Operation Restoration
Operation Restoration is a New Orleans-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that delivers wrap-around reentry support — education, housing, social services, bail funds, youth mentorship, and policy advocacy — for women and girls impacted by incarceration in Louisiana, led primarily by formerly incarcerated women.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Operation Restoration does
Operation Restoration is a Louisiana-based nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by Syrita Steib, a formerly incarcerated woman, to deliver wrap-around reentry support for women and girls impacted by incarceration. The organization operates eight interconnected core programs — Operation Education, Operation Social Services, Operation Housing, Operation Girls, Operation Freedom (Safety and Freedom Fund bail fund), Operation Arts, Operation Advocacy, and Operation Innovation (fiscal sponsorship) — collectively addressing education, housing, employment, social services, youth mentorship, bail support, arts programming, and legislative reform. The College-In-Prison Program at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, delivered in partnership with Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, is the only in-person secular higher education opportunity for incarcerated women in the state and holds SACSCOC accreditation as an off-campus instructional site.
The business model is a grant-funded nonprofit operating on a $4.4 million annual budget (FY2022), serving 1,100+ women annually through free-to-client services. Revenue streams are diversified across foundation grants (notably a $2 million unrestricted gift from Yield Giving / MacKenzie Scott in March 2024 and $150,000 from the Southern Poverty Law Center), individual donations processed via Donorbox, and government/public funding supporting policy advocacy and voter engagement work. Geographic scope is concentrated in Louisiana, where 53,693 women are released from prisons and jails annually and the state holds the nation's highest incarceration rate; the addressable market is structurally large relative to current organizational reach. The organization is staffed primarily by formerly incarcerated women in leadership roles, and Syrita Steib received a full presidential pardon in 2021 as recognition of her advocacy impact.
Distribution is delivered through four primary channels: in-prison programming inside state correctional facilities, community-based services at the New Orleans headquarters and partner sites (including The Closet boutique-style clothing store), the Hope House NOLA transitional housing facility, and the Operation Girls youth mentorship program. Technology infrastructure is intentionally light: the organization runs on a Squarespace-hosted website, standard SaaS tools, and donor/donorbox transactional systems, with no proprietary technology platform. Marketing is conducted through organic social (Instagram), earned media (consistent coverage in WWNO, WGNO, WBRZ, ESSENCE, Ms. Magazine), community events (annual Juneteenth festival, Second Chance Employment & Resource Fairs), and the CEO's speaking presence on national platforms including the Democratic National Convention.
Operation Restoration firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Operation Restoration
- Legal name
- Operation Restoration
- Website
- https://or-nola.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Operation Restoration is a New Orleans-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that delivers wrap-around reentry support — education, housing, social services, bail funds, youth mentorship, and policy advocacy — for women and girls impacted by incarceration in Louisiana, led primarily by formerly incarcerated women.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Operation Restoration industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reentry Social Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH), Workforce Reentry Programs (Justice-Involved) (EDAAAOAG), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)
Keywords
Where Operation Restoration is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Orleans
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Operation Restoration business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants: Major grants from foundations including $2 million from Yield Giving (MacKenzie Scott), $150,000 from Southern Poverty Law Center's Vote Your Voice Grant, and grants from Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans
- Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals through platforms like Donorbox, including annual campaigns like Give 8/28 (Black Philanthropy Month)
- Government/Public Funding: Funding through public sources and legislative advocacy; organization advocates for policies that support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Operation Restoration product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Operation Restoration provides free, wraparound programs for women and girls impacted by incarceration, including education (high school equivalency, college-in-prison, vocational lab assistant training, digital skills), transitional and affordable housing (Hope House NOLA), social services (rent/utility assistance, employment support, clothing through The Closet), a community bail fund (Safety and Freedom Fund), youth mentorship (Operation Girls), arts programming, policy advocacy, and fiscal sponsorship for aligned nonprofits. All services are delivered directly to individual beneficiaries free of charge, funded through foundation grants, individual donations, and government/public funding.
