KINDNESS

What KINDNESS does

Kindness Grows Here is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 (originating as the 'Crofton Is Kind' community group in 2016) and headquartered in Gambrills/Crofton, Maryland. Its mission is to foster kindness in children and spread kindness in communities by targeting both youth and the influential adults in their lives. The organization's flagship offering is the Kid Kindness Grants Program, which awards individual children ages 5-18 grants of $250-$800 to fund youth-led kindness projects; this program receives the majority of the budget and has disbursed over $96,000 cumulatively since 2018, reaching 39 states. Complementary programs include school-based kindness assemblies (anti-bullying, diversity celebration), the 'Be Kind to Your Mind' outdoor mental health walk program featuring a wellness wheel, the 'What I Wish They Knew' empathy storytelling initiative, the 'Spotlight on Kindness' recognition program, and downloadable educational resources (Monthly Kindness Calendar, classroom toolkits).

The organization operates as a grassroots, community-led nonprofit with no technology products and no proprietary AI/ML capabilities; its tech stack consists of off-the-shelf tools — Zoho Forms for online grant applications, Constant Contact for newsletter distribution, and PayPal for donation processing. It is 100% volunteer-run, governed by a board required to donate annually, with a wider network of non-voting Kindness Ambassadors and Board Members Emeritus. Revenue is generated entirely through donations and grants from individual supporters, corporate donors (e.g., Starbucks Foundation, Inovalon, Luminasolar), civic organizations (e.g., Kiwanis Club of Crofton, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together), and partner nonprofits (e.g., United Way of Central Maryland, Courtney Cass Catalyst Fund); no revenue figures are publicly disclosed. Distribution occurs through direct school delivery, a global self-serve grant application portal, digital resource downloads, and channel partnerships (notably the Anne Arundel County Public Library Summer Reading Program).

Name

KINDNESS

Legal name

Kindness Grows Here, Inc.

Website

https://kindnessgrowshere.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kindness Grows Here is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-run nonprofit that awards Kid Kindness Grants ($250-$800) to children ages 5-18 and delivers school assemblies, mental health programming, and educational resources to schools, families, and communities across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth kindness grants
• Anti-bullying school programs
• Mental health awareness
• Social-emotional learning
• Community kindness initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Gambrills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primarily funded by individual donations from supporters who believe in the mission of fostering kindness in children and spreading kindness in communities.
2. Corporate and Business Donations: Support from local and national businesses that share the mission of creating a kinder world.
3. Civic Organization Support: Support from civic organizations including Kiwanis Club of Crofton, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, and others.
4. Other Nonprofit Support: Partnerships and support from other nonprofits that align with the mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kindness Grows Here is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers children ages 5-18 to lead kindness initiatives by providing Kid Kindness Grants of up to $250-$800 to fund youth-led kindness projects. The organization also delivers free in-school anti-bullying assemblies, the "Be Kind to Your Mind" mental health walk program, family kindness resources, and community toolkits to spread kindness across schools and neighborhoods.

Product overview

Kindness Grows Here is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that operates as a single unified mission-driven platform focused on fostering kindness in children and spreading kindness in communities. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs including the Kid Kindness Grants Program (which receives the majority of the budget and funds youth-led kindness projects), the Be Kind to Your Mind mental health walk program, school-based kindness assemblies, educational resources for classrooms, and community recognition initiatives. The programs work together to achieve the organization's goal of creating a kinder world by empowering children and the influential adults in their lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kid Kindness Grants Program A flagship grant program that empowers children ages 5-18 to spread kindness in their communities by funding youth-led kindness projects with grants of up to $250 (individuals), up to $500 (small groups of 2-4 kids), and up to $800 (large groups of 5+ kids). Applications are accepted online during an annual September 1 to November 1 window and must be written in the child's own words.
• Be Kind to Your Mind Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded over $96,000 to children for kindness projects impacting 39 states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner for Summer Reading Program with theme 'All Together Now: Kindness, Unity, Friendship.' Collaborated on resources featuring local Kid Kindness Grant winners and celebrating differences through reading.
• Hunti's Hope HunterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Kindness Grows Here during COVID-19 pandemic to create outdoor, socially distanced 'Walk for Mental Health' program designed by clinical social worker and school psychologist.
• Teach For AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational nonprofit partner whose logo appears on the website partners page.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center: Established national resource hub providing free, evidence-based bullying prevention toolkits, classroom activities, and Unity Day programming for K-12 schools. A larger incumbent serving a directly overlapping school audience with anti-bullying content.
• WE Charity: Formerly WE Movement, an international youth empowerment nonprofit funding youth-led service projects globally. Overlaps on the concept of empowering young people to drive community change through grant-like support.
• Committee for Children: Larger, established nonprofit developing SEL curricula (Second Step) used in tens of thousands of schools worldwide for bullying prevention and social-emotional learning. Comparable school customer base but operates at materially greater scale.
• Sandy Hook Promise: National nonprofit delivering school-based violence prevention and mental health awareness programs (e.g., Start with Hello, Say Something). Comparable K-12 mental wellness/anti-violence programmatic footprint but with broader mission and funding.
• Do Something: Large youth social impact nonprofit mobilizing millions of young people in community service and social change campaigns. Comparable youth-led community-action model, but at far greater scale.

Emerging players

• KIND Campaign: Youth-focused nonprofit using documentary, school programs, and ambassador initiatives to end girl-against-girl bullying. Overlaps on youth anti-bullying/empowerment programming but with a more narrow gender-based focus.

Others

• The Kids for Wish Kids / Make-A-Wish: While focused on granting wishes to critically ill children, Make-A-Wish shares an adjacency around empowering children (including Kid Kindness Grant recipient initiatives that funnel donations to pediatric hospitals). Thematically related rather than direct competition.

Direct peers

• Kids for Peace: A global nonprofit that empowers children to actively engage in kindness, peace, and community service through chapters and youth-led projects. Closely mirrors the Kid Kindness Grants model of funding youth-initiated kindness initiatives.
• Born This Way Foundation: Co-founded by Lady Gaga, this foundation focuses on youth mental health, kindness, and building a kinder world. Highly comparable mission around kindness and youth empowerment, with similar school- and community-based programming.
• The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring kindness through free educational resources and community programs targeting schools and youth. Directly comparable mission and K-12 kindness/anti-bullying resource model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KindnessGrowsHere
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kindness-grows-here

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 KINDNESS