Me Fine Foundation

What Me Fine Foundation does

Me Fine Foundation, Inc. is a Durham, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 by Lori Lee in memory of her son Folden Lee IV, who died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia at age two. The organization provides emergency financial assistance (utility bills, rent/mortgage, groceries, medically necessary equipment) and emotional/psychosocial support to families whose children are receiving care at one of three Central North Carolina partner hospitals: Duke Children's, UNC Children's, and WakeMed Children's (added in 2018). Referrals originate exclusively through hospital-based clinical social workers, care managers, and child life specialists, with the foundation advertising a same-day assistance turnaround.

The revenue model is event-driven and donation-based, structured around an annual Gala (2023 goal $300,000; 2020 virtual event raised $212,000), an annual Golf Challenge at TopGolf, monthly sustainer program Folden's Friends (tiers at $10, $40, $100 per month), NICU Caregiver Bag sponsorships ($35/unit, $1,750 for 50 bags), and corporate sponsorships (Bridge Bank as past Gala presenting sponsor; Biologics/McKesson and Urban Air Raleigh as 2025 Platinum Gala sponsors). Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), email newsletters, earned media (CBS 17 partnership in February 2026), and athlete ambassador relationships with UNC basketball players RJ Davis and Armando Bacot (added 2024). Operating geographies are restricted to Central North Carolina, and the organization holds BBB Accredited Charity, GuideStar Transparency, and North Carolina Charitable Solicitation credentials.

The team consists of four paid staff (Executive Director Lindsay Jenkins, Program Director Meghan Fox, Finance Director Heather Campbell, Outreach Coordinator Kne'Ashja Jackson) under a Board of Directors structure with founders Lori Lee and Diane Moore (of the 2013-acquired Striving for More) serving as Board Member Emeriti. The organization has no parent company, has not raised institutional funding rounds, and does not disclose revenue. Strategic posture as of 2026 emphasizes stabilizing the new Executive Director transition, growing recurring and matching-gift revenue, and deepening hospital referral integration rather than geographic expansion.

Name

Me Fine Foundation

Legal name

Me Fine Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://mefine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Me Fine Foundation is a Durham, NC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that provides emergency financial assistance and emotional support to families with children in medical crisis at Duke Children's, UNC Children's, and WakeMed Children's Hospitals in Central North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Family Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Pediatric medical support
• Nonprofit family assistance
• Financial crisis relief
• Emotional support programs
• Hospital partnership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

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. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including monthly giving program Folden's Friends.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for major events including annual Gala, Golf Challenge, and general organizational support.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Revenue from signature events including annual Gala, Golf Challenge, Burke Whitaker Tournament, benefit concerts, and community fundraising events.
4. Matching Challenges: Dollar-for-dollar matching challenges from generous supporters, such as the Stability for Families Matching Challenge up to $25,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Me Fine Foundation provides emergency financial assistance and emotional/psychosocial support to families whose children are receiving care for medical crises at three partner hospitals in Central North Carolina (Duke Children's, UNC Children's, and WakeMed Children's). Financial support covers treatment-related needs such as utility bills, mortgage/rent, groceries, gas cards, and medically necessary equipment not covered by insurance, while emotional support programs — sponsored at partner hospitals since 2013 — help pediatric patients, siblings, and parents process their experiences. Referrals are routed through hospital clinical staff, and the referral-to-assistance process is designed to take minutes, often enabling same-day help.

Product overview

Me Fine Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of support programs centered on two core services: Financial Support and Emotional Support. Financial Support provides emergency assistance for treatment-related expenses including utilities, housing, groceries, and medical equipment. Emotional Support encompasses psychosocial programs at partner hospitals. The organization also runs seasonal and event-based programs including Hope for the Holidays (Dream Team and Angel Tree), NICU Caregiver Bags, and signature fundraising events (Annual Gala, Golf Challenge). The Folden's Friends monthly giving program provides sustained funding. All programs serve families with children receiving care at Duke Children's, UNC Children's, and WakeMed Children's Hospitals in Central North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Support Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 unique families helped since 2004
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core.

• CBS 17coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026CBS 17 selected Me Fine as their February 2026 Cares 3° Guarantee nonprofit partner. Throughout February, CBS 17 highlighted Me Fine during newscasts, raising awareness about the mission to support families with children facing medical crises. 24 accurate forecasts resulted in $2,400 raised.
• Armando BacotcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024UNC basketball star Armando Bacot serves as Me Fine ambassador, raising awareness through hospital visits, fundraising campaigns, and providing exclusive auction items. Featured in media coverage and leverages his NIL platform to support Me Fine families.
• RJ DaviscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024UNC basketball star RJ Davis serves as Me Fine ambassador. Visited UNC Children's Hospital, partnered for UNC Basketball VIP Experience auction, and participates in Me Fine Madness campaign leveraging Duke-UNC rivalry to raise funds.
• WakeMed Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Me Fine's newest partner hospital since 2018, with focus on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) families. First expansion of Me Fine's services.
• Duke Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMe Fine's core referral partner since 2004. Hospital staff including clinical social workers, care managers, and child life specialists refer families in medical crisis to Me Fine for financial and emotional support services.
• UNC Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMe Fine's core referral partner since 2004 (expanded emotional support programs in 2013 through Striving for More merger). Hospital staff refer families experiencing pediatric medical crises for support.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Patient Advocate Foundation: National nonprofit providing case management and financial aid coordination for patients facing serious illness. Comparable financial assistance mission but broader patient population beyond pediatrics.

Broad incumbents

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Large nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable target population (families with children in pediatric medical crisis) and event-driven fundraising, but focused on wish-granting rather than emergency financial and psychosocial support.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: National nonprofit providing housing, meals, and support services to families with sick children receiving medical care. Directly comparable in mission (removing financial/emotional burden on families during pediatric medical crises) and hospital-partner referral model, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Children's Cancer Research Fund: National nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research and family support. Comparable donor base and event-driven fundraising, but oriented primarily to research rather than direct family financial assistance.

Direct peers

• Family Reach Foundation: National nonprofit providing direct financial assistance to families facing cancer and other pediatric medical crises, partnered with hospitals. Closest direct peer to Me Fine in terms of core service (emergency financial aid for treatment-related expenses) and hospital referral model.
• Hope for Henry Foundation: Nonprofit that brings pediatric patient and family support programs directly into partner hospitals, including psychosocial and emotional support services. Highly comparable in hospital-embedded emotional support delivery model.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Nonprofit delivering financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families, including treatment-related expense assistance. Comparable in mission scope (financial + emotional support) and pediatric oncology focus.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Pediatric cancer nonprofit funding research and family support through grassroots and event-driven fundraising. Comparable event-driven fundraising model (Golf Challenge, Gala equivalents) and pediatric cancer family beneficiary overlap.
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance: Community-based nonprofit supporting families of children with cancer through financial assistance, emotional support, and hospital partnerships. Closely comparable structure to Me Fine at a regional/local level.

Regional players

• Brady (formerly NCCS Re-Branded Programs): Children's cancer family support organization with regional chapters providing financial and psychosocial support. Comparable hospital partnership and family-focused crisis support model at sub-national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MeFineNC
• Facebookfacebook.com/MeFineFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/MeFineFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/me-fine-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Me Fine Foundation