Cup of Cool Water

What Cup of Cool Water does

Cup of Cool Water is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry headquartered at 1106 W 2nd Avenue in Spokane, Washington, providing a drop-in center and supportive programs for youth and young adults ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness. Core services delivered free of charge include hot meals, laundry, showers, internet access, clothing, mail services, and referral services, supplemented by structured empowerment programs: an 8-week mentorship course offered five times per year, dynamic life skills classes in money management, housing, physical health, substance abuse, and employment, and Cool Water Painters, a licensed and insured social-enterprise job-training program that teaches residential painting skills to youth ages 18-24 with 6-12 months of post-graduation mentorship support. The organization also partners with community housing providers to support clients' pathways to permanent housing.

The business model is donation-funded: all services are provided at no cost, with revenue derived from individual donors, faith-community giving, corporate sponsors (including Avista, which contributed $2,000 in October 2024), and foundation support, processed through a DonorPerfect donation platform. Distribution is entirely community-led and direct, with a single physical drop-in center operating 25+ hours per week Monday through Thursday, supported by volunteer meal teams that serve up to 20 youth per meal and youth-advocate volunteers working alongside a small staff of approximately 6-7 people under Executive Director Amanda. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and does not monetize any AI, data, or software layer; operations rely on Wix-hosted web properties, Constant Contact for newsletters, and DonorPerfect for donations.

A 2024 capital campaign is the principal growth catalyst: the organization is relocating to an accessible first-floor space in the City Gate building to remove the current two-flight-stair access barrier, and upon relocation will convert its existing facility into transitional housing for up to 10 young adults with wrap-around life-skills, job-readiness, behavioral health, and case management services. This dual-project expansion shifts the operating model from pure drop-in to a continuum-of-care approach and meaningfully expands both capacity and per-beneficiary service depth within the Spokane market.

Name

Cup of Cool Water

Legal name

Cup of Cool Water

Website

https://cupofcoolwater.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cup of Cool Water is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Spokane, Washington operating a drop-in center and empowerment programs, including job training, mentorship, and life skills classes, for youth and young adults ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness, with services funded entirely by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, Cup of Cool Water is funded entirely through donations from individuals, foundations, corporate partners, and community generosity. Services are provided free of charge to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. The organization emphasizes good stewardship of donated funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cup of Cool Water operates a drop-in center in downtown Spokane, Washington providing essential services — meals, laundry, showers, internet access, clothing, and mail services — to youth and young adults ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness. The organization also runs Cool Water Painters, a social enterprise job-training program, alongside life skills classes, a mentorship program, and housing support services.

Product overview

Cup of Cool Water is a nonprofit social services organization providing a coordinated portfolio of services for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. The core offering is a drop-in center providing essential daily needs (meals, laundry, showers, clothing, internet, mail), paired with empowerment programs including the Cool Water Painters job training social enterprise, Life Skills classes, an 8-week Mentorship program, and housing support services. A planned capital expansion will add transitional housing for up to 10 young adults with comprehensive support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drop-In Center Services
• Cool Water Painters Social enterprise job-training program that provides paid work experience to homeless youth, serving as a pathway from immediate relief to economic self-sufficiency.
• Life Skills Classes Educational program providing instruction in practical life skills to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, supporting long-term stability.
• Mentorship Program Mentoring relationships pairing homeless youth with supportive adult mentors to encourage personal growth and stability.
• Housing Support Services Services assisting homeless youth in securing and maintaining stable housing as part of the organization's wraparound support model.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Organizations for HousingcoreOthersCup of Cool Water works with other community organizations to ensure youth have access to housing options that meet their specific needs. Partners work one-on-one with youth to assess their current housing situation and help them move toward being permanently housed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cocoon House: Cocoon House is a Washington-state nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and supportive services to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. It is directly comparable to Cup of Cool Water given the shared mission, youth-only focus, and Pacific Northwest geography.
• Mary's Place: Mary's Place is a Seattle-area nonprofit operating drop-in centers and emergency family shelter. It shares the donation-funded, drop-in-plus-housing model that defines Cup of Cool Water's approach.
• YouthCare: YouthCare operates drop-in centers, shelters, and housing programs for youth experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area. It mirrors Cup of Cool Water's drop-in plus empowerment program model and youth-only service population.
• Northwest Youth Services: Northwest Youth Services provides housing, street outreach, and supportive programs for youth experiencing homelessness across northwest Washington. The geographic and demographic overlap with Cup of Cool Water makes it a strong direct peer.
• Safe Place for Youth: Safe Place for Youth provides drop-in services, housing, and case management for young people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. It is comparable in mission and program architecture to Cup of Cool Water's drop-in plus empowerment model.

Broad incumbents

• Larkin Street Youth Services: Larkin Street Youth Services is a San Francisco nonprofit providing housing, education, employment, and health services to homeless and at-risk youth. It is comparable in integrated service offerings and youth-only focus.
• Covenant House: Covenant House is a national nonprofit operating shelters, drop-in centers, and housing programs for youth experiencing homelessness across the US and Latin America. It overlaps with Cup of Cool Water's services but at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• New Horizons of Spokane: New Horizons is a Spokane-based nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty with housing and supportive services. It operates in the same local service ecosystem as Cup of Cool Water but serves a broader adult population.
• Volunteers of America Inland Northwest: Volunteers of America Inland Northwest operates housing and supportive service programs for people experiencing homelessness and housing instability across the Spokane region. It shares the Spokane footprint and donation-driven nonprofit model with Cup of Cool Water.

Others

• Family Promise of Spokane: Family Promise of Spokane mobilizes community volunteers to address family homelessness in Spokane. It is thematically connected to Cup of Cool Water via volunteer-led service delivery and Spokane geography, though it focuses on families rather than youth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubestudio.youtube.com/channel/UC24qbdN_rJQwonJ0Z1E11MA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CupofCoolWater
• Instagraminstagram.com/cupofcoolwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cup of Cool Water