Fostering Hope

What Fostering Hope does

Fostering Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Solon, Ohio, founded in 2013 by Nicole Shefrin, Jason Shefrin, and Jessica Everest to serve youth in foster care and residential treatment across Northeast Ohio. The organization operates a portfolio of two program categories: Youth Wellness programs (Hope in Balance trauma-informed yoga, Hope Grows Here therapeutic gardening, Creative Collaborative art therapy, and Compassionate Manhood mindfulness) delivered as weekly or bi-weekly 12-week sessions at partner agency sites, and Childhood Experiences programs (Journey Bags, Birthday Program, Holiday Giving) that deliver tangible supplies and celebratory items to youth in care. Annual programmatic scale includes approximately 900 Journey Bags distributed, 1,100 birthdays celebrated, 1,072 wellness classes taught, and 1,758 volunteer hours contributed by 271 active volunteers.

The organization's underlying "technology" is a proprietary trauma-informed care framework with certified yoga instructors and trained program coordinators, rather than a software platform. Programs are delivered through direct service partnerships with nine regional child welfare and residential treatment agencies including Ohio Guidestone, Beech Brook, Applewood Centers, Bellefaire JCB, Cleveland Christian Home, Hope Campus, and Adoption Network. Strategic supply partnerships include Aruna Project (ethically sourced handmade duffel bags) and Fieldstone Farm (therapeutic riding since 2021). The organization maintains a Candid Gold Seal of Transparency and a 2024 Cleveland Cavaliers partnership.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions, with five streams: individual donations (via PayPal, direct mail, and Amazon wishlists), foundation and corporate grants (Bicknell, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Harrington, Kaulig Capital, NEA, Sisters of Charity, and 12+ other foundations), corporate sponsorships (Progressive Insurance, Parker Hannifin, Union Home Mortgage), planned giving, and fundraising events (Parrot Head Run, Havana Nights Benefit, Fostering Futures Celebration). The organization is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors and led by CEO Darren Hamm alongside a core staff of approximately 7.

Name

Fostering Hope

Legal name

Fostering Hope

Website

https://fosteringhopeohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fostering Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Northeast Ohio that delivers trauma-informed wellness programs (yoga, gardening, art, mindfulness) and childhood experience initiatives (Journey Bags, birthdays, holiday gifts) to youth in foster care and residential treatment through partnerships with regional child welfare agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood) (EDACAOAD)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Youth wellness programs
• Trauma-informed care
• Child welfare support
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Solon

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via PayPal, direct mail, and donation drives supporting specific programs like Journey Bags and Birthday Boxes.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations and corporate giving programs including Bicknell Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Harrington Foundation, Kaulig Capital, National Endowment for the Arts, Sisters of Charity Foundation, and others.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support and employee volunteers. Includes sponsorship of events and programs.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through wills, trusts, life insurance beneficiary designations, retirement plan designations, and IRA charitable rollovers for donors 70.5 or older.
5. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Parrot Head Run (5K and 1 mile walk), Havana Nights Benefit, Fostering Futures Celebration, and various raffles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fostering Hope delivers trauma-informed youth wellness programs (Hope in Balance yoga, Hope Grows Here gardening, Creative Collaborative art, Compassionate Manhood mindfulness) and typical childhood experiences (Journey Bags, Birthday Program, Holiday Giving) directly to youth in foster care and residential treatment across Northeast Ohio. Programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries through partnerships with local child welfare agencies and residential facilities.

Product overview

Fostering Hope is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of trauma-informed programs for youth in foster care and residential treatment across Northeast Ohio. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: Youth Wellness programs (Hope in Balance yoga, Hope Grows Here gardening, Creative Collaborative art, and Compassionate Manhood mindfulness) that provide therapeutic emotional regulation and resilience-building activities, and Childhood Experiences programs (Journey Bags, Holiday Giving, and Birthday Program) that deliver essential supplies and celebratory moments. All programming is delivered through partnerships with local foster care agencies and residential treatment centers, with annual impact statistics including over 1,000 Journey Bags distributed, 1,100 birthdays celebrated, and 1,072 classes taught.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Journey Bags Duffel bags filled with hygiene essentials, comfort objects, and age-appropriate supplies distributed to children entering foster care to provide dignity and a sense of home during transitions. Over 900 bags distributed annually through agency partners. Sponsorship cost is $100 per bag.
• Birthday Program Delivers birthday party boxes with decorations, treats, and personalized gifts hand-selected by the child to ensure every youth in foster care feels celebrated on their birthday. Over 1,100 birthdays celebrated annually. Birthday Box sponsorship cost is $75 per box, and general Birthday Program donations are $25.
• Holiday Giving Program Adopt-a-child gift matching program delivering donor-sponsored holiday gifts to youth in foster care and residential treatment during the December holiday season.
• Hope in Balance (Yoga Program) Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness program for youth in foster and residential care, offered weekly or bi-weekly in 12-week segments during the school year with occasional summer sessions at partner agency locations.
• Hope Grows Here (Gardening Program) Trauma-informed therapeutic gardening program offering weekly 10-week summer sessions plus monthly school-year clinics where youth plant, tend, and harvest gardens while building emotional resilience.
• Creative Collaborative (Art Program) Therapeutic art program offering weekly or bi-weekly 12-week sessions with mixed-media projects including painting, collage, and crafts designed to help youth process emotions and build self-expression.
• Compassionate Manhood Mindfulness-based program for young men in residential treatment supporting social-emotional learning, healthy self-identity development, and leadership through interactive activities and group conversations.
• Therapeutic Riding Day Camp Partnership with Fieldstone Farm providing therapeutic horseback riding experiences for children in foster care, offering week-long camp sessions focused on confidence building and emotional regulation. Established since 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 youth positively impacted since founding
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major partner, core partner, media partner, partner, major in-kind donor, major corporate volunteer and minor.

