Headwaters Relief Organization

What Headwaters Relief Organization does

Headwaters Relief Organization is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit disaster relief organization founded in 2005 by Dr. Rebecca Thomley in Golden Valley, Minnesota, originally under the name 'River of Hope' in response to Hurricane Katrina. The organization delivers immediate and long-term disaster response across public health, medical care, psychosocial support, education, and rebuilding, serving communities affected by natural disasters in the United States and internationally in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Nepal, Liberia, the Philippines, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Its core programs include free medical clinics, community resilience partnerships (notably with New Salem Baptist Church in New Orleans' Ninth Ward), therapeutic drumming circles, and a recurring cadence of disaster-specific children's coloring books designed on tear-resistant paper to help children process trauma.

The organization's product surface includes the Asha doll initiative (a multicultural doll co-developed with Positively Perfect to combat human trafficking and support Nepali girls, with 2,000 units delivered), a portfolio of educational children's books ('When We All Stayed Home,' 'The Savage Wind,' 'Together Again,' 'When the Great Sickness Came'), and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop selling handcrafted artisan goods sourced from Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal. Distribution runs through the organization's own website, social channels, and event-driven fundraising including an annual golf tournament, Mardi Gras Gala, bowling tournament, and Giving Day campaigns such as Give to the Max Day. The organization is led by a small executive team (Founder/CEO Dr. Rebecca Thomley, COO Cheryl Vennerstrom, Medical Director Dr. Roshan Khatri) supported by a volunteer base exceeding 800 active contributors and an executive board that includes DelRae Messer (named a 2025 Notable Nonprofit Board Member by Twin Cities Business magazine). Revenue is generated through individual and corporate donations, event fundraising, and shop sales, with 100% of artisan product proceeds directed back to program countries.

Name

Headwaters Relief Organization

Legal name

Headwaters Relief Organization

Website

https://headwatersrelief.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Headwaters Relief Organization is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that delivers grassroots-to-global disaster relief, medical care, psychosocial support, and educational programs (children's books, the Asha doll) to communities affected by natural disasters across 10+ countries, funded through donations, events, and an artisan e-commerce shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Disaster Relief Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Natural Disaster Preparedness & Recovery (Storm/Flood/Wildfire) (BPABANAI), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Disaster relief services
• Humanitarian aid programs
• Community public health
• Psychosocial trauma support
• International relief operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Golden Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization accepts financial contributions from individuals and corporations. Donations enable disaster victims with fewest resources to rebuild their lives, funding activities from purchasing school supplies in Haiti to creating children's books for the Philippines.
2. E-commerce Shop Sales: The organization operates a shop selling handcrafted goods including photography, textiles, jewelry, sculptures, and artwork from Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal. 100% of sales go back to programs in these countries.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including golf tournaments ($150 individual tickets, $350-$1,000 sponsorship levels), bowling tournaments, andMardi Gras Gala. Proceeds support disaster relief, public health, and community resilience programs.
4. Artisan Product Sales: Sales of artisan products sourced from Haiti, Liberia and Nepal including cashmere scarves, prayer flags, woven baskets, beaded items, Buddha statues, khukuri knives, and textiles. Price points range from $2 to $250.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Headwaters Relief Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers disaster relief and long-term recovery support to communities affected by natural disasters, both domestically in the U.S. and internationally. Core services include immediate disaster response (clean-up and rebuilding), free medical clinics, public health programs, psychosocial and mental health support, and educational initiatives such as children's trauma-processing books and multicultural empowerment dolls. The organization also runs a handcrafted goods e-commerce shop whose proceeds fund programs in Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal.

