Esther

What Esther does

ESTHER is a faith-based nonprofit community organizing coalition founded in 2004 in Wisconsin's Fox Valley region, headquartered with a mailing address in Neenah, Wisconsin and a physical office at 874 E South River St., Appleton, WI, hosted within the First Congregational United Church of Christ building. It operates as the Fox Valley affiliate of WISDOM, the statewide Wisconsin network affiliated with the national Gamaliel Foundation, and delivers advocacy and organizing across five core issue areas: housing justice and workforce housing, racial equity, immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and reentry support, and youth mental health. Its constituents are Fox Valley community members broadly, with deeper engagement from housing-unstable individuals and families, formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrant communities, and people of color affected by systemic inequity.

The organization does not sell products or services and does not operate a pricing model. It is funded entirely through donations and grants, with the only quantified inflow in the source material being a $30,000 grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership dated 2025-01-17; no revenue, budget, or audited financials are disclosed. Service delivery is human-led and event-driven, comprising community forums, candidate forums, film screenings, Know Your Rights and Legal Observer trainings, task force meetings (housing, transformational justice, mental health, Oshkosh), Juneteenth and MLK Day celebrations, and advocacy actions including bus trips to statewide events led by partners such as Voces de la Frontera. Marketing and outreach are grassroots: community events, faith community networks, partnership co-hosting, and an EveryAction-powered email newsletter, with a Facebook presence at facebook.com/esther.foxvalley.

ESTHER is staffed at 1-10 employees, including Lead Organizer Katie Olson, Lead Housing Advocate JenAnn Bauer (a recent hire with lived reentry experience), Organizer Miracle Wheeler, and founding organizer Rev. Joe Ellwanger, with Rev. Joel Schlatenhaufer as founding president. Strategic partnerships span faith communities (First Congregational UCC, Prince of Peace Lutheran, Lutheran Church of the Wilderness), civic and institutional partners (City of Appleton, Lawrence University, Appleton Public Library), advocacy networks (WISDOM, Gamaliel Foundation, WIVEC, Voces de la Frontera, Casa Hispana, African Heritage Inc., Common Ground, Fit Oshkosh), and housing-focused coalitions (Fox Cities Housing Coalition) with corporate funders Thrivent Financial and Veridian Development supporting specific housing video production. ESTHER also acts as fiscal sponsor for Circles of Support, a reentry assistance program.

Name

Esther

Legal name

ESTHER

Website

https://esther-foxvalley.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ESTHER is a faith-based nonprofit community organizing coalition founded in 2004 in Wisconsin's Fox Valley, serving Appleton, Neenah, and Oshkosh through advocacy on housing justice, racial equity, immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and mental health, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice Advocacy and Community Organizing

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations (BPAGAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC), Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Social justice advocacy
• Housing advocacy
• Racial equity initiatives
• Faith-based coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Neenah

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, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ESTHER is a faith-based nonprofit community organizing coalition that convenes congregations, residents, and partner organizations in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin to advocate for systemic change. Its core work includes housing advocacy, racial equity initiatives, immigrant rights education, criminal justice and reentry support, youth mental health advocacy, and civic engagement programming such as candidate forums and Know Your Rights trainings, all delivered at no cost to community members.

