WINGS Program
WINGS Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 and headquartered in Chicago that provides shelter, housing, counseling, and advocacy to adult and child survivors of domestic violence across the Chicagoland area, with revenue exceeding $13 million annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WINGS Program does
WINGS Program, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that provides housing, integrated services, education, and advocacy to adult and child survivors of domestic violence. As Illinois' largest domestic violence services provider, the organization operates a trauma-informed service model combining 24/7 crisis hotline, emergency shelter (WINGS Metro Safe House and Suburban Safe House), transitional housing, individual and group counseling, mentoring, legal advocacy, and children's services. Service delivery is anchored by embedded advocates in three major Chicago-area hospital emergency departments (Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Rush University Medical Center) for early intervention and referral, supplemented by culturally responsive programs including ALAS for the Latinx community and multilingual (Spanish, Polish) website resources. The 2022 acquisition of A New Direction added community-based counseling in Beverly/Morgan Park, and the 2023 opening of the Foglia Family Resource Center extended capacity into outpatient clinical services such as DBT and EMDR therapy.
WINGS generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit funding model spanning individual and corporate donations, government and foundation grants, legacy and planned giving, employee gift matching, and cryptocurrency donations. A distinctive earned-revenue component comes from WINGS Resale, a network of thrift stores in Arlington Heights, Niles, and Schaumburg that sell donated clothing, furniture, and household items, with proceeds funding survivor services. All shelter, counseling, advocacy, and housing services are provided free of charge to survivors. The organization is led by President & CEO Rebecca Darr, who has grown the operating budget from $350,000 to over $13 million during her 25-year tenure, and maintains a 101-250 employee headcount with governance from a Board of Directors and an Honorary Leadership Council. WINGS holds Charity Navigator's Four-Star Rating for five consecutive years, BBB Wise Giving Alliance Accreditation, and Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency, alongside multiple National Purple Ribbon Awards from DomesticShelters.org and a 2017 Chicago Innovation Award.
WINGS Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WINGS Program
- Legal name
- WINGS Program, Inc.
- Website
- https://wingsprogram.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- WINGS Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 and headquartered in Chicago that provides shelter, housing, counseling, and advocacy to adult and child survivors of domestic violence across the Chicagoland area, with revenue exceeding $13 million annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WINGS Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
WINGS Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual and Corporate Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and corporations support operational costs and program services for domestic violence survivors.
- Resale Store Proceeds: WINGS Thrift Stores generate revenue through sale of donated clothing, furniture, and household items. All proceeds support shelter operations and survivor services.
- Government and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from government agencies and private foundations supports specific programs including hospital-based domestic violence intervention services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free services for domestic violence survivors |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
WINGS Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WINGS Program, Inc. provides free, trauma-informed housing, counseling, mentoring, and advocacy services to adult and child survivors of domestic violence in the Chicagoland area. Its service portfolio includes emergency safe houses (WINGS Metro Safe House and Suburban Safe House), transitional housing, individual and group counseling, the Survivor Lifeline mentoring program, hospital-based advocacy, the Foglia Family Resource Center, and the A New Direction community counseling program. WINGS also operates three WINGS Resale thrift stores whose proceeds fund shelter and survivor services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WINGS Metro Safe House: Emergency safe house shelter on Chicago's southwest side, first new domestic violence shelter in Chicago in over a decade.
- Suburban Safe House
- Foglia Family Resource Center (FFRC)
- Survivor Lifeline
- ALAS (Advocating for LatinX Achieving Self-Sufficiency)
- A New Direction
- WINGS Resale
- WINGS Men's Alliance
- WINGS Hospital Program
Products and services
- WINGS Metro Safe House 24-hour emergency safe house shelter on Chicago's southwest side providing confidential emergency housing, safety planning, meals, and support services to adult and child domestic violence survivors.
- Suburban Safe House
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,365 survivors served with comprehensive services
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WINGS Program
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WINGS Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
WINGS Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The NetworkcoreIllinois state domestic violence coalition providing advocacy, training, resources, and coordination among domestic violence service providers. WINGS participates in coalition activities and receives support for best practices implementation.
