Hopelink

What Hopelink does

Hopelink is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency founded in 1971 (originally as the Multi-Service Center of North and East King County, renamed Hopelink in 2000) and headquartered in Redmond, Washington. It is the largest nonprofit organization serving North and East King County, with additional service reach into Snohomish and Pierce Counties. The organization operates five physical service centers (Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline, Carnation), five no-cost Food Markets, a mobile food market, and 14 Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) routes operated in partnership with King County Metro. Hopelink also serves as a Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation brokerage for King and Snohomish Counties.

The organization's service portfolio is built around eight core programs: Food (including the Hopelink Harvest farm-direct sub-program), Financial Assistance, Energy, Housing with case management, Transportation (DART, Medicaid NEMT, Mobility Management), Adult Education (English for Work and Beginner English), Financial Capabilities coaching, and Family Development. All services are provided free of charge to eligible clients, and the technology footprint is explicitly non-product-oriented — Hopelink operates as a service-delivery organization rather than a software or platform company.

Hopelink's business model is multi-stream nonprofit revenue: individual donations (one-time, monthly, planned giving, online fundraising), foundation and corporate grants, federal/state/local government funding, United Way contributions, and in-kind donations of food and goods. Governance rests on a 21-member board balanced across elected officials, community members, and low-income representatives, with an eight-member Leadership Council of senior staff. The organization is a designated Community Action Agency within a national network of 1,000+ such agencies serving 13 million people annually. As of 2025, Hopelink is undergoing a leadership transition with Meghan Altimore as the newly appointed CEO and Eileen Aparis as COO.

Name

Hopelink

Legal name

Hopelink

Website

https://hopelink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hopelink is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, providing free food, housing, transportation, education, financial, and family-development services to low-income individuals, immigrants, refugees, and people with disabilities across North and East King County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Community Action Agency

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food Services (624210), Community Housing Services (62422), Educational Support Services (611710), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM), Community Integration & Travel Training (Public Transportation Navigation) (EDAKANAH)

Keywords

• Social services
• Food assistance
• Housing support
• Nonprofit transportation
• Community action

Headquarters

HQ city

Redmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Contributions: Hopelink receives monetary contributions from individuals through one-time donations, monthly giving programs, planned giving, and online fundraising campaigns.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from public and private foundations and corporate partners supporting specific programs and initiatives.
3. Government Funding: Federal, state, and local government entities provide funding for various community programs including transportation and social services.
4. United Way Support: United Way contributions supporting community programs and services.
5. In-Kind Donations: Donations of food, goods, and services from individuals and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hopelink is a nonprofit community action agency that delivers free, stability-building social services to people experiencing poverty, immigrants and refugees, and people with disabilities across North and East King County, Washington. Its core offering is an integrated portfolio of programs—Food (via five Food Markets, a Mobile Market, and the Hopelink Harvest farm-direct initiative), Financial Assistance and Financial Capabilities coaching, Energy bill assistance, Housing with case management, Transportation (DART transit, Medicaid NEMT brokerage, and Mobility Management), Adult Education (English for Work and Beginner English), and Family Development with case management.

