What Safehouse Denver. does

SafeHouse Denver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1977 that operates the only full continuum of domestic violence services in the city and county of Denver, Colorado. The organization provides emergency shelter (a confidential 30-bed facility plus cribs, typical 30-day stay), a non-residential Counseling & Advocacy Center at 1649 Downing Street, and a six-unit Extended Stay Program offering 1-3 months of rent-free transitional housing. Services include a 24-hour crisis line (303-318-9989), individual and group counseling, safety planning, legal advocacy (including services for immigrant survivors), youth and teen programming, and community education. All services are provided free of charge in English and Spanish, with affirming care for LGBTQ+ survivors.

The organization employs 11-50 staff and is led by CEO Sarah Marx Poulain (appointed 2026), with a leadership team spanning Chief Program Officer, Chief Development Officer, and directors of Survivor Services, Counseling & Advocacy, and Shelter Services, plus a Community Engagement Manager and Individual Giving Manager. Operational technology is limited to standard nonprofit tooling; the most notable technical component is Doxy.me, a HIPAA-compliant, browser-based telemedicine platform licensed during COVID-19 to deliver virtual video counseling with no software download required. The organization holds full BBB accreditation.

SafeHouse Denver's revenue model is philanthropic rather than commercial. Funding sources include individual donations and a monthly Sustainers of Hope program, corporate and foundation grants (e.g., Mary Kay Foundation $20,000 shelter grant in 2020), an annual signature event cycle (Hope Gala, Sampling for Hope, Raising Our Voices for Hope), the Colorado Gives Day statewide giving campaign, the Colorado Homeless Contribution Tax Credit (HCTC) donor incentive, third-party community fundraisers, and planned/legacy giving including IRA remainder designations. In lieu of pricing, services are delivered at zero cost to survivors; reserve funding exceeds $1 million after a historical debt restructuring under prior CEO Victoria McVicker. The Counsel & Advocacy Center building ($1.3M acquisition, 2020) and Extended Stay building ($1.2M raised, 2018) were both paid off rapidly through community fundraising, demonstrating durable grassroots financial support.

Name

Safehouse Denver.

Legal name

SafeHouse Denver

Website

https://safehouse-denver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SafeHouse Denver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 that serves domestic violence survivors in Denver, Colorado through emergency shelter, a Counseling & Advocacy Center, a six-unit Extended Stay Program, and a 24-hour crisis line, with services delivered free of charge in English and Spanish.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency shelter services
• Crisis intervention services
• Trauma counseling services
• Victim advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations & Monthly Giving: Recurring and one-time donations from individual donors, including the Sustainers Of Hope monthly giving program and Colorado Gives Day campaign.
2. Corporate & Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as The Mary Kay Foundation ($20,000 shelter grant), and corporate partnerships such as Dry Dock Brewing's Gives Program.
3. Colorado Homeless Contribution Tax Credit (HCTC): Colorado state tax credit program where donors contributing $500 or more to approved nonprofits like SafeHouse Denver receive 25% of their donation back as a state tax credit, up to a maximum credit of $100,000 per taxpayer per year ($1 million donation).
4. Third-Party Events & Fundraising: Community members and corporate partners host fundraising events (Hope Gala, Sampling for Hope, third-party events) with proceeds supporting SafeHouse programs.
5. Planned Giving / Legacy of Hope: Legacy/planned giving program where donors include SafeHouse Denver in estate plans, including IRA Remainder donations. Donors like 'Em' have set up charitable IRA remainder designations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SafeHouse Denver provides a full continuum of free, bilingual (English/Spanish) domestic violence services to survivors and their children. Core offerings include a 30-bed emergency shelter, a non-residential Counseling & Advocacy Center with individual and group counseling, safety planning, and legal advocacy, an Extended Stay Program offering 1–3 months of rent-free housing, a 24-hour crisis line, community education, and specialized youth programs.

Product overview

SafeHouse Denver is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive continuum of domestic violence services, not a technology product company. The organization operates as a unified service model centered around crisis response and survivor support. Core services include: Emergency Shelter (30-bed facility serving approximately 250 adults and children annually), a non-residential Counseling & Advocacy Center, an Extended Stay Program (six-unit apartment building launched in 2018), a 24-Hour Crisis Line, Safety Planning, and Community Education. The organization also provides specialized services including children's programs, LGBTQ+-affirming services, and legal advocacy for immigrant survivors. Fundraising events include the annual Hope Gala, Sampling for Hope, and Sing Out for SafeHouse concert. All services are provided free of charge and are available in both English and Spanish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter A secure 30-bed emergency shelter (plus cribs) at a confidential location providing safe housing, bedding, food, personal hygiene items, basic medical attention, individual counseling, and group sessions for women and children fleeing domestic violence, with a typical stay of 30 days.
• Counseling & Advocacy Center (Non-Residential Services) Non-residential counseling and advocacy services located at 1649 Downing Street, including individual counseling, support groups, safety planning, and legal advocacy (including for immigrants), delivered in English and Spanish and via the Doxy.me virtual platform.
• Extended Stay Program A six-unit apartment building providing 1–3 months of rent-free, fully furnished housing for SafeHouse Denver clients who have exited emergency shelter but need additional time to secure affordable housing, employment, childcare, and other stability resources.
• 24-Hour Crisis Line

