Good Counsel

What Good Counsel does

Good Counsel, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 1985 by Christopher Bell following an encounter with a homeless pregnant woman in New York City, with Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. as co-founder and founding board chairman. The organization operates a network of four maternity homes — located in the Bronx (NY), Riverside (South Jersey), Spring Valley (NY), and Staten Island (NY) — providing free residential shelter, case management, life-skills education, in-home childcare, mental health counseling, transportation, spiritual formation, and parenting support to homeless pregnant women and their children. Its programs include the Daystar specialized home for pregnant women battling mental illness or addiction, the Exodus aftercare program for graduates, and the Lumina Post-Abortion Healing Program, which provides national reach via a dedicated helpline (877-586-4621) and website (postabortionhelp.org). A 24/7 helpline (800-723-8331), operational since April 1996, has served more than 51,000 people.

Since founding, Good Counsel has helped more than 8,500 mothers and children, supported the birth of 1,401 babies, and provided over 812,332 nights of shelter, with average home occupancy of 86% since 2023. The organization's revenue model is entirely donation-based, drawing on individual contributions, monthly recurring donors, parish networks (Mary's Missionaries program), community organizations, and event-based fundraising including Gather with Purpose gatherings and an annual gala. Go-to-market is dual-purpose: a direct-service intake funnel (helpline, online portal, referrals from pregnancy resource centers, doctors, and social workers) for mothers in crisis, and a parallel donor acquisition funnel using parish speaking engagements, content marketing, social media, and earned media in Catholic outlets. Good Counsel employs 101-250 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors, with day-to-day leadership provided by CEO Jo-Ann Venezia. The organization is headquartered administratively at 600 Meadowlands Parkway, Suite 251, Secaucus, New Jersey.

Name

Good Counsel

Legal name

Good Counsel, Inc.

Website

https://goodcounselhomes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Good Counsel is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that operates four maternity homes in New York and New Jersey providing free shelter, case management, and life-skills support to homeless pregnant women and their children, plus the national Lumina post-abortion healing program and a 24/7 helpline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternity Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Postpartum Newborn Care & Parent Education (NCS) (HSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Postpartum Family Helper (Non-Medical) (HSAAAGAJ), Overnight Newborn Care & Sleep Support (NCS) (HSAAACAB), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Maternity home services
• Homeless pregnant women
• Post-abortion healing
• Residential shelter services
• Faith-based nonprofit support

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Good Counsel operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, parishes, and community organizations. They receive monetary donations through their website, direct mail, and events. The organization also accepts material donations (Amazon Wish Lists) and encourages monthly recurring donations from supporters.
2. Parish and Community Support: The organization engages parishes through speaking engagements and Mary's Missionaries program, building a network of church-based financial and volunteer support. Gather with Purpose events are hosted to unite passionate supporters of life.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Good Counsel operates four residential maternity homes in New York and New Jersey (Bronx, Riverside/South Jersey, Spring Valley, Staten Island) that provide free shelter, meals, case management, in-home childcare, life-skills training, parenting education, spiritual formation, and prenatal/postnatal support to homeless pregnant women and their children. Beyond the maternity homes, the organization runs the Lumina post-abortion healing program, the Daystar program for mothers facing mental illness or addiction, the Exodus aftercare program for alumni mothers, a 24/7 helpline, and an online help portal.

Product overview

Good Counsel operates a network of maternity homes providing comprehensive support services to homeless pregnant women and their children. The core offering consists of residential maternity homes (including a specialized Daystar Program for mothers with mental health or addiction challenges), supplemented by the Lumina post-abortion healing program, a 24/7 helpline, and the Exodus aftercare program for ongoing mother support. Additional services include life skills training, parenting classes, nutrition education, spiritual guidance, and health education. The organization also hosts Gather with Purpose community events and maintains an online help portal and Amazon Wish Lists for donor engagement. Good Counsel is a faith-based organization founded in 1985, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lumina: Post-Abortion Healing Program - offers healing and hope for women and men who have experienced abortion, providing peer groups and confidential counseling through retreats and days of recollection.

Products and services

• Maternity Homes (Good Counsel Homes)
• Lumina Post-Abortion Healing Program
• 24/7 Helpline (800-723-8331)
• Exodus Program
• Daystar Program
• Life Skills Programs
• Help Portal (help.goodcounselhomes.org)
• Riverside Home (South Jersey)

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% average occupancy rate since 2023 demonstrates consistent demand and operational efficiency
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maggie's Place: Maggie's Place operates Catholic-affiliated maternity homes in Arizona (Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe) serving homeless pregnant women with shelter, case management, and parenting education — the closest direct comparable to Good Counsel in mission, faith orientation, and residential service model.
• Thrive (formerly Thrive St. Louis): Thrive operates maternity housing in St. Louis for homeless pregnant women, providing residential care, life-skills training, and case management — directly comparable to Good Counsel's core service offering and target population.
• Room at the Inn: Room at the Inn is a Nashville-based maternity home serving homeless pregnant women and their children with residential care, education, and faith-based support — a close operational analog to Good Counsel's maternity home model.
• Alpha House Ministries: Alpha House provides residential maternity housing and support services in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area for pregnant women in crisis — comparable in target population, residential model, and faith-based service orientation.
• Visitation House Ministries: Visitation House offers Catholic maternity housing and comprehensive support for homeless pregnant women, mirroring Good Counsel's faith-based, residential, multi-service model.
• Birthright International: Birthright operates a global network of pregnancy support centers offering non-judgmental assistance to women facing unplanned pregnancies — comparable in pro-life mission orientation and crisis-pregnancy support services, though without residential capacity.
• Mary's Shelter (Frederick, MD): Mary's Shelter is a Catholic-affiliated maternity home in Maryland serving homeless pregnant women with residential care, parenting education, and life-skills training — directly analogous to Good Counsel's residential service model.

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: Covenant House is a large national nonprofit serving homeless and trafficked youth including pregnant young women — the organization where Good Counsel founder Christopher Bell previously worked, providing both credibility adjacency and a broader-incumbent reference point in the same social-service space.

Emerging players

• Guiding Star Centers: Guiding Star operates pro-life women's health centers offering pregnancy, postpartum, and family support services nationally — an emerging peer that overlaps with Good Counsel on faith-based pregnancy and postpartum care.

Others

• National Council for Adoption: NCFA is a national advocacy organization promoting adoption and serving pregnant women — thematically adjacent to Good Counsel's pro-life mission, though operating in policy/advocacy rather than direct residential services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodcounselorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/goodcounselhomes
• Facebookfacebook.com/goodcounselhomes
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodcounselhomes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Good Counsel