Octo Ninja: Community Impact & Giving
Just a small business that believes in big impact here in Austin Texas
Austin isn't a market to us. It's home.
Octo Ninja is a locally owned Austin business. Our kids grow up here. Our families live here. The teachers, coaches, nonprofits, PTAs and community organizations we work with are our neighbors.
We believe local businesses should do more than simply operate in a community. They should participate in it.
We can't solve every challenge facing kids and families. What we can do is create more opportunities for kids to move, play, belong, try difficult things, encourage each other and discover that they're capable of something they couldn't do yesterday.
That's the part we know how to help with.
Kids need places to move, connect and grow.
Childhood keeps changing. Our role doesn't need to be complicated: create a real-world place where kids can use their bodies, interact with other people and experience the satisfaction of working toward something difficult.
Movement should feel like something kids want to do.
Kids ages 6–17 are recommended to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. We want some of those minutes to feel less like an assignment and more like an adventure.
Real-world connection still matters.
Kids need places where encouragement happens face to face — where someone notices their attempt, celebrates the win and sometimes struggles right beside them.
Challenge can become confidence.
Ninja gives kids repeated opportunities to try, miss, adjust and try again. Progress doesn't always mean winning. Sometimes it means being willing to take one more attempt.
Our philosophy is shaped by what we see in the gym and by broader conversations around youth movement, development and digital wellbeing.
Showing up can take a lot of different forms.
Sometimes it's a punch pass in a school auction. Sometimes it's making an event more affordable. Sometimes it's finding a creative way to use what we already have to give more people access to movement, play and community.
Sharing visits with Foster Village.
During a December partnership with Foster Village, every qualifying Open Gym punch pass purchased during the promotion also provided a donated visit for someone in the Foster Village community.
It gave Octo families an easy way to participate: one family chose more ninja, and another local family received an opportunity to experience it too.
Helping school communities raise support together.
We've hosted Spirit Nights benefiting neighborhood schools and school organizations, giving families a way to spend time together while helping support their school.
We've also provided auction and raffle items for local schools, PTAs, PTOs, nonprofits and community organizations.
Creating more ways to participate.
We've worked with community partners to help subsidize special events designed to provide a more sensory-considerate gym experience.
Our goal isn't to make every experience identical. It's to create more ways for people to participate when a different environment or additional support can make the difference.
Bringing the obstacles to Austin.
Our Mobile Ninja Course has been donated or substantially discounted for qualifying school festivals, nonprofit events and community gatherings throughout the Austin area.
We also offer reduced community pricing for qualifying field trips, group experiences and other events when appropriate.
Community impact is bigger than a donation form.
Some of the most interesting partnerships begin with a conversation, not a request.
We're interested in connecting with people exploring how Austin can create healthier, more active and more connected experiences for kids and families.
Looking for a local perspective?
We're happy to talk about topics where our experience may be useful, including:
- Youth movement and physical activity
- Alternatives to traditional team sports
- Play, confidence and healthy challenge
- Family-friendly spaces in Austin
- Sensory-considerate recreation
- Locally owned youth businesses
- School and PTA partnerships
- Ninja and obstacle sports
Have an idea bigger than a standard donation?
If you're working on a program, event or community initiative that overlaps with movement, play, youth development, family connection or access, we'd like to hear the idea.
The best partnership may be an experience, a fundraiser, a field trip, a Mobile Ninja event or something we haven't done before.
This is separate from routine donation requests.
We try to help with what we do best.
Octo Ninja's community support is primarily provided through experiences, in-kind donations, fundraising opportunities and reduced-cost partnerships rather than unrestricted cash sponsorships.
In-kind donations.
Open Gym punch passes, birthday certificates and other qualifying Octo Ninja experiences for auctions, raffles and community fundraisers.
Community partnerships.
Spirit Nights and other opportunities that let families enjoy the gym while helping support a local school or organization.
Reduced-cost experiences.
Qualifying field trips, group visits, Mobile Ninja events and special-access experiences may receive discounted or subsidized pricing when resources allow.
Is your organization a good fit?
We receive more requests than we're able to fulfill. Clear guidelines help us focus available resources where they're most aligned with our community work.
We primarily support:
- K–12 schools
- PTAs and PTOs
- Youth-serving nonprofits
- Foster and family-support organizations
- Youth recreation and sports programs
- Education and enrichment organizations
- Accessibility and inclusion initiatives
- Community organizations serving local families
Requests should generally:
- Serve children, youth, schools, families or the local community
- Be located within approximately 30 miles of our Austin gym
- Be submitted at least three weeks in advance
- Come from an established school, nonprofit or community organization
- Be submitted through the official form below
We typically cannot support:
- Individual or personal fundraising requests
- Personal travel or competition expenses
- Political campaigns or candidates
- Requests primarily seeking unrestricted cash
- Requests far outside our normal service area without a clear Austin-area connection
- Last-minute requests
Schools, PTAs, PTOs and other established community organizations may request routine in-kind support without necessarily being a 501(c)(3). For larger donations, Spirit Nights or more substantial partnerships, preference may be given to organizations able to provide appropriate nonprofit documentation and donation acknowledgment.
A few things to know before submitting.
What kind of support does Octo Ninja usually provide?
Our community support is primarily focused on Octo Ninja experiences, in-kind donations, fundraising opportunities and reduced community pricing rather than unrestricted cash sponsorships.
Examples may include Open Gym passes, birthday certificates, Spirit Nights, reduced-cost field trips, Mobile Ninja events and other community partnerships when appropriate.
Does Octo Ninja make cash donations?
Cash sponsorship is not the primary focus of Octo Ninja's community-giving program.
As a small locally owned business, we can usually create more community value through experiences, access, fundraising partnerships and use of the resources we already have.
How far in advance should I submit a request?
Please submit donation and community-support requests at least three weeks before your event or deadline.
Requests submitted with less notice may not be considered.
Does every request get approved?
No. We receive more requests than we're able to fulfill.
Requests may be prioritized based on eligibility, timing, available resources, community impact and alignment with Octo Ninja's community priorities. Submission does not guarantee a donation, discount, fundraiser or partnership.
Can I email, call or message Octo Ninja with a donation request?
Routine donation requests must be submitted through the official community-support application below.
To help our team review requests consistently, donation applications sent by email, phone, social media or hard copy are not reviewed.
I'm a journalist, educator or community leader with a partnership idea. Should I use the donation form?
Not necessarily.
The donation form is intended for routine requests for donated items, discounts and fundraising support. Journalists, educators, nonprofit leaders and community partners who want to discuss a story, collaboration or broader initiative can contact Octo Ninja directly.
Our commitment to inclusion.
Octo Ninja is committed to supporting organizations that create welcoming and inclusive environments.
We do not provide donations or sponsorship support to organizations that discriminate against individuals or groups based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or other characteristics protected by applicable law.
Request support from Octo Ninja.
If your organization fits the guidelines above, we'd be glad to consider your request.
Before you submit:
- Your event or deadline should be at least three weeks away.
- Routine donation requests must use this form.
- Please submit only one application per request.
- Submission does not guarantee support.
We want Austin's kids to have more places to belong.
Places where movement feels fun. Where effort gets noticed. Where trying again is normal. And where a kid can discover a version of themselves they didn't know was there yet.
We're grateful we get to build one of those places here.