St. Joseph the Worker

What St. Joseph the Worker does

St. Joseph the Worker is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, founded in 1988 to create pathways to self-sufficiency through employment. It serves job seekers facing unemployment, underemployment, housing instability, or lack of work essentials, providing a unified set of workforce development services under a four-pillar "Success Navigator" framework: Employment, Workforce Housing, Network, and Life Skills. Core service offerings include resume and job-search support, interview preparation, transportation and uniform assistance, workforce housing navigation, and life-skills training, all delivered free of charge to clients. For the period July 2024 to June 2025, the organization reported 10,500 moments of client impact (office visits), 2,900 estimated connections to full-time direct-hire jobs, and an average of $5,004 in savings for housing program participants.

The organization operates from two physical workforce development centers: the primary office at 382 E. Palm Lane #150, Phoenix, AZ 85004, and a second center at 1833 W. Main Street #128, Mesa, AZ 85201, with a headcount of 51-100 staff. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, reaching clients through direct engagement, partnerships with employers for second-chance hiring, landlord collaborations for housing, and volunteers providing mentorship and resume help. The organization relies on donations and charitable contributions — including individual giving, foundation grants (notably a $500,000 award from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation in October 2024), corporate and workplace giving, in-kind goods, and volunteer time — to fund operations and program delivery. No proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capability is described in the source material; service delivery is high-touch and human-mediated, with a Framer-built website and Qgiv-powered donation flow supporting awareness and fundraising.

Name

St. Joseph the Worker

Legal name

St. Joseph the Worker

Website

https://sjwjobs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

St. Joseph the Worker is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 that delivers free workforce development services — job placement, workforce housing, life-skills training, and employer network access — to job seekers facing unemployment and housing instability in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Supportive Housing Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job placement assistance
• Workforce housing program
• Life skills training
• Nonprofit employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, St. Joseph the Worker relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to fund workforce development programs, housing assistance, and operational costs. All services are provided free of charge to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Joseph the Worker is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free workforce development services to individuals, including job placement assistance (resumes, job search tools, interview prep), workforce housing, life skills training, transportation, uniforms, and other work essentials. Services are delivered through two physical workforce development centers in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona, and are organized under a four-pillar Success Navigator framework (Employment, Workforce Housing, Network, Life Skills).

Product overview

St. Joseph the Worker is a nonprofit offering a unified set of workforce development and housing services. The organization operates four interconnected core services: Get a Job (employment assistance), Get Housing (workforce housing program), Get Knowledge/Life Skills (training), and Network (community collaboration). These services are unified under the Success Navigator framework—a compass-inspired roadmap that guides individuals through four pillars: Employment, Workforce Housing, Network, and Life Skills. The organization also facilitates donations and volunteer engagement to support its mission of creating pathways to self-sufficiency through employment since 1988.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Get a Job (Employment Assistance) Free employment assistance service that equips job seekers with resumes, job search tools, interview preparation, and personalized one-on-one support to help them secure quality, stable, full-time direct-hire positions. Includes support for work essentials such as transportation and uniforms.
• Get Housing (Workforce Housing Program) Workforce housing program that helps individuals achieve housing stability while they pursue employment, with participants averaging $5,004 in savings to transition to their own housing. Connects clients with partner landlords for stable rental situations.
• Get Knowledge (Life Skills Training) Life skills training program that provides knowledge and resources to empower individuals to pursue opportunities independently and build lasting self-sufficiency beyond initial employment placement.
• Network (Community Collaboration) Community collaboration service that connects job seekers with employers offering second-chance job opportunities, partner nonprofits, landlords, donors, and volunteers who provide resume writing assistance, interview preparation, and mentorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,900 estimated connections to full-time, direct hire jobs per year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nonprofit PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating nonprofit organizations that provide holistic support services alongside St. Joseph the Worker's employment and housing programs.
• EmployerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal employers who offer second-chance job opportunities to job seekers placed by St. Joseph the Worker programs.
• LandlordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty owners and landlords who provide stable housing for individuals rebuilding their lives through the workforce housing program.
• VolunteerscoreOthersCommunity volunteers who assist with resume writing, interview preparation, and mentorship for job seekers in the program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• UMOM New Day Centers: Phoenix-based nonprofit providing housing and supportive services including workforce development to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Comparable in integrated housing-plus-employment model within the same local market.

Direct peers

• Chrysalis: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing job readiness, placement, and retention services to people experiencing barriers to employment. Closely comparable in mission (employment as foundation), wraparound support, and direct-hire placement focus.
• Year Up: National nonprofit workforce development organization offering training, placement, and support to young adults from underserved communities. Comparable in employment-first mission and wraparound coaching model, though more training-intensive.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech training and career support to individuals from underserved communities. Comparable in employment placement mission and employer-network-driven model, with a more specialized technology focus.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit focused exclusively on providing immediate, effective employment services to people recently returning home from incarceration. Directly comparable in second-chance employment placement mission and employer partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona: Regional Goodwill affiliate operating in the same Phoenix-area market, providing workforce development, job training, and placement services. Directly overlapping geography and service mix, with broader retail-funded scope.
• Catholic Charities USA: National nonprofit federation with affiliated agencies that include workforce development, housing, and social services — closely matching St. Joseph the Worker's integrated four-pillar service model and faith-based heritage.
• National Urban League: National civil rights and direct-services organization operating workforce development, housing, and education programs through local affiliates. Comparable in integrated self-sufficiency mission and employer-driven placement model.

Regional players

• Maricopa County Human Services Department: Local government entity administering workforce development, housing stability, and self-sufficiency programs in the same Phoenix-Maricopa County geography — a public-sector peer addressing overlapping client needs.
• Arizona@Work (Maricopa County): Local workforce development board administering federally funded employment and training programs in the same Phoenix-Maricopa region. Directly competing for the same job-seeker population and employer relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7EuTTSCZfs1OcNOwqgfg
• Facebookfacebook.com/sjwjobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-joseph-the-worker-az
• Instagraminstagram.com/theworkeraz
• TikToktiktok.com/@theworkeraz
• Xx.com/sjwjobs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 St. Joseph the Worker