What Union Gospel Mission of Portland does

Union Gospel Mission of Portland is a Christ-centered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1927 by 40 local churches to serve people experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse in the Portland, Oregon metro area. The organization operates an integrated portfolio of programs delivered across multiple physical sites: the Old Town facility in downtown Portland (administrative offices, LifeChange recovery for men, and homeless outreach), Angela's House in Washington County (a 52-resident-room LifeChange Center for women and children opened September 13, 2025), the UGM Thrift Store in Tigard (social-enterprise work therapy location), and year-round emergency shelter at Agape Village in partnership with Portland Central Church of the Nazarene (capacity 100 guests nightly). Mobile distribution assets include the Search + Rescue van (5 nights/week) and the mobile shower trailer that bring food, hygiene items, clothing, and private showers directly to homeless camps and partner-church locations throughout the city.

Service offerings span a complete care continuum: immediate-needs interventions (meals — 200,000 served annually — shelter, clothing, mobile showers, legal aid through the Metropolitan Public Defender's Office Community Law Division), residential recovery through the LifeChange 12-18 month Christ-centered program with 200+ hours of counseling, and up to 2 years of structured aftercare plus transformational bridge housing. Program sub-brands include LifeChange, Angela's House, Search + Rescue, Heart of Hope, and UGM Thrift Store. Operational technology is service-delivery oriented rather than software-driven: physical facilities, mobile vans, an on-site counseling center with rooms for individual therapy, children's play therapy, group sessions, and clinical supervision, plus standard donor management and a Double the Donation matching-gift integration.

The organization's revenue model is community-funded rather than transactional. Beneficiaries receive all services free of charge. Funding flows through individual one-time donations, the Heart of Hope monthly sustainer program ($50/month), the completed Welcome Home capital campaign, legacy/planned giving vehicles (charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, QCDs, real estate, life insurance, retirement plan beneficiary designations), corporate matching gifts, vehicle and asset donations, the UGM Thrift Store retail operation, and annual fundraising events such as the PDX Recovers 5K and Operation Backpack. ECFA accreditation and Candid (GuideStar/Charity Navigator) membership provide third-party validation of financial stewardship for faith-based donors.

Name

Union Gospel Mission of Portland

Legal name

Union Gospel Mission

Website

https://ugmportland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Union Gospel Mission of Portland is a Christ-centered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1927 that delivers meals, emergency shelter, addiction recovery, and transformational housing to people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and abuse in the Portland metro area through the LifeChange program, Angela's House, Search + Rescue mobile outreach, and the UGM Thrift Store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (624210), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Addiction recovery programs
• Residential recovery housing
• Mobile outreach ministry
• Emergency shelter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting homeless services, recovery programs, and transformational housing. Monthly sustainer program (Heart of Hope) provides consistent funding.
2. Legacy Giving: Planned giving vehicles including wills/trusts, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, retirement plan beneficiaries, and real estate gifts for long-term sustainability.
3. Thrift Store Revenue: Retail sales of donated goods supporting LifeChange recovery programs. Store serves as work therapy location for program participants.
4. Event Fundraising: PDX Recovers 5K and other community events raising funds for recovery programs and operational support.
5. Corporate Matching Gifts: Employer matching gift programs where companies double employee donations to UGM.
6. Vehicle and Asset Donations: Accepts vehicle donations and non-cash assets like stocks, real estate, and life insurance policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Union Gospel Mission of Portland provides Christ-centered residential recovery programs, emergency shelter, mobile outreach (Search + Rescue), meals, clothing, hygiene services (mobile shower trailer), and aftercare/transformational housing to people experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse in the Portland metro area. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries through dedicated facilities (Old Town, Angela's House) and a thrift store social enterprise that doubles as a work-therapy site.

Product overview

Union Gospel Mission of Portland operates as a Christ-centered nonprofit ministry offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs to help people experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse. The organization provides its services through multiple integrated program areas: the LifeChange Recovery Program (12-18 month residential recovery) delivered at two facilities (Angela's House for women and children, and Old Town for men); Homeless Outreach Services including Search + Rescue mobile outreach, mobile showers, meals, clothing, and emergency shelter; Transformational Housing for program graduates; a Thrift Store social enterprise; and community events including the PDX Recovers 5K. Funding comes through donations, monthly giving programs (Heart of Hope), legacy/planned giving, and the Welcome Home Campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Angela's House: LifeChange Center for Women and Children - a safe, Christ-centered community where women and children experiencing homelessness, addiction, and abuse can pursue holistic recovery and long-term stability.
• LifeChange
• Search + Rescue
• Heart of Hope
• UGM Thrift Store

