The Rescue Mission

What The Rescue Mission does

The Rescue Mission (legal name: Fort Wayne Rescue Mission Ministries, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, providing restorative care to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and hunger. Founded in 1901, the organization has operated continuously for 123 years and runs three physical facilities: a Men's Ministry at its Washington Boulevard headquarters offering emergency shelter with an on-site medical clinic and short- and long-term residential programs; the Charis House at Decatur Road providing emergency and residential services for women and children; and the Treasure House thrift store and donation center at Coldwater Road, which generates earned revenue through resale of in-kind donations. Core services include free daily meals served three times per day, emergency shelter, short- and long-term housing programs, mental health services, and spiritual care delivered through a Christian ministry framework.

The organization is funded through a blended revenue model combining individual donations (recurring and campaign-based), foundation grants from supporters including the Foellinger Foundation, James Foundation, Brotherhood Mutual, Ash Brokerage, and others, corporate sponsorships, in-kind donations processed through the Treasure House thrift operation, and volunteer labor. All services are delivered free of charge to recipients. The organization holds ECFA, Charity Navigator, GuideStar Gold Seal, BBB, and BCWI accreditation and is a member of the Citygate Network of rescue missions. Marketing and donor engagement run primarily through the fwrm.org website, email newsletter, community events, and earned local media coverage. Governance rests with a 10-member Board of Trustees chaired by Scott Figgins (2024), with executive leadership comprising President & CEO Thomas McArthur, CFO Jeffrey Musick, and Chief Strategy Officer Dan Rogers, alongside senior VPs covering Philanthropy, Program Operations, Human Resources, Men's Services, and Operations. Two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Fort Wayne Rescue Mission Ministries Foundation (established in the 1990s for planned giving) and FWRM Support Corporation — support long-term financial sustainability.

Name

The Rescue Mission

Legal name

Fort Wayne Rescue Mission Ministries, Inc.

Website

https://fwrm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Rescue Mission is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 1901, providing free emergency shelter, residential housing, mental health services, and three daily meals to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and hunger.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Emergency food assistance
• Residential recovery programs
• Mental health services
• Thrift store operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Rescue Mission receives contributions from individual donors through its website, mail, and in-person giving. The organization runs fundraising campaigns such as the summer Hope Starts Here campaign targeting $500,000.
2. Thrift Store Operations: The Treasure House thrift store accepts in-kind donations and sells items to the public, generating revenue to support ministry operations.
3. Foundation Grants: The organization receives grants from foundations including James Foundation, Brotherhood Mutual, Ash Brokerage, and Foellinger Foundation to support programs and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Rescue Mission provides free emergency shelter, free daily meals (served three times per day), short- and long-term residential housing programs, mental health services, and spiritual care to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness or hunger in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The organization also operates the Treasure House thrift store, which accepts in-kind donations and sells goods to generate revenue that supports the ministry. All direct services to those in need are offered free of charge, funded through individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Rescue Mission operates as a unified social services ministry rather than a product-based platform. The organization offers a coordinated system of homeless shelter and hunger relief services centered around three physical locations: the main Men's Ministry facility at 333 E. Washington Blvd., the Women's & Children's Charis House at 5920 Decatur Road, and the Treasure House thrift store at 10202 Coldwater Road. Core services include emergency and residential shelter programs for men and women with children, a daily free meal program serving meals three times daily, and mental health services. The organization's ministry structure includes Men's Ministry, Women's & Children's Ministry, and a Thrift Store, all operating under a Christian ministry framework with an emphasis on spiritual care alongside practical assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Rescue Mission: Homeless services organization providing meals, shelter, and spiritual care through the power of Jesus Christ
• Charis House
• Treasure House

Products and services

• Men's Ministry Emergency shelter for men in homeless crisis with on-site medical clinic, plus short and long-term housing programs delivered at the main men's ministry facility.
• Women's & Children's Ministry (Charis House) Short and long-term housing programs for women and children in homeless crisis, provided at the Charis House facility at 5920 Decatur Road, Fort Wayne.
• Free Meal Program Free meals served to the public daily at 7 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 5 p.m., welcoming all who are in need.
• Mental Health Services Mental health services offered through both Men's and Women's & Children's ministries to support guests experiencing mental health challenges.
• Emergency Services Immediate emergency assistance for men and for women and children in crisis, with intake handled at the men's facility and Charis House respectively.
• Residential Programs Short- and long-term residential housing programs for men and women with children, providing structured restorative care beyond emergency shelter.
• Thrift Store / Treasure House Thrift store operation accepting in-kind donations at the Treasure House Donation Center (10202 Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne) and selling items to the public, with proceeds supporting the mission.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Rescue Mission: Christian nonprofit operating emergency shelter, recovery programs, and food service in a single metropolitan area. Comparable in service mix (shelter, meals, long-term residential) and donor-supported revenue model.
• Union Rescue Mission (Los Angeles): One of the largest and longest-operating rescue missions in the U.S., offering emergency shelter, residential programs, meals, and recovery services. Comparable in faith-based ethos, multi-program model, and historic community footprint.
• City Mission (Cleveland): Christian nonprofit offering shelter, food, and recovery programs for homeless and impoverished individuals in a single metropolitan area. Comparable as a multi-program, faith-anchored rescue mission.
• Denver Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, residential programs, meals, and recovery services in a single regional market. Directly comparable as a large, long-established city rescue mission with multi-program continuum of care.
• San Diego Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, meals, and recovery programs for men, women, and children in a single metropolitan region. Direct comparable in service breadth and target population.
• Atlanta Mission: Multi-site faith-based rescue mission offering men's and women's emergency shelter, residential recovery, and meal programs. Comparable in operating model, faith-based framing, and continuum-of-care structure.
• Lighthouse Mission Ministries: Faith-based rescue mission offering emergency shelter, meals, and recovery programs in a single regional market. Comparable in operating model, faith-based framing, and shelter-plus-care continuum.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army USA: Nationwide faith-based social services organization operating shelter, food, and housing programs at vastly greater scale. Overlaps with The Rescue Mission's core services and similar donor base.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit operating retail thrift stores that fund workforce development and community programs. Comparable to Treasure House as a mission-funded retail operation, though much larger and broader in scope.

Regional players

• Coalition for the Homeless (Fort Wayne): Local Fort Wayne-area coalition addressing homelessness through coordinated services, advocacy, and shelter networks. Geographically overlapping and serves the same client population, though Coalition focuses on systems advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/change4goodRM
• Facebookfacebook.com/Change4Good

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The Rescue Mission