• Cleveland Cavaliersmajor partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024NBA team partnership including Target shopping spree hosted by forward Evan Mobley for foster children. Raises awareness and provides holiday gifts.
• Fieldstone Farmcore partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Therapeutic riding day camp partnership providing equine-assisted activities for children who have navigated the foster care system. Part of polyvagal theory-based approach to building self-awareness and confidence.
• Aruna Projectcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing handmade duffel bags for Journey Bags program while supporting employment, housing, and care of women survivors of sex trafficking. Creates social impact through ethical sourcing.
• WKYC Channel 3media partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal news station partnership for Christmas gift drives benefiting youth in foster care. Media coverage helps raise awareness and drive donations.
• Ohio Guidestonecore partnerOthersChild welfare agency receiving Hope in Balance Yoga and Creative Collaborative Art programming for youth in residential cottages. Fostering Hope provides weekly classes.
• Beech Brookcore partnerOthersFoster care agency receiving Journey Bags and birthday program support for children entering care.
• Applewood Centerscore partnerOthersResidential treatment facility receiving Hope in Balance Yoga, Hope Grows Here Gardening, and Creative Collaborative Art programming. Houses 18 garden beds maintained by Fostering Hope.
• Bellefaire JCBcore partnerOthersPartner agency receiving therapeutic gardening and wellness programming for youth in residential care.
• Cleveland Christian Homecore partnerOthersPartner agency receiving Hope Grows Here therapeutic gardening programming.
• Hope CampuspartnerOthersPartner agency in the foster care system receiving program support.
• Adoption NetworkpartnerOthersPartner agency providing adoption services receiving support for families and adopted children.
• Progressive Insurancemajor in-kind donorOthersDonated industrial-sized shelving no longer used at their facilities, enabling expanded storage capacity for Journey Bags and Birthday Boxes.
• Parker Hannifinmajor corporate volunteerGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee volunteer groups help with birthday box assembly, gardening crafts, and warehouse operations including shelving installation.
• EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant InstituteminorOthersNonprofit restaurant receiving proceeds from Fostering Hope's garden Market Day sales, supporting their mission.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Raise the Future: Nonprofit (formed from the iFoster / Kidsave merger) focused on supporting youth in and aging out of foster care with programs spanning independence, education, and family engagement — an emerging consolidator in the same space with broader programmatic scope.

Direct peers

• Comfort Cases: National nonprofit that distributes duffel bags filled with comfort and personal care items to children entering foster care — the closest direct analogue to Fostering Hope's Journey Bags program, with a similar goods-distribution model and similar beneficiary population.
• FosterClub: National network supporting youth in and aging out of foster care with resources, advocacy, and direct support programs — a peer in the same beneficiary segment, though FosterClub emphasizes peer connection and advocacy versus Fostering Hope's tangible goods + therapy model.
• Foster Love: Nonprofit providing birthday boxes, holiday gifts, and resources for foster children — closely comparable to Fostering Hope's Birthday Program and Holiday Giving Program, with a similar mission and donor-funded distribution model.
• A Sense of Home: Nonprofit that furnishes first apartments for youth aging out of foster care, addressing 'typical adulthood experience' gaps — directly comparable to Fostering Hope's 'typical childhood experience' framework and its focus on dignity and stability for system-involved youth.
• Together We Rise: National foster care nonprofit operating birthday box, backpack, and college care package programs plus Sweet Cases events — directly comparable to Fostering Hope's Birthday Program, Journey Bags, and event-driven fundraising model serving the same beneficiary segment.

Broad incumbents

• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: Large national nonprofit focused on foster care adoption with significant corporate and donor backing (Wendy's/Foundation) — operates at a much larger scale and broader remit than Fostering Hope, but serves an overlapping child welfare beneficiary population.
• National CASA / GAL Association: National organization supporting court-appointed volunteer advocates for foster children — a broader, established incumbent operating in the same child welfare ecosystem that Fostering Hope serves through its partner agencies.
• SOS Children's Villages: International nonprofit providing family-like residential care for children without parental care — an established global incumbent that operates sibling residential treatment models analogous to the residential cottages where Fostering Hope delivers its programming.
• Boys Town: Long-established national nonprofit providing residential care, education, and trauma-informed services for at-risk youth — a much larger incumbent with overlapping trauma-informed programming and residential treatment delivery, but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FosteringHopeOhio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Fostering Hope