ABOUT Balance Boxes

Balance Boxes is a youth-led, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports students in low-income communities by providing them with academic tools and engaging activities. Each box is designed around a specific theme to ensure it aligns with the child’s interests and preferences.

Balance Boxes include books, educational games, school supplies, an art project, a fun game, an easy-to-make meal, and a kid-friendly snack. Each item is thoughtfully selected to keep children engaged, entertained, and supported in their learning. What sets Balance Boxes apart is that every family also receives information to register their child for free, one-on-one virtual tutoring, providing valuable academic support beyond the box itself.

The goal of Balance Boxes is to meet children where they are and inspire them to grow academically through fun, challenging, and engaging activities.

THE STATS

53,700 BOXES DELIVERED

$1.61M RAISED (INCLUDING IN-KIND DONATIONS)

300+ PARTNERING COMPANIES

20+ US CHAPTERS AND 30+ INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS

150+ TEENS ENGAGED

Our Story

Balance Boxes was founded in 2020 by high school sophomore Samantha Feinberg and junior Sydney Holubow on the very day their schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world shifted into lockdown, they connected over FaceTime and began to process the sudden disruption in their own lives—and in the lives of students throughout the Chicagoland area. It quickly became clear that many children were being cut off from essential school-based resources, including meals, educational materials, and extracurricular activities. Driven by a desire to support their community, Samantha and Sydney decided to take action. What began as a conversation between two friends rapidly grew into what is now known as Balance Boxes.

With the guidance of Brett Bogan and the Free To Run Foundation, Balance Boxes officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In just one month, the initiative expanded beyond their own neighborhoods as Samantha and Sydney began training teenagers across the country and internationally to launch and lead chapters in their hometowns.

Samantha and Sydney remain deeply grateful for the incredible support they’ve received from mentors, volunteers, and partners who continue to make this work possible.

To learn more about Samantha and Sydney, visit our CO-FOUNDERS page.

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