The Reel Hope Project

What The Reel Hope Project does

The Reel Hope Project (TRHP) is a Minneapolis-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 by Pete and Kaycee Stanley that creates two-minute, child-centered adoption recruitment videos — referred to as "reels" — for children and teens in U.S. foster care whose parental rights have been terminated and who are legally free for adoption. Videos are produced at no cost to referring county and agency social workers, combine interview segments with activity footage, and are hosted on a third-party secure video platform with password protection, encryption, controlled embedding permissions, and removal protocols tied to each child's consent and adoption status. Distribution flows through TRHP's own state-branded kids pages, state adoption exchanges, national agency websites, social media, optional flash-drive copies for social workers, and a faith-based grassroots channel of more than 600 church presentations.

The organization's revenue model is donation-driven across three streams: individual giving (one-time and monthly sustaining via The Studio at $50-$150/month, representing 35% of supporters), corporate and event sponsorships including the Clooney program at $10,000/year and the Producers Club at $3,000 per reel, and grants from foundations and church communities. All donations are tax-deductible; donors may cover transaction fees. The core go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: prospective adoptive families are reached through church presentations, community events, and media appearances, while inquiries are routed via the website and state exchanges to local social work teams. The mission is reinforced by ancillary Swim Upstream programs targeting prevention, foster support, and wrap-around care.

TRHP currently operates in nine states — Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — having expanded one state at a time since 2016, with a stated long-term goal of serving 1,000 children per year. Cumulative impact figures include more than 650 children served, a 50%+ match rate, and over 2,000 families connected to the foster care or adoption process, validated by partners such as the Minnesota Department of Human Services under a 2018-2023 contract. The organization holds Charity Navigator, Candid Platinum Seal, CAFO Gold, and ECFA credentials and runs the annual Night at the Oscars gala as its flagship fundraising event.

Name

The Reel Hope Project

Legal name

The Reel Hope Project

Website

https://thereelhopeproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Reel Hope Project is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates free two-minute adoption recruitment videos for children in U.S. foster care and distributes them through state exchanges, churches, and digital channels across nine states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Adoption Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

Keywords

• Foster care adoption
• Adoption recruitment videos
• Child welfare nonprofit
• Nonprofit fundraising programs
• Family services videos

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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. Individual Donations (One-Time and Recurring): The primary revenue stream comes from individual donors making one-time or monthly recurring contributions. Monthly sustaining donors (The Studio) contribute 35% of total supporters. Donation tiers include $250, $500, $750, $3,000 (sponsor one reel), and custom amounts. Monthly recurring options range from $50 to $150 or more.
2. Corporate Partnerships & Event Sponsorships: Corporate Champions program offers event sponsorships including the annual Night at the Oscars gala. The Clooney program requires $10,000/year for multiple reel sponsorships. The Producers Club funds individual reels at $3,000 (or $250/month).
3. Foundations and Churches: Sustained by foundations and church communities that believe in the mission of finding forever families for every child. These institutional donors provide grants and programmatic support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Reel Hope Project creates two-minute personalized adoption recruitment videos (reels) for children in foster care awaiting adoption across nine U.S. states, including Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, North Dakota, and Missouri. Videos are produced at no cost to social workers, counties, or agencies, and are distributed across state adoption exchanges, national agency websites, social media, and the organization's website with privacy-controlled embedding permissions. The organization also runs supporting Swim Upstream programs (Prevent, Foster, Wrap-Around) and the annual Night at the Oscars gala to sustain its mission.