Product overview

Headwaters Relief Organization is a grassroots disaster relief nonprofit that evolved from Hurricane Katrina response in 2005 into a multifaceted humanitarian organization. The organization offers disaster relief services (including clean-up, rebuilding, and emergency response), public health programs, medical support, and psychosocial support. Its educational products include children's coloring books for disaster processing (COVID-19 series, Hurricane Maria's 'The Savage Wind', Ebola's 'When the Great Sickness Came'), the Asha doll for Nepal girls' empowerment, and human trafficking prevention books. The organization runs a shop selling handcrafted artisan products from Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal with proceeds supporting programs in those countries. Additional initiatives include therapeutic drumming circles in New Orleans, Phone Pal programs, and mask sewing during COVID-19.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Disaster Relief Services End-to-end disaster response program providing clean-up, rebuilding, public health, psychosocial, medical, and educational support to communities impacted by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods in the U.S. and abroad.
• Public Health Programs Public health initiatives that deploy expert volunteers in public health, medical care, psychosocial support, rebuilding, and engineering to underserved populations worldwide.
• Medical Support Services Free medical clinics and healthcare support delivered in disaster-affected areas, including disease prevention education and public health awareness, with volunteer medical professionals.
• Psychosocial Support Programs Mental health and psychosocial support services for disaster survivors, including counseling, support groups, coping skills development, and therapeutic community programs such as drumming circles.
• Children's Coloring Books Series Educational children's coloring and story books printed on tear-resistant paper, designed to help children process emotions and trauma related to disasters such as COVID-19, Hurricane Maria, Ebola, and Nepal earthquake recovery.
• Asha Doll Initiative Multicultural doll and accompanying curriculum that helps girls in Nepal build self-esteem, cultural identity, and resilience against human trafficking; dolls may be sponsored for $25 or purchased.
• Handcrafted Artisan Products Shop E-commerce storefront offering photography prints, woven baskets, scarves, textiles, jewelry, sculptures, and artwork sourced from artisans in Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal, with 100% of sales supporting programs in those countries.
• Human Trafficking Prevention Education Educational program and accompanying book 'Together Again' that raises awareness about human trafficking and harmful social practices in Nepal, including caregiver training and community education components.
• Therapeutic Drumming Circles Therapeutic drumming circle programs for children in New Orleans' Ninth Ward that provide mental health support and coping skills, producing a CD of drumming music featured on CNN and other major outlets.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 37,000 volunteer hours contributed in 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kendra Scott RosedaleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 August 2024Headwaters partnered with Kendra Scott Rosedale for a benefit event on August 21, featuring jewelry inspired by Headwaters' colors of dark blue and yellow. The event at the Roseville, Minnesota location supports Headwaters' work with vulnerable children and families, featuring the Asha doll and raising awareness through jewelry sales.
• Positively PerfectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with multicultural dollmaker Positively Perfect to create the Asha doll - the company's first South Asian doll and first shipment outside US borders. The doll was designed to help Nepali girls build cultural identity and self-esteem, part of an educational campaign to prevent human trafficking.
• Haiti OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Nonprofit organization developing sustainable and clean water infrastructures in Pignon, Haiti. Their 49 Haitians and one American staff are safe and collecting donations following the 2021 earthquake.
• Salesian MissionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for distribution of children's book 'When the Great Sickness Came' about Ebola to children in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.
• Healey International Relief FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for distribution of Ebola educational materials to West African children affected by the outbreak.
• Brother's Brother FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for distribution of Ebola educational materials to West African children.
• Global Rescue Relief & Resilience (GR3)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Organized Nepal earthquake relief mission through partnership with GR3. Headwaters volunteers from Minnesota, Washington D.C., Boston, and Germany were deployed following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
• Project Rising SunminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Non-profit based in New Orleans that coordinates therapeutic drumming circles with Headwaters' River of Hope Mental Health Center in the Ninth Ward. Children produced a CD of drumming music through Kickstarter funding.
• National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Headwaters became a member of National VOAD in April 2012, allowing participation in planning and coordination when disasters occur nationally.
• New Salem Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Longstanding partnership with New Salem Baptist Church in New Orleans Ninth Ward. Church serves as partner for community support including mental health resource center, therapeutic drumming circles, community center rebuilding, and ongoing disaster recovery support since Hurricane Katrina.
• Medical Reserve Corps of Puerto RicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized along with Cruz Raja and Americares in Puerto Rico on April 27, 2019 for instrumental work in community recovery after Hurricane Maria.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Americares: Disaster relief and global health NGO providing medical aid and recovery support after emergencies worldwide. Directly comparable to Headwaters' medical support and disaster response mission, with longer-established programs in Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Nepal.
• All Hands and Hearts: Disaster response nonprofit specializing in volunteer-driven rebuilding and recovery after natural disasters. Most comparable peer on Headwaters' core clean-up, rebuilding, and volunteer mobilization model.
• SBP: Disaster recovery nonprofit founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina focused on shrinking disaster recovery time. Closely parallels Headwaters' origin story (post-Katrina grassroots) and rebuilding mission.
• Direct Relief: US-based humanitarian aid organization focused on disaster response and medical assistance globally. Closely comparable to Headwaters in combining medical aid, disaster relief, and global geographic reach, though operating at materially larger scale.
• Heart to Heart International: Volunteer-driven humanitarian organization providing medical relief and disaster response. Comparable volunteer mobilization model and medical/disaster focus areas overlapping with Headwaters' clinic work.
• International Medical Corps: Global humanitarian organization delivering emergency medical relief and public health programs in conflict and disaster settings. Comparable to Headwaters' medical clinic, public health, and disaster response work in Haiti and Nepal.
• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led disaster response organization deploying volunteer teams for debris removal, home repair, and recovery. Comparable volunteer-driven disaster response model with similar grassroots-to-global positioning.
• ShelterBox: Disaster relief charity providing emergency shelter and essential supplies to families displaced by disasters and conflict. Comparable to Headwaters' immediate post-disaster response activities across multiple geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large global humanitarian organization with programs in disaster response, economic development, and public health across 40+ countries. Comparable mission space but materially larger scale and broader portfolio than Headwaters.
• International Rescue Committee: Major international humanitarian organization responding to the world's worst crises with health, education, and protection programs. Overlaps with Headwaters on disaster response and refugee/migration contexts, but at much larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/headwatersorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/headwatersorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headwaters-relief-organization
• Instagraminstagram.com/headwatersrelief

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Headwaters Relief Organization