Thomas House Family Shelter

What Thomas House Family Shelter does

Thomas House Family Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 in Garden Grove, California, by Mary and Bernie Selz. The organization provides transitional shelter and homeless prevention services exclusively to families with children experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Orange County. Its core operations center on 20 fully furnished apartment units delivered rent-free, supplemented by an integrated suite of supportive services including case management, career development, youth programming, teen case management, housing navigation, mental health counseling, and an on-site food pantry. The organization also operates a post-graduation Homeless Prevention program to support families in maintaining permanent housing.

The shelter is sustained entirely through donations, grants, employer matching gifts, and fundraising events rather than fees charged to beneficiaries. Revenue streams span individual giving, tiered major-donor membership through THE Circle (with annual levels from $1,000 to $25,000), corporate sponsorships at $10,000/year under the We Are Thomas House program, planned giving, non-cash donations (stocks, IRAs, cryptocurrency), and annual events including Casino Royale and Help Them Home Giving Day. The organization reports serving 65+ families annually with outcome metrics of 90% permanent housing attainment, 80%+ 12-month retention, and 90% youth academic improvement.

Technology infrastructure is limited to standard nonprofit tools: DonorPerfect for donation processing, Double the Donation for matching gift administration, and participation in the OC Homeless Management Information System for client tracking. Leadership comprises a small core team including CEO Shakoya Green-Long (20+ years in behavioral health/social services), an Operations Manager, a Case Manager, and a Marketing Coordinator, supported by a nine-member Board of Directors representing Orange County companies and an internship pipeline across functional areas.

Name

Thomas House Family Shelter

Legal name

Thomas House Family Shelter

Website

https://thomashouseshelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thomas House Family Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Garden Grove, California, providing rent-free transitional shelter in 20 furnished apartments plus case management, career, youth, and mental health services to families with children experiencing homelessness in Orange County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Family Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Family transitional housing
• Homeless prevention programs
• Nonprofit social services
• Emergency family shelter

Headquarters

HQ city

Garden Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters to fund shelter operations, supportive services, and programs for homeless families.
2. Monthly Giving (THE Circle): Exclusive donor community with annual membership tiers ($1,000-$25,000) providing recurring revenue and engagement with major donors.
3. Corporate Matching Gifts: Employer matching gift programs where companies match employee donations, doubling individual contributions.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: 'We Are Thomas House' community sponsors at $10,000/year covering apartment expenses including utilities, repairs, furnishings, and linens.
5. Planned Giving (Wills & Trusts): Legacy donations through wills and trusts providing long-term sustainable funding.
6. Stock, IRA & Crypto Donations: Tax-efficient non-cash donations of stocks, IRA distributions, and cryptocurrency providing additional revenue streams.
7. Event Revenue: Annual celebration events (Casino Royale), Help Them Home Giving Day, and other fundraising events generating sponsorships, ticket sales, and auction proceeds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thomas House Family Shelter provides rent-free transitional shelter in 20 fully furnished apartment units to families with children experiencing homelessness, accompanied by comprehensive supportive services including case management, career development, youth development, teen case management, housing navigation, mental health counseling, and an on-site food pantry. It also operates a Homeless Prevention program offering post-graduation support to help families maintain permanent housing and self-sufficiency.