Product overview

The Reel Hope Project operates as a single, unified nonprofit service focused exclusively on creating high-quality, child-centered adoption recruitment videos for children in foster care. Their core offering is the production of two-minute video profiles (reels) of waiting children, distributed free of charge to social workers and adoption agencies across nine focus states. The organization also runs Swim Upstream programs (Prevent, Foster, Wrap-Around) to address the broader foster care ecosystem, and hosts the annual Night at the Oscars fundraising gala.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reel Video for Waiting Children Two-minute personalized adoption recruitment video (reel) created for each referred child in foster care awaiting adoption, combining interview segments and activity footage to showcase the child's personality. The service is provided free of charge to social workers, counties, and agencies, and the resulting video is distributed across state adoption exchanges, national agency websites, social media, and TRHP's website using controlled embedding permissions.
• State-Specific Waiting Kids Pages Web-based directory of currently waiting children in each of the nine focus states (Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming), with adoption inquiry submission and reel video viewing. Prospective families discover and inquire about waiting children through these pages.
• Refer a Child Service Standardized intake process for county and agency social workers to refer children in foster care for video reel creation. Social workers submit child details, coordinate shoot logistics, and approve reel distribution and embedding permissions, receiving the draft reel within two to three weeks of the shoot.
• Swim Upstream Wrap-Around Program Support program highlighting communities that provide tangible and emotional wrap-around support to foster and adoptive families to sustain their care efforts and reduce family burnout.
• Swim Upstream Foster Program Story-driven program featuring foster families and partners dedicated to providing support and healing to youth in foster care, complementing the reel creation service with broader foster family engagement.
• Swim Upstream Prevent Program Awareness program highlighting partner organizations that provide support to birth families in crisis to prevent children from entering the foster care system, complementing the adoption recruitment focus with upstream prevention.
• Night at the Oscars Gala Annual signature fundraising gala held at International Market Square in Minneapolis, featuring ticketed admission and corporate sponsorship packages that include Producer's Club and Clooney program opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% of Reel Hope kids have been matched with an adoptive family
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• State Adoption Exchanges (State-Specific)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTRHP partners with state adoption exchanges across its nine active states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Nevada, Missouri) to upload and distribute child videos on both private and public exchange platforms. The sharing parameters are set by the referring social worker via the TRHP Participation Form.
• County and Agency Social WorkerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCounty caseworkers, child specific recruiters, and adoption agency social workers refer eligible children, coordinate shoot logistics, and distribute completed reels to prospective adoptive families. At least one authorized adult from the child's team must be present for each video shoot. Social workers receive the draft reel within 2-3 weeks of the shoot for review.
• Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRHP has maintained a DHS contract since 2018 (contract period 2018-2023) under which reels are created for Minnesota waiting children. Per contract terms, reels are stored on TRHP hard drives for six years after the contract period ends (until 2029), after which they are physically erased.
• Churches and Faith CommunitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 600 churches have hosted TRHP presentations, serving as primary outreach channels to prospective adoptive families. Churches provide space for events, refer families to the adoption process, and provide wrap-around community support for foster and adoptive families through TRHP's Swim Upstream program.
• National Adoption AgenciesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTRHP embeds child reels on national agency websites (with permissions set by social workers) to extend the reach of adoption recruitment beyond state-specific platforms to prospective families nationwide.
• Corporate Champions (Corporate Partners)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champions are business partners who support TRHP through event sponsorships (including Night at the Oscars annual gala) and ongoing programmatic support. Partnership opportunities are tailored to align with company mission and goals. Logos visible for Otto Bremer, Cedar Valley, Fathers, and other unnamed partners.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wednesday's Child (Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption): Long-running TV/video feature segment that profiles waiting foster children to find adoptive families. Closely analogous to TRHP's video-reel recruitment concept and operates within the same adoption-recruitment category.
• Show Hope: Faith-based nonprofit that provides adoption grants and care for children waiting in foster care and orphanages. Comparable to TRHP in mission (foster-to-adopt), donor model (faith-fueled, recurring donors), and commitment to ethical storytelling around adoption.
• Raise the Future (formerly RaiseHope): Faith-rooted nonprofit supporting foster and adoptive families through resources, community, and grants. Comparable to TRHP in mission alignment, faith-driven donor base, and emphasis on wrap-around family support (Swim Upstream overlap).
• Heart Gallery of America: National network of Heart Gallery programs using professional photography (and increasingly video) of waiting children in foster care to recruit adoptive families. Closest direct comparable to TRHP given the shared visual-storytelling recruitment model serving the same waiting-children population.
• National Adoption Foundation: National nonprofit supporting families through the adoption process, including post-adoption services. Comparable to TRHP in mission scope and donor-funded model, focused on the same adoptive-family population.
• Children Awaiting Parents: Nonprofit that maintains a national photo listing of waiting children in foster care to recruit adoptive families. Directly comparable to TRHP's recruitment-via-visual-profiles model and serves the same population.

Broad incumbents

• AdoptUSKids: Federally funded national adoption exchange that recruits foster and adoptive families and operates the AdoptUSKids photolisting. Directly competes with TRHP for placement of waiting children's profiles and serves the same prospective-adoptive-family audience at national scale.
• Casey Family Programs: Large foundation focused on safely reducing the number of children in foster care and supporting permanent families. Comparable to TRHP at the strategic level — same waiting-children population and policy space — but operates at foundation/grantmaking scale rather than direct service.
• Bethany Christian Services: Large national nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, and family support services across multiple states. Comparable to TRHP because it serves the same foster-to-adopt population and operates state-level contracts, though as part of a much broader service portfolio.

Others

• Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO): Umbrella network of 200+ member organizations and churches serving orphans and vulnerable children, of which TRHP is a Gold Member. Comparable as an ecosystem/credentialing peer rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thereelhopeproject

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Reel Hope Project