What Love For Our Elders does

Love For Our Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit direct service organization (EIN 47-3650934) founded in 2013 by Jacob Cramer at age 13 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Its mission is to combat social isolation and loneliness among older adults through handwritten letters and intergenerational connection. The organization runs an interconnected set of programs: the core Letters of Love handwritten letter program, Campus Chapters at high schools and colleges, Dear Elder Mailbox drop-off stations hosted at libraries, cafes, and bookstores, the Kindness Ambassador volunteer leadership program, and a children's picture book titled Grandma's Letter Exchange. The organization has delivered more than 900,000 handwritten letters to older adults across all 50 US states and internationally.

The operating model is community-led and volunteer-driven, with a small internal team (1-10 employees) supported by 1,000+ Kindness Ambassadors and a network of 1,000+ senior community partners. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a Squarespace-hosted website with Donorbox for donation processing, Squarespace Email Campaigns and Mailchimp for newsletters, and Google Forms for applications and sign-ups. The organization is currently hiring a Full-Stack Web Developer to add automation around letter request submission, address validation, and email responses.

Revenue comes from individual donations, corporate giving and event sponsorships (partners include Google, Honda, PepsiCo, Deltek, A Place For Mom, and Tokio Marine America), and modest sales of the Grandma's Letter Exchange picture book. The organization holds a GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency and a top rating on GreatNonprofits, and established National Letter to an Elder Day on February 26, 2020 as an annual awareness and recruitment tentpole.

Name

Love For Our Elders

Legal name

Love For Our Elders

Website

https://loveforourelders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Love For Our Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects volunteer letter-writers with isolated older adults through handwritten letters, campus chapters, Dear Elder Mailbox stations, and educational programs, delivering 900,000+ letters across 50 states and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dementia Companion & Engagement Care (HSABAEAA), Civic Engagement, Volunteering & Leadership Education for Seniors (EDAAAMAK)

Keywords

• Elder care nonprofit
• Volunteer letter writing
• Intergenerational programs
• Senior loneliness support
• Community service programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts donations to fund operations, purchase mailboxes, cards, and support letter-writing programs. EIN 47-3650934.
2. Book Sales: Sells the picture book 'Grandma's Letter Exchange' which teaches children about letter-writing.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Love For Our Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates volunteer-driven handwritten letter programs connecting individuals with isolated older adults experiencing loneliness. The organization runs campus chapters, Dear Elder Mailbox letter-writing stations, a Kindness Ambassador volunteer leadership program, and an annual Letter to an Elder Day, while also publishing a children's picture book that teaches letter-writing.

Product overview

Love For Our Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit direct service organization based in Cleveland, Ohio that addresses the global loneliness epidemic through handwritten letters and intergenerational connections. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: the core Letters of Love handwritten letter program connects volunteers with isolated seniors; Campus Chapters engage students in high schools and colleges; Dear Elder Mailbox provides letter-writing stations in communities; the Kindness Ambassador Program trains volunteer leaders; and Grandma's Letter Exchange is a picture book for children ages 3-7. The organization has delivered 900,000+ handwritten letters to older adults across all 50 states and internationally, working with a network of 1,000+ senior community partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Letters of Love The core program connecting volunteers who write heartfelt, anonymous handwritten letters with isolated older adults. Letters are distributed to senior communities across all 50 states and internationally.
• Grandma's Letter Exchange A picture book for children ages 3-7 that introduces snail mail and teaches how to make and send a letter. Includes simple steps for students to write their own letters to elders.
• Campus Chapters Student-led chapters at high schools and colleges that meet at least once per month to write letters of love and volunteer in local senior communities. The network spans across the U.S. and includes one chapter in Hong Kong.
• Dear Elder Mailbox Letter-writing and drop-off stations established by volunteers in libraries, local businesses, and schools for collecting letters to deliver to local senior communities. Volunteers can register and receive free mailboxes and handmade cards.
• Kindness Ambassador Program A volunteer leadership program where passionate individuals join a community of 1,000+ ambassadors who bring Love For Our Elders into their communities through letter drives, mailboxes, chapter leadership, and fundraising.

Quantifiable outcome

• 900,000+ handwritten letters delivered to older adults
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A Place For MomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2020Partnership launched virtual Letters of Love program. Bloomberg press release documented the collaboration to connect families with senior communities during pandemic.
• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle employees have participated in corporate volunteer letter-writing events, fostering team building while supporting the mission to fight elder loneliness.
• HondacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHonda corporate volunteers have joined letter-writing events to support isolated older adults through the organization's programs.
• PepsiCocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPepsiCo employees have participated in corporate volunteer events supporting Love For Our Elders' mission.
• DeltekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeltek employees have hosted letter-writing volunteer events supporting the organization.
• Jewish Education Center Of ClevelandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Cleveland organization that has hosted volunteer events and letter-writing programs.
• DonorboxcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor used securely for donation processing and tax receipts.
• SquarespacecoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider for loveforourelders.org; hosts email campaigns and website functionality.
• Little Free LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe picture book Grandma's Letter Exchange is available through Little Free Library book-sharing boxes, expanding access to the educational resource.
• GuideStar/CandidminorOthersGuideStar (now Candid) provides the Gold Seal of Transparency rating for Love For Our Elders, showcasing commitment to openness about operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Elder Helpers: Volunteer nonprofit pairing individuals with isolated seniors for regular calls, letters, and visits. Direct comparable as a volunteer-driven elder engagement organization using correspondence and remote outreach to combat loneliness.
• Meals on Wheels America: National nonprofit addressing senior isolation and hunger through in-person meal delivery visits. It is a direct comparable as a volunteer-driven elder-engagement nonprofit whose delivery visits provide social connection — the same core outcome Love For Our Elders delivers via letters.
• Generations United: National nonprofit dedicated to intergenerational programs, policy, and practice. Directly comparable because Love For Our Elders' core thesis is intergenerational connection between youth and elders — the same programmatic focus.
• Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly: Volunteer-driven nonprofit providing friendship and visits to isolated elders. Direct comparable as a volunteer-based elder companionship organization addressing the same loneliness problem through in-person engagement.

Emerging players

• PenPal Schools: Edtech platform facilitating structured penpal exchanges between students globally. Comparable as an emerging player using letter-based correspondence to drive educational and connection outcomes — adjacent rather than direct overlap, but a similar letter-driven model.
• Cyber-Seniors: Nonprofit connecting youth volunteers with older adults to teach technology and reduce isolation. Comparable as an intergenerational tech-mediated engagement organization targeting the same youth-to-elder connection thesis.
• Papa: For-profit startup connecting older adults with companion "Papa Pals" for social visits and errands. Comparable as an emerging player in the elder companionship and loneliness space with a different (paid companion) delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Aging: Established advocacy and service nonprofit improving the health and economic security of older adults. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the elder services space with overlapping interest in social isolation initiatives.
• AARP Foundation: AARP's 501(c)(3) arm addresses senior poverty, hunger, and isolation at national scale. It is comparable as a broad elder-support nonprofit operating at significantly greater scale, with overlapping mission areas in combating elder loneliness.
• Comfort Keepers: National in-home care provider offering companionship, personal care, and senior engagement services. Comparable as a broader incumbent addressing elder social and emotional well-being at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLcQJMebD35yhblgV1KSNvGNkeou68GqtP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/love-for-our-elders
• Instagraminstagram.com/loveforourelders
• Facebookfacebook.com/loveforourelders

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Love For Our Elders