The Nest Foundation

What The Nest Foundation does

The Nest Foundation is a US-registered nonprofit (EIN 20-1168581) founded in 2004 and headquartered at 240 W. 4th St #3A, New York, NY 10014, with additional offices in Mount Pleasant, SC and Portland, OR. Originally catalyzed by the feature-length documentary PLAYGROUND: The Child Sex Trade in America, the organization develops evidence-based violence-prevention education products for K-12 youth, educators, and community stakeholders, with curricula grounded in Significance Quest Theory (SQT) and the social-ecological model of prevention. Its core offerings are the You Belong Here K-12 connection-centered curriculum (100+ lessons aligned with CASEL and National Health Education Standards), the Child Safety Basics harm-and-trafficking prevention curriculum, the Blueprint for Connection listening skills workshop (co-developed with NYU's Listening Project), and the Human Voices student-led civic engagement campaign. Add-ons include YBH modules (Grief & Loss, Digital Wellbeing, Healthy Dating), the Powerskills Playbook workforce-readiness curriculum, facilitator training, and a free Virtual Speaker Series.

Name

The Nest Foundation

Legal name

Nest Foundation

Website

https://nestfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Nest Foundation is a nonprofit that develops evidence-based K-12 violence prevention curricula, connection-skill workshops, and professional training programs for youth, educators, child advocacy centers, and first responders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Violence Prevention Education

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Safeguarding, Child Protection & Reporting Services (EDAJAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Violence prevention education
• Social emotional learning
• K-12 curriculum
• Professional development training
• Youth safety education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Licensing: Educational curricula sold through Podia e-commerce platform with 13-month license agreements. Available for individual schools, districts, and non-school organizations. Includes asynchronous training and optional live training.
2. Professional Development Trainings: Custom trainings for educators, counselors, service providers, and first responders. Both in-person and virtual options available. Fees based on duration and audience size.
3. Workshop Fees: Fees for Nest-facilitated workshops on various topics including Blueprint for Connection, youth workshops, and parent/caregiver workshops.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through Givelively platform. Recurring monthly giving options ($25, $50, $250/month tiers). DAF donations accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Nest Foundation develops and licenses violence prevention curricula and delivers training programs for K-12 schools, educators, and community organizations. Its core offerings include the You Belong Here K-12 connection-centered curriculum (100+ lessons), the Child Safety Basics harm and sexual abuse prevention curriculum (ages 8-18), the Blueprint for Connection workshop, and the Human Voices student-led civic engagement campaign. Programs are sold via curriculum licensing, paid workshops, and professional development trainings, supplemented by tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

The Nest Foundation offers a comprehensive portfolio of violence prevention education products centered on human connection. The core offerings include the flagship K-12 “You Belong Here” curriculum, the “Child Safety Basics” harm prevention curriculum, and the “Blueprint for Connection” workshop—all designed to build connection skills and prevent violence. The “Human Voices” campaign extends learning through student-led civic engagement. Add-on modules include targeted 2-lesson YBH Modules, the Powerskills Playbook for workforce readiness, Facilitator Training for educators, and a free Virtual Speaker Series. Additional offerings include professional development trainings (CSEC 101, CSEA 101, etc.) and youth/caregiver workshops. The documentary “PLAYGROUND” serves as the organization’s foundational media piece.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• You Belong Here: Comprehensive K-12 curriculum that prevents violence and harm by teaching connection skills including healthy relationships, emotional wellness, and community belonging.
• Child Safety Basics
• Blueprint for Connection
• Human Voices