Product overview

Hopelink is a nonprofit community action agency providing stability-building programs for people experiencing poverty, immigrants and refugees, and people with disabilities in North and East King County, Washington. Rather than a single unified product, Hopelink operates a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected social service programs that work in tandem to address immediate needs and support long-term stability. The core programs include Food Program (with Food Markets, Mobile Market, and Harvest sub-initiatives), Financial Assistance, Energy Program, Housing with case management, Transportation (encompassing DART, Medicaid NEMT, and Mobility Management), Adult Education (English for Work and Beginner English), Financial Capabilities, and Family Development. The programs are intentionally designed to be flexible and client-centered, allowing individuals and families to access services at any point in their journey toward exiting poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Program Hopelink's Food Program provides no-cost food assistance through five Food Markets and a Mobile Market, offering fresh produce, proteins, dairy, and household essentials in a dignified grocery-store setting for people experiencing food insecurity in North and East King County.
• Financial Assistance Emergency financial assistance that helps families and individuals in North and East King County meet immediate needs and work toward stability.
• Energy Program Utility and energy bill assistance, plus weatherization support, to help low-income households in North and East King County maintain heating and electricity services.
• Housing Program Housing assistance combined with case management that includes shelter, transitional housing, non-time-limited housing, and affordable housing units for individuals and families experiencing housing instability or homelessness.
• DART (Dial-A-Ride Transit) A King County Metro service operated by Hopelink, providing fixed-route transit across 14 routes in King County with smaller vehicles that can perform limited off-route deviations upon request; fully accessible with wheelchair lifts and bicycle racks.
• Medicaid Transportation (NEMT) Non-Emergency Medical Transportation services arranged for Medicaid-eligible individuals in King and Snohomish Counties to access medical appointments.
• Mobility Management Provides travel education and resources to build awareness of existing transportation options and supports coordination of specialized transportation through cross-sector collaborations.
• English for Work A three-month program for immigrants and refugees to develop English language skills while preparing for employment in the United States, including resume writing, job interviews, and workplace culture; established in 2013 and has since assisted more than 2,000 students.
• Beginner English Supports immigrants and refugees with learning English letters and numbers, reading and writing in English, and vocabulary useful in daily life, for those with beginning-level English skills.
• Financial Capabilities One-on-one financial coaching program that helps individuals manage their money, pay down debt, increase credit scores, and achieve greater financial wellbeing; documented outcomes include a client paying off $7,000 of debt and raising a credit score from 655 to 730.
• Family Development Support services for families to build stability and work toward self-sufficiency through case management and referrals.
• Hopelink Harvest Farm-direct program partnering with regional farmers, community gardeners, and gleaning groups (including Viva Farms and Food Bank Farm) to source fresh, locally grown produce for distribution through Hopelink Food Markets; yielded 191,000 pounds of produce in 2023.
• Mobile Market Mobile food market that brings nutritious food directly into underserved neighborhoods, expanding access beyond the five fixed Food Market locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,336 pounds of food collected through single Stamp Out Hunger food drive
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Viva FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit farm business incubator providing culturally relevant, local, organic produce through bulk purchasing agreements since 2022. Coordinates with Hopelink to provide seasonal produce throughout the year.
• National Association of Letter CarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive partnership collecting non-perishable food donations along mail routes to support Hopelink Food Markets. Largest single-day food drive in the nation.
• King County MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing County Metro partners with Hopelink to operate DART (Dial-A-Ride Transit) service and Community Van program, providing flexible transportation options for communities in King County.
• St. John Vianney Catholic ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity garden partnership where volunteers grow produce donated directly to Hopelink Food Markets. Produced over 200 pounds of vegetables in first year.
• Food Bank FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperated by The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Redmond, this farm donates all its harvest to area food banks including Hopelink.
• Washington State Board of Community and Technical CollegesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides ongoing professional development and equity-minded leadership training for English for Work instructors.
• Washington State Community Action Partners (WSCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association providing unified voice for Community Action Agencies in advocacy, policy, and legislative issues. Provides training and technical assistance to 30 agencies.
• King County Mobility CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition supporting coordination of King County specialized transportation. Members include service providers, clients, and funders from government, non-profit, and for-profit sectors.
• Nonprofit Association of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide nonprofit network for learning, advocacy, and collaboration among nonprofit organizations.
• Eastside for AllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit advocating for racial, economic, and social justice in East King County, centering community voices to drive local policy change.
• Eastside PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative organization dedicated to improving lives of children and families in East King County through cross-sector partnerships.
• Alliance of Eastside AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork building healthy communities in East King County through strong human services network and organizational excellence.
• Nourishing NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots organization bringing together volunteers, agencies, schools, and faith groups to address food insecurity and basic human needs.
• Eastside Homelessness Advisory CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates regional responses to homelessness among East King County city staff, housing providers, advocates, and funders.
• Eastside Human Services ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFosters collaboration among public and private health and human services providers on the Eastside to build resilient service network.
• King County Alliance for Human ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-wide coalition of human service providers, funders, faith-based organizations advocating for stable funding and racial equity approaches.
• North Urban Human Services AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional alliance serving North King County (Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville) promoting accessible, coordinated human services.
• Seattle Human Services CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-racial coalition of over 170 human service agencies in Seattle and King County working to shape public policy and advance racial equity.
• Community Action PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of over 1,000 Community Action Agencies helping 13 million people annually. Hopelink is one of 30 CAAs in Washington State.
• Other Washington State Community Action AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerByrd Barr Place, El Centro de la Raza, Neighborhood House, Seattle Conservation Corps, Multi-Service Center, Solid Ground, and Metropolitan Development Council - other CAAs in Washington working together to eliminate poverty.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solid Ground: Seattle-based anti-poverty nonprofit offering housing, food, financial education, and family support services; directly comparable as a Washington Community Action Agency serving a similar low-income client base with a comparable service portfolio.
• Byrd Barr Place: Seattle-based Community Action Agency providing food, housing, energy assistance, and financial capability programs; directly comparable CAA peer with overlapping program mix.
• Multi-Service Center: Federal Way-based Community Action Agency delivering food, housing, energy, transportation, and emergency assistance; comparable scope and CAA structure serving South King County low-income populations.
• Metropolitan Development Council: Tacoma-based Community Action Agency providing housing, employment, education, and emergency services to low-income Pierce County residents; comparable CAA peer also named in Hopelink's Washington CAA coalition.
• Neighborhood House: Seattle-area Community Action Agency providing housing, food, education, and family development services to immigrants, refugees, and low-income residents; overlaps heavily with Hopelink's service mix and King County footprint.
• El Centro de la Raza: Seattle-based Latino-focused community action and social services organization offering housing, education, food, and family support; comparable CAA peer with strong immigrant/refugee focus similar to Hopelink's English for Work program.

Others

• King County Housing Authority: Public housing authority providing affordable housing and supportive services across King County; adjacent rather than competitive—Hopelink's housing program frequently partners with or refers to KCHA for long-term housing placements.

Regional players

• Northwest Harvest: Washington statewide food bank network; overlaps significantly with Hopelink's food distribution mission and Washington service area, and competes for food sourcing and donor dollars regionally.
• Food Lifeline: Seattle-based Feeding America regional food bank distributing food across Western Washington; directly comparable food sourcing/distribution scale and donor relationships in Hopelink's service geography.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Large regional faith-based social services organization providing housing, refugee resettlement, family support, and case management across Western Washington; comparable breadth of services with a broader geographic mandate than Hopelink.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hopelink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopelink
• Instagraminstagram.com/hopelinkhelps/?hl=en
• Xx.com/hopelink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Hopelink