Dustin's Place

What Dustin's Place does

Dustin's Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Plymouth, Indiana, that provides free grief support services to children, teens, adults, and families in northern Indiana. The organization was established by Viki Brown following the 2016 death of her husband Dustin Cullen, and it operates a second location, Dustin's Place South Bend (DPSB), in partnership with OneRoof Southeast Neighborhood Center. Core services include age-segmented peer support groups (Littles ages 4-6, Mids 7-9, Tweens 10-13, Teens 14-18, plus adult caregivers), ten-week school-based grief programs delivered directly in K-12 schools, on-site crisis response after sudden deaths, one-on-one counseling, and seasonal grief camps (Camp DP and Camp Erin at Dustin's Place). All services are provided at no cost, with the organization stating it costs approximately $572 per year to provide free grief support to one child.

The delivery model is human-facilitated rather than technology-mediated: families register for support by phone with a real staff member, and groups meet in-person at the organization's Plymouth headquarters, in partner schools, at the South Bend satellite, or at camp venues. There is no proprietary software platform, mobile app, or AI component; service delivery relies on a small paid staff (Executive Director, Program Director, Community-Based Grief Support Specialist, Child Grief Specialist, Outreach & Communications) augmented by 23 volunteers. The organization maintains a content library of downloadable toolkits addressing bereavement by suicide, homicide, and within funeral-home settings, and offers professional seminars and grief-education programming as a secondary revenue and impact stream.

The revenue model is donation-funded. Income streams comprise individual donations, corporate and individual sponsorships (e.g., New York Life Foundation), and proceeds from signature fundraising events including the annual Giving Hope Gala, & Me Dance, Trivia Night, and Daddy & Daughter / Mommy & Son Dances. Financial information is not publicly disclosed; Form 990 is stated to be available only upon request. Brand awareness is built through organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), a monthly Community Corner newsletter, and word-of-mouth referrals through schools, churches, and partner organizations, with national affiliations via Dougy Center and the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) lending programmatic credibility.

Name

Dustin's Place

Legal name

Dustin's Place

Website

https://dustinsplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dustin's Place is an Indiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, in-person grief support services — peer groups, school-based programs, camps, crisis response, and one-on-one counseling — to grieving children, teens, adults, and families across Plymouth and South Bend.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grief Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Grief support services
• Peer support groups
• Childhood bereavement
• Community-based support
• Crisis counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from the community that help keep grief support services free. The organization states it costs approximately $572 per year to provide free grief support to one child.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Giving Hope Gala (with hors d’oeuvres, dinner, open bar, silent and live auctions, and entertainment), Trivia Night, and community events. These events fund free grief support services.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for school groups and events help fund free services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dustin's Place is a nonprofit organization that provides free grief support services to children, teens, adults, and families who have experienced the death of a loved one. Core offerings include age-segregated peer support groups (Littles 4-6, Mids 7-9, Tweens 10-13, Teens 14-18, and adults), school-based 10-week grief programs, on-site crisis response following sudden deaths, one-on-one counseling, grief education seminars, and seasonal overnight and day camps. All core services are provided at no cost to families.

Product overview

Dustin’s Place is a grief support organization offering a suite of free services centered around peer support groups and grief education. The core offerings include Grief Support Groups (organized by age: Littles, Mids, Tweens, Teens, and Adults) that meet on Family Nights and include school-based programs, plus One-on-One Counseling as an add-on for families needing individual attention. Crisis Support provides on-site response to schools and organizations following sudden deaths. The organization runs two seasonal grief camps: Camp DP (day camp) and Camp Erin at Dustin’s Place (overnight). Grief Education and Professional Seminars serve professionals and caregivers. Signature events including the annual Giving Hope Gala, & Me Dance, and Trivia Night support fundraising. The Community Corner newsletter and downloadable Toolkits extend support beyond in-person services. All core grief support services are provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DPSB (Dustin's Place South Bend): A satellite location offering free Family Grief Nights for children and adults who have experienced the death of a loved one, held at OneRoof Southeast Neighborhood Center in South Bend.
• Camp DP
• Camp Erin at Dustin's Place

