Horn of Africa Services

What Horn of Africa Services does

Horn of Africa Services (HOAS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992 and headquartered at 5303 Ranier Ave S, Seattle, Washington. It delivers culturally and linguistically tailored social services to East African immigrants and refugees, primarily first-generation arrivals from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan, with limited English proficiency. The organization runs four core programs: Social Services (including naturalization, green card and adjustment-of-status assistance, and the PRIME refugee support program), Early Learning (HOAS-Parent Child Plus home visiting, Kaleidoscope Play and Learn, and a Family Childcare Providers Partnership), Youth Development (after-school tutoring, civic engagement, and gun-violence prevention workshops reaching 650+ youth), and Community Education (system navigation, family management, public-health awareness, and lead-poisoning prevention). All services are delivered in four East African languages: Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, and Tigrinya, by a staff of community members with shared lived experience. The organization also operates a Digital Navigator / Basic Computer Training program and a Summer Bridge STEAM program for ages 13-15.

The underlying operating model is a community-led, high-touch service delivery platform that does not rely on proprietary technology. Distribution occurs through the Seattle headquarters, twice-weekly home visits, school-based after-school sites, and community workshops at partner venues such as churches and community centers across King County (with a four-county extension via the King County Energize program). Outreach runs through Facebook, YouTube, email ([email protected]), and partner referral networks including Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA), SeattleYMCA, King County, the City of Seattle, and Washington Connection.

HOAS's revenue is a blend of donations collected online via paybee.io, government grants and contracts from King County, the City of Seattle, and Washington State agencies, and pass-through professional service fees for immigration application assistance ($725 N-400 naturalization, $1,225 I-485 green card). The sole quantified funding signal is a $35,100 grant from the City of Seattle dated 2023-06-28. The organization is privately held as a 501(c)(3), with Tsegaye Gebru as Executive Director and a leadership team of program managers spanning all four core program areas.

Name

Horn of Africa Services

Legal name

Horn of Africa Services

Website

https://hoas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Horn of Africa Services is a Seattle-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 1992 that delivers multilingual social, immigration, early-learning, youth-development, and community-education services to East African immigrants and refugees in King County, Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services for Immigrants and Refugees

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Digital Access & Online Government Services for Immigrants (EDAAADAF)

Keywords

• Immigration assistance services
• Refugee support services
• Early childhood education
• Youth development programs
• Multilingual social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through online platforms (paybee.io) to support community programs and services
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Operates programs funded by government sources including King County, Seattle City, and state agencies for refugee services, childcare, and community development
3. Program Service Fees: Immigration application assistance services, with $725 naturalization application fee and $1,225 I-485 green card application fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Horn of Africa Services delivers culturally and linguistically responsive social services to East African immigrants and refugees in Seattle and King County. Its core offerings include immigration application assistance (naturalization, green card, adjustment of status), refugee case management (PRIME Program), early childhood home visiting (Parent-Child Plus model), after-school youth tutoring and civic engagement, and community system navigation. All services are delivered in Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, and Tigrinya by a team of East African community members.

Product overview

Horn of Africa Services is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a multi-program service portfolio serving East African immigrants and refugees in the Seattle and King County area. The organization operates four core programs: Social Services (encompassing Naturalization, PRIME Program for refugees/asylees, and Immigration Legal Services), Early Learning (including HOAS-Parent Child Plus home visiting, Kaleidoscope Play and Learn, and Family Childcare Providers Partnership), Youth Development (with After School Tutoring, Leadership/Civic Engagement, and Gun Violence Prevention), and Community Education/Family Support (covering System Navigation, Social Connection, Family Management, and Community Education). Additionally, the organization offers Digital Navigator Services with Basic Computer Training and Summer Bridge STEAM programs. All services are delivered with cultural and linguistic competence in multiple East African languages (Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Tigrinya).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Services Program Provides comprehensive, culturally responsive services to East African immigrant and refugee community members, including assistance with immigration applications (naturalization, green card, adjustment of status, travel documents, employment authorization) and refugee case management through the PRIME Program covering housing, ESL enrollment, and employment applications. Services are delivered in Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, and Tigrinya at the HOAS office in Seattle.
• Early Learning Program Encompasses early childhood programs for East African families with children ages 0-5, including the Parent-Child Plus home visiting model (twice-weekly intensive home visits over two years with books and educational toys), Kaleidoscope Play and Learn groups (weekly structured play and parent education), and partnerships with East African family child care providers. Delivered in Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, and Tigrinya.
• Youth Development Program Builds generational gap reduction and supports East African youth ages 0-24 in King County through after-school tutoring and homework assistance, STEM exploration and artistic creativity programs, summer programs, leadership and civic engagement training, and gun violence and gang awareness workshops. Delivered at schools, community centers, churches, and other venues throughout King County.
• Community Education and Family Support Program Focuses on community awareness and navigation of available systems and services for East African community members, including community education on current issues (COVID-19, public health, workplace rights, law enforcement interactions), social connection and community building, system navigation for housing, daycare, health insurance and other public benefits, and family management education for parents on child development and parenting in a new country.
• Digital Navigator Services and Skills Training Provides digital navigation services and basic computer and internet skills training for East African community members. The Basic Computer Training program awards a Certificate of Completion upon successful finish, and participants may receive a laptop or hotspot device as an incentive.
• Summer Bridge Program Free summer STEAM exploration program for East African youth ages 13-15, providing structured exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math disciplines during the summer break.

