Playtime Project
Playtime Project is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed play programs, portable PlayKits, camps, and family support services to children and families experiencing housing insecurity across 11 sites in D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Playtime Project does
Playtime Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 that delivers trauma-informed play programs and family support services to children and families experiencing housing insecurity in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland. The organization was renamed from 'Homeless Children's Playtime Project' to 'Playtime Project' in March 2023 to reduce stigma against the population served. Its core service is weekly play programming delivered through trained volunteer 'Play Rangers' at partner shelter, school, and community sites, supplemented by a portfolio of adjunct offerings including portable PlayKits, summer and spring break camps (delivered in partnership with Camp FireUSA), pop-up play events, and a family support services function providing back-to-school supplies, holiday gifts, resource referrals, and post-transition move-out assistance.
The organization's product stack is built around a proprietary, research-based trauma-informed play curriculum developed by professional educators and social workers, structured around themed monthly activities targeting three resilience outcomes: problem-solving skills, social-emotional learning, and optimism for the future. Curriculum delivery is supported by a specialized team including a Curriculum and Impact Specialist with a master's degree in special education from Boston College and a licensed clinical social worker serving as Family Stability Manager. Playtime operates across 11 program sites with a staff of 16 and a volunteer base of 100-150+ contributing more than 2,600 hours of in-kind service annually.
Playtime Project is funded almost entirely through donations, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships, with Capstone documented as an 8-year corporate partner providing both financial contributions and employee volunteer hours. All programs are delivered free of charge to participating families. Distribution is exclusively direct via site partnerships with shelters (Shepherd's Cove, Warm Nights, Safe Passages DC), schools (LaSalle-Backus Elementary), affordable housing operators (Columbia Heights Village), and resource centers (Virginia Williams Family Resource Center). The organization has also built a formal advocacy function that has included testimony before the D.C. City Council on family homelessness policy.
Playtime Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Playtime Project
- Legal name
- Playtime Project
- Website
- https://playtimeproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Playtime Project is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed play programs, portable PlayKits, camps, and family support services to children and families experiencing housing insecurity across 11 sites in D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Playtime Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child & Family Social Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Parent–Child Play & Interaction Programs (EDACALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Playgroups (Parent–Child / Social Play) (EDACACAA)
Keywords
Where Playtime Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Playtime Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, corporate partners, and foundation grants. Organization accepts new toys and family items as well as monetary donations. Monthly recurring donor program available.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies like Capstone that provide employee volunteer hours and financial support. Capstone has partnered for 8+ years.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Playtime Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Playtime Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed play programs for children experiencing housing insecurity and their families in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland. The organization operates weekly play sessions at partner family shelters and housing programs, distributes PlayKits (curated activity kits) directly to families, and runs seasonal camps and pop-up events. Since 2003, the program has served more than 23,000 children, focusing on early childhood through age 18 and offering bilingual English/Spanish support.
Product overview
Playtime Project is a nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of play-based programs for children experiencing family housing insecurity in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland. The core offering consists of Weekly Playtime Programs at shelters, schools, and community sites where trained Play Ranger volunteers provide activities and play opportunities. Related offerings include PlayKits (portable play materials distributed to shelters and families), Summer Camp, Spring Break Camp, Pop-Up Playtime Events, and Family Support Services including back-to-school supplies and move-out assistance. The organization rebranded from 'Homeless Children's Playtime Project' to 'Playtime Project' in March 2023 to be more inclusive. Programming is delivered through a volunteer-driven model with over 150 active Play Rangers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% of children showed growth in creative problem-solving skills; 65% improved ability to identify emotions; 58% improved perseverance; 61% improved cooperative play (2023)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Playtime Project
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Playtime Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Playtime Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CapstonecoreCapstone has been a corporate partner for 8 years, with employees volunteering and providing financial support. Capstone staff feel connected to Playtime and the families it serves, knowing they are making a difference in the community.
- Shepherd's Cove Shelter for Women and ChildrencorePrimary shelter partner in Prince George's County where Playtime runs twice-weekly programs and provides family support services.
