Franklin Center

What Franklin Center does

Franklin Center is a private nonprofit organization headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, serving neurodiverse children, adolescents, young adults, and their families across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Founded in 2003 by parents of neurodiverse children under the original name The Whole Learning School, the organization has evolved into an integrated service provider operating a K-12 Academy alongside a multidisciplinary Therapy department covering behavioral, mental health, occupational, physical, and speech therapy. Its portfolio has expanded over time to include Enrichment programming, Camp Franklin as a summer offering, and Capstone as a post-secondary program supporting young adults transitioning out of K-12 schooling.

The core delivery model is co-located education and clinical services: students enrolled in the academy receive individualized instruction while accessing on-site therapy from in-house clinicians, with the goal of treating the learner holistically rather than across siloed providers. Service lines are differentiated by life stage (K-12, summer, young adult) and by clinical discipline, and programs are staffed by named educators and clinicians including a Head of School, an Academy Program Manager, and a Behavior Therapy Program Manager. Enrollment has more than quadrupled over the past decade, signaling sustained demand within the target population.

As a nonprofit, Franklin Center is funded through a mix of tuition and program fees from families, supplemented by donations and community partnerships, and generates no disclosed revenue, profit, or external equity. Distribution is predominantly community-driven via referrals, local events, blog content, newsletters, and a Special Olympics partnership, with no indication of geographic expansion beyond the Twin Cities metro or any technology platform productization. There is no disclosed use of artificial intelligence, proprietary technology IP, or external investors; the competitive position rests on specialized human talent, mission-driven brand credibility, and the lifecycle breadth of its bundled offering.

Name

Franklin Center

Legal name

Franklin Center

Website

https://franklinmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Franklin Center is a Golden Valley, Minnesota nonprofit serving neurodiverse children, adolescents, and young adults through a K-12 academy, on-site multidisciplinary therapy, summer camp, enrichment, and a post-secondary adult program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Autism Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA), Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Autism therapy services
• Behavioral health therapy
• K-12 special education
• Post-secondary life skills

Headquarters

HQ city

Golden Valley

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. K-12 Academy Tuition: Tuition for K-12 education services at Franklin Academy. The organization offers tuition assistance and waivers for eligible families.
2. Therapy Services: Comprehensive therapy services including behavioral intervention, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. Accepts insurance and offers various payment options.
3. Enrichment Programs: After-school activities, summer camp (Camp Franklin), piano lessons, and tutoring services.
4. Adult Education (Capstone): Post-secondary life skills and vocational training programs for neurodiverse young adults, with tuition and waiver options.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Franklin Center delivers K-12 special education and comprehensive therapy (behavioral, mental health, occupational, physical, and speech) for individuals on the autism spectrum or with related neurodiversities, delivered in an integrated model at a single Golden Valley, Minnesota location. It complements these core services with enrichment programming (after-school activities, summer camp) and a post-secondary life skills program for neurodiverse young adults.

Product overview

Franklin Center is a service-based organization offering an integrated suite of programs for individuals on the autism spectrum or with related neurodiversities. The portfolio consists of five distinct service offerings: Franklin Academy (K-12 personalized education), Franklin Therapy (comprehensive behavioral and mental health therapy), Franklin Enrichment (after-school activities and social skills development), Camp Franklin (summer camp programs), and Franklin Capstone (post-secondary life skills program for young adults). These services are designed to work together holistically, with therapy and academic instruction integrated into a single collaborative model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franklin Academy A Minnesota K-12 school delivering personalized education through accommodations for neurodiverse students, with a dedicated Classroom Behavior Therapist embedded in every classroom.
• Franklin Therapy

Quantifiable outcome

• Enrollment numbers have more than quadrupled in the past 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Groves Academy: A Minnesota K-12 school serving students with learning differences; directly comparable to Franklin Academy in mission, geography (Twin Cities), and student population (learning differences/neurodiverse learners). Franklin Center's Head of School previously spent 18 years there.
• Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers: Large multi-state autism therapy provider offering ABA, OT, and speech therapy; overlaps directly with Franklin Therapy's outpatient therapy service line and integrated clinical model.
• The Shafer Center for Special Education: Nonprofit private school and therapy provider for children with autism and developmental differences; comparable to Franklin Academy on private K-12 special-ed delivery with integrated therapy.
• Caravel Autism Health: A multi-state provider of ABA and autism therapy services with clinics in the Midwest, including Minnesota; competes directly with Franklin Therapy on behavioral intervention and broader autism services.
• New Story Schools: Operates private special-education schools and ABA services for students with autism and behavioral needs across multiple states; directly comparable to Franklin Academy on private K-12 special-ed delivery.

Broad incumbents

• ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy & Education: National provider combining behavioral health, therapy, and K-12 special education programs; broad incumbent comparable across Franklin Center's integrated Academy + Therapy portfolio.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit operating special-education schools, residential programs, and behavioral health services across multiple states; broader incumbent comparable to Franklin Center's combined Academy + Therapy + Capstone offering.
• Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): One of the largest national providers of ABA-based autism services; broad incumbent competing with Franklin Therapy on behavioral intervention at scale.

Emerging players

• Autism Learning Partners: Multi-state ABA and autism services provider focused on in-home and clinic-based therapy; overlaps with Franklin Therapy on behavioral intervention services for autistic children.
• Ascend Autism: Regional autism services provider offering ABA, speech, and OT; an emerging player competing in the same autism therapy category as Franklin Therapy in select Midwestern markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Franklin Center