The Family Cafe, Inc.

What The Family Cafe, Inc. does

The Family Cafe, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. Its primary function is convening and serving Florida's disability community through a signature annual conference — the Annual Family Cafe, held each June at the Hyatt Regency Orlando and described as the largest statewide cross-disability event in the nation, drawing 13,075 attendees at the 28th edition in June 2026. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Florida Youth Council (FYC) for youth and emerging leaders ages 15-30, the Family-Run Organization Movement (F.R.O.M.) for family- and peer-run organizational capacity building, and the CAFE TA Center, a SAMHSA-supported national technical assistance center for consumer-directed mental health approaches.

The organization runs no proprietary technology platform; its infrastructure is built on a WordPress-based website (familycafe.net), social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr), email/mailing lists, the Disability Advocacy Hour podcast, a weekly 'Let's Talk!' legislative update Zoom series, and the annual in-person conference itself. Revenue is generated through a mix of donations (one-time and recurring), Florida state funding, SAMHSA federal support, professional registration fees ($250), exhibitor booth fees ($2,500 per 10'x10'), pre-conference training fees ($25), and complimentary exhibit space for disability-owned micro-enterprises. Individuals with disabilities and their families attend free of charge, with financial assistance available for qualifying families.

The Family Cafe is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Founder, President, and CEO Lori Fahey, alongside a small staff (1-10 employees) supported by 250+ annual volunteers. Customers and constituents span individuals with disabilities and their families/caregivers (the primary segment), Florida state agencies (APD, DOE, ABLE United, FDDC, and others) that use the conference as a parent-training platform, professionals and exhibitors in the disability field, disability-owned micro-enterprises, and family-run/youth-run/peer-run organizations. The 28th Annual Family Cafe carried a total conference cost of $1,136,388, funded largely through state appropriations.

Name

The Family Cafe, Inc.

Legal name

The Family Cafe, Inc.

Website

https://familycafe.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Family Cafe, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that hosts the Annual Family Cafe conference in Orlando — the largest statewide cross-disability event in the nation — along with affiliated programs (Florida Youth Council, CAFE TA Center, F.R.O.M.) serving Floridians with disabilities, their families, and state agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Cross-disability conferences
• Family support programs
• Disability policy training
• Disability community networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Family Cafe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The primary revenue stream is donations from individuals and organizations who share the organization's beliefs in supporting Floridians with disabilities. Donations are tax-deductible. One-time and recurring donation options are available via the website. Offline donations can be mailed as checks.
2. Professional Conference Registration Fees: Professional attendees at the Annual Family Cafe pay a $250 registration fee. Individuals with disabilities and their family members/caregivers are exempt from registration fees. Additional representatives beyond two per exhibitor booth pay $250 each.
3. Exhibitor Fees: Organizations reserve exhibit space in the Exhibit Hall at the Annual Family Cafe for $2,500 per 10' x 10' booth. The fee includes table, chairs, pipe and drape, electricity, and Wi-Fi, plus access to lead generation tools and a virtual exhibit space in the attendee app.
4. Pre-Conference Training Fees: FROM Pre-Con events charge a mandatory $25 registration fee. Women's Summit events also charge a mandatory $25 registration fee. Lunch is included with these fees.
5. Government Grants and State Funding: The Annual Family Cafe receives state funding from Florida. State funds are used for financial support to families, audio visual support for presenters and keynote speakers, and printing and conference materials. The 28th Annual Family Cafe cost $1,136,388, largely state-funded. SAMHSA supports the CAFE TA Center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Family Cafe provides conferences, training, technical assistance, and informational resources for Floridians with disabilities and their families. Its signature offering is the Annual Family Cafe conference, the largest statewide cross-disability event in the nation, held in Orlando with more than 200 breakout sessions and complimentary admission and hotel accommodations for individuals with disabilities and family members. Supplementary programs include the Annual Youth Summit, the Florida Youth Council, the Family-Run Organization Movement (FROM), the CAFE TA Center, and publications such as the Advocacy Toolkit and Questions & Answers Book.

Product overview

The Family Cafe, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a disability information, training, and networking hub for Floridians. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of interconnected services centered on its signature Annual Family Cafe conference—the largest statewide cross-disability event in the nation. Supporting programs include the Florida Youth Council (FYC) for youth leadership, the Family-Run Organization Movement (F.R.O.M.) for organizational capacity building, the CAFE TA Center for mental health technical assistance, and the Annual Youth Summit for young adults with disabilities. The organization also delivers ongoing advocacy resources through its Disability Advocacy Hour Podcast, the weekly 'Let's Talk!' Legislative Update Series, advocacy toolkits, and the Questions & Answers Book publication. Pre-conference training events and the Women's Summit extend the organization's reach, while the Book Fair supports self-advocate authors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Florida Youth Council (FYC): A program of The Family Cafe for youth and emerging leaders ages 15-30 with disabilities or special health care needs in Florida.
• F.R.O.M. (Family-Run Organization Movement)

