The Willows Foundation Inc

What The Willows Foundation Inc does

The Willows Foundation, Inc. operates The Willows Community, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) independent living community located on a 20-acre gated campus at 23871 Willows Drive in Laguna Hills, California, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. The community serves practicing Christian Scientists aged 55 and older who are able to live without aid, offering 152 single-story maintenance-free garden villas across four floor plans ranging from 738 sq ft (1BR/1BA at $1,860/month) to 1,225 sq ft (3BR/2BA at $3,025/month). Monthly rent covers utilities, landscaping, building maintenance, pest control, gated access, scheduled transportation, and amenities including a heated pool, fitness center, ceramics studio, woodshop, art studio, dining room, and 24-hour on-call staff. Residents are supported by an on-site Study Center, scheduled bus service to local Christian Science churches, and community programming such as the Thinking Forward interview series, Cooking with Douglas demonstrations, and Willows Singers concerts.

The organization's business model combines recurring monthly rental income (the primary stream) with ancillary revenue from dining ($90/month per person covering 5 meals), guest house rentals for visitors and prospective residents, optional add-on services (carport $50/month, pet fee $30/month, housekeeping $30–35/hour), and donations through the General Fund, Living Generously Fund, Independence Fund, and General Endowment. As a registered 501(c)(3) with FEIN 95-2078512, The Willows is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Ric McKown; the organization is not venture-backed and operates as an independent nonprofit entity. Go-to-market relies on the Christian Science church network (branch churches, practitioners, Journal-listed nurses), peer referrals from the 140+ current residents, a complimentary two-night guest house stay program for serious prospects, and content marketing through thewillowscommunity.org and email newsletters. Strategic programming also includes a training villa for Christian Science nursing education operated in partnership with Glenmont Christian Science Nursing and Christian Science Nurse Connections (CSNC).

The technical stack is intentionally limited and consists of operational SaaS rather than proprietary systems: TableUp powers dining reservations and ordering, and Think Reservations handles guest house bookings. There is no mobile application, no disclosed AI/ML capability, no patents or trademarks, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history. The organization has no funding rounds, no parent company, and no equity ownership structure; financial sustainability depends on the combination of rental income and donations from the broader Christian Science community.

Name

The Willows Foundation Inc

Legal name

The Willows Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://thewillowscommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Willows Foundation Inc is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) operating The Willows Community, a 20-acre independent living community in Laguna Hills, CA, offering 152 garden villas to practicing Christian Scientists aged 55+, funded through monthly rents, ancillary services, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Villa Rental Income: Monthly rental income from 152 private garden villas ranging from 738 sq ft (1BR) to 1,225 sq ft (3BR). Residents pay monthly rent which includes landscaping, building maintenance, pool, exercise room, art studio, activities and 24-hour on call staff.
2. Dining Services: Additional dining room fees of $90/month per person covering 5 meals monthly, with extra meals at $18 each (Sunday/Monday/Thursday) or $12 (Saturday). Bistro offers casual take-out meals Tuesday-Wednesday 9am-2pm.
3. Guest House Rentals: Revenue from five guest houses available for family visits and prospective residents, with special rates for Journal-listed Christian Science Practitioners and Nurses.
4. Donations and Planned Giving: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Willows relies on donations through General Fund, Planned Giving, Living Generously Fund, Independence Fund, and General Endowment to support operations and community enhancements.
5. Optional Services and Fees: Additional revenue from optional services including carport rental ($50/month), pet fees ($30/month), and house cleaning services ($30-35/hour).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Willows Foundation Inc operates a nonprofit independent-living residential community for Christian Scientists aged 55+. It rents 152 single-story garden villas on a 20-acre gated campus in Laguna Hills, California, and provides on-site dining, guest accommodations, transportation, fitness, arts, and study facilities. Residents pay monthly rent covering utilities, landscaping, building maintenance, amenities, and 24-hour on-call staff.

Product overview

The Willows Foundation Inc operates a senior residential community for Christian Scientists aged 55+ as a collection of integrated services and facilities rather than a unified software platform. The core product is the Garden Villas residential program offering maintenance-free single-story villas in four floor plans (1BR/1BA, 2BR/1BA, 2BR/2BA, 3BR/2BA) with monthly rent covering utilities, landscaping, and amenities. Supporting services include the Dining Room and The Bistro for meals, Guest Houses for visitor accommodations, and Community Center amenities (pool, ceramics, woodshop, fitness). Additional programs include the Thinking Forward interview series, Willows Singers choir, Cooking with Douglas cooking demonstrations, and Planned Giving/Donation programs. Transportation services provide church shuttles and shopping buses. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with FEIN 95-2078512.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garden Villas
• Dining Room
• The Bistro
• Guest Houses
• Transportation Services
• Community Center Amenities
• Study Center
• General Fund Donations
• Planned Giving (Giving Forward Society)

Quantifiable outcome

• Independent living community with 140+ residents across 152 villas on 20 acres
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Glenmont Christian Science NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Glenmont Christian Science Nursing in Ohio to establish a training villa at The Willows for teaching Christian Science nursing and caregiver classes. Glenmont supports the establishment of teaching space and curriculum development. Katy Napper coordinates the program which has hosted retreats, Levels 1, 2, and 3 of Christian Science Nursing Education, and caregiver classes.
• Christian Science Nurse Connections (CSNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CSNC in California to support the training villa program at The Willows for teaching Christian Science nursing and caregiver classes. CSNC provides educational support and resources for the program established by Katy Napper.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Merrill Gardens: Family-owned operator of ~60 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities concentrated on the West Coast. Highly comparable to The Willows on senior rental housing, West Coast concentration, and amenity-rich campus model.
• Holiday Retirement: One of the largest U.S. independent living-only operators with 270+ communities. Highly comparable to The Willows on a rental-only independent living model without assisted living services, signaling a similar operational posture.
• Wesley Enhanced Living: Faith-based nonprofit operator of senior living communities affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Closest peer to The Willows on the combination of faith-affiliated mission, nonprofit 501(c)(3) status, monthly rental senior housing, and bundled amenities.
• Belmont Village Senior Living: Privately held operator of ~30+ senior living communities with a focus on upscale independent and assisted living, strong programming, and amenitized campuses. Closest middle-market peer to The Willows on community-led programming, hospitality-driven rental model, and quality-tier positioning.
• Kisco Senior Living: Operator of ~14 senior living communities known for hospitality-driven programming and resident engagement model. Closely comparable to The Willows on small-portfolio, programming-led independent living with strong community differentiation.
• Oakmont Senior Living: Operator of ~50+ luxury senior living communities across the Western U.S. Comparable to The Willows on upscale rental independent living with extensive amenities, programming, and resort-style campuses.

Broad incumbents

• Sunrise Senior Living: Major U.S. senior living operator with ~270 communities emphasizing assisted living plus independent living. Directly comparable to The Willows on rental senior housing with hospitality-style amenities and programming, though broader in service mix.
• Atria Senior Living: One of the largest U.S. operators of independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities with ~200+ properties. Directly comparable to The Willows in terms of core offering (independent senior rental housing with monthly fees and on-site amenities) but at far greater scale and as a for-profit, multi-denominational incumbent.
• Brookdale Senior Living: Largest U.S. senior living operator with 650+ communities across independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Comparable operating model to The Willows (monthly rental senior housing with bundled services and amenities) but at massive scale across the country.

Regional players

• Pacifica Senior Living: Southern California-focused operator of independent and assisted living communities. Geographically and operationally comparable to The Willows, serving the same SoCal senior market with rental senior housing, though serving a broader (non-faith-based) demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-willows-foundation-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Willows Foundation Inc