TomTod Ideas
TomTod Ideas is a Canton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free Liberatory Design Thinking programming—classes, clubs, camps, and projects—for middle schoolers across Stark and Summit counties, funded by donations, grants, municipal partnerships, and a community foundation-managed endowment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCanton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What TomTod Ideas does
TomTod Ideas is a Canton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 (EIN: 46-0732616) that designs and delivers community-engagement programming for middle schoolers (grades 5-8) across Stark and Summit counties. Its core offering is standards-aligned curriculum built on Stanford d.school's Liberatory Design Thinking methodology, integrated with Ohio Department of Education Social-Emotional Learning standards and Buck Institute project-based learning, delivered through four program lines: classroom-based What If 101 classes, after-school Creator Clubs, multi-week summer camps (Camp What If and Camp Explore variants including City Changers and Summit Makers), and customized Collab projects. Programs are entirely free to families and are operationally delivered via direct partnerships with 12 school districts, four municipalities (Canton, Akron, North Canton, Barberton), community organizations, libraries, and workforce-development partners. The business model is donation- and grant-funded, with revenue streams comprising individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (Rubber Division ACS, Greater Akron Chamber, ArtsinStark, ConxusNEO), municipal allocations, an annual Feast of Ideas fundraising event, and a 2024-launched endowment (Fund for What's Next) managed by Stark Community Foundation with a $100,000 matching donor. Technology footprint is non-software: no apps, APIs, or AI products; the underlying "platform" is a human-delivered, place-based curriculum enriched by field-experience components (Field Discovery Labs) and supported by a 9-person team plus a Board of Directors (Board President: Matt Sutter).
TomTod Ideas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TomTod Ideas
- Legal name
- TomTod Ideas
- Website
- https://tomtodideas.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TomTod Ideas is a Canton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free Liberatory Design Thinking programming—classes, clubs, camps, and projects—for middle schoolers across Stark and Summit counties, funded by donations, grants, municipal partnerships, and a community foundation-managed endowment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TomTod Ideas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Development Services
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
Keywords
Where TomTod Ideas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
TomTod Ideas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations from donors who believe in empowering middle schoolers. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN: 46-0732616) and accepts donations through its website.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporations, foundations, and government entities. Camp programming is funded by cities (City of Akron, City of Canton), the Rubber Division American Chemical Society, Greater Akron Chamber, and other sponsors.
- Endowment Income: The Fund for What's Next endowment, managed by Stark Community Foundation, generates income to support operations and innovative programming. First $100,000 matched by anonymous donor.
- Feast of Ideas Event: Annual fundraising event celebrating middle schoolers and raising funds for operations. 10th anniversary event hosted at 4723 Fulton Dr NW, Canton.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programming for all middle schoolers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
TomTod Ideas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TomTod Ideas designs and delivers free, in-person youth development programs for middle schoolers (5th–8th grade) in Stark and Summit County, Ohio. Its portfolio includes What If 101 in-school classes, Creator Clubs (after-school), Camp What If and Camp Explore summer camps, custom Collabs for communities, and project-based mentoring. Programming is built on a Liberatory Design Thinking curriculum aligned with Ohio SEL standards and uses Field Discovery Labs to immerse students in real community problem-solving.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- What If 101 (In-School Class)
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of campers confidently collaborate with adults and other campers (2024 self-reported)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use TomTod Ideas
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
TomTod Ideas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
TomTod Ideas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of AkroncoreCity of Akron provides funding for Camp What If: Akron and Camp Explore: City Changers in Akron. The city also provides venues through Akron Recreation and Parks for summer programming serving Akron middle schoolers.
- City of CantoncoreCity of Canton provides funding for Camp Explore: City Changers programming in Canton, enabling free summer camps for local middle schoolers.
- Stark Community FoundationcoreStark Community Foundation manages TomTod's Fund for What's Next endowment, allowing the organization to take thoughtful risks and pursue innovative opportunities. The foundation provides endowment management expertise.
- Rubber Division American Chemical SocietycoreRubber Division ACS provides funding for Camp Explore: Summit Makers, an engineering and manufacturing exploration camp held at Akron University.
- Greater Akron ChambercoreGreater Akron Chamber co-sponsors Camp Explore: Summit Makers, supporting manufacturing workforce development through youth programming.
- Polymer Industry ClustercorePartner in Camp Explore: Summit Makers, supporting industry exploration and workforce development for middle schoolers.
- ConxusNEOcorePartner in Camp Explore: Summit Makers, supporting manufacturing career exploration for northeast Ohio youth.