Products and services

• You Belong Here Curriculum Comprehensive K-12 connection-centered curriculum that prevents violence and harm by teaching healthy relationships, emotional wellness, and community belonging skills. Contains 100+ lessons aligned with CASEL framework and National Health Education Standards; licensed to schools and districts via 13-month agreements.
• Child Safety Basics Curriculum Harm and sexual abuse prevention curriculum for ages 8-18 covering child abuse, interpersonal violence, sex trafficking, and digital abuse through age-appropriate, trauma-informed lessons (2-3 per grade band). Meets Erin's Law, Texas SB9, and Tara's Law requirements.
• Blueprint for Connection Workshop 3-hour workshop or 3-part lesson teaching active listening, non-judgmental curiosity, and perspective-taking skills. Designed for classrooms, youth groups, clubs, and workplaces to minimize connection skills gaps; co-developed with NYU's Listening Project.
• Human Voices Campaign Student-led civic engagement campaign using storytelling and community engagement where youth become bridge-builders strengthening understanding across differences through video content creation and community forums.
• NEST Professional Development Trainings Expert-led professional development trainings for educators, counselors, direct service providers, and first responders covering topics including CSEC 101, CSEA 101, Creating Inclusive Classrooms, and Compassionate Response to Disclosures. Custom durations of 2 hours, half-day, or full-day, with both in-person and virtual delivery.
• NEST Workshops Connection-based workshops for youth, caregivers, and workplaces covering topics like Navigating Endings, Pornography Literacy, Media Use & Mental Health, Preventing Child Exploitation, and Online Safety.
• PLAYGROUND: The Child Sex Trade in America Documentary Feature-length documentary film examining child sex trafficking in America, executive produced by Abby Disney, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Steven Soderbergh, Lauren Embry, and Arden Wohl. The film's social action campaign yielded the creation of Nest.
• YBH Modules Targeted 2-lesson modules on critical topics like Grief & Loss, Digital Wellbeing, and Healthy Dating. Each module is rooted in building meaningful connection and available for individual purchase.
• The Powerskills Playbook Essential workforce skills curriculum for high school+ covering teamwork and professional communication for interviews, internships, and early careers.
• Facilitator Training: You Belong Here 5-hour training preparing educators to deliver the You Belong Here curriculum with trauma-informed, connection-centered practices. Covers curriculum foundation, facilitation practices, and major themes.
• Free Virtual Speaker Series Free expert-led virtual sessions for educators and parents addressing timely issues youth support systems face, including Radicalization in Youth and Preventing Gun Violence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.5 million+ young people reached through Nest programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PodiacoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party e-commerce platform used for selling curricula products including Blueprint for Connection. Handles payment processing and product delivery. Nest's privacy policy notes customers will be directed to Podia's platform for purchases, which operates under its own privacy policy.
• NYU's Listening ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Nest, Dr. Niobe Way (NYU), and Holly Van Hare (Director of NYU's Listening Project) to create Blueprint for Connection. Leverages expertise from education, neuroscience, and child development. The Listening Project brings five years of successful classroom implementation.
• End Violence Against ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatalie Shoup, Nest advisor, works as Safe Online Specialist, Industry & Data Lead at End Violence, supporting research, technology solutions, and systems strengthening for combating child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rethink Ed: Ed-tech vendor selling SEL, mental health, and behavior management curricula and professional development to K-12 districts — same buyer, same category, similar curriculum-plus-training model.
• Stop It Now: Nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention education for adults and youth, comparable in mission and content area to Nest's child protection curricula.
• EVERFI: K-12 wellness, SEL, and prevention curricula (including abuse prevention and digital wellness) sold via district licensing — direct overlap with Nest's curricula licensing motion and target buyer.
• Darkness to Light: Nonprofit delivering child sexual abuse prevention training (Stewards of Children) to educators and youth-serving adults, mirroring Nest's Child Safety Basics and CAC/first-responder training audience.
• Sandy Hook Promise: National nonprofit providing school-based violence prevention and 'Know the Signs' programs, competing directly with Nest for district violence prevention contracts and prevention education budgets.
• Committee for Children: Nonprofit developer of the widely adopted Second Step SEL curriculum for K-12, serving the same school procurement and educator training market as Nest's You Belong Here and connection-centered programs.
• Praesidium: Abuse prevention training and consulting provider for youth-serving organizations and CACs — same organizational buyers, same safeguarding training motion as Nest.
• Common Sense Education: Provides K-12 SEL and digital citizenship curricula and resources, overlapping with Nest's digital wellbeing and connection-building content for schools.

Emerging players

• iKeepSafe: Nonprofit providing digital safety, citizenship, and privacy education for schools — overlapping with Nest's digital abuse and online safety offerings for youth and educators.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Large, established national organization offering child exploitation prevention education and resources, addressing the same problem space as Nest's Child Safety Basics but with broader institutional reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NestFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/NestPrograms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-nest-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nestprograms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Nest Foundation