Lighthouse Ministries

What Lighthouse Ministries does

Lighthouse Ministries is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 and headquartered at 1416 W. Evans St., Florence, South Carolina. It provides emergency financial assistance and family-strengthening programs to Florence County residents facing financial crisis, with a stated mission of preventing homelessness, child abuse, and child neglect. Its core programs include Basic Needs Assistance (rent and utility payments), the Working Mothers Education & Support Program (a six-month program for mothers with children ages 0–5), the Strengthening Families Program (14 weekly sessions for families with children ages 6–11), Triple P Positive Parenting, the Ramp Program (volunteer-built wheelchair ramps and handrails for disabled residents), the monthly First Friday Services Connect event for the homeless community, and the CARE Program for water-bill assistance. All services are delivered free of charge.

The organization operates with a lean structure of 6 full-time staff (an Executive Director, four program coordinators, a Development Associate, and a Care & Support Associate) supported by approximately 50 community volunteers. It does not maintain a proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint is limited to a Wix-hosted website, Facebook and Instagram pages, an email newsletter, and the qgiv online donation processor. It is governed by a board composed of representatives from local employers including Assurant, Snow & Bailey Law Firm, HopeHealth, Signature Wealth Strategies, MUSC, and ACS Technologies.

Lighthouse Ministries is funded through a mix of individual donations, church contributions, corporate and civic partnerships, foundation grants (Children's Trust of SC, United Way of Florence County, Dr Bruce & Lee Foundation, Aiken Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation), and a healthcare partnership with Molina Healthcare. Capital campaigns have funded facility ownership: the organization moved into its permanent headquarters in 2017 and paid off the mortgage in 2021. Annual reach is reported at roughly 2,000 households and 3,000 individuals served, with monthly distribution of about 100 diaper kits and 50 hygiene kits. The organization is preparing for its 30th anniversary in 2026 and has no stated plans to expand beyond Florence County.

Name

Lighthouse Ministries

Legal name

Lighthouse Ministries

Website

https://lighthouseflorence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lighthouse Ministries is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Florence, South Carolina, founded in 1996, that delivers emergency rent and utility assistance plus family-strengthening programs to Florence County residents facing financial crisis, free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious Organizations (8131), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Social services assistance
• Family support programs
• Financial assistance
• Community outreach
• Homeless prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Reliance on individual donations from community members to support families in crisis. Accepts both online donations through qgiv platform and check by mail.
2. Grants: Funding from institutional grants including Children's Trust of SC for family strengthening programs.
3. Church Support: Financial and volunteer support from local congregations and faith communities.
4. Special Giving Opportunities: Business and organizational partnerships for special giving and capital campaigns.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lighthouse Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit providing emergency financial assistance (rent and utility payments), family strengthening educational programs (Strengthening Families, Triple P, Working Mothers Education & Support), accessibility support through volunteer-built wheelchair ramps, and monthly homeless outreach events. All services are provided free of charge to Florence County residents in financial crisis. The organization operates a Basic Needs Assistance program, multiple parenting education programs, a Ramp Program for disabled residents, and a First Friday Services Connect event serving the homeless community.

Product overview

Lighthouse Ministries operates as a faith-based nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of social service programs focused on preventing homelessness and child abuse in Florence County. The core offerings include Basic Needs Assistance for emergency rent and utility support, paired with educational programs like the Working Mothers Education & Support Program and Strengthening Families Program. Additional specialized services include the Triple P Positive Parenting Program, Ramp Program for disability accessibility, First Friday Services Connect for homeless outreach, and the CARE Program for water bill assistance. The organization also operates a donations and item distribution program. All services are provided free of charge to eligible Florence County residents, with programs funded through grants, church support, and individual donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic Needs Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 2000 households and 3000 individuals annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Molina HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership to build stair rails and accessibility modifications for Molina Healthcare members who are disabled, providing safe home mobility.
• United Way of Florence CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and supporter of the Ramp Program, enabling construction of ramps and handrails for disabled low-income Florence County residents.
• Local Civic Organizations and CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and volunteer support for Working Mothers Education & Support Program and general ministry operations.
• Corporate Volunteer GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular volunteer groups including Wells Fargo, Armstrong Wealth Management Group, The King's Academy, Trinity-Byrnes, Newspring Church, Highland Park United Methodist Church, City of Florence, and The United Way.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of South Carolina: Faith-based nonprofit providing emergency assistance, family services, and refugee support across South Carolina. Operates similar faith-rooted social service programs and competes for the same pool of state, federal, and Catholic foundation grants.
• The Salvation Army of Florence: Local Salvation Army chapter serving Florence County with emergency rent/utility assistance, food pantry, and case management. Directly comparable mission and service model in the same geographic market.
• United Way of Florence County: Community-funding backbone in Florence County that funds Lighthouse Ministries and coordinates local social services. Comparable in its role convening nonprofits, churches, and civic organizations to address community needs.
• Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ): National faith-based nonprofit network that mobilizes local churches to provide emergency assistance, housing support, and family services. Operates an almost identical ministry partnership model in hundreds of U.S. communities.
• Habitat for Humanity of Florence Area: Local Habitat affiliate addressing housing instability in Florence County through home construction and repair. Directly competes for faith-based donors, corporate volunteers (Wells Fargo, etc.), and housing-related grants.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army USA: National faith-based social services organization operating emergency shelters, rent/utility assistance, and family programs across the U.S. Comparable service portfolio at vastly greater scale; serves as a model for large-scale replication.
• Catholic Charities USA: Largest U.S. faith-based social services network, providing emergency assistance, family support, and disaster relief nationwide. Operates with much greater resources and geographic reach, but offers directly comparable service lines.
• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit focused on affordable housing and supportive services for low-income families. Comparable prevention-focused mission and partnership-based service model, but operates at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• One80 Place (Charleston, SC): Faith-rooted nonprofit in coastal South Carolina providing emergency shelter, housing assistance, and family services. Comparable mission and service mix, serving a different SC region but competing for similar state-level funding streams.
• Harvest Hope Food Bank: South Carolina's largest food bank serving Columbia, Florence, and Greenville regions. Comparable emergency food and basic needs assistance model, with a much larger operational footprint across the state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Lighthouse-Ministries-Florence-SC-199938813349543
• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthouseflorence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lighthouseflorence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Lighthouse Ministries