- ArtsinStarkcoreArtsinStark provided grant funding for the Eldercare Storytelling Project, connecting middle schoolers with senior residents across Stark County through intergenerational storytelling.
- Stark LibrarycoreStark Library partners with TomTod for Creator Club collaborations. Middle schoolers provided feedback and ideas for making new library spaces more engaging for youth.
- COMPASS Rape Crisis CentercorePartnered with TomTod and Oakwood Middle School to create Women's Stories for a Better Tomorrow, an evening where middle school girls shared stories of adversity with trusted adults.
- Kent State StarkcorePartnered with TomTod and Oakwood Middle School for Women's Stories project, providing support and resources for the storytelling event.
- Walsh UniversityminorWalsh University team members volunteer with TomTod, supporting youth programming and community engagement initiatives.
- School Districts (Alliance, Barberton, Canton City, Canton Local, Lake, Louisville, Massillon, North Canton, Osnaburg, Plain, Perry, Jackson)coreMultiple school districts partner with TomTod for What If 101 classes, after-school clubs, and summer camp programming across Stark and Summit Counties.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TomTod Ideas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- DoSomething.org: Youth social-change nonprofit that mobilizes teens around civic action campaigns. Overlapping mission (empowering youth to drive community change) but broader age range and digital-first distribution rather than in-person camps/clubs.
- Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit providing young adults with training, internships and corporate partnerships. Comparable in its grant/corporate funding model and career-exploration framing, though it serves older youth (18-24) and a different economic-outcomes focus.
Direct peers
- Generation Citizen: Nonprofit that brings action-based civics education to middle and high school students through in-class programs and capstone projects. Closest direct peer: same target demographic (middle schoolers), same civic-engagement + real-world project model, and same school-district delivery motion.
- Mikva Challenge: Chicago-based nonprofit that develops youth as civic leaders through in-school and after-school civic engagement programming. Direct peer in mission: turning middle and high school students into active community problem-solvers via real-world projects.
- Citizen Schools: National nonprofit running after-school and summer apprenticeship programs for middle schoolers, partnering with districts and corporate volunteers. Highly comparable as it serves the same age band with extended-learning, career-exploration programming delivered through schools.
- Higher Achievement: Nonprofit providing year-round academic enrichment, mentoring and college-prep for middle schoolers in multiple U.S. cities. Comparable in targeting middle-schoolers with out-of-school programming funded by grants and donations.
Broad incumbents
- 4-H: Largest U.S. youth development organization, delivering hands-on project-based learning via clubs, camps and school enrichment across all 50 states. Comparable youth-development platform with strong funder brand and curriculum infrastructure, but with much broader scope (ages 5-19) and delivery model.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National federation of club facilities offering after-school, summer and SEL programming for school-age youth. Comparable in delivering free enrichment to youth in community settings, but operates physical clubhouse infrastructure across thousands of sites.
Others
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with college-ready mentors. Adjacent in the youth-development + education space, with overlap in school-district partnerships, but targets older students and a one-to-one mentoring model rather than project-based learning.
Regional players
- Spark (program): Nonprofit bringing middle-schoolers into workplaces for mentorship and career exploration in select U.S. cities. Comparable in serving middle-schoolers with real-world / workforce exposure through partnerships, though delivered via shorter workplace visits rather than ongoing curriculum.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TomTod Ideas social profiles
Digital presenceTomTod Ideas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TomTod Ideas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
TomTod Ideas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TomTod Ideas 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 TomTod Ideas
What does TomTod Ideas do?
TomTod Ideas designs and delivers free, in-person youth development programs for middle schoolers (5th–8th grade) in Stark and Summit County, Ohio. Its portfolio includes What If 101 in-school classes, Creator Clubs (after-school), Camp What If and Camp Explore summer camps, custom Collabs for communities, and project-based mentoring. Programming is built on a Liberatory Design Thinking curriculum aligned with Ohio SEL standards and uses Field Discovery Labs to immerse students in real community problem-solving.
Is TomTod Ideas a public or private company?
TomTod Ideas is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was TomTod Ideas founded?
TomTod Ideas was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TomTod Ideas based?
TomTod Ideas is headquartered in Canton, United States, in the North America region.
How does TomTod Ideas make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants, endowment Income and feast of Ideas Event.
Who are TomTod Ideas's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are DoSomething.org and Year Up. Direct peers are Generation Citizen, Mikva Challenge, Citizen Schools and Higher Achievement. Broad incumbents are 4-H and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. iMentor is listed as an others. Spark (program) is listed as a regional player.
Does TomTod Ideas have an API?
No public API is recorded for TomTod Ideas.
What industry is TomTod Ideas in?
TomTod Ideas's product category is Youth Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.