Quantifiable outcome

• 650+ youth engaged in gun violence prevention workshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• King County - Energize ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOAS partners with King County's Energize - Family Home Child Cares program to provide energy efficiency, indoor air quality improvements, and energy cost reductions to licensed family home child cares in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.
• SeattleYMCA - Y Host HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for youth housing support - Y Host Homes matches youth and young adults (ages 12-24) who are unstably housed or at risk of losing housing with supportive host families.
• Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing English language skills improvement, job training, job readiness, case management, and support services. Referral and collaborative relationship for shared community members.
• Washington ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState resource partnership providing information on services including Food, Cash, Child Care, Long-Term Care, and Medicare Savings Programs for eligible community members.
• City of Seattle - Democracy Voucher ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOAS serves as a resource for Seattle voters to learn about and use Democracy Vouchers ($25x4) to support candidates aligned with community values. HOAS assists with voter education and candidate support.
• Seattle Fresh BucksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to connect enrolled Fresh Bucks customers with additional community resources and support services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Jewish Family Service of Seattle: Seattle-based nonprofit offering immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, and case management in King County. Overlaps HOAS on immigration assistance but serves a different primary cultural community.

Direct peers

• Lutheran Community Services Northwest: Regional nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and youth programs across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable to HOAS on service mix and multi-county reach within Washington.
• Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA): Seattle-based nonprofit providing ESL, job training, case management, and immigration support to refugee and immigrant women. Closely comparable to HOAS in geography, target population, and service mix, and an explicit referral partner.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP): Regional legal-aid nonprofit providing free immigration legal services across Washington State. Directly comparable to HOAS on the immigration legal services vertical, with deeper legal specialization but narrower social-services scope.
• Ethiopian Community Association in Seattle: Community-specific nonprofit serving Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrants in the Seattle area, overlapping with HOAS's Amharic and Tigrinya-speaking segments. Closely comparable in mission and population focus, narrower geographic and cultural scope.
• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Faith-affiliated nonprofit operating refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and social services across Western Washington. Directly comparable to HOAS in service lines and King County footprint, with a broader pan-immigrant scope.
• Somali Bantu Community Association of Washington: Community-anchored nonprofit serving East African refugees and immigrants in Washington State, particularly Somali Bantu populations. Directly comparable to HOAS in cultural-anchored service delivery and language access.

Others

• King County Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice: Government funder and convener supporting community-based organizations serving immigrants and refugees in King County. Functions as an upstream ecosystem partner rather than a service competitor, and is HOAS's core government contracting channel.

Emerging players

• East Africa Education Foundation: Community-rooted nonprofit focused on education and youth development for East African diaspora communities. Partial overlap with HOAS's Early Learning and Youth Development programs, with a more education-only focus.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC) - Seattle: Global humanitarian organization running refugee resettlement, employment, and immigration services through its Seattle office. Operates at much larger scale and broader scope but directly overlaps HOAS on refugee reception and integration in the same metro.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjpnDyDGI2KtUQI-0HXYAhw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/HOAS4714
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horn-of-africa-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Horn of Africa Services