Trailies Forward
Every kid deserves a Talk. Not just the ones whose parents can afford one.
When you buy a Talk, we gift the same one to a family that applied and qualified. No strings, no charity vibe, just one parent making sure another parent has the words too.
- 1-for-1 since day one
- 3,330+ Talks gifted
- 100% recipient-approved
every kid. every Talk.
Why this matters
The kids who need this most are usually the ones who can't access it.
Three numbers that show the gap. Each one represents a real family the Trailies Forward Fund is built to reach.
1 in 4
Girls. And 1 in 6 boys.
Will experience some form of sexual abuse before they turn 18, most often by someone the family already knows and trusts. The cost of a deck shouldn't be the thing standing between a kid and the words they need.
Source: Crimes Against Children Research Center, RAINN national statistics.
60%+
Of teachers report weekly meltdowns.
Childhood anxiety is up 31% in the last decade. The therapy waitlist averages 3 months. And tools that work, when accessible, can cost more than one hour with a specialist per session. Most families never make it past the cost barrier.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, AAP youth mental health data.
1 in 5
Kids contacted by a stranger online.
Meanwhile, only about 24 U.S. states require schools to teach digital safety education. The rest of it gets left to parents, many of whom have never been on the platforms their kids live on. The gap widens every year.
Source: Crimes Against Children Research Center, U.S. Department of Education.
The why
This was the plan from the first deck we ever sold.
I didn't want to build another parenting product that helps some families and ignores the rest. That's the version of this business that I won't run.
So from the beginning, the math has worked the same way: every Talk we sell funds another Talk we give. Not at the end of the year as a marketing campaign. Not when we have a “good month.” Every order. Every day. From day one.
The single mom working double shifts deserves the same shot at calmer mornings as everyone else. The teacher buying her own classroom supplies shouldn't have to choose between body safety education and a working printer. The advocacy worker holding it together for trauma kids shouldn't have to fundraise to access what we've already built.
It's not charity. It's not a campaign. It's just how it should work, one parent making sure another parent has the words too.
Who we help
The families and teams the Forward Fund reaches.
Four kinds of recipients, year-round. If you fit any of these and the cost is the thing standing in the way, apply.
Public school classrooms.
Title I schools. Under-resourced districts. Teachers with 25 kids and zero budget for body safety or emotional regulation tools, the ones already buying their own supplies. We send them what they need.
Families going through it.
The single parent between jobs. The family whose medical bills ate the budget. People who love their kids fiercely but can't afford another tool right now. No income paperwork required, we trust you to know your situation.
At-risk kids & survivor support.
Children's advocacy centers. Domestic violence shelters. Trauma-recovery programs. Kids who need the Body Safety Talk most, and who are the least likely to have it handed to them at home. We partner directly with the orgs that already serve them.
Foster families & frontline helpers.
Foster parents. Child welfare workers. Parenting coaches. Social workers. The people taking care of everyone else who usually can't afford to take care of themselves. We see you. We send Talks.
How it works
Three steps. No campaign. No catch.
This isn't a special promotion or a quarterly fundraiser. It's how every order has worked since the first one.
- 1
1. You buy a Talk.
You pick the one you've been putting off. We send it the second your payment goes through.
- 2
2. Part of every order goes to the Forward Fund.
Built into the price. Not a tipping prompt. Not a checkbox you can untick. The fund is just the cost of doing this right.
- 3
3. We gift the same Talk to a qualifying family.
An applicant family, a classroom, a shelter, an advocacy center. They get the same Talk you bought, same scripts, same cards, same access. No watered-down version.
You're not just buying a Talk. You're becoming the reason another kid finally gets the words.
Recipient stories
When the Talks reach the people who need them most.
Three stories from inside the Forward Fund. Based on real Forward Fund recipients. Names and details changed to protect their privacy.
“I'm a single mom with three kids under 8. I work two jobs and honestly, I couldn't afford another thing. But I kept seeing my oldest have these huge meltdowns and I felt so helpless. When I got approved for the free deck, I cried. Not because of charity, because someone understood that loving your kids fiercely doesn't mean you can afford every tool to help them. The first time my 6-year-old asked for a 'breathing card' instead of hitting his brother, I knew this was going to change everything for us.”
“I teach kindergarten in a Title I school. My kids come in carrying so much, and when they melted down, I had nothing. Just 'use your words' and hope. When we got the donated decks, everything shifted. These babies started asking for cards when they felt big feelings coming. One little girl told me 'Ms. Johnson, I think my mad needs the stomping card today.' A 5-year-old, knowing what her body needs. That's what these tools do.”
“We've fostered 12 kids over the years. Many came to us with trauma we didn't know how to name out loud, much less talk about with the kids themselves. When the Forward Fund covered the Body Safety Talk for our home, our 7-year-old foster son finally had the words for things he'd never been able to tell anyone. The Tricky Touch card was the one that broke it open. He didn't have to carry it alone anymore. That's what these cards give kids, the language to be safe and the permission to tell.”
Partner spotlight
Meet Lolla's Light.
Lolla's Light is a small, family-run nonprofit in South Africa, caring for children from vulnerable communities where body-safety skills can be life-changing. We partnered with them through the Forward Fund and opened up the full Trailies library at no cost, so every child in their care could learn to name their feelings, set boundaries, and stay safe, online and off.
Photos shared by Lolla's Light and used with their permission.
The parents are all so pleased, and the kids are learning quickly. I asked one of our girls for a hug last week and she said, “No thanks, my body belongs to me.” I was so happy she had the tools to set a boundary for herself. It's been amazing for our community already, and I know these cards will teach our kids skills that are absolutely essential as they navigate the world around them.
Where we are
The Forward Fund, by the numbers.
Updated quarterly. Real recipient counts, not aspirational rounding.
3,330+
Talks gifted
250+
Title I classrooms
18
Shelter & advocacy partners
68
Countries reached
Goal: our next 1,000 Talks gifted.
33%
If the cost is the thing
Here's how to apply for a free Talk.
If your family, classroom, or organization fits any of the categories above and the cost is the thing standing in the way, just ask. We don't run paperwork checks. We don't require income proof. We trust people to know their own situation.
Anyone in the four categories above can apply, parents, teachers, foster families, advocacy workers, social workers, shelter staff.
One Talk per applicant for individual families. Bulk grants of 10-50 decks are available for classrooms, shelters, and advocacy centers, just ask.
Most applications are answered within a week. Bulk grants for organizations may take 2-3 weeks while we plan production.
Digital Talks ship instantly. If you're approved for a printed deck, allow 1-2 weeks for delivery (US) or 2-4 weeks (international).
What to write in the email.
“Hi, I'm applying for a free Talk through the Forward Fund. Here's a bit about my situation…”
- Which Talk you're requesting (Body Safety, Online Safety, or Big Feelings)
- A few sentences about your situation (no length requirement, no formula)
- The age range of the kids you're hoping to reach
- Digital, printed, or either-works (no wrong answer)
A real human reads every application. There's no form, no algorithm, just a short reply within a week.
Become someone's first Talk.
Pick the one you've been putting off. Buy it for your family. We'll send the same one to a family that applied. Both kids get the words. That's the whole thing.
Debbie, Co-Founder, Trailies