Products and services

• Annual Family Cafe Conference Multi-day statewide cross-disability conference held annually in Orlando, FL, with more than 200 breakout sessions; free for individuals with disabilities and family members with complimentary hotel accommodations; $250 for professionals; features the FROM Pre-Conference Training, the Annual Youth Summit, and the Women's Summit.
• Annual Youth Summit Youth-focused event co-located with the Annual Family Cafe for youth with disabilities and their peers, providing targeted breakouts and networking.
• Women's Summit Women-focused event co-located with the Annual Family Cafe for women in the disability community, with targeted breakouts and networking.
• FROM Pre-Conference Training Pre-conference training for family-run organizations serving adults with mental illness, held in conjunction with the Annual Family Cafe.
• Family-Run Organization Movement (FROM) Program dedicated to family-run organizations serving adults with mental illness, providing training, technical assistance, and a guidebook.
• Florida Youth Council (FYC) Ongoing statewide program for youth and young adults with disabilities to develop leadership, advocacy, and self-determination skills.
• CAFE TA Center Federally funded technical assistance center providing training and support to mental health organizations, peer-run organizations, family-run organizations, youth-run organizations, and micro-enterprises owned by people with behavioral health conditions.
• Disability Advocacy Hour Podcast Ongoing podcast series covering disability advocacy topics for the disability community and allies.
• Let's Talk! Legislative Update Series Recurring webinar/video series providing legislative and policy updates relevant to Floridians with disabilities and their families.
• Advocacy Toolkit Published toolkit providing self-advocates and families with practical guidance on disability advocacy.
• Questions & Answers Book Published reference book providing answers to common questions facing Floridians with disabilities and their families.
• FROM Guidebook Published guidebook for family-run organizations serving adults with mental illness, supporting program sustainability and operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 28th Annual Family Cafe delivered 30 hours of total engagement with 13.5 hours of direct training, at a cost of $2.90 per hour per attendee, serving 13,075 individuals.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vincent's ClubhouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVincent's Clubhouse co-sponsored the January 30th Non-Profit Excellence and the Pursuit of Sustainability in the New Philanthropy workshop alongside FROM and the Palm Coast-Flagler Chamber of Commerce. This event took place at Daytona State College in Palm Coast, FL. Vincent's Clubhouse is a nonprofit organization serving the disability community.
• Palm Coast-Flagler Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Palm Coast-Flagler Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored the January 30th Non-Profit Excellence and the Pursuit of Sustainability in the New Philanthropy workshop alongside FROM and Vincent's Clubhouse at Daytona State College in Palm Coast, FL. The partnership extends The Family Cafe's reach into the local business community.
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAMHSA supports the CAFE TA Center, a program of The Family Cafe that operates as one of five national technical assistance centers. The Center provides technical assistance, training, and resources that facilitate the restructuring of the mental health system through effective consumer-directed approaches for adults with serious mental illnesses across the country.
• Florida State Agencies (Agency for Persons with Disabilities, DOE Bureau of Exceptional Student Education, Florida Health Kids Corporation, ABLE United, FDDC, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Florida state agencies participate in the Annual Family Cafe, delivering 9+ presentations directly and maintaining tables in the Exhibit Hall. Agencies include the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, DOE Bureau of Exceptional Student Education, Florida Health Kids Corporation, ABLE United, Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida Inclusion Network, Florida Telecommunication Relay, and Agency for Health Care Administration. These agencies rely on the Annual Family Cafe as a platform to fulfill their parent training and information dissemination obligations.
• Mary Kingston RocheminorOthersMary Kingston Roche is a presenter and consultant for FROM webinars and pre-conference trainings on advocacy, coalition building, and fundraising strategies. She is described as an experienced policy leader and advocate with nearly 20 years of experience working at all levels of policy change, a former teacher, school board member, TEDx speaker, and Founder of Live Curious LLC. She has a Master of Public Policy from Duke University and a B.A. from Boston University.
• John FerroneminorOthersJohn Ferrone is a nationally recognized consultant and organizational coach who leads FROM pre-conference trainings and regional workshops. He specializes in assisting family-run organizations to build capacity for sustainability and collaborative statewide vision. He is described as a family member with lived experience, serving as a presenter for FROM programming on nonprofit excellence and impact measurement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Autism Society of America: Autism Society is a national disability advocacy and support organization with state and local affiliates providing information, resources, and convening events. Comparable in disability-specific advocacy, affiliate-based service delivery, and conference-centric community engagement model.
• Family Voices: Family Voices is a national family-led organization supporting families of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, with state affiliates. Highly comparable to The Family Cafe's family-support, parent-training, and information dissemination focus.
• PACER Center: PACER is a Minnesota-based parent training and information center serving families of children with disabilities, including the SAMHSA-style TA center model. Directly comparable to Family Cafe's CAFE TA Center and parent training functions.
• The Arc of the United States: The Arc is a national disability advocacy organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with affiliated chapters providing state-level services, family support, and policy advocacy. Highly comparable to Family Cafe's mission, family-support orientation, and state-chapter model.
• Parent to Parent USA (P2P USA): P2P USA is a national network of state parent-to-parent programs providing support to families of individuals with disabilities. Comparable peer-support and family-empowerment mission aligned with Family Cafe's core programs.
• Easterseals: Easterseals is a national nonprofit providing disability services, advocacy, and community engagement — directly comparable to The Family Cafe's role serving individuals with disabilities and families through programs, resources, and convening events. Both organizations function as community hubs for disability populations.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): NDRN is the membership organization for the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) and Client Assistance Programs in every U.S. state, providing disability legal advocacy and rights protection. Comparable in mission and federal funding model to Family Cafe's CAFE TA Center.
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP): UCP is a national disability services and advocacy nonprofit serving people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities through affiliate networks. Comparable in mission, family support orientation, and affiliate-based service delivery model.

Regional players

• Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC): FDDC is Florida's federally-funded state council advocating for Floridians with developmental disabilities. It directly partners with The Family Cafe (tables at Annual Family Cafe) and serves overlapping populations, making it the closest regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS): NASDDDS is a membership association of state agency directors overseeing intellectual/developmental disability services. Comparable to Family Cafe as a convening body for the state disability agency ecosystem, though operating at the intergovernmental rather than family-facing level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thefamilycafe?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYHTfJCM4ljyWaVT7e5ExCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFamilyCafeFL
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefamilycafefl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-family-cafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Family Cafe, Inc.