Products and services

• LifeChange Recovery Program Christ-centered 12-18 month residential recovery program for individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, and abuse. Offers holistic healing through classes, group studies, individual and group counseling, job training, and spiritual development.
• Angela's House LifeChange Center for Women and Children LifeChange Center for Women and Children providing residential recovery, transformational housing, professional counseling, and family-centered services for women and children experiencing homelessness, addiction, and domestic violence.
• UGM Old Town Center
• Search + Rescue Mobile Outreach Mobile outreach program delivering meals, hygiene supplies, clothing, and essential items to homeless camps throughout Portland five nights per week. Builds relationships with unsheltered individuals and provides pathways to recovery services.
• Mobile Shower Ministry Mobile shower trailer bringing hot, private showers to locations throughout Portland, providing hygiene services and opportunities for engagement with additional support resources.
• Agape Village Emergency Shelter Year-round emergency shelter operated in partnership with Agape Village at Portland Central Church of the Nazarene, accommodating up to 100 guests nightly with a 90-day maximum stay.
• Transformational Housing Bridge housing program offering up to one year of low-fee housing with meals, financial coaching, classes, and community support for individuals transitioning from the LifeChange recovery program to independent living.
• Free Legal Services Clinic Free legal services clinic provided through the Community Law Division of the Metropolitan Public Defender's Office, including expungement, eviction expungement, felony reduction, fine waivers, driver's license reinstatement, and warrant lifts.
• UGM Thrift Store Retail thrift store in Tigard, Oregon, functioning as a work-therapy location for LifeChange program residents. Sells donated clothing, furniture, and household items, and generates revenue to support recovery programs.
• PDX Recovers 5K Annual 5K run/walk fundraiser and community healing event held at the Portland Waterfront, connecting runners with the recovery community for celebration of transformation and raising funds for UGM programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000 meals served annually
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Agape VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelter partnership providing year-round emergency shelter for up to 100 individuals nightly at Portland Central Church of the Nazarene. UGM provides staffing and program coordination for guests.
• Portland Central Church of the NazarenecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for Agape Village emergency shelter (9715 SE Powell Blvd) and Saturday mobile shower location. Provides space for homeless services operations.
• Imago Dei ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for Monday mobile showers at 1302 SE Ankeny Street, providing location for hygiene services to homeless neighbors.
• 40 Local Churches (Founding Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGM was founded in 1927 by 40 local Portland churches committed to serving homeless and hurting neighbors. Churches remain critical to ongoing mission execution.
• Churches and Organizations (Operation Backpack)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Operation Backpack campaign partners with metro area churches and organizations to distribute 800+ backpacks with winter gear to homeless neighbors.
• Eclectic Edge RacingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRace organizer for PDX Recovers 5K event, managing event logistics, registration, and coordination for the annual fundraiser.
• Metropolitan Public Defender's Office - Community Law DivisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free legal services to UGM clients including expungement, eviction expungement, reducing felonies, waiving fines, driver's license reinstatement, and warrant lifts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Transition Projects Inc. Portland's largest provider of homeless services, operating multiple shelter facilities and housing programs. Direct peer on emergency shelter services and housing-first models for the same homeless population UGM serves.
• Portland Rescue Mission: Portland-based faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, addiction recovery, and long-term life-recovery programs to homeless and suffering individuals in the Portland metro area. Direct overlap with UGM on mission, geography, faith-based recovery model, and lifecycle service structure.
• Central City Concern: Portland-based nonprofit providing housing, healthcare, recovery, and employment services to people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Comparable in operating a continuum of housing plus recovery services in the same Portland market.

Others

• Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services: Government entity funding, coordinating, and delivering homeless services across Multnomah County (Portland). Functions as both a peer operator and a major funder/referral source for UGM's shelter and outreach work.
• Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette: Nonprofit operating thrift retail and workforce development programs in the Portland metro, including work-therapy models similar to UGM's thrift store. Comparable on the social-enterprise/thrift-funded nonprofit model rather than direct service overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of Oregon: Faith-based nonprofit providing housing, refugee services, and family support across Oregon. Overlaps with UGM on faith-based social services and housing assistance for vulnerable populations in the same Portland market.
• Volunteers of America Oregon: National nonprofit operating supportive housing, reentry, veterans, and behavioral health programs in Oregon. Overlaps with UGM on housing and recovery services for vulnerable populations in the same state.
• Salvation Army Cascade Region: National faith-based social services organization operating shelter, meals, recovery, and thrift programs in Portland and across the US. Overlaps with UGM on emergency shelter, recovery (Adult Rehabilitation Centers), and thrift-funded programming but at vastly larger scale.

Regional players

• Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities: Sister Union Gospel Mission serving Minneapolis–St. Paul with shelter, meals, recovery, and thrift store programs. Same organizational DNA and program structure as the Portland Mission, providing geographic peer benchmarking.
• Union Gospel Mission (Seattle): Sister Union Gospel Mission serving the Seattle metro with the same Christ-centered homeless services, recovery program, and shelter model. Direct operational analog in a different regional market, useful for benchmarking program design and outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ugmportland
• Xx.com/ugmpdx
• Facebookfacebook.com/UGMPortland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-gospel-mission-of-portland

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Union Gospel Mission of Portland