Quantifiable outcome

• 807 survivors served and 6,202 crisis line calls answered and 7,761 nights of shelter provided in 2023 alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Uber (Hope Rides Program)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Nine months after defeating a Colorado safety bill, Uber announced a partnership with SafeHouse Denver through its national Hope Rides program, providing free rides valued at $7,500 to support domestic violence survivors' transportation needs.
• PorchLight Family Justice CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUber also partnered with PorchLight Family Justice Center through the same Hope Rides program, providing free rides valued at $10,000. Both partnerships are part of Uber's community goodwill following its opposition to Colorado safety legislation.
• Dry Dock Brewing CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDry Dock Brewing selected SafeHouse Denver as its 2021 annual Gives Program partner. The company donated 25 cents per Booty Box purchase, raising over $4,300 for SafeHouse — equivalent to 30 nights of shelter, 35 hours of crisis line coverage, 10 counseling sessions, and groceries for a family of four at Extended Stay.
• Glow + GatherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-founded by Sarita Parikh, Glow + Gather donates nonperishable food items and necessities to SafeHouse's Emergency Shelter with every purchase. The partnership also includes Diwali celebration donations of money, food, and toiletries. SafeHouse was featured as a silent auction donor at Hope Gala.
• Keesen LandscapeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKeesen Landscape has provided pro bono snow removal at SafeHouse Denver's Emergency Shelter (since ~2009) and Counseling & Advocacy Center (since 2020) for approximately 15 years, saving SafeHouse significant operational costs and helping survivors and staff safely access buildings during Denver winters.
• Doxy.mecoreTechnology or IntegrationDoxy.me is a HIPAA-compliant, browser-based telemedicine platform licensed by SafeHouse Denver during COVID-19 to provide virtual video counseling sessions to survivors. No software download required, meeting highest HIPAA compliance standards. Platform recommended by Violence Free Colorado and the National Network To End Domestic Violence.
• Kol Nashim / Colorado Hebrew ChoraleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKol Nashim (women's choir of Colorado Hebrew Chorale) co-founded Sing Out For SafeHouse (SOFS), an annual benefit concert supporting SafeHouse Denver. Five choirs participate (Denver Children's Choir, Denver Chorale, Denver Women's Chorus, Kol Nashim). In 2021, 100% of donations were matched by an anonymous donor.
• Sampling for Hope Restaurant PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner11 local restaurants participated in the 2022 Sampling for Hope event, donating food and beverage for the annual tasting fundraiser benefiting the Extended Stay Program. Restaurant partners included ViewHouse Eatery, Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe, Gringo's Tacos, Stoney's Bar & Grill, My Neighbor Felix, Ester's Neighborhood Pub, The Ritz-Carlton Denver, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and others.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Safe Horizon: Largest NYC-based nonprofit providing domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking services. Comparable as a full-continuum DV agency offering shelter, counseling, advocacy, and crisis hotlines at much larger scale.
• Catholic Charities of Denver: Large regional human services nonprofit serving vulnerable populations in Denver — comparable as a broader social services operator in the same metro geography that serves overlapping client needs including DV-related cases.
• YWCA of Metro Denver: Regional YWCA affiliate providing DV shelter, housing, and supportive services — directly comparable domestic violence service provider in the Denver metro, larger and broader scope.

Emerging players

• Maria Droste Counseling Center: Denver-based counseling nonprofit referenced as a referral partner for SafeHouse Denver's LGBTQ+ clients — comparable as a culturally competent Denver-area social services provider.
• The Center on Colfax: Denver LGBTQ+ community center that SafeHouse Denver refers LGBTQ+ DV survivors to. Comparable as a culturally competent Colorado-based social services provider serving overlapping survivor populations.

Direct peers

• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): National membership and advocacy organization for DV service providers — comparable as the primary coordinating body referenced by SafeHouse Denver for technology recommendations (Doxy.me) and policy.
• PorchLight Family Justice Center: Denver-based co-located multi-agency family justice center addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse — comparable as a direct regional DV service provider with similar survivor-service mission and Overlap with Uber's Hope Rides partnership.
• Violence Free Colorado: Statewide coalition that SafeHouse Denver partners with for DV service standards, policy advocacy, and training — operates as the Colorado DV umbrella, comparable in mission and geographic orientation.

Regional players

• Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC): Connecticut-based DV agency offering shelter, counseling, and advocacy — directly comparable regional DV service provider model even though not in SafeHouse Denver's geography.
• Domestic Abuse Shelter Services (DASS): Oregon-based DV shelter and advocacy organization providing emergency housing and counseling — comparable as a nonprofit DV shelter operator in another U.S. region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SafeHouseDenver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safehouse-denver-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/safehouse_denver/?hl=en
• Xx.com/SafeHseDenver

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Safehouse Denver.