“Experience the impact”
— Ed Freedman
Projects
Stable Road Foundation is proud to partner with organizations both local and global to advance our mission of protecting kids and preserving the environment. The people behind these groups bring invaluable insight, experience, and energy to our collaborations. Here’s an introduction to our wonderful partners and the work we’ve done together:
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) was founded in 2010 to provide disaster relief to communities around the world—at maximum scale for minimum cost. Since then, they’ve conducted over 355 disaster relief missions in over 50 countries around the world. GEM is one of the few nonprofits in the world to have a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, scoring 99% across key categories like Impact and Accountability.
Starting with cash card giveaways to displaced families and tool distribution to local craftspeople, GEM and Stable Road Foundation have since branched out into other projects, including building temporary housing and schools for Maui communities.
As the rebuilding process progresses, new projects will be unveiled to meet local needs.
GEM and Stable Road Foundation teamed up in response to the summer 2023 wildfires that devastated the island, leaving thousands of people without homes and jobs.
To help bridge the gap between short-term recovery and long-term thriving, Stable Road Foundation made a $1 million donation to support a variety of GEM initiatives.
Project Gallery
Originally founded in 1947, Imua Family Services is one of Hawaii’s oldest and most respected nonprofit organizations on the islands of Hawaii. We’ve been working with them since the early days of the Foundation, and it’s been incredible to see the impact that Imua has had on the lives of countless families and children.
Stable Road Foundation has had the honor of assisting Imua on a wide variety of projects, ranging from building new academic buildings to sponsoring family fun days to supporting the annual pledge drives that enable Imua to provide much-needed services to the local community. As a provider of care to children with special needs and challenging circumstances, Imua plays a vital role in the health of local communities.
For us, the most rewarding part of this partnership is being able to witness the impact up close—to see the smiles on kids’ faces when they make a new friend or learn a new skill, and to hear the excitement in their parents’ voices when they see their child thriving in a supportive environment.
"Our goal is to help children and their families, move forward together. Your support makes reaching that goal possible."
— Dean Wong
Executive Director of Imua Family Services
Project Gallery
GivePower is a global nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all people have clean energy and clean water—even in the most isolated rural communities. The organization’s work has taken them around the world to install solar panels and critical infrastructure in underdeveloped areas.
Stable Road Foundation has partnered with GivePower on many missions both at home and abroad. Most recently, we teamed up to provide water purification systems for our local Maui community in the wake of devastating wildfires.
Previously, Stable Road Foundation joined GivePower to install solar power generation equipment in a remote Philippines village, enabling local children to have power at school. We’ve supported similar missions in places like Colombia, Nepal, and Kenya..
“GivePower’s mission is to electrify the world with clean energy. We thank Stable Road for continuously rising to the challenge of providing access to sustainable energy systems.”
— Barrett Raftery
Vice President of Solar Impact Projects, GivePower
Project Gallery
Love the Sea is a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping our oceans free of plastic and other trash. Not only do they organize beach cleanups and help rid coastal waters of “ghost nets”—which can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems—they also work tirelessly to raise awareness of ocean pollution, which helps reduce the amount of trash that winds up in the water in the first place.
Stable Road Foundation also believes strongly in the importance of protecting the natural environment, so when we had the opportunity to join Love the Sea on one of their cleanup missions, we leapt at the chance. It was the perfect way to put our values into action, and as a bonus, we also got to learn from some of the most dedicated environmental activists in the whole Pacific.
Kiteboarder and actor Ed Norton, Jr. hops on the back of a jet ski as he and his wife, producer Shauna Robertson, prepare to hit the beach. Photo by Dan Collins
“Just in time to rendezvous with the helicopter, the flotilla once again launches. It’s a smaller crew this time, with just one boat and a half dozen jet skis. Sprecklesville philanthropist Ed Freedman—a major contributor to Love the Sea—has joined the crew and brought along his friend and fellow kiteboarder, actor Ed Norton, Jr., and Norton’s wife, film producer Shauna Robertson.”
