Homeward

What Homeward does

Homeward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, that serves as the planning agency and HMIS Lead for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC). The organization coordinates homeless services across the City of Richmond and seven surrounding counties, working with 34+ partner nonprofit agencies, local governments, and funders to deliver shelter, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and outreach services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

The organization's core technology is the Homeward Community Information System (HCIS), a HIPAA-compliant online database that tracks client demographics, service needs, service usage, and trends across the region. Homeward also operates the biannual Point-in-Time Count, the Homeless Connection Line crisis hotline, the Housing Resource Line, the Coordinated Entry System, the Greater Richmond Regional Street Sheets resource guide, the annual Best Practices Conference, and the Collaborative Agency Support Exchange (CASE) forum. The HCIS is accessed through the WellSky platform rather than a proprietary system.

Homeward's business model is grant-funded: primary revenue comes from federal HUD Continuum of Care grants (as the Collaborative Applicant for the region), Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development state funding, and a diversified mix of charitable revenue including individual donations, corporate matching gifts, donor-advised funds (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond), IRA distributions, and gifts of stock. Services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries. The organization employs ~13 staff members, is led by CEO Kelly King Horne and COO Lark Washington, and has a Board of Directors including representatives from Capital One, VCU Health Systems, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Virginia Housing.

Name

Homeward

Legal name

Homeward

Website

https://homewardva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Homeward is a Richmond, Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that serves as the planning agency and HMIS Lead for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, coordinating 34+ partner agencies to deliver data-driven homeless services across eight jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: Primary funding from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care program grants. Homeward serves as the Collaborative Applicant to ensure regional access to federal funding.
2. State Funding: Funding from Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for homeless services coordination and programs.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via online portal, mail, or stock transfers. Homeward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Tax ID 05-0606153.
4. Corporate Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers match employee donations to multiply impact.
5. Donor-Advised Funds: Designations from Donor-Advised Funds through Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond.
6. IRA Distributions: Distributions from Individual Retirement Accounts for donors 70.5 years of age or older.
7. Gifts of Stock: Stock transfers through Davenport & Company (Account: DA4-002964, Pershing DTC #: 0443).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Homeward is the planning and coordinating agency for the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC). It operates the Homeless Connection Line and Housing Resource Line hotlines, manages the Homeward Community Information System (HCIS) HMIS database, conducts the biannual Point-in-Time Count, and runs the regional Coordinated Entry System. Its offerings connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to shelter, rehousing, and supportive services delivered through a network of 34+ partner agencies across the City of Richmond and surrounding counties.

Product overview

Homeward is a nonprofit planning and coordinating organization for homeless services in the Greater Richmond Region, founded in 1998. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered around its Homeless Management Information System (HCIS) — a HIPAA-compliant database that tracks clients, services, and outcomes. Key offerings include the Homeless Connection Line (a crisis hotline), the Housing Resource Line, the Point-in-Time Count program (biannual census), Coordinated Entry System, Greater Richmond Regional Street Sheets resource guide, the annual Best Practices Conference, and CASE (Collaborative Agency Support Exchange) sessions. Together, these products and programs form a coordinated ecosystem designed to prevent, reduce, and solve homelessness through data-driven planning, service coordination, and community collaboration across the region's homeless services network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homeward Community Information System (HCIS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 618 people experiencing homelessness (January 2026 PIT count), down from 660 in January 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomeward serves as the planning agency for the GRCoC, a network of homeless service providers delivering coordinated and compassionate solutions to homelessness. The GRCoC coordinates services across the City of Richmond and counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Powhatan.
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating the Inclement Weather Shelter and seasonal shelter programs. Part of the GRCoC network providing emergency shelter services.
• CARITAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating the Surge Shelter and providing emergency shelter, recovery services, and workforce training. Active GRCoC member.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): The planning agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care and HMIS Lead, coordinating homeless services across LA County. Directly comparable as a regional CoC planning body responsible for HUD funding administration, HMIS, and PIT counts at a much larger scale.
• King County Regional Homelessness Authority: Regional homelessness authority for Seattle/King County serving as the CoC planning body and HMIS lead. Performs the same coordinating role as Homeward — HUD funding administration, data systems, coordinated entry — at a larger Pacific Northwest scale.
• Atlanta Coalition to End Homelessness: Planning agency for the Atlanta Continuum of Care coordinating homeless services and conducting PIT counts. Closely mirrors Homeward's regional coordinator role, HMIS operations, and HUD Collaborative Applicant function in a different Southeastern metro.

Others

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National policy and advocacy organization working to end homelessness in the U.S. Comparable as the national umbrella under which CoC planning agencies like Homeward operate; Homeward's CEO was nominated to its Board in 2025.
• Community Solutions: National nonprofit running Built for Zero, a data-driven initiative to reduce homelessness across U.S. cities. Comparable as a thought leader promoting coordinated, data-driven approaches to homelessness — the same model Homeward implements locally.
• Corporation for Supportive Housing: National nonprofit advancing supportive housing solutions for vulnerable populations. Comparable as a capacity-building partner that supports CoC agencies and homeless service providers with technical assistance and funding alignment.
• A Way Home America: National coalition focused on preventing and ending youth homelessness. Comparable as an ecosystem convener and policy advocate working with CoCs and service providers on coordinated responses to homelessness.
• United Way Worldwide: National nonprofit network funding community-based health and human services. Comparable as a regional funder and convener that channels resources to homeless services and partner agencies in local markets.
• Heartland Alliance: National anti-poverty and human rights organization providing direct services including housing and supportive programs. Comparable as a national-scale operator of homeless services programs serving vulnerable populations.
• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization dedicated to ending the affordable housing crisis. Comparable as a policy advocate that shapes federal funding and program design that ultimately flows through CoC planning agencies like Homeward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HomewardVA

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Homeward