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical CentercoreHospital partnership placing WINGS advocates in the emergency department to identify domestic violence patients and provide immediate crisis intervention, safety planning, and referrals to shelter services.
- Northwestern Memorial HospitalcoreHospital partnership embedding WINGS domestic violence advocates in emergency department settings to provide trauma-informed intervention and connect patients to shelter and support services.
- Rush University Medical CentercoreHospital partnership providing WINGS advocates in emergency department to screen for domestic violence and connect survivors to comprehensive shelter and advocacy services.
- DomesticShelters.orgcoreNational domestic violence resource directory and advocacy organization. WINGS receives Purple Ribbon Award recognition and is listed as a featured shelter provider on the platform.
- Foglia Family Resource CenterminorCommunity resource center providing family support services. WINGS may provide referrals and collaborate on serving families in the community.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WINGS Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Apna Ghar: Chicago-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, housing, and advocacy for domestic violence and trafficking survivors. Most directly comparable peer because it serves the same geography and population using the same integrated housing-plus-services model.
- Between Friends: Chicago nonprofit offering counseling, court advocacy, and shelter-referral services to domestic violence survivors. Overlaps with WINGS on direct service delivery and the same Chicago service area.
- Connections for Abused Women and Their Children: Chicago-area nonprofit delivering shelter, counseling, and advocacy for domestic violence survivors. Comparable in mission, service mix (emergency housing + counseling), and Chicago regional footprint.
- Sarah's Circle: Chicago nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and support services for women experiencing homelessness and domestic violence. Comparable on integrated housing-plus-social-services model and Chicago geography.
- Center for Domestic Peace: California-based nonprofit providing domestic violence intervention, prevention education, and survivor support services. Functionally comparable peer in the DV services space, though serving a different geography.
- Womanspace: New Jersey nonprofit providing emergency shelter, counseling, and advocacy for domestic violence survivors. Comparable mid-sized regional DV services provider with an integrated housing-plus-counseling service model.
Emerging players
- Pillars Community Health: Chicago-area social services nonprofit delivering domestic violence services and counseling alongside broader health and human services. Comparable in integrating DV services within a larger social services portfolio.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: National nonprofit operating the 24/7 domestic violence hotline referenced alongside WINGS' own hotline. Comparable in the crisis-response and resource-referral layer of DV services, although WINGS also operates shelter while the Hotline is primarily referrals.
Broad incumbents
- YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Large Chicago social services nonprofit offering domestic violence support, housing, and economic empowerment programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same Chicago DV services space with overlapping housing and counseling offerings.
Others
- The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence: Illinois statewide coalition of domestic violence service providers in which WINGS participates. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem partner that shapes funding policy, training, and referral pathways for WINGS and peer agencies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WINGS Program social profiles
Digital presenceWINGS Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WINGS Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
WINGS Program subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
WINGS Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WINGS Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WINGS Program
What does WINGS Program do?
WINGS Program, Inc. provides free, trauma-informed housing, counseling, mentoring, and advocacy services to adult and child survivors of domestic violence in the Chicagoland area. Its service portfolio includes emergency safe houses (WINGS Metro Safe House and Suburban Safe House), transitional housing, individual and group counseling, the Survivor Lifeline mentoring program, hospital-based advocacy, the Foglia Family Resource Center, and the A New Direction community counseling program. WINGS also operates three WINGS Resale thrift stores whose proceeds fund shelter and survivor services.
Is WINGS Program a public or private company?
WINGS Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WINGS Program founded?
WINGS Program was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is WINGS Program based?
WINGS Program is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does WINGS Program make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual and Corporate Donations are the primary driver. The others are resale Store Proceeds and government and Foundation Grants.
Who are WINGS Program's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Apna Ghar, Between Friends, Connections for Abused Women and Their Children, Sarah's Circle, Center for Domestic Peace and Womanspace. Emerging players are Pillars Community Health and National Domestic Violence Hotline. YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is listed as a broad incumbent. The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence is listed as an others.
Does WINGS Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for WINGS Program.