tier 3) teaching business and marketing skills for the skateboard industry. The organization also provides a Virtual Skateboarding Academy component for remote engagement. All tiers include equipment provision (skateboards, protective gear) and one-on-one coaching. The programs are designed as a multi-year sequential journey of personal and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skateboard Workshop (Tier 1) One-time and three-day skateboarding workshops for youth ages 6 to 21. Each participant receives a skateboard, protective gear, and one-on-one coaching. This serves as the entry point to the foundation's multi-tiered youth development programs.
• Personal Development Program (Tier 2) A comprehensive 12-week program for youth ages 12 to 21 that uses skateboarding to impart life lessons helping kids grow in confidence, overcome challenges, and recognize their potential. Participants receive online curriculum access, a skateboard, protective gear, and one-on-one coaching.
• Professional Development Program (Tier 3) A professional development program for youth ages 16 to 21 that teaches business and marketing skills through skateboarding. Participants follow a 12-week online curriculum with emphasis on the skateboard industry, learning to create brands, manufacture skateboards, and sell products online.
• Virtual Skateboarding Academy Virtual and in-person curriculum to teach personal and professional development skills in the context of skateboarding, offered as part of engagement activities alongside live skateboarding events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1500+ foster children served with skateboards distributed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Better Homes and Gardens LegacyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and supporter of foster care programs through community partnerships.
• Valley GuardiansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization partner supporting foster care outreach.
• EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational technology partner providing career and technical education resources for foster youth participants.
• Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partner referring foster youth to programs. Director Mike Faust praised the organization's 12-week programs providing physical outlets and life lessons.
• Arizona Foster Care CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide coalition partner connecting the organization with foster care resources and families.
• Cultivate CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner providing community support and resources.
• ASU Sustainability SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona State University program partner providing sustainability expertise and student involvement.
• GoProcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAction camera company providing product sponsorships. Joe Dunnigan, the founder, previously served as GoPro's Director of Brand Strategy.
• Arizona CardinalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNFL team charity partner providing community support and visibility for foster care programs.
• Grand Canyon University (GCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner hosting events and providing support for foster youth programs. GCU News has covered the organization's work.
• White Wave LongboardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkateboard manufacturer providing product donations and sponsorships.
• VanscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading skateboard shoe and apparel brand providing sponsorships and brand alignment with skateboarding culture.
• Zero SkateboardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkateboard brand providing product donations and support.
• Hella HangersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct sponsor supporting the organization's skateboarding programs.
• RoarockitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkateboard company providing product support for youth programs.
• Opus FootwearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFootwear brand sponsoring foster youth skateboarding activities.
• Together We RisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoster care nonprofit partner collaborating on resources and programs for youth.
• Creative Path TherapyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTherapy practice partner supporting emotional wellness of foster youth participants.
• AZ HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona-based hope and wellness organization supporting foster families.
• XToolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTool company providing donation program support for the organization.
• SkatersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkateboard shop and community partner providing products and expertise.
• KTRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkateboard brand partner sponsoring events and programs.
• The LogomanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing and branding partner supporting visibility.
• BlueTek PrintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrinting services partner providing marketing materials.
• Rita's BurritosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business providing food and refreshments for events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National CASA Association: National CASA is the largest US nonprofit advocating for foster youth through court-appointed volunteer advocates. It is a broad incumbent in the same beneficiary population (foster children) with much larger scale and federal funding access, but does not use skateboarding or sports as a programming mechanism.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the largest youth-development nonprofit in the US, providing after-school programming across recreation, education, and career readiness. Comparable as a multi-tier youth-development organization serving low-income youth, but operates at vastly larger scale and through facility-based club memberships rather than sport-specific interventions.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Big Brothers Big Sisters is the largest youth-mentoring nonprofit in the US, pairing adult volunteers with youth (including foster children) for one-on-one relationships. The one-on-one mentoring model parallels +swappow PLUS's coaching structure, but BBBS is a broad incumbent operating at national scale across many youth populations.

Direct peers

• Skate Like a Girl: Skate Like a Girl is a nonprofit that uses skateboarding to empower youth, particularly girls and gender-nonconforming participants, through clinics, camps, and mentorship. Comparable as a youth-development nonprofit where skateboarding is the entry point for confidence-building and life-skills outcomes, and that similarly relies on brand partnerships and grassroots fundraising.
• Stoked Mentoring: Stoked Mentoring is a nonprofit that pairs underserved youth with adult mentors through action sports, including skateboarding. The mentoring-plus-sports model, brand-sponsored events, and youth-development outcomes closely parallel +swappow PLUS Foundation's one-on-one coaching delivered through skateboarding workshops and 12-week programs.
• Skateistan: Skateistan is an international nonprofit that uses skateboarding as a tool for educational empowerment, with curriculum combining sports instruction and life-skills/education programs for youth. The structure of combining sport-as-hook with structured personal and professional development for underserved youth is essentially identical to +swappow PLUS Foundation's three-tier model, scaled internationally.
• Together We Rise: Together We Rise is a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of foster youth through donations, programs, and community support — listed as a strategic partner of +swappow PLUS Foundation. As a foster care–focused nonprofit with overlapping beneficiary population, programming overlap, and shared corporate partner network, it is both a peer and a referral pipeline.
• The Skatepark Project: The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation) is a nonprofit that funds public skateparks and uses skateboarding to support youth in underserved communities. It is the most direct US counterpart to +swappow PLUS Foundation in mission and mechanism: leveraging skateboarding infrastructure and culture as a developmental tool for at-risk youth, sustained by brand partnerships and individual donations.
• Skate for Change: Skate for Change is a nonprofit community that uses skateboarding to engage underserved youth in community service and outreach events. It is a peer nonprofit operating in the skateboarding-for-youth-development niche with a similar event-driven and volunteer-supported delivery model.

Regional players

• Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation: Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is a statewide Arizona nonprofit supporting foster children through educational enrichment, basic needs, and life-skills programming. Listed as a core strategic partner of +swappow PLUS Foundation, it serves the same Arizona foster-youth population with overlapping life-skills programming but does not use skateboarding as its engagement hook.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SwappowPlusFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theswappowplusfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about +swappow PLUS Foundation