bravehearts for kids

What bravehearts for kids does

BraveHearts for Kids is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 270660252) headquartered at 1879 N. Neltnor Blvd., Suite 105, West Chicago, Illinois. The organization was founded on March 6, 2007 by Jeremy and Amy Jacobs following their daughter Ava's diagnosis of Medulloblastoma brain cancer at 13 months old, when doctors gave her only a 5% chance of survival; Ava is now a cancer-free college freshman and soccer athlete. The nonprofit operates with 11-50 employees and serves U.S. families navigating pediatric cancer through a combination of peer mentoring, community programs, and digital tools, with all services provided free of charge.

The organization's flagship technology is the Spotlight Hope mobile application, a GPS-based, location-sensitive resource directory that aggregates thousands of curated entries spanning financial assistance, transportation, lodging, hospital referrals, wellness, recreation, and parent-to-parent support for pediatric cancer families across the United States. Spotlight Hope is currently available on Google Play with an iOS launch listed as 'Coming Soon.' The app supports user-generated notes, resource recommendations, click-to-call, and direct website links, and is complemented by community features such as survivor stories and mentor connections. Alongside the app, the organization delivers one-on-one peer mentoring that pairs newly diagnosed families with survivor families, and operates the volunteer-driven Welcome Home Banner Project, which compiles personalized digital coloring pages into welcome banners for children returning home after treatment.

BraveHearts for Kids operates as a community-led nonprofit funded entirely through individual donations (with 100% directed to programs), corporate sponsorships, event fundraising, and affiliate programs. Named corporate sponsors include Gateway Health Mart, Foglia Family Foundation, Meijer, United Printing, and United Advisors Group, with additional passive donation channels via Amazon Smile and the eBay Partner Charitable Network. Go-to-market is anchored in word-of-mouth referrals, testimonials, organic social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn), email newsletters, volunteer programs, and community events. The organization's operating geography is the United States, though its mission narrative references global childhood cancer statistics alongside domestic service delivery.

Name

bravehearts for kids

Legal name

BraveHearts for Kids

Website

https://braveheartsforkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BraveHearts for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports U.S. families facing pediatric cancer through free peer mentoring, the GPS-based Spotlight Hope mobile app, and community programs serving thousands of families annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Pediatric cancer support
• Family mentoring services
• Nonprofit family assistance
• Childhood cancer resources
• Community support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West Chicago

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial donations from individuals to support programs for children with cancer and their families. 100% of individual donations go directly to support programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from businesses including monetary sponsorships and in-kind donations from sponsors like Gateway Health Mart, Foglia Family Foundation, Meijer, United Printing, and United Advisors Group
3. Event Fundraising: Community events held throughout the year to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer support services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BraveHearts for Kids is a nonprofit that provides one-on-one peer mentoring, community support, and a GPS-based mobile app called Spotlight Hope to families navigating pediatric cancer. The Spotlight Hope app delivers thousands of location-sensitive resources covering financial help, transportation, lodging, hospitals, emotional support, and community connections. All services are provided free of charge to families nationwide.

Product overview

Bravehearts for Kids is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered around its Spotlight Hope mobile app and one-on-one mentoring services. The Spotlight Hope app provides GPS-based location-sensitive access to thousands of resources for families navigating pediatric cancer. The organization complements its mobile platform with peer mentoring programs, volunteer-driven initiatives like the Welcome Home Banner Project, and community fundraising support through Donor Clubs. The core offering is the Spotlight Hope app which serves as the primary digital resource discovery tool, while the mentoring and banner programs provide direct emotional and community support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spotlight Hope: GPS-based mobile application that provides location-sensitive resources, financial help, emotional support, and community connections for families dealing with pediatric cancer. Includes thousands of resources categorized into areas such as financial help, transportation, lodging, hospitals, wellness, and parent-to-parent support.

Products and services

• Spotlight Hope Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of individual donations go directly to support programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Gateway Health MartminorOthersPrimary sponsor providing support for BraveHearts for Kids programs serving families of children with cancer.
• Foglia Family FoundationminorOthersFoundation sponsor supporting BraveHearts for Kids mission to help families dealing with pediatric cancer.
• MeijerminorOthersCorporate sponsor contributing to BraveHearts for Kids community events and programs.
• United PrintingminorOthersSponsor providing printing services for BraveHearts for Kids materials and communications.
• United Advisors GroupminorOthersFinancial advisory firm sponsor supporting BraveHearts for Kids programs.
• Amazon SmileminorOthersAmazon Smile affiliate charity program where a portion of eligible purchases are donated to BraveHearts for Kids.
• eBay Partner Charitable NetworkminorOtherseBay affiliate program generating charitable donations for BraveHearts for Kids.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: National nonprofit supporting children with cancer through research funding and family support resources. Directly comparable in mission, donor-supported model, and resource directory offerings for pediatric cancer families.
• St. Baldrick's Foundation: Major childhood cancer charity focused on research funding with significant volunteer-driven fundraising events. Closely comparable operating model with community events and donor-supported programs serving the same population.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to funding pediatric cancer research and supporting affected families. Comparable as a peer organization with overlapping family support programs and donation-based revenue model.
• Children's Cancer Research Fund: Funds research and provides family support for children with cancer. Comparable peer serving the same population with community fundraising events and family support resources.
• American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO): National nonprofit providing information, support, and advocacy for children with cancer and their families. Directly comparable mission and target population to BraveHearts for Kids, with similar resource directory and family support services.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Leading childhood cancer nonprofit funding research and providing family support services. Directly comparable as a peer in pediatric cancer family support with national fundraising and resource programs.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Provides direct financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families. Directly comparable mission focused on reducing financial and emotional burdens for pediatric cancer families.

Emerging players

• Cancer Really Sucks: Program supporting teens and young adults affected by cancer, including pediatric populations. Comparable peer in providing peer support and community connection for young cancer patients and families, but with a narrower age-segment focus.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Oncology Group (COG): Largest pediatric cancer research organization worldwide, comprising over 200 institutions. Comparable in serving pediatric cancer patients and families, but operates primarily as a research cooperative rather than direct family support provider.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS): Large, established nonprofit covering blood cancers including pediatric leukemia and lymphoma. Comparable in supporting pediatric cancer families but operates at significantly broader scale across all blood cancers and adult patients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BraveHeart4Kids
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJxbWYNDvRn-VfvNhJVxHCw
• Facebookfacebook.com/braveheartsforkids
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bravehearts-for-kids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 bravehearts for kids