— Maui Times
THERAsurf believes in the life-changing power of the ocean. This California-based nonprofit pairs special needs kids with professional surfers to help them build confidence, make new friends, and (of course) catch some waves. Through a series of domestic and international events, THERAsurf works tirelessly to make watersports accessible and enjoyable for all.
At Stable Road Foundation, we share this love for the water—and the desire to share it with kids of all backgrounds. By helping to sponsor THERAsurf programming, we’re able to spread the joy and satisfaction of surfing to countless kids who’ve never experienced the ocean like this before.
"Every time I surf with a THERAsurf athlete I'm reminded of the impact that the ocean has on us all. Seeing the joy this experience brings to our participants is one of the greatest honors in my life."
— Leo Harrington,
President of THERAsurf
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Testimonials
Lucas
THERAsurf Athlete, 16 years old
Lucas has been surfing with THERAsurf for 11 years, since he was 5. Lucas loves surfing. He has SMA type 2. Spinal Muscular Atrophy. We asked him what the best part of THERAsurf is:
“In the water, there is no gravity or anything, so I like it because I can walk underwater, I can do a lot of stuff in the water that I can’t do on land. It makes me feel like I am in a whole different world. I don’t feel like I am on earth, because on land I can’t walk or anything. I can do much more with my body in the water than on land.”
Kevin McCarthy
Vice-President of THERAsurf
“Giving back to the families that otherwise may not have these opportunities is what motivates us as a team. Creating a safe surf experience for the kids is our main goal at THERAsurf. We haven't even tapped into the healing powers of the ocean.”
Charlie Smith
THERAsurfer
“Sometimes the parents are happier than the kids! They come down with their cameras, their umbrellas, they lay down all their stuff, they find a parking spot, and they fight traffic to give their child the surfing experience. Once all that stuff's on the sand and they're standing with their ankles in the water watching their kid having this experience they're just jumping up and down elated, beside themselves with happiness. I don't think they're thinking about anything else.”
KiteChild focuses on one country—Kenya—and a lot of community impact projects. From sustainable agriculture to children’s nutrition, and renewable energy to economic empowerment, this nonprofit is a testament to the power of setting down deep roots and patiently doing the work.
Their mission intersects with that of Stable Road Foundation in many ways, with the most significant being KiteChild’s focus on at-risk children. It might be a cliche to say that “children are the future,” but it’s also true—and there’s no better way to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for Kenyan children than making sure they have everything they need to thrive in the present.
“Investing in sustainable projects that foster change, not charity.”
— Jacqueline Herrera
Co-founder and Director
Project Gallery
Best Buddies International: the name says a lot. But there’s more to this global nonprofit than a friendly moniker and a fun Keith Haring-designed logo—it’s also one of the world’s biggest advocacy organizations for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their range of services is similarly expansive, from 1-on-1 friendships to job training to inclusive living environments.
This is a deeply personal issue for us at Stable Road Foundation, since our founder Ed Freedman is the father of a daughter born with Williams Syndrome. By supporting Best Buddies, we seek to help create a world where Ed’s daughter (and all people of every type of ability) have the chance to discover their talents and create the lives they’ve always imagined, while being supported by people who care deeply about them.
The Pan-Mass Challenge is a bike race unlike any other. The annual fundraiser in New England seeks to raise money for cancer research, with 100% of the proceeds raised by riders going to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. With over 280,000 supporters, it’s one of the most impactful movements in the fight against cancer—and Stable Road Foundation is proud to lend our support to this worthy cause.
Based in Aspen, CO, the nonprofit Buddy Program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of empowering local youth through a diverse slate of programs and services. Stable Road Foundation has been supporting them for years to help provide mentoring, after-school activities, and camps where they can develop leadership skills and other self-esteem-building talents.
Life Rolls On has been around for over 20 years, and during this time they’ve managed to bring adaptive surfing and skateboarding to thousands of people around the world. Their fun, inspiring events allow people living with paralysis to learn new sports with world class athletes—and enjoy a free party afterwards with top DJs, delicious food, and lots of new friends. It’s a perfect match for the values and mission of our team here at Stable Road Foundation.