The Will Brave Foundation

What The Will Brave Foundation does

The Brave Will Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Ballston Lake, New York, that funds pediatric palliative care programs and provides direct grants to families of children with life-threatening illnesses in the Greater Capital Region of New York. Founded in 2009 by Matt and Tammy Hladun following the death of their infant son Will from atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), the foundation operates three core programs: the Brave Will Room (a dedicated inpatient pediatric palliative care suite at Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital, opened in 2015 after a $100,000 foundation commitment in 2013); SOAR or 'Steer Onward and Remember' (memorial grants of up to $714 for bereaved families, launched in 2011); and ongoing financial support for the hospital's Journeys pediatric palliative care program. Since inception the foundation has donated over $500,000 supporting more than 200 children and families, with over $375,000 directed to the Journeys program since 2011.

The foundation's revenue model relies entirely on charitable contributions rather than commercial pricing. It raises funds through an annual 'Evening of Will Power' gala event — which generated $160,000 at its 10th anniversary in March 2019 through multi-tiered sponsorships (Title $5,000+, Distinguished $3,000, Special Patron $1,500, Event Sponsor $1,000, Will Power Promoter $400) — supplemented by direct donations via PayPal on its Wix-hosted website, Amazon Smile contributions, and small individual gifts. The organization employs between 11 and 50 people and is governed by a board led by the founding family. Technology infrastructure is minimal and non-proprietary, limited to the Wix website platform, standard social media profiles, and PayPal payment processing; there is no app, no proprietary software, and no AI/ML capabilities. All programmatic delivery is channeled through Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital or directly to qualifying families, making the foundation essentially a fundraising and grant-making intermediary rather than a service operator.

Name

The Will Brave Foundation

Legal name

Brave Will Foundation

Website

https://bravewill.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Brave Will Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 in Ballston Lake, NY that funds pediatric palliative care at Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital and provides memorial grants to bereaved families in the Greater Capital Region of New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Palliative Care Nonprofit

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI)

Keywords

• Pediatric palliative care
• Nonprofit charitable grants
• Bereavement family support
• Hospice care funding
• Memorial grants program

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballston Lake

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises funds through direct donations via PayPal on their website and through Amazon Smile program. Donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations support their pediatric palliative care programs.
2. Gala Event Fundraising: Annual 'Evening of Will Power' gala events that raised $160,000 in 2019. Sponsorships at various levels (Title $5,000+, Distinguished $3,000, Special Patron $1,500, Event Sponsor $1,000, Will Power Promoter $400) provide revenue while offering recognition benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Brave Will Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds pediatric palliative care programs and provides memorial grants to families of children with life-threatening illnesses in the Greater Capital Region of New York. Its core offerings include the Brave Will Room (a dedicated inpatient pediatric palliative care suite at Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital), SOAR (Steer Onward and Remember) memorial grants of up to $714 to qualifying families, financial support for the Journeys palliative care program, and an annual Evening of Will Power fundraising gala.

Product overview

The Brave Will Foundation operates as a unified charitable organization offering three core programs focused on pediatric palliative care: the Brave Will Room (a dedicated palliative care suite at Albany Medical Center), the SOAR grant program (providing up to $714 for families to honor deceased children), and financial support for the Journeys palliative care program. The foundation also hosts an annual Evening of Will Power gala for fundraising. These programs work together to provide comprehensive support for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout the Greater Capital Region of New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOAR (Steer Onward and Remember): A program created by the Brave Will Foundation that provides grants of up to $714 to families to honor their child after passing on any day they choose to best remember them.
• Brave Will Room
• Journeys
• Evening of Will Power

Products and services

• Brave Will Room A dedicated inpatient pediatric palliative care suite at the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center, providing families a private space during critical stages of care including hospice, diagnosis, and first treatment. The foundation supplies linens, decor, and family meals for those using the hospice suite.
• SOAR (Steer Onward and Remember) A memorial grant program providing up to $714 to qualifying families in the Greater Capital Region of Albany, NY, to honor their child on any day they choose (often the anniversary of passing), allowing families to create a meaningful day of memory. Grants are available to families who have lost a child aged 0-21 within the last three years with primary residence in the Greater Capital Region of Albany, NY.
• Journeys Program Support Financial support for the Journeys pediatric palliative care program at Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital, which provides comprehensive care for infants and children with debilitating or life-threatening medical conditions. The multidisciplinary team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, and chaplains, providing services not typically covered by medical insurance.
• Evening of Will Power Gala Annual fundraising gala event celebrating the foundation's mission and raising funds to support pediatric palliative care programs and families. Features tiered sponsorship opportunities (Title $5,000+, Distinguished $3,000, Special Patron $1,500, Event Sponsor $1,000, Will Power Promoter $400) with associated event reservations, signage, and recognition benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $500,000 donated supporting over 200 children and families since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered title sponsor and special patron.

• NewPediatrictitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for the 2019 Evening of Will Power gala. Title sponsorship requires a contribution of $5,000 and up, includes ten event reservations with reserved table, individual event signage, and special recognition at end-of-year thank you reception.
• New Countrytitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for the 2019 Evening of Will Power gala. Title sponsorship requires a contribution of $5,000 and up, includes ten event reservations with reserved table, individual event signage, and special recognition at end-of-year thank you reception.
• Tech Electrictitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for the 2019 Evening of Will Power gala as part of 'Friends of the Foundation'.
• Covestictitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for the 2019 Evening of Will Power gala as part of 'Friends of the Foundation'.
• Adirondack Trustspecial patronGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial patron for the 2019 gala. Special patron sponsorship requires a contribution of $1,500 and includes four event reservations with reserved shared table.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Childhood cancer charity founded by a pediatric cancer patient, funding research and family support. Comparable founder-story-driven, pediatric serious-illness nonprofit with grassroots fundraising roots.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Directly comparable as a donor-funded pediatric serious-illness charity with event-driven fundraising and corporate sponsorship structures, though at much larger scale.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Supports families of seriously ill children through hospital-adjacent housing and services. Comparable mission of keeping families together during pediatric medical crises, with embedded hospital partnerships.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Funds children's hospitals and pediatric care programs nationally. Directly comparable model of channeling donations through hospital partnerships to support pediatric medical services.
• Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children's palliative care, supporting families of children with life-limiting conditions. Direct peer in pediatric hospice/palliative care mission though UK-focused.
• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: Funds childhood cancer research and family support. Comparable pediatric serious-illness fundraising and program-support model.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers programs to hospitalized children including hospital-based entertainment and family support. Comparable pediatric hospital-embedded program model.
• The Compassionate Friends: Bereavement support organization for families who have lost children. Directly comparable to the SOAR program's bereavement-grant and family-support mission.

Broad incumbents

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: Industry-wide organization advancing hospice and palliative care policy and practice. Broader incumbent in the palliative-care space that the foundation's work supports at the pediatric level.
• Be The Match (National Marrow Donor Program): Large nonprofit supporting pediatric and adult patients with life-threatening blood cancers through donor matching and family support services. Broader-scale peer in pediatric serious-illness family services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brave-will-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Will Brave Foundation