MARLEYS MISSION

What MARLEYS MISSION does

Marley's Mission is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on July 6, 2010, by April Kemp after equine-assisted therapy transformed her daughter's recovery from a 2009 traumatic incident. The organization delivers free trauma-focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to children aged 5–18 from its 62-acre campus at 2150 Port Royal Road in Clarks Summit, PA, serving families from Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Luzerne Counties. All client services are provided at no cost to families—no copays, no out-of-pocket billing—with insurance billed only when possible to sustain free care.

The core therapeutic methodology is ground-based EAP, where a licensed trauma therapist and a trained equine specialist work together on-site with horses rather than through riding, using non-verbal equine feedback to help children develop trust, communication, and emotional processing. Clinical staff hold specialized certifications in EAGALA, ARCH, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), EMDR, and Expressive Arts Therapy. In 2025, the organization expanded its therapeutic modalities through a partnership with Bianca's K9 Haven, adding canine-assisted therapy and developing a new on-campus retreat facility, Bianca's Place at Marley's Mission.

The business model is donation-philanthropy, not commercial revenue generation. Funding sources include individual donations (one-time, monthly, text-to-give, employer matching, tribute/memorial gifts), corporate sponsorships structured around the Annual Blue Ribbon Gala (tiered from $250 Blue Ribbon up to $12,000 Triple Crown), grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and county grant programs, and opportunistic insurance reimbursement. The Blue Ribbon Gala accounts for over 60% of the annual operating budget. Operations are supported by a part-time clinical and barn management team (1–10 employees) and a volunteer network, with clients accessed via direct outreach, hospital and treatment-facility referrals, and downloadable agency referral forms.

Name

MARLEYS MISSION

Legal name

Marley's Mission, Inc.

Website

https://marleysmission.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marley's Mission is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy to children ages 5–18 from a 62-acre campus, and it recently expanded into canine-assisted therapy through a partnership with Bianca's K9 Haven.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB)

Keywords

• Equine-assisted psychotherapy
• Youth trauma therapy
• Nonprofit mental health
• Child counseling services
• Experiential therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarks Summit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission. The organization accepts one-time and monthly donations via online checkout (credit, debit, ACH), text-to-give (text MARLEYS to 44-321), and mail-in checks.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers for the Annual Blue Ribbon Gala ranging from $250 (Blue Ribbon Sponsors) to $12,000 (Triple Crown Sponsors). Additional in-kind sponsorship opportunities. The Gala accounts for more than 60% of the operating budget annually.
3. Insurance Reimbursement: When possible, the organization seeks insurance reimbursement to help sustain free services. However, families are never billed out-of-pocket.
4. Grant Funding: Nominal compensation received through Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and grant programs with local counties. Additional grant support pursued for capital projects like Bianca's K9 Cabin.
5. Memorial and Tribute Gifts: Donations made in honor or memory of individuals, providing a meaningful way for supporters to recognize special people while supporting the mission.
6. Employer Matching Gifts: Corporate benefit program where employers match employee donations, doubling the impact of individual contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marley's Mission provides free, trauma-focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to children ages 5-18 who have experienced emotional trauma including abuse, neglect, and profound grief. Sessions are conducted on the ground with horses under the joint guidance of a licensed trauma therapist and an equine specialist, using methodologies such as TF-CBT, EMDR, and the ARCH model. The organization also operates the Bianca's K9 Cabin program, expanding its therapeutic care model to include dogs as emotional support animals with a cabin retreat facility on campus. All services are provided at no cost to families, funded through donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

Marley's Mission operates as a single-service nonprofit offering Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) for children aged 5-18 who have experienced trauma. The organization provides this therapy at no cost to families, funded primarily through donations and its annual Blue Ribbon Gala. Core offerings include individual EAP sessions with licensed therapists and equine specialists, supplemented by the Bianca's K9 Cabin partnership (adding canine therapy) and volunteer programs. The organization serves children from Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Luzerne Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania from its 62-acre Newton Township campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) A therapeutic approach involving ground-based interactions with horses under the joint guidance of a licensed trauma therapist and an equine specialist, designed to promote emotional healing, trust building, and communication improvement for children ages 5-18 who have experienced abuse, neglect, profound grief, and related trauma conditions. Services are provided completely free of charge to families.
• Bianca's K9 Cabin Program An expanded therapeutic program developed in partnership with Bianca's K9 Haven (a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and training dogs as emotional support and therapy animals) that introduces canine-assisted therapy to Marley's Mission's treatment model and provides 'Bianca's Place at Marley's Mission,' a cabin retreat facility for children after therapy sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of client services provided free of charge
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bianca's K9 HavencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Marley's Mission announced a transformative partnership with Bianca's K9 Haven, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and training dogs as emotional support and therapy animals. The collaboration includes expanded programming, joint fundraising, and development of new therapeutic spaces including 'Bianca's Place at Marley's Mission,' a cabin retreat for children after therapy sessions. Founded in 2020 in memory of Bianca Marino Beck, Bianca's K9 Haven is the first and only nonprofit of its kind in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• High Hopes Therapeutic Riding: Nonprofit providing therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted activities to individuals with disabilities and life challenges. Comparable in equine-assisted service model and therapeutic-horse methodology.
• Green Chimneys: Farm-based nonprofit providing residential and outpatient therapeutic services for children with emotional/behavioral challenges using animals including horses. Closest comparable to Marley's Mission in mission, target population, animal-assisted modality, and nonprofit structure.
• Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center: Nonprofit therapeutic riding center serving individuals with disabilities through equine-assisted services. Comparable in equine-therapy modality, nonprofit structure, and regional service delivery model.
• Healing Reins: Nonprofit offering equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding for individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. Comparable equine-therapy model serving children and families in need.
• Mane Stream: Nonprofit offering equine-assisted therapy and adaptive horsemanship to children and adults facing physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. Comparable in EAP service model and pediatric therapeutic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Child Mind Institute: Nonprofit children's mental health organization providing clinical care, research, and advocacy. Related child mental health mission with broader clinical capabilities and national footprint versus Marley's Mission's specialized regional equine focus.
• Childhelp: Established national nonprofit addressing child abuse through prevention, treatment, and advocacy. Overlaps with Marley's Mission in serving trauma-affected children, but operates at national scale with broader service portfolio.

Others

• PATH International: Professional association for therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted services providing center and instructor certifications. Adjacent industry-body peer relevant to Marley's Mission's service delivery framework.
• EAGALA: Global professional organization setting standards for equine-assisted growth and learning. Marley's Mission clinicians are EAGALA-certified, making this an enabling/certifying peer rather than direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marleys-mission

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MARLEYS MISSION