Back on My Feet

What Back on My Feet does

Back on My Feet is a Philadelphia-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that uses running, community accountability, and structured support services to help individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction achieve economic self-sufficiency. The organization recruits members directly from partner homeless shelters and rehabilitation facilities; members commit to attending Circle Up running and walking groups three mornings per week and progress through Next Steps workshops covering financial literacy, job-skills training, résumé writing, apartment leasing, and one-on-one mentorship. The program has served more than 15,000 individuals since inception, with cumulative outcomes of 950,000+ miles run, 10,000+ jobs and homes achieved, and an 83% employment retention rate validated against an average hire rate of $13.42/hr versus the federal minimum of $7.25/hr.

The operational footprint spans 14–18 U.S. cities (Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC) and is delivered through an in-person community-led model rather than a technology platform. Back on My Feet works with more than 75 program partner organizations, employer partners, and corporate partners (AT&T notably maintains board representation across all twelve chapters and has run technology training workshops for 62 members), and convenes two governance bodies — the National Advocates Council and Corporate Partners Council — to drive funding and workforce integration. There is no proprietary software, app, or API; the technology footprint is limited to operational tooling (Funraise for donations, Google Analytics, Rippling/ADP for HR and recruiting). A PA Consulting Group–validated social return on investment of $2.50 per $1 invested underpins the organization's fundraising narrative.

Back on My Feet is funded entirely through charitable revenue streams: individual donations (preset tiers of $25, $50, $100, $250 or custom), corporate partnerships, in-kind donations of running gear and equipment, and FundRacing event proceeds in which participants secure guaranteed entry to popular races in exchange for fundraising commitments. The program is delivered free of charge to participants. Leadership comprises founder Anne Mahlum (also founder of Solidcore) and CEO Katy Sherratt, supported by a national board whose members typically contribute $50,000–$250,000 annually.

Name

Back on My Feet

Legal name

Back on My Feet

Website

https://backonmyfeet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Back on My Feet is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses running groups, life-skills workshops, employer referrals, and housing resources to help people experiencing homelessness and addiction achieve self-sufficiency, operating across 14 U.S. cities since 2007.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Recovery & Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Rehabilitation Return-to-Exercise Training (Non-Clinical) (HSADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Outdoor Fitness & Park Bootcamps (HSADABAC)

Keywords

• Homelessness recovery programs
• Community running initiatives
• Workforce development services
• Addiction recovery programs
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Back on My Feet accepts individual donations through their website with preset amounts ($250, $100, $50, $25) or custom amounts. Donors receive tax deduction acknowledgments as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Corporate Partnerships: National and local corporate partners provide financial support, programmatic assistance, workforce development opportunities, and employee engagement programs. Partners include technology training workshops and employment referrals.
3. FundRacing: FundRacing provides guaranteed entry into popular and sold-out races while participants commit to raising money for the organization. This creates a fundraising mechanism where runners secure race spots and donors support the mission.
4. In-Kind Donations: Back on My Feet accepts bulk donations of running gear, sneakers, and new/like-new computers with Microsoft Office. They coordinate these in-kind contributions with local chapters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Back on My Feet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction from partner shelters and rehabilitation facilities and engages them in a structured running and community accountability program. Members commit to early morning Circle Up running/walking groups three days per week, then progress to Next Steps career development including financial literacy, job skills training, resume writing, mentorship, and housing assistance, ultimately supporting transition to employment and self-sufficiency.

Product overview

Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization operating as a single integrated program focused on disrupting homelessness and addiction through the power of fitness, community, and support services. The organization's core offering combines early morning running/walking groups (Circle Ups) with comprehensive life-skills development, including educational workshops, financial literacy training, job skills development, and housing assistance. The program operates in 14 cities nationwide through partnerships with shelters, rehabilitation facilities, and corporate employment partners. The main programmatic elements include the Core Running Program, FundRacing events, Next Steps career development, volunteer mentorship, and alumni support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Running & Community Program (Circle Ups) Free, structured program that recruits individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction from partner shelters and rehabilitation facilities and engages them in Circle Up early morning running/walking groups three days per week, with access to workshops, personalized support, and one-on-one mentorship to achieve self-sufficiency.
• FundRacing

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% of members maintain employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Employment Partners (various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment partners are critical allies in supporting members on paths toward successful and sustainable careers. These partners provide job opportunities, career development, and workforce integration support for Back on My Feet members.
• Program Partners (75+ organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBack on My Feet works with more than 75 organizations nationwide to provide essential employment and housing resources for members.
• PA Consulting GroupminorOthersPA Consulting Group validated the economic impact results showing $2.50 returned per $1 invested in Back on My Feet.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit serving formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated/homeless populations through a mix of social enterprise employment, mental health services, and community-based programming. Comparable to Back on My Feet because both wrap vulnerable populations around employment, community accountability, and wraparound services rather than emergency shelter alone.
• The Doe Fund: NYC-based nonprofit providing transitional employment, housing, and occupational training (notably its "Ready, Willing & Able" program) to adults experiencing homelessness, including those with criminal-justice histories. Directly comparable on mission, target population, and the integration of paid transitional work with housing stability.
• Fountain House: NYC-based nonprofit operating a clubhouse model that combines supported employment, education, housing, and community for adults living with mental health conditions, many of whom have histories of homelessness. Comparable to Back on My Feet through its emphasis on community-membership model, employment as an outcome, and wraparound support services.
• Covenant House: International nonprofit providing housing, workforce development, and trauma-informed services to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and trafficking. Comparable through its dual focus on housing stabilization plus employment/education pathways serving a vulnerable, near-zero-income population.
• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit providing young adults from historically underserved communities with six months of training and six-month corporate internships, primarily in tech and business. Comparable through job-placement focus, employer partnership infrastructure, and measurable wage-outcome metrics analogous to Back on My Feet's $13.42/hr placement data.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing no-cost technology training and career development for adults from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds. Comparable through its tuition-free model, employer-partner-driven placement, and explicit outcome reporting on wages and employment retention.
• Center for Employment Opportunities: National nonprofit providing transitional employment, vocational training, and post-release support to people recently returning from incarceration — a population with high overlap to Back on My Feet's membership. Comparable in its emphasis on immediate paid work as a stabilizing force and its employer-partner-driven placement model.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Incumbent national nonprofit operating workforce development, job training, and social enterprises across hundreds of US locations. Functions as a broad incumbent offering employment and re-entry services overlapping Back on My Feet's workforce-development pillar, but with significantly larger scale and a different service-mix model.
• The Salvation Army USA: One of the largest US nonprofits operating shelter, addiction recovery, workforce, and housing programs nationwide. Already an explicit program partner of Back on My Feet at multiple sites, and comparable as the dominant incumbent serving the same homeless and addiction populations at much greater scale.

Others

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: Policy, research, and advocacy nonprofit rather than a direct service provider. Adjacent because it shapes the federal funding landscape and field-wide standards that ultimately support organizations like Back on My Feet, but does not deliver comparable direct employment services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BackonMyFeetNational/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/BackOnMyFeetNational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backonmyfeet
• Instagraminstagram.com/backonmyfeet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Back on My Feet