Product overview
Operation Restoration is a nonprofit social services organization that provides wrap-around services for women and girls impacted by incarceration through eight interconnected programs. The core programs include: Operation Education (offering high school equivalency, college-in-prison, lab assistant vocational training, STEM research, and digital skills programs), Operation Social Services (rapid response assistance, employment support, The Closet clothing distribution, and pre-release support), Operation Housing (transitional and affordable housing resources), Operation Girls (youth mentorship with entrepreneurial components), Operation Freedom/Safety and Freedom Fund (community bail fund), Operation Arts (arts programming), Operation Advocacy (policy and legislative work), and Operation Innovation (fiscal sponsorship for aligned organizations). These programs work together to address the holistic needs of justice-impacted women and girls, from reentry support and education to housing, employment, and advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Operation Education: Creates new career pathways and removes barriers to education for currently and formerly incarcerated women through four programs: Women FIRST Clinic, College-in-Prison Program, Lab Assistant Program and STEM-OPS Program.
- Operation Social Services
- Operation Girls
- Operation Freedom
- Operation Arts
- Operation Innovation
Products and services
- Operation Education A suite of education programs creating career pathways and removing barriers to education for currently and formerly incarcerated women, including high school equivalency, college degrees, vocational lab assistant training, STEM research, and digital skills training.
- Operation Social Services Wrap-around support services including rapid response assistance with rent, utilities, and expenses; employment and training support; clothing distribution through The Closet; and pre-release support for incarcerated women.
- Operation Housing Affordable housing opportunities and resources connecting formerly incarcerated women with housing support, including Hope House NOLA transitional housing program.
- Operation Girls Leadership-based mentorship program for girls and young women ages 10-17 impacted by incarceration, offering mentorship, academic support, advocacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial experience through The Lux Laboratory small business.
- Operation Freedom (Safety and Freedom Fund) Community bail fund that posts full cash bail amounts for people incarcerated solely due to inability to afford bail, including post-release support services.
- Operation Arts Arts programming that creates exposure to music and artistic forms to highlight experiences of women impacted by incarceration, including partnerships with Newcomb Art Museum and New Orleans Chamber Orchestra.
- Operation Advocacy Policy advocacy and legislative efforts to remove barriers and advance criminal justice reform for women and girls impacted by incarceration.
- Operation Innovation (Fiscal Sponsorship) Fiscal sponsorship program providing administrative and operational support to mission-aligned projects founded by people of color in areas of social, cultural, economic, racial, and environmental justice.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of incarcerated people who pursue education stay out of prison (vs 30% recidivism rate)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Operation Restoration
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Operation Restoration technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Operation Restoration partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ESSENCE Create to Heal InitiativecoreNational wellness and restorative care effort designed to support women navigating trauma and transition. OR serves as New Orleans community partner, connecting women impacted by incarceration to restorative experiences centered on healing, dignity, confidence, and belonging.
- Tulane University School of Professional AdvancementcorePartnership to provide the only in-person, secular, higher education opportunity for women incarcerated in Louisiana. Students at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women can earn Bachelor of Arts degrees. The program received SACSCOC accreditation as an off-campus instructional site.
- Louisiana Correctional Institute for WomencoreState women's prison facility where College-In-Prison program and Lab Assistant training program operate. Partnership allows OR to deliver educational programming inside the facility.
- Delgado Community CollegecorePartner in Lab Assistant Rapid Reskilling Program, preparing currently and formerly incarcerated women to work in laboratory healthcare settings. Program provides certification pathway and employment opportunities.
- Ladies of Hope MinistriescorePartner in opening Hope House NOLA, an innovative transitional housing program for formerly incarcerated women. Collaborative effort to provide housing and support services.
- Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane UniversitymajorCreated Per(Sister) exhibition (2019) sharing stories of currently and formerly incarcerated women, and Unthinkable Imagination exhibition (2023) focusing on young people's experience with the justice system.
- Louisiana Department of Public Safety and CorrectionscoreGovernment partner for Lab Assistant Program operating inside correctional facilities and for various reentry programs.
- Center for Employment OpportunitiesmajorParticipating employer at Second Chance Employment & Resource Fair, connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with employment opportunities.
- Innocence and Justice LouisianacorePartnership through Safety and Freedom Fund to help free individuals wrongfully incarcerated, including helping free Keith Ezidore after more than 34 years.