Product overview

Thomas House Family Shelter operates as a nonprofit social services organization offering two core programs: Transitional Shelter providing 20 fully furnished apartment units with comprehensive supportive services (case management, career development, youth development, teen case management, housing navigation, mental health services, and food pantry), and a Homeless Prevention Program for post-graduation support. The organization also runs THE Circle donor program with tiered membership levels, annual fundraising events (Casino Royale, Help Them Home Giving Day), Back to School Supply Drive, and a Volunteer Program with on-site and off-site opportunities. The product portfolio centers on homeless family intervention through shelter, comprehensive case management, youth empowerment, and donor engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transitional Shelter Program Provides rent-free shelter in 20 fully furnished apartment units with weekly groceries, supplies, and clothing, alongside comprehensive supportive services including case management, career development, youth programs, mental health services, housing navigation, and an on-site food pantry for homeless families with children in Orange County.
• Homeless Prevention Program Post-graduation support program providing ongoing case management, budgeting services, food pantry access, career development, and youth development services to help families who have completed the Transitional Shelter program maintain independence and permanent housing.
• THE Circle (Empowerment Circle) Donor Membership Program Exclusive annual donor community recognizing individuals who invest in Thomas House at tiered membership levels: Legacy Donor ($1,000-$4,999), Empowerment & Hope Donor ($5,000-$9,999), We Are Thomas House Donor ($10,000-$19,999), and Mary and Bernie Selz Donor ($20,000-$25,000), each with specific recognition benefits including engraved bricks, plaques, and dinner with graduate families.
• Help Them Home Giving Day 24-hour community giving day fundraiser backed by the Orange County Community Foundation, partnering with 27 other Orange County homeless service providers to collectively raise funds to end homelessness; features corporate match partners including Ontario Refrigeration, Columbia Bank Community Impact Fund, and US Bank matching donations up to $50,000.
• Casino Royale Annual Celebration Annual gala event held each September featuring dinner, silent and live auctions, entertainment, dancing, and an award ceremony recognizing supporters who champion the mission of ending family homelessness.
• Back to School Supply Drive Annual drive (June 1 to July 24) providing backpacks, notebooks, pencils, school uniforms, and other school supplies to ensure children in the Thomas House program start the school year with the resources needed to succeed.
• Volunteer Program On-site and off-site volunteer opportunities including Youth Development Program assistance, serving supper, planning children's parties, service projects, board and committee membership, baking birthday cakes, and hosting donation drives for individuals and groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of families attain permanent housing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sea Pointe Design & RemodelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025Sea Pointe Design & Remodel, based in Orange County, partnered with Thomas House Family Shelter since 2019 through volunteer work, donations, and renovation services. They refurbished an apartment to provide a family with a renovated home for Christmas.
• A Little HelpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Thomas House families through volunteer services and donations.
• Orange County United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMIS Lead organization providing oversight and grievance management for the Orange County Homeless Management Information System used by Thomas House.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercy House Living Centers: Orange County-based nonprofit operating emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive services for homeless individuals and families. Directly comparable to Thomas House as a regional family-focused homeless services provider in the same service geography.
• Families Forward: Irvine, CA-based nonprofit providing shelter, food, housing navigation, and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness in Orange County. Directly comparable mission, geography, and target population.
• Illumination Foundation: Orange County nonprofit providing recuperative care, transitional housing, and homeless services for families and individuals; shares the same OC geography and integrated shelter-plus-supportive-services model.
• HomeAid Orange County: Orange County nonprofit focused on building and renovating housing for families and individuals experiencing homelessness; overlaps with Thomas House's mission around family housing stability in OC.
• Colette's Children's Home: California nonprofit operating emergency shelter and transitional housing programs for homeless children and their families; directly comparable family-focused shelter model.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Orange County: Large national nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and social services; operates multiple family shelters in Orange County as part of a broader service portfolio and competes for similar donor and corporate sponsor dollars.
• Catholic Charities of Orange County: Regional nonprofit social services provider offering housing, immigration, and family support services in OC; broader portfolio but overlapping family homelessness programming.
• Orange County United Way: Regional funder and convener for homelessness and family services in OC; serves as both a funder of Thomas House (via OC HMIS) and a competitor for philanthropic dollars in the same geography.

Regional players

• Mary's Shelter (Long Beach): SoCal-based nonprofit providing shelter and supportive services for pregnant women and families experiencing homelessness; comparable program model with adjacent geographic reach.

Others

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization focused on affordable housing policy; thematically aligned with Thomas House's mission but operates at the policy and research level rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/THShelter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGt50MX7HbPvPItwoUBWt4A/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThomasHouseTemporaryShelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thomas-house-temporary-shelter
• Instagraminstagram.com/thomashouseshelter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Thomas House Family Shelter