Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation

What Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation does

The Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1992 and headquartered in Lido Beach (Long Beach), New York. Its mission is to fund and deliver arts, recreation, and inclusive programs for children and adults with special needs. The foundation operates as both a grantmaking intermediary and a direct program operator, working with a portfolio of partner organizations across the special-needs and disability services ecosystem.

Its core offerings include a competitive Grant Program for partner nonprofits; the Theresa Pooled Trusts sub-brand, which administers pooled trust accounts for individuals with disabilities; and the Gift of Love program. Fundraising is driven by recurring events — most prominently a 29-year-running Annual Golf Outing, alongside Birthday Fundraisers and a Holiday Art Contest — and is supported by a blog and newsletter for donor engagement and stewardship. Long-tenured grantee relationships include Camp Abilities Brockport (partner since 1998, cumulative grants of approximately $73,391), CP Nassau, ACDS Plainview, and Jacob's Chance, with newer 2025 partnerships added at Riverflow Community (Vermont) and the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-based, drawing from individual donors, employer giving programs, corporate event sponsors, and ancillary fee revenue from pooled trust administration. It operates with a small staff and volunteer-driven model consistent with a family foundation of its scope. No public financial disclosures are made beyond standard IRS Form 990 filings. The organization is not a technology or AI-driven enterprise; its principal value drivers are donor relationships, brand longevity, and the operational reach of its grantee network.

Name

Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation

Legal name

Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://theresafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation is a Lido Beach, NY-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds arts, recreation, and inclusive programs for children and adults with special needs through grants, pooled trusts, and donor-supported events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation (Disability Services)

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Special needs grants
• Charitable foundation services
• Pooled trust administration
• Disability arts programs
• Nonprofit fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. General Donations: Individual donors contribute to the foundation to support its mission of helping children with special needs through arts and recreation programs.
2. Employer Giving Programs: The foundation receives donations through corporate payroll giving programs and gift matching programs where employers match employee contributions.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala, Comedy Night, Birthday Fundraiser, and Reel Fun Day generate donations and sponsorships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation is a 501(c) nonprofit established in 1992 that provides grants to organizations delivering art, music, dance, drama, and recreation programs for children with special needs. It also administers Theresa Pooled Trusts, which allow beneficiaries to remain financially eligible for public assistance such as Medicaid while preserving income for supplemental needs, and runs recurring fundraising events including an annual golf outing, birthday fundraiser, and holiday art contest.

Product overview

The Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation operates as a nonprofit charitable organization supporting children with special needs since 1992. The organization offers a grant program for organizations providing art, music, dance, drama, and recreation services, along with pooled trust services for financial eligibility management. The foundation runs multiple fundraising events annually including a golf outing, birthday fundraiser, holiday art contest, and community events. Additional offerings include a blog with educational resources for families and an email newsletter subscription service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theresa Pooled Trusts: Special types of trusts that allow a beneficiary of any age to become financially eligible for public assistance benefits, such as Medicaid home care, while preserving their monthly income in trust for living expenses and supplemental needs.

Products and services

• Theresa Foundation Grant Program Direct grant funding to nonprofit organizations that deliver art, music, dance, drama, or recreation services to individuals with special needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $73,000 in grants to Camp Abilities Brockport since 1998, serving over 50 children most summers

Named customers5 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Riverflow CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Grant awarded in May 2025 to Riverflow Community in Vermont, an inclusive life sharing housing model for individuals with high support needs. The grant was awarded in honor of NAELA Theresa Award recipient James A. Caffry. Riverflow operates on principles of equality, shared responsibility, and authentic relationships between caregivers and residents.
• Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Grant awarded in honor of 2025 Holiday Art Contest winner Olivia V. The organization is dedicated to empowering everyone in the Autism community with resources needed to live fully.
• Linda MullenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Event Sponsor for 2024 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• Ryan Parkinson, Edward JonesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Sponsor for 2024 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• The BlackOak Group LLC / Equitable AdvisorsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Event Sponsor for 2023 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• The Center for Special Needs Trust Administration, IncminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Gala Reception Sponsor for 2023 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• Kelly Piacenti, Mass MutualminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Breakfast Sponsor for 2023 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• Russo Law GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Golf Cart Sponsor for 2023 Swingin' Fore Theresa Golf Outing & Gala Reception
• Camp Abilities BrockportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Longstanding grant partnership with Camp Abilities Brockport, a sports camp for children with visual impairments. The Theresa Foundation has provided $73,391 in grants from 1998 to present, funding specialized equipment including tandem bikes, bell balls, goal balls, kayaks, and more. The foundation has served over 50 children most summers through this partnership.
• James A. Caffry (Caffry & Keating PLLC)coreOthers2025 Theresa Award recipient and special needs planning attorney. Grant to Riverflow Community was awarded in his honor. Distinguished attorney recognized for contributions to disability rights and special needs advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Autism Speaks: Large autism-focused advocacy and grantmaking organization. Comparable as a disability-focused grantmaking foundation; one of Theresa Foundation's grant recipients (Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America) sits in this broader autism-services ecosystem.
• Easterseals: Long-established national nonprofit providing services and grants for people with disabilities. Comparable as a multi-decade disability-services grantmaker with arts/recreation programming, but far broader in scope (employment, healthcare, therapy) than Theresa Foundation's arts/recreation focus.
• Special Olympics: Global nonprofit providing sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable on the recreation/athletics-for-disabled-children axis, but operating at global scale with very different funding model.
• National Down Syndrome Society: National advocacy and programmatic nonprofit supporting individuals with Down syndrome. Comparable as a disability-services grantmaker serving children with developmental disabilities, a population partially overlapping Theresa Foundation's beneficiary base.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable as a large-scale special-needs-focused grantmaking organization serving children, though operating at vastly greater scale and a different beneficiary subpopulation (medical vs. developmental disabilities).
• Muscular Dystrophy Association: Large disease-specific nonprofit funding research, care, and advocacy. Comparable as a long-running disability-focused foundation using events, sponsorships, and donations; analogous fundraising model but a different condition focus.

Others

• Special Needs Alliance: National alliance of attorneys specializing in disability and special needs planning, including pooled trust administration. Comparable as the professional/ecosystem counterpart to Theresa Foundation's pooled trust and special-needs planning grantmaking activities.

Direct peers

• KultureCity: Nonprofit focused on inclusion and accessibility for individuals with sensory and developmental disabilities, including arts/sports programming. Closely comparable on mission (inclusive arts and recreation for special-needs children) and grassroots donor-funded operating model.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Children's charity focused on programs, arts, and recreation for seriously ill and disabled kids. Most closely comparable on mission (arts/recreation for children with special needs) and structure (small-grant donor-funded nonprofit), though Starlight operates at national scale.
• Camp Abilities (parent org network): Network of educational sports camps for children with visual impairments — Theresa Foundation's longest-standing partner. Directly comparable as the type of grassroots special-needs recreation organization the foundation funds.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/theresafoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/theresafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation