Center on Halsted

What Center on Halsted does

Center on Halsted is the Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ community center, founded in 1973 and headquartered at 3656 N Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of programs spanning behavioral health (individual, couples, and family therapy, gender-affirming surgery letters, trauma services), HIV/STI prevention and care (free testing, PrEP navigation, HIV Resource HUB co-managed with AIDS Foundation Chicago), youth programming for ages 12-24, senior services for adults 55+ (including Town Hall Apartments, 79 units of LGBT-friendly senior housing), workforce development (Silver Fork Culinary Program, Cyber Center technology training, Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute), and cultural programming (two art galleries, recreational sports, theater, and event space rentals). The organization operates three physical locations: the main Center on Halsted facility, Center on Addison (a dedicated senior center), and Center on Cottage Grove (a South Side hub serving Black and Brown LGBTQ+ communities).

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure with no single dominant stream. Revenue is generated through individual donations (including a Pride Month matching program capped at $45,000), corporate sponsorships (ViiV Healthcare among named partners), space rentals across seven venue types (capacities ranging 20 to 200), nominal program fees ($5 senior pickleball, $15 Black Futures event), and professional services revenue ($500 per participant in IFLI, with 90%+ of participants employer-sponsored). The majority of core services — HIV testing, PrEP navigation, behavioral health, youth programs, senior meal programs, support groups — are delivered free of charge. Distribution is entirely community-led: in-person direct delivery at three Chicago locations, virtual Zoom support groups, online venue booking, and corporate training outreach. The organization is HIPAA-compliant and PCI DSS-adherent, holds Charity Navigator recognition, and reaches 19,361 individuals and 79,586 event attendees annually. No proprietary technology platform, no API, and no AI capabilities are present; technology use is limited to standard virtual meeting tools and basic administrative systems.

Name

Center on Halsted

Legal name

Center on Halsted

Website

https://centeronhalsted.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Center on Halsted is a Chicago-based nonprofit, founded in 1973, operating the Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ community center across three locations. It delivers free or low-cost behavioral health, HIV/STI prevention, youth, senior, workforce development, and cultural programs serving 19,361 individuals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Community Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ community services
• Behavioral health therapy
• HIV prevention testing
• Senior social services
• Youth support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Giving: Individual donations from community members, with matching programs during Pride Month (1:1 match up to $45,000 through Holly King and Kenneth Jaconetty)
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and partners who support LGBTQ+ community programs and events
3. Space Rentals: Rental revenue from venue spaces including John Baran Hall, Hoover-Leppen Theatre, meeting rooms, gymnasium, and rooftop terrace for community and private events
4. Program Fees: Some programs charge nominal fees such as $5 for senior pickleball sessions, $15 for Black Futures event, and various sponsorship/exhibitor fees for WERQ career fair
5. Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute: Seven-month leadership program costing $500 per participant, with scholarships available and employer sponsorship common

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Center on Halsted operates as the Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ community center, delivering integrated health, wellness, social, and cultural programs across three Chicago locations. Core offerings include behavioral health therapy and case management, free HIV/STI testing and PrEP navigation, youth and senior support programs, workforce development (culinary training, technology classes, leadership institute), cultural programming through art galleries and recreation facilities, and rental of event venues including a 161-seat theatre and 200-person gymnasium.

Product overview

Center on Halsted is the Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ community center offering a comprehensive suite of interconnected programs and services. The organization operates across multiple service categories: Behavioral Health Services provides therapy, gender-affirming care, and professional trainings; HIV/STI Resources offers testing and prevention services; Youth Programming serves ages 12-24 with drop-in centers and support groups; Pride in Aging supports seniors 55+ with housing, meals, and technology help; Education & Employment encompasses the Silver Fork Culinary Program, Cyber Center (20 workstations), and Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute; and Community & Culture features galleries, recreational sports, and space rentals across multiple venues. The center also operates three physical locations (Center on Halsted, Center on Addison, Center on Cottage Grove) and provides resource directories, support groups, and the Constellation parent/caregiver program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silver Fork Culinary Program: Culinary arts, job readiness, and workforce development program for adults interested in cooking, food preparation, and hospitality careers.
• Dr. David J. Lochman Cyber Center
• Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute (IFLI)
• HIV Resource HUB
• Town Hall Apartments
• Constellation

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Services Comprehensive behavioral health services for the LGBTQ+ community including individual, couples, and family therapy, therapy groups, case management and advocacy, gender-affirming surgery letters, and professional trainings for providers serving LGBTQ+ clients.
• HIV/STI Resources & Prevention Sexual health services including free HIV/HVC testing, PrEP navigation, care coordination, and the HIV Resource HUB co-managed with AIDS Foundation Chicago, aligned with the State of Illinois Getting To Zero plan.
• Youth Programming Social, recreational, cultural, and educational programs for LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-24 including drop-in centers, support groups, arts programs, family support, the Gender-Affirming Clothing Closet, and young adult drop-in services.
• Pride in Aging Programs and services for LGBTQ+ adults age 55+ including social activities, housing assistance (Town Hall Apartments), employment services, technology support through Ask the Techie, meal programs, and case management.
• Silver Fork Culinary Program Culinary arts, job readiness, and workforce development program for adults interested in careers in the hospitality industry, providing hands-on cooking training and career preparation.
• Dr. David J. Lochman Cyber Center Technology training facility providing classes, workshops, career and job technology training, and internet access to bridge the digital divide within the LGBTQ+ community, featuring 20 workstations.
• LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency Training Professional training programs helping individuals and organizations increase LGBTQ+ knowledge and awareness through presentations, workshops, and facilitated discussions, available in corporate and nonprofit formats (including a free Mental Health First Aid course valued at $170).
• Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute (IFLI) Seven-month leadership development program for new and emerging LGBTQ+ and allied leaders, featuring networking, expert panels, interactive workshops, and immersive experiences across sectors ($500 per participant with need-based scholarships).
• Resources Directory Comprehensive directory connecting community members to LGBTQ+ affirming resources throughout the Midwest, covering behavioral health, employment, legal aid, family services, healthcare, housing, substance abuse support, and transgender-specific care.
• Space Rental Rental of event venues including John Baran Hall (87 capacity), Robert Bell & Tom Buchanan Board Room (24), Hoover-Leppen Theatre (161), Irving Harris Reception Hall (100 seated/175 standing), Richard M. Daley Rooftop Terrace (50), Billie Jean King Recreational Hall (200), and the Cyber Center (20 workstations).
• Community & Culture Programs Arts programming including two LGBTQ+ artist galleries on second and third floors, recreational activities (volleyball, pickleball, basketball), social events for specific communities, and the Community Partnerships Programming Grant supporting artists and nonprofits.
• WERQ! LGBTQ+ Career Fair Annual LGBTQ+ career fair connecting inclusive and affirming employers with job seekers from the diverse community, featuring exhibitor booths and sponsorship opportunities (free for job seekers; paid sponsorship/exhibitor fees).
• Constellation (Parents & Caregivers Program) Free online parent/caregiver support groups and resources for parents of LGBTQ+ youth, professionally facilitated by Center on Halsted staff via Zoom, with connections to PFLAG and Yale School of Public Health research studies.
• Behavioral Health Support Groups Behavioral health support groups including Thriving with HIV (for people living with HIV of all genders and sexualities) and BIPOC Support Group (for LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).
• Golden Diners Hot Meals Senior meal program providing lunch for adults 60+ in partnership with the City of Chicago Golden Diners Program, held Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at Center on Addison.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19,361 individuals served annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Queer Connections: Men of Color & AlliessecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 July 2026Event partnership for Black Futures: Community Meets the Moment, bringing together Black LGBTQ+ and allied folks for panel discussion and mixer.
• AIDS Foundation ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-management of the HIV Resource HUB providing up-to-date LGBTQ+ healthcare services for those living with or vulnerable to HIV, aligning with State of Illinois Getting To Zero plan.
• City of Chicago Golden Diner's ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide hot meals and foster conversation for adults 60+ every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at Center on Addison senior center.
• KPMGsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner2024 session host for Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute, providing venue for leadership development programming.
• US BanksecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner2024 session host for Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute.
• Chicago BlackhawkssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner2024 session host for Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute.
• Goodman TheatresecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner2024 session host for Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute.
• Navy PiersecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner2024 session host for Inclusive Futures Leadership Institute.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles LGBT Center: One of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ community centers offering health, housing, social services, and cultural programming; most directly comparable to Center on Halsted in mission and scope, but at significantly larger scale.
• NYC's LGBTQ+ Community Center: Historic NYC-based LGBTQ+ community center providing youth, senior, health, and cultural programs across multiple sites; the closest East Coast analog to Center on Halsted's combined community-center and service-provider model.
• Fenway Health: Boston-based LGBTQ+ healthcare organization with comprehensive behavioral health, HIV, and community programming; comparable multi-service model with research and training components similar to Center on Halsted's competency training work.
• GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): Long-standing NYC-based LGBTQ+ health and support services nonprofit with deep HIV, behavioral health, and aging-services programming; comparably multi-dimensional in services as Center on Halsted but with a public-health funding emphasis.

Direct peers

• San Francisco Community Health Center / SF LGBTQ+ Center: SF-based LGBTQ+ community health and resource organization providing behavioral health, HIV care, and community programming; directly parallels Center on Halsted's combined health-services-and-community-center footprint.
• Howard Brown Health: Chicago-based LGBTQ+ healthcare provider operating clinics and serving overlapping populations (HIV care, behavioral health, youth, seniors); competes for the same donors, patients, and partnerships within Center on Halsted's home market.
• AIDS Foundation Chicago: Chicago-based HIV/AIDS nonprofit that co-manages the HIV Resource HUB with Center on Halsted; an active partner but also a peer for HIV testing, prevention, and care-coordination funding and services in the same metro.
• SAGE (Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders): National LGBTQ+ aging-services organization with focus on senior programming analogous to Center on Halsted's Pride in Aging and Town Hall Apartments; operates in an overlapping niche around older LGBTQ+ adults.

Emerging players

• PFLAG National: National family/parent support organization for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth; directly overlaps Center on Halsted's Constellation program for parents and caregivers, though at a national/network scale rather than a single-center scale.
• Legacy Community Health: Texas-based LGBTQ-focused community health system offering behavioral health, HIV, and youth services across multiple clinics; comparable community-health-and-services model but with a different regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centeronhalsted
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centeronhalsted
• Instagraminstagram.com/center_on_halsted
• Xx.com/centeronhalsted

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Center on Halsted