What One Hope United does

One Hope United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services organization founded in 1895 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, operating a continuum of programs for vulnerable children, youth, and families. The organization's portfolio spans six service lines: Early Learning and Child Development Centers (infant through school-age care across multiple Chicagoland locations); Foster Care & Adoption Services (traditional, specialized, therapeutic, and the Burgos Hispanic/Latino track); Family & Youth Support Services (intact family services, Parents as Teachers, home visiting); Mental Health Services (Multisystemic Therapy, intensive placement stabilization); Residential Care Programs (Hope Houses, CARE Residential, Rebound Transitional Living); and 24/7 Crisis Response (Mobile Crisis Response and Community Crisis Response). Underlying methods are evidence-based and trauma-informed, including Creative Curriculum, GOLD assessment, and Parents as Teachers. In 2025, OHU served 10,000+ children and families, with reported outcomes of 1,088 children in early learning, 2,343 families in community-based services, 768 permanency achievements, 93% family preservation, and 96% Hope House placement stability.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure. The dominant revenue stream is government contracts and grants from Illinois DCFS, Florida DCF, Head Start, Early Head Start, Medicaid, and other child welfare agencies — underwriting most early education, foster care, and counseling services. Secondary revenue comes from individual and corporate donations (including a $500+ corporate sponsor tier and the Scofield Gibbs planned-giving society) and signature fundraising events such as the Hope Open golf outing ($136,000+ raised in April 2026) and Thriving Together Luncheon ($160,000+ raised in June 2026). Most services are free to eligible families under federal poverty guidelines; foster parents receive monthly stipends; CCAP-subsidized child care is offered where applicable. Distribution is direct via OHU's own 40+ facilities across Illinois and Florida, with referrals flowing from DCFS, healthcare providers, school districts, and community organizations.

Recent strategic activity centers on scaling the Hope House teen foster-care model. In April 2026, OHU launched Hope House United as a dedicated division (with subsidiary structure) to expand nationally, supported by a research partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago (Feb 2026). The organization is led by President & CEO Dr. Damon Cates (appointed May 2024), who was concurrently named Board Chair of the Florida Coalition for Children. Headcount stands at 800+ employees, with active facility openings in Illinois (Rockford, Champaign, Kankakee, Salem, Romeoville) and Florida (Riverview, Tampa, Bartow, Sebring, Wauchula, Lake Worth) through 2025-2026.

Name

One Hope United

Legal name

One Hope United

Website

https://onehopeunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

One Hope United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1895 and headquartered in Chicago, operating 40+ early learning, foster care, mental health, residential, and crisis response programs for 10,000+ children and families annually across Illinois and Florida, with a recent national expansion push through its Hope House model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Human Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Foster care services
• Early childhood education
• Family counseling services
• Residential youth care

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices32 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Primary revenue source from federal and state government contracts including Head Start, Early Head Start, Illinois DCFS, Florida DCF, Medicaid, and various child welfare agency partnerships. Majority of services including early education, foster care, and child/family counseling are underwritten by government funds.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Annual donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Includes major donor gifts ($50,000+ tier), corporate sponsors ($500+ FY2025), and planned giving through the Scofield Gibbs Society.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue from signature events including annual charity golf outings, Thriving Together luncheons, Hope Open golf events, and Holiday Hope Express toy drives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

One Hope United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services organization that delivers early childhood education and childcare, foster care and adoption, family preservation, mental health counseling, crisis response, and residential programs for children, youth, and families. Services are funded primarily through government contracts (DCFS, DCF, Head Start, Medicaid) and supplemented by individual/corporate donations and event fundraising. Programs operate through the organization's own child development centers, foster care networks, residential homes (Hope Houses), and Hope Center community offices across Illinois and Florida.

Product overview

One Hope United is a nonprofit social services organization providing a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected programs for children, youth, and families. The core offerings include Early Learning and Child Development Centers (infant through school-age child care) and Foster Care & Adoption Services, supplemented by Family & Youth Support Services (intact family services, home visiting programs), Mental Health Services (therapy and crisis response), and Residential Care Programs (Hope Houses, CARE Residential, Rebound Transitional Living). Recent additions include Hope House United (launched April 2026), a new division focused on national expansion of the Hope House model, and Therapeutic Foster Care Program (launched May 2026) for youth with complex emotional needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hope House United: A division dedicated to expanding the Hope House model across the country, bringing effective, community-based care to youth with complex behavioral and emotional needs.