- JLaRue CosmeticsminorCollaborated with Operation Girls program to create The Lux Laboratory, a youth-led entrepreneurial initiative where girls create and sell candles, lip glosses and perfumes while learning business skills.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Operation Restoration competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ladies of Hope Ministries: Founded by Topsy Granville-Evans after her own incarceration, Ladies of Hope Ministries operates Hope House NYC transitional housing and is a direct collaborator with OR on Hope House NOLA. The organizations share a mission of supporting women impacted by incarceration through housing, education, and reentry.
- A New Way of Life: Provides transitional housing and reentry support specifically for women and formerly incarcerated people in Los Angeles. Operates multiple sober-living houses and wraparound services mirroring OR's housing-plus-social-services model, focused on the same demographic in a different state.
- Women's Prison Association: A national nonprofit providing gender-responsive services to women and girls affected by incarceration and the justice system. Offers housing, workforce, family support, and advocacy comparable to OR's wraparound model and is a leading peer in the women-centered reentry field.
- National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls: Founded by directly impacted women, the Council organizes policy advocacy and mutual support at the national level. Dolfinette Martin of OR serves as founding New Orleans chapter president, indicating deep peer overlap in mission and constituents.
- The Bail Project: A national community bail fund operating across multiple states to post bail for low-income individuals. The Safety and Freedom Fund inside OR's Operation Freedom is functionally a community bail fund operating on a smaller, locally focused scale, mirroring The Bail Project's model.
- Center for Employment Opportunities: CEO provides immediate, paid employment and workforce reentry services to people returning from incarceration across 11 states. Their employment-first reentry model parallels OR's Lab Assistant Rapid Reskilling Program and broader workforce support, focused on the same reentry population.
Broad incumbents
- Safer Foundation: One of the largest nonprofit providers of reentry services nationally, based in Illinois, with a broad portfolio that includes employment training, education, housing, and behavioral health services. Comparable to OR through its workforce reentry focus on people with criminal records.
- Hope for Justice: An international anti-trafficking and modern slavery organization operating across multiple countries with programs in survivor support, advocacy, and prevention. Comparable to OR in serving trauma-impacted, justice-involved women through holistic wraparound services.
- EQUAL Justice Initiative: Alabama-based nonprofit focused on ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the Deep South through litigation, advocacy, and public education. Operates at broader scale than OR but shares the geographic, demographic, and reform focus on Southern justice-impacted populations.
Regional players
- Youth Empowerment Project: A New Orleans-based organization serving at-risk youth with mentorship, alternative education, and wraparound support. Anika Butler of OR previously served as YEP Works Program Coordinator before joining OR's Operation Girls, indicating direct mission overlap in the same local market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Operation Restoration social profiles
Digital presenceOperation Restoration financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Operation Restoration leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Operation Restoration funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Operation Restoration 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 Operation Restoration
What does Operation Restoration do?
Operation Restoration provides free, wraparound programs for women and girls impacted by incarceration, including education (high school equivalency, college-in-prison, vocational lab assistant training, digital skills), transitional and affordable housing (Hope House NOLA), social services (rent/utility assistance, employment support, clothing through The Closet), a community bail fund (Safety and Freedom Fund), youth mentorship (Operation Girls), arts programming, policy advocacy, and fiscal sponsorship for aligned nonprofits. All services are delivered directly to individual beneficiaries free of charge, funded through foundation grants, individual donations, and government/public funding.
Is Operation Restoration a public or private company?
Operation Restoration is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Operation Restoration founded?
Operation Restoration was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Operation Restoration based?
Operation Restoration is headquartered in New Orleans, United States, in the North America region.
How does Operation Restoration make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and government/Public Funding.
Who are Operation Restoration's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ladies of Hope Ministries, A New Way of Life, Women's Prison Association, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, The Bail Project and Center for Employment Opportunities. Broad incumbents are Safer Foundation, Hope for Justice and EQUAL Justice Initiative. Youth Empowerment Project is listed as a regional player.
Does Operation Restoration have an API?
No public API is recorded for Operation Restoration.
What industry is Operation Restoration in?
Operation Restoration's product category is Reentry Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAN, Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAKANAH, Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management). Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.