Products and services

• Grief Support Groups Peer support groups for children, teens, and adults organized by age band: Littles (4-6), Mids (7-9), Tweens (10-13), and Teens (14-18), with parallel adult groups. Family Nights meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, and families typically stay connected for 18 months to two years. Provided free of charge.
• One-on-One Counseling Individual grief counseling sessions available to registered Dustin's Place families as an added layer of care, typically consisting of 6-8 sessions and used alongside group support or as a precursor to joining a group. Provided free of charge.
• School-Based Grief Groups Ten-week structured grief support programs delivered directly in K-12 schools, designed for students processing loss who may not be able to attend evening group sessions. Provided free of charge to schools and students.
• Crisis Support On-site crisis response service where the Dustin's Place team travels to schools, businesses, or organizations in the immediate time following a sudden death to support those affected. Available 24/7. Provided free of charge.
• Grief Education Training and education for professionals, caregivers, and community members on childhood bereavement, including professional development seminars and grief education toolkits.
• Camp DP (Day Camp) A day camp experience providing children who have experienced grief with peer connection, camp-style activities, and grief support in a safe, fun environment. Held at LifePlex.
• Camp Erin at Dustin's Place An overnight grief camp providing children space to connect with peers who understand grief while mixing support with fun activities at a safe pace. Held at Camp RayBird in South Bend, IN.
• Professional Seminar A full-day professional seminar for anyone working with children or in caregiving roles, featuring a keynote from Viki Brown, co-founder and certified grief counselor, followed by interactive breakout sessions with practical tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180 people served at the new home in first 4 months
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dougy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit providing grief support resources and a model for peer support groups. Dustin’s Place is affiliated and uses their resources and approach. Logo displayed as partner.
• National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization promoting awareness of children’s grief needs. Dustin’s Place partners with NACG and uses their toolkits and resources for supporting grieving children.
• Judishouse/Challenge MakersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogo displayed as partner. Judishouse Research Tools program supports organizations working on childhood grief and bereavement.
• OneRoof Southeast Neighborhood CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for Dustin’s Place South Bend (DPSB) Family Grief Nights, held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.
• LifePlexminorOthersVenue location for Camp DP day camp event on July 18, 2026.
• Camp RayBirdminorOthersCamp venue location for Camp Erin at Dustin’s Place, September 25-27, 2026, in South Bend, IN.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG): NACG is the national membership and advocacy body supporting organizations that serve grieving children; Dustin's Place is a partner/member. NACG is an ecosystem enabler (curricula, advocacy, networking) rather than a direct service competitor, but its member programs are direct peers.

Direct peers

• Dougy Center: The Dougy Center is the national pioneer of the peer-based children's grief support model that Dustin's Place is explicitly affiliated with and uses as its curriculum source. Both organizations run age-segmented peer groups, school partnerships, and family programming, making them the closest direct comparable.
• Experience Camps: Experience Camps is a national nonprofit running free summer camps and year-round programs for grieving children, overlapping directly with Dustin's Place's Camp DP and Camp Erin offerings. Both target bereaved youth through peer-based, camp-style programming.
• The Children's Room: The Children's Room is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit serving grieving children, teens, and families through peer support groups, school programs, and community outreach — a structural analog to Dustin's Place in a different geography.
• Bo's Place: Bo's Place is a Houston-area nonprofit offering free peer-support grief groups for children, teens, and adults, along with school outreach and camps. Its age-segmented group model and free-service mission closely mirror Dustin's Place.
• Children's Bereavement Center: The Children's Bereavement Center provides free, peer-based grief support groups for children, teens, and adults in Florida, plus school outreach and crisis response. It is a near-twin to Dustin's Place in service model and target population.
• Kate's Club: Kate's Club is an Atlanta-based nonprofit providing free grief support groups, camps, and family programming for children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling — directly comparable in mission, free model, and program mix to Dustin's Place.
• Camp Erin / Eluna Network: The Eluna Network operates Camp Erin, a national network of bereavement camps for children grieving the death of a loved one; Dustin's Place hosts one of these Camp Erin locations. Both serve the same population (bereaved children/teens) with a mix of peer groups and camp-based programming.
• The WARM Place: The WARM Place is a regional children's grief support center in Fort Worth, TX offering peer groups, school-based programs, and camps free of charge. It is one of the closest organizational analogs to Dustin's Place in terms of mission, free-service model, and regional scope.
• Wendt Center for Loss & Healing: The Wendt Center provides grief and trauma counseling, support groups, and crisis response for children and adults in the DC region. It overlaps with Dustin's Place in grief counseling, group programming, and post-trauma community response.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dustinsplace5832
• Facebookfacebook.com/DustinsPlaceInc
• Instagraminstagram.com/dustinsplaceinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dustin-s-place

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Dustin's Place