Products and services

• Early Learning and Child Development Centers Child development centers across Chicagoland offering early childhood education for children from infancy to 12 years old, including infant care, toddler care, preschool, kindergarten, and school-age programs with focus on school readiness, STEM education, and healthy lifestyles.
• Foster Care and Adoption Services Foster care and adoption services providing safe homes for children, with supportive services for biological families. Includes traditional foster care, specialized foster care, therapeutic foster care, and Burgos Foster Care for Hispanic/Latino backgrounds.
• Family and Youth Support Services Specialized teams offering outreach, counseling, and support for families and youth facing challenges, including Intact Family Services, CCBYS, Nurturing Families, ECHO, Healthy Families Illinois, and Parents as Teachers programs.
• Mental Health Services Compassionate counseling and therapeutic services including Multisystemic Therapy, Intensive Placement Stabilization, Care Coordination Services, and Family Support Program for children and families.
• Residential Care Programs Residential and group home options including Hope Houses for teens aged 13-17, CARE Residential for young men aged 10-18, and Rebound Transitional Living Program for young men ages 17.5-21.
• Crisis Response Services 24/7 mental health support including Community Crisis Response and Mobile Crisis Response for emotional challenges, suicide prevention, and safety concerns.
• Hope Houses

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of Families in Intact Family Services successfully remained together
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Coalition for Children (FCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026OHU President & CEO Damon Cates appointed Board Chair of FCC, the statewide association representing Florida's community-based care lead agencies. FCC advocates for effective policies, promotes best practices, and supports collaborative solutions for children and families.
• VirtusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 April 2026Grand Slam sponsor of the 1st Annual Hope Open golf event, contributing to over $136,000 raised for Hope House programs.
• RT SpecialtyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 April 2026Grand Slam sponsor of the 1st Annual Hope Open golf event, contributing to over $136,000 raised for Hope House programs.
• Biltmore MiamiminorOthers · 21 April 2026Venue partner for the 1st Annual Hope Open golf event held April 21, 2026.
• Freeman's Auction HouseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 April 2026MC and auctioneer services for the 1st Annual Hope Open, helping drive fundraising through auction activities.
• University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026Partnership to study and refine the Hope House model, building a national model for family-style foster care. Collaboration will help ensure consistent, high-quality, evidence-informed care while contributing to broader learning across the child welfare field. Announced February 2026.
• Start EarlycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Head Start services for children 3-5 years old at Bridgeport Child Development Center. Start Early creates a nurturing environment to support healthy growth and development of each child in the context of their family, culture, and community.
• Chicago Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Chicago Public Schools to provide State Preschool and Prevention Initiative Programs at Bridgeport center, creating seamless transition from preschool into the public school system.
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for foster care, adoption, and child welfare services in Illinois. OHU is one of only two agencies in Cook County providing Illinois Early Childhood Court Team (ECCT) services.
• Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for foster care, adoption, and child welfare services in Florida. Coordinates Early Childhood Court (ECC) and Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC) programs.
• Red Flag ReportingminorOthersThird-party partner for safe, secure, and anonymous reporting of concerns through RedFlagReporting.com or toll-free hotline. OHU client code: 1HU2
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding from donors Paul Earle and Ellen Rudnick supports development of new evidenced-based, trauma-informed model of care through Cornell University for the residential CARE program.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Youth Advocate Program: National nonprofit providing child welfare, foster care, adoption, behavioral health, and family preservation services across multiple states. Directly comparable to OHU as a multi-state child welfare agency and is explicitly named in OHU's FCC board leadership context.
• Boys Town: One of the largest U.S. child and family services organizations, providing residential care, foster care, in-home services, and youth behavioral health nationwide. Closely comparable to OHU's continuum of residential, foster, and family preservation services.
• KVC Health Systems: Mid-large nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health operator providing foster care, adoption, residential, in-home family services, and mental health care across several states. Directly competes with OHU in family preservation and foster care contracting.
• Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-headquartered child welfare nonprofit providing early childhood services, foster care, adoption, counseling, and family support. Closest direct peer given shared Illinois footprint and similar early childhood + child welfare service mix.
• Start Early (formerly Ounce of Prevention): Illinois-based early childhood organization operating Head Start/Early Head Start programs. Directly comparable to OHU's child development centers; explicitly named as OHU's partner for Head Start services at Bridgeport.

Regional players

• Maryville Academy: Chicago-based child welfare nonprofit providing residential treatment, foster care, family services, and early childhood education. Comparable in service mix and Chicago footprint but operates more regionally within Illinois.
• Children's Home Society of Florida: Florida-based child welfare nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, family preservation, and early childhood services. Directly comparable to OHU's Florida operations and a likely local competitor for DCF contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National network of Catholic Charities agencies providing foster care, adoption, counseling, and family services at massive scale. Overlaps broadly with OHU's services as a much larger federation.
• Lutheran Services in America: National network of 300+ Lutheran human service organizations providing child welfare, behavioral health, and senior services. Comparable as a large faith-affiliated network spanning multiple states with overlapping child welfare programs.

Emerging players

• Brightpoint (formerly ChildServ): Mid-size child and family services nonprofit providing early childhood, foster care, and family preservation programs. Comparable service mix to OHU with a smaller geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/onehopeunited
• Facebookfacebook.com/1hopeunited

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 One Hope United