- Community Crisis Services, Inc. (CCSI)corePrince George's County's largest provider of homeless services. Playtime partners with CCSI to serve families at the Warm Nights shelter and explore ways to serve families in this setting.
- Safe Passages Domestic Violence SheltercorePrince George's County's only domestic violence shelter where Playtime hosts holiday parties and serves 19 children from newborns to teens.
- Free Art for All (The SPACE)coreCommunity partner in Prince George's County providing intentional space at Beltway Plaza Mall for Pop-Up Playtime events and weekly programs, serving families including former Playtime families who have moved to permanent housing.
- Camp FireUSAcorePartnership to provide summer camp programming, offering children who have experienced family homelessness activities for six hours a day for one month over the summer.
- United Communities Against Poverty (UCAP)coreSite partner at Shepherd's Cove offering unique post-transition case management for families who move out, with a critical Welcome Home Neighbor initiative coordinating volunteers to help families settle.
- Columbia Heights VillageminorAffordable housing complex where Playtime launched a community-based program in 2023-24, one of three nonprofit organizations co-managing the complex.
- Virginia Williams Family Resource CentercoreStarting place for families trying to get into DC emergency shelters where Playtime distributes PlayKits to ensure children can keep playing.
- DC Action for ChildrenminorAdvocacy coalition partner working with Playtime's Advocacy Director to strengthen education access and improve data collection for children's needs.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Playtime Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit working to overcome homelessness through education, serving children and youth experiencing homelessness via research, policy, and program support. Broader than Playtime in scope but addresses the same beneficiary population and increasingly overlaps through school-based program models.
- Covenant House: Large national nonprofit operating shelters and direct-service programs for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Broader in scale and age focus than Playtime, but serves an overlapping beneficiary population and shares a direct-service + advocacy model.
- National Center for Homeless Education: The federal technical assistance center on the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. Operates broadly in the same population as Playtime but at a national policy/TA scale, not a direct service model.
- National Network for Youth: National membership and advocacy organization for youth-serving agencies serving homeless and disconnected youth. Operates as a broader network/advocacy body addressing overlapping populations, with comparable federal policy engagement around family and youth homelessness.
Regional players
- Building Changes: A Washington-state nonprofit working to end family and youth homelessness through systems-change advocacy and direct program support. Operates a comparable family-homelessness focus but is geographically separate from Playtime's DC/Maryland footprint.
- People for People: A Philadelphia-area human services nonprofit providing shelter, supportive housing, and family services for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable regional scope and direct-service model but a different geography and broader service portfolio than Playtime.
Direct peers
- Horizons for Homeless Children: A Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing play-based programs, enrichment activities, and family supports for children experiencing homelessness. Operates a directly comparable model of weekly Playspace programs staffed by volunteers at family shelters, with measured child development outcomes—making it the closest functional peer to Playtime Project.
Others
- National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY): Professional membership association for educators and service providers working with children and youth experiencing homelessness. Provides training, advocacy, and resources—an adjacent enabling organization for Playtime's target population rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Playtime Project social profiles
Digital presencePlaytime Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Playtime Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Playtime Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Playtime Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Playtime Project
What does Playtime Project do?
Playtime Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed play programs for children experiencing housing insecurity and their families in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland. The organization operates weekly play sessions at partner family shelters and housing programs, distributes PlayKits (curated activity kits) directly to families, and runs seasonal camps and pop-up events. Since 2003, the program has served more than 23,000 children, focusing on early childhood through age 18 and offering bilingual English/Spanish support.
Is Playtime Project a public or private company?
Playtime Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Playtime Project founded?
Playtime Project was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Playtime Project based?
Playtime Project is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Playtime Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships.
Who are Playtime Project's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SchoolHouse Connection, Covenant House, National Center for Homeless Education and National Network for Youth. Regional players are Building Changes and People for People. Horizons for Homeless Children is listed as a direct peer. National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is listed as an others.
Does Playtime Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Playtime Project.
What industry is Playtime Project in?
Playtime Project's product category is Child & Family Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACALAF, Parent–Child Play & Interaction Programs, with a secondary code of EDACAHAB, Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 624110 and its SIC code is 8300.