Product overview

ESTHER (standing for Building community, sharing hope, and standing for justice since 2004) is a faith-based community organization in the Fox Valley, Wisconsin region. It is not a product company but rather a nonprofit organizing coalition focused on social justice issues including housing advocacy, racial equity, transformational justice, immigrant rights, and mental health advocacy. The organization hosts community events, forums, educational programs, and advocacy campaigns rather than offering technology products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Advocacy Program Direct housing advocacy, systems navigation, and case support for individuals and families in the Fox Valley facing housing instability, homelessness, or inability to afford workforce housing. Delivered at no cost by a Lead Housing Advocate.
• Transformational Justice Task Force Recurring convening focused on criminal justice reform, reentry support, and systems change for formerly incarcerated individuals, including housing and employment pathways. ESTHER also serves as fiscal sponsor for Circles of Support, a reentry assistance program.
• Know Your Rights Training Community education training for immigrant residents in the Fox Valley covering immigration rights, legal protections, and how to respond in encounters with authorities. Delivered in partnership with Casa Hispana and other community organizations.
• Legal Observer Training Training program for community members to serve as legal observers at protests, actions, and community events in support of civil liberties and accountability.
• Fox Valley Speaks Housing Conversations Community dialogue series bringing together residents, faith leaders, and civic stakeholders to share experiences around homelessness and housing instability and to mobilize action on housing solutions.
• Faith 250 Multifaith Civic Program Multifaith civic engagement program inviting participants from many faith traditions to reflect on America's founding texts, share food and fellowship, and build civic renewal ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. In the Fox Valley it is hosted by ESTHER with WIVEC and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
• Workforce Housing Video (Fox Cities Housing Coalition collaboration) Educational advocacy video on workforce housing issues in the Fox Valley, produced as part of ESTHER's partnership with the Fox Cities Housing Coalition. Used as a tool for community education and policy advocacy.
• African Immersion Program Intercultural educational program developed and led by ESTHER's organizing staff to deepen community members' understanding of African history and culture in support of racial equity work.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WISDOM (Wisconsin Gamaliel affiliate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISDOM is a statewide Wisconsin network of faith-based community organizations that ESTHER is affiliated with. ESTHER participates in WISDOM events including Madison Action Day and collaborates on statewide advocacy efforts including criminal justice reform and immigrant rights.
• Gamaliel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gamaliel Foundation is the national organization that WISDOM and ESTHER are affiliated with, providing training, support, and network connections for faith-based community organizing.
• WIVECmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIVEC (Wisconsin Institute for Vision, Education and Citizenship) partners with ESTHER on events including Faith 250, a national multifaith movement celebrating America's founding texts, and Pillars of Democracy events.
• First Congregational United Church of Christ (Appleton)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Congregational UCC hosts the ESTHER office at 724 E South River St, Appleton. The church serves as a primary venue for ESTHER events and meetings and partners on Mental Health Task Force activities.
• City of AppletonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerESTHER partners with the City of Appleton on initiatives including Fox Valley Speaks housing conversations and participates in city-sponsored events like MLK Day celebrations.
• Fox Cities Housing CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESTHER is part of the Fox Cities Housing Coalition working on workforce housing advocacy. The coalition produced a video on workforce housing in the Fox Valley.
• Lawrence UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence University partners with ESTHER on annual MLK Day celebrations in the Fox Cities and hosts events at its campus. Lawrence University students and staff participate in ESTHER-organized events.
• African Heritage Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Heritage Inc. partners with ESTHER on Juneteenth celebrations in Appleton, with ESTHER hosting booths and participating in annual events.
• Common GroundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESTHER partners with Common Ground on the Fox Valley Speaks initiative, a series of housing conversations designed to inspire change by sharing diverse experiences around homelessness.
• Casa HispanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasa Hispana sponsors Latino Fest, an annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. ESTHER supports and promotes this event as part of community engagement.
• Fit OshkoshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFit Oshkosh partners with ESTHER on racial equity initiatives including the Color-Brave Photo Project, a traveling exhibit featuring photographs of people of color who live in Oshkosh.
• Appleton Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Appleton Public Library partners with ESTHER on film screenings and community events including the Sisters Rising screening and No Address film showing.
• Voces de la FronteraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESTHER organizes bus transportation for community members to attend May Day / Day Without Immigrants events led by Voces de la Frontera at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gamaliel Foundation: The Gamaliel Foundation is the national faith-based organizing network that supports ESTHER through WISDOM. While broader in scope (operating across multiple states), it provides ESTHER's organizing training, network connections, and national campaign infrastructure.
• Faith in Action: Faith in Action (formerly PICO National Network) is one of the largest U.S. faith-based community organizing networks, operating in dozens of cities with similar congregation-based organizing on housing, racial equity, and immigrant rights. It is a broader incumbent in the same organizing category as ESTHER.
• Industrial Areas Foundation: The Industrial Areas Foundation is the oldest and one of the largest U.S. faith-based community organizing networks, with local affiliates across the country using the same broad-based congregation organizing model as ESTHER. It is a broader incumbent competitor for the same donor and organizing talent pool.

Direct peers

• ARISE Chicago: ARISE Chicago is a faith-based community organizing coalition affiliated with a national network, pursuing housing, immigrant rights, and racial justice in Chicago. It is a structural analog to ESTHER operating in a different Midwest urban context with the same organizing methodology.
• ISAIAH: ISAIAH is a Minnesota-based faith-based community organizing coalition and Gamaliel affiliate that pursues housing justice, racial equity, and immigrant rights through congregation-based organizing, structurally identical to ESTHER's model in a neighboring state.
• Voces de la Frontera: Voces de la Frontera is a Wisconsin-based immigrant rights organization that ESTHER directly partners with and helps mobilize supporters for May Day actions. It shares ESTHER's immigrant rights and racial equity focus but specializes more narrowly in Latino worker and immigrant organizing.
• MOSES (Metropolitan Organizing Strategy for Empowerment): MOSES is a faith-based community organizing coalition in Michigan affiliated with the Gamaliel network. It operates the same congregation-based organizing model targeting racial equity, housing, and criminal justice reform in another Midwest state.
• WIVEC (Wisconsin Institute for Vision, Education and Citizenship): WIVEC is a Wisconsin civic engagement organization that co-hosts Faith 250 and Pillars of Democracy events with ESTHER. It operates in adjacent civic/interfaith space and shares ESTHER's constituency of faith communities and civic participation focus.
• Common Ground Wisconsin: Common Ground is a Wisconsin faith-based community organizing coalition that directly partners with ESTHER on the Fox Valley Speaks housing initiative. Both organizations share faith-based organizing methodology and overlapping issue focus on housing and equity in Wisconsin.
• WISDOM (Wisconsin): WISDOM is a statewide Wisconsin faith-based community organizing network affiliated with the Gamaliel Foundation, of which ESTHER is a direct local affiliate. Both organizations share training infrastructure, statewide campaigns (criminal justice reform, immigrant rights), and the same community organizing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/esther.foxvalley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esther-fox-valley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Esther