Center for Lay Ministries

What Center for Lay Ministries does

Center for Lay Ministries (CLM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 and based in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It operates as an umbrella organization for two core programs serving vulnerable populations in the local Indiana community: the CLM Food Pantry, which distributes food boxes to approximately 1,200 clients and their families each month from its location at 213 East Maple Street, and the Bliss House, a residential halfway-house recovery program at 211 East Maple Street for women battling alcohol and drug addiction, using a 12-step Recovery Dynamics curriculum. A related sub-program, Bliss Too, extends the residential recovery capacity.

The organization's service model is direct-to-client and facility-based, with no proprietary technology, digital products, or software platform described in the available materials. Clients walk into the Food Pantry lobby for an interview and receive prepared food boxes from a side entrance during weekday operating hours, while Bliss House residents engage in one-on-one sponsorship work guided by written assignments from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Day-to-day operations are supported by a small staff of between 11 and 50 employees under Executive Director Kara Brown, plus volunteer labor and volunteer coordination managed through a dedicated role.

CLM does not generate revenue through fees to food pantry clients (services are free) and does not publish financial results in the input data. Funding is sourced from a diversified mix of individual and corporate donations, church and faith-based contributions, foundation grants (e.g., Campbell Soup Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, Caesars Foundation), state funding, special events such as the Hunger to Hope Gala and Silent Auction, fees paid by Bliss House residents, and a federal Drug-Free Communities grant administered by SAMHSA. The organization reports that 88% of total annual expenses go directly to program services, exceeding the BBB Wise Giving Alliance minimum standard of 65%, and it holds BBB charity accreditation.

Name

Center for Lay Ministries

Legal name

Center for Lay Ministries Inc.

Website

https://centerforlayministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Center for Lay Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Jeffersonville, Indiana that runs the CLM Food Pantry, serving 1,200 clients monthly, and Bliss House, a residential recovery program for women with alcohol or drug addiction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Food pantry services
• Addiction recovery housing
• Community social services
• Residential halfway house
• Food insecurity assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeffersonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Funding comes from individual donors, corporate contributions, and civic organizations providing financial support for food pantry and Bliss House programs.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as Campbell Soup Foundation ($20,000 Community Impact Grant), Duke Energy Foundation ($200,000+ in grants), and Caesars Foundation fund specific programs and operational costs.
3. Church and Faith-Based Support: Initially funded through numerous financial contributions from local churches; continues to receive support from faith-based organizations.
4. State Funding: Receives state funding as part of diversified support base.
5. Special Events: Raises funds through events such as the annual Hunger to Hope Gala and Silent Auction.
6. Bliss House Program Fees: Fees paid by women residing at the Bliss House and Bliss Too recovery programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Center for Lay Ministries is a nonprofit umbrella organization that operates the CLM Food Pantry, which distributes prepared food boxes to approximately 1,200 clients and families each month facing food insecurity in the local Indiana community, and the Bliss House, a residential halfway-house recovery program for women battling alcohol and drug addiction built on a 12-step Recovery Dynamics curriculum. Services are delivered at no cost to clients and funded through donations, foundation grants, state funding, church support, special events, and resident fees.

Product overview

Center for Lay Ministries operates as a nonprofit umbrella organization providing community services to vulnerable populations in Indiana. The organization operates two core programs: the Food Pantry, which serves 1,200 clients monthly with food distribution, and the Bliss House, a residential recovery program for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction using a 12-step Recovery Dynamics approach. A related sub-program called Bliss Too also serves residents. The organization receives funding from diverse sources including churches, individual donors, corporate contributions, foundation grants, and state funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLM Food Pantry The CLM Food Pantry provides food assistance to vulnerable populations in the local Indiana community, serving 1,200 clients and their families each month. The pantry distributes prepared food boxes and interviews clients, operating Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with extended hours until 6:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month.
• Bliss House A residential recovery program for women battling alcohol/drug addiction. The program uses Recovery Dynamics, which educates residents on the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with written assignments from the Big Book of AA and one-on-one individual sponsorship work, aiming to improve quality of life as residents work through the recovery process.
• Bliss Too Referenced as part of the Bliss House residential recovery program family, with fees paid by women residing at Bliss and Bliss Too supporting program funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1,200 clients and families each month with food assistance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MeijercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2019Meijer Simply Give campaign enables customers to purchase $10 food gift cards for CLM Food Pantry. Meijer doubled donations up to $5,000 during campaign periods.
• Metro United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLM partners with Metro United Way as part of its network of agencies providing services to vulnerable populations in the community.
• Dare to Care Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDare to Care Food Bank is a key partner providing food supply support and nominating CLM volunteers for recognition awards.
• Catalyst Rescue MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLM partners with Catalyst Rescue Mission to support their shared missions of helping those in need.
• News and TribuneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media partner providing coverage and support for CLM events and programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dare to Care Food Bank: Dare to Care is a regional food bank serving the Louisville/Clark County area and is a direct supply partner of CLM's food pantry. It is directly comparable as a community-food-assistance organization serving overlapping client populations in the same geographic region.
• Wheeler Mission: Wheeler Mission is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit providing residential addiction recovery and food/housing services to vulnerable populations. It mirrors CLM's Bliss House + food services dual model, and is a relevant Indiana nonprofit peer.
• Catalyst Rescue Mission: Catalyst Rescue Mission is a local partner of CLM providing services to those in need in the same Clark County community. Directly comparable as a nearby faith-rooted social services nonprofit with overlapping client base and mission.

Regional players

• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana: Gleaners is Indiana's largest food bank, distributing food to pantries and meal programs across central and southern Indiana. It is comparable to CLM as an Indiana-based food-assistance nonprofit operating at larger scale in the same state.
• The Healing Place: The Healing Place operates recovery and housing programs in Louisville, Kentucky, directly across the river from Jeffersonville. It is comparable to CLM's Bliss House as a regional residential recovery provider serving a similar cross-river client population.
• Community Harvest Food Bank: Community Harvest Food Bank is a regional food bank serving northeast Indiana. Comparable to CLM as an Indiana food-assistance organization operating a similar food-distribution model at regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana: Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana is a large multi-service nonprofit providing housing, recovery, and food assistance across the region. It overlaps with CLM's combined food pantry + residential recovery model at greater scale.
• Salvation Army of Clark County: The Salvation Army operates food pantries, recovery programs, and emergency assistance nationally, including local Indiana units. It is comparable to CLM as a multi-service faith-rooted nonprofit serving similar vulnerable populations with overlapping programs.
• Catholic Charities Indianapolis: Catholic Charities Indianapolis provides food, housing, recovery, and emergency assistance across central Indiana. Comparable to CLM as a faith-based multi-service social services nonprofit in the same state.
• Feeding America (national network): Feeding America is the national umbrella network of food banks including Gleaners and Dare to Care. It is comparable to CLM at the category level as a food-insecurity-relief organization, with CLM operating as a partner agency in its distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Center4LayMinistries
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPlaceholder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-lay-ministries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Center for Lay Ministries