HERO KIDS FOUNDATION

What HERO KIDS FOUNDATION does

Hero Kids Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by John Raniowski and headquartered at 1474 Copeland Rd, Suffolk, VA (EIN 46-3993070). It delivers a multidisciplinary combination of animal-assisted therapies and nature-based activities to children and families of active-duty military personnel and first responders, with the stated objective of building hope, confidence, and self-worth in family units coping with PTSD, occupational stress, and trauma. Core program offerings include The GLOBE Goes to Camp nature-based camp, Animal-Assisted Therapies, Family Care Services, and an Equine Scholarship program, all anchored at the foundation's physical Nature Center facility in Virginia.

The foundation does not sell services or software; its product surface is limited to charitable programs plus ancillary fundraising merchandise (branded apparel and Vermont Pure Maple Syrup) sold through third-party storefronts. Revenue is generated entirely through individual donations, fundraising events, merchandise sales, and a vehicle donation channel via Veteran Car Donations, processed through platforms such as Zeffy. Marketing and donor acquisition rely on organic social media, an email newsletter, and the organization's WordPress-based website (hkfva.org), with no disclosed paid acquisition, enterprise sales motion, or technology platform beyond standard nonprofit tooling.

Operationally, Hero Kids Foundation remains a single-site, community-rooted nonprofit with a cumulative reach of 1,500+ families supported and 115+ equine scholarships awarded over more than ten years of activity. There is no disclosed headcount, no executive leadership team beyond the founder, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no disclosed institutional donors or grants. Geographic scope is confined to the United States, with program delivery centered in Virginia, and a Candid (formerly GuideStar) nonprofit profile seal displayed on the website to support donor transparency.

Name

HERO KIDS FOUNDATION

Legal name

Hero Kids Foundation

Website

https://herokidsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hero Kids Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers animal-assisted therapies and nature-based camp programs at its Suffolk, VA Nature Center to children and families of military personnel and first responders coping with PTSD and trauma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Animal-assisted therapy
• Nature-based programs
• Military family support
• First responder support
• Nonprofit charitable programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Suffolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hero Kids Foundation delivers animal-assisted therapies and nature-based programs for children and families of military and first responders through its Nature Center in Suffolk, Virginia. Core offerings include The GLOBE Goes to Camp Program, individualized animal-assisted therapeutic interventions, and Family Care support services, supplemented by equine scholarships and fundraising merchandise (apparel and Vermont Pure Maple Syrup).

Product overview

Hero Kids Foundation is a nonprofit organization providing a multidisciplinary approach to support Military and First Responder families. The foundation operates primarily through The GLOBE Goes to Camp Program at its Nature Center, offering animal-assisted therapies combined with nature-based activities. Additional offerings include Family Care Services and merchandise (apparel and maple syrup) sold through third-party platforms to support fundraising. The organization focuses on building hope, confidence, and self-worth in children and families who serve at home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The GLOBE Goes to Camp Program
• Animal-Assisted Therapies
• Family Care Services
• Nature Center
• Hero Kids Foundation Apparel
• Vermont Pure Maple Syrup

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Operation Homefront: National nonprofit providing financial assistance, housing, and family support to military families. Comparable military family focus but a much larger, broader-incumbent operation that does not emphasize animal-assisted or nature-based therapy.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large national nonprofit serving post-9/11 wounded veterans and their families through programming, mental health support, and advocacy. Broad incumbent operating at scale across overlapping subject matter (military families, mental wellness).
• National Military Family Association: Long-standing advocacy and support organization for families of active-duty, National Guard, Reserve, and retired service members. Same end-beneficiary population but operates via policy advocacy and member services rather than direct therapeutic programming.

Direct peers

• Hope For The Warriors: National nonprofit providing holistic programs—clinical, recreational, and family-focused—for post-9/11 service members, veterans, and their families. Comparable in targeting military families with multi-modality support, including family-strengthening retreats.
• Warrior Canine Connection: Uses a Mission-Based Trauma Recovery model in which veterans help train service dogs, providing animal-assisted therapeutic benefit. Same animal-assisted + military family adjacency, though service-dog centric.
• K9s For Warriors: Provides service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD/TBI. Highly comparable as an animal-assisted intervention nonprofit serving the military/PTSD population, though Hero Kids extends this model to children and families and incorporates equine and nature-based modalities.
• Boulder Crest Retreat: Private retreat offering nature-based, long-duration programs for military veterans, active-duty service members, and their families dealing with combat stress and PTSD. Mirrors Hero Kids' nature-based + family-unit service model, though at a national scale.
• Blue Star Families: National nonprofit supporting military families through research, programming, and community-building. Comparable target audience (military families) with a broader advocacy/research scope rather than direct therapeutic programming.
• Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.): Provides resources and programs to surviving families and co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Comparable first-responder family focus, though oriented to bereavement rather than ongoing therapy.
• BraveHearts (Horses & Heroes Program): Operates the Horses & Heroes program offering equine-assisted therapy and horsemanship to military veterans and their families. Directly comparable therapeutic modality (equine-assisted) for the same military/veteran family demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hkfva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hero-kids-foundation

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 HERO KIDS FOUNDATION