H.O.W. Foundation

What H.O.W. Foundation does

H.O.W. Foundation is a self-supporting, non-profit residential addiction recovery program headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded circa 1984 by a group of Tulsa businessmen and women. Its core product is a no-cost, six-month minimum residential program for adult men suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, structured around the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous and supplemented by physically demanding manual labor intended to instill accountability and a strong work ethic. The foundation reports serving approximately 280 men per year with a roughly 30% program completion rate.

The organization sustains itself entirely through earned revenue rather than donations or government grants. Residents perform paid community services including lawn care, tree removal, stump grinding, brush hauling, trash hauling, moving, firewood delivery, and snow removal, priced on a transparent hourly basis ($95-$120/hour depending on service) and delivered directly to customers throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area. A thrift store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma selling donated furniture, art, and equipment provides a second retail revenue stream. All staff are program alumni, lending operational credibility and a peer-support delivery model that is unusual among clinical recovery providers.

Distribution is community-led: prospective residents arrive via self-referral, family, law enforcement, or healthcare providers, while paying service customers reach the foundation through word-of-mouth and a presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and an email newsletter. The organization operates two physical locations (Tulsa headquarters and the Broken Arrow thrift store) and does not maintain a proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or formalized partnership network. Its competitive position rests on a 40-year regional reputation, its self-funding labor model, and a measurable public-cost displacement narrative ($0 per 6-month resident versus $39+ million in Oklahoma incarceration costs cited by the foundation).

Name

H.O.W. Foundation

Legal name

H.O.W. Foundation

Website

https://howfdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

H.O.W. Foundation is a self-supporting, non-profit residential addiction recovery program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, providing a free six-month Twelve-Step program for men, funded by paid community services and a thrift store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Addiction recovery services
• Residential recovery program
• Twelve step recovery
• Community work services
• Nonprofit rehabilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Community Services Revenue: The foundation provides paid community services including lawn care, tree removal, stump grinding, brush hauling, trash hauling, moving crew, and snow removal. Revenue from these services sustains the foundation entirely without external financial assistance. Residents perform this labor as part of their recovery program.
2. Thrift Store Revenue: The foundation operates a thrift store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma that sells donated furniture, art, equipment and other items. Revenue from the thrift store supports the foundation's operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

H.O.W. Foundation operates a no-cost, six-month minimum residential recovery program for men suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, built around the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous and reinforced by physically demanding work, accountability, and a sober living environment. The program is sustained entirely by revenue from paid community services (lawn care, tree removal, stump grinding, brush hauling, trash hauling, moving, firewood, and snow removal) performed by residents and from a thrift store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Residents perform these work activities both to fund the program and to acquire marketable vocational skills.

Product overview

H.O.W. Foundation offers a single unified program centered on a six-month residential recovery program for men struggling with addiction, based on Twelve Steps of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous. Supporting this core program are community service offerings (lawn care, tree removal, stump grinding, brush hauling, trash hauling, moving crew, firewood, and snow removal) that generate revenue to sustain the organization while providing residents with vocational training. The organization also operates a thrift store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Six-Month Residential Recovery Program A no-cost, six-month minimum residential recovery program for adult men suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous and combined with physically demanding work, accountability, and a sober living environment. Free to residents.
• Lawn Crew Services Lawn maintenance and landscaping services provided by 3-4 workers with truck and equipment to homeowners and businesses in the Tulsa area, priced at $95.00/hour with revenue supporting the recovery program.
• Tree Removal Services Tree trimming, pruning, and brush removal services (no climbing) provided to the community at $120.00/hour, with revenue supporting the foundation's operations.
• Stump Grinding Services Stump grinding services offered at $100.00/hour for the Tulsa community, with revenue supporting the foundation's recovery program.
• Brush Hauling Services Brush hauling services with a 3-man crew at $95.00/hour plus load haul-off fees ($100.00 for one-ton standard load; $200.00 for two-ton standard load), serving the Tulsa community.
• Trash Hauling Services Trash hauling services with a 3-man crew at $95.00/hour labor plus load disposal fees ($169.00 for one-ton; $338.00 for two-ton), with polesaw and tiller available upon request.
• Moving Crew Services Moving services using a 24-foot box truck with three men per truck at $110.00/hour, with a 3-hour minimum charge applied to all move rates.
• Firewood Services Firewood delivery services available by contacting the service department for pricing and scheduling in the Tulsa area.
• Snow Removal Services Snow removal services offered at $95.00/hour with a one-hour minimum charge for the Tulsa community.
• H.O.W. Foundation Thrift Store Thrift store located at 2216 S Aspen Ave, Broken Arrow, OK 74012, selling donated furniture, art, equipment, and other items. Open Monday-Saturday 7 AM-5 PM and Sunday 12 PM-4 PM. Revenue supports the foundation's recovery program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 280 men served per year with 30% program completion rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Adult & Teen Challenge: One of the largest faith-based residential addiction recovery networks in the US, with multi-month residential programs based on Christian discipleship and work-based therapy. Directly comparable to H.O.W. Foundation's long-stay, work-integrated, 12-step-influenced residential model.
• Cenikor Foundation: Texas-based non-profit providing long-term residential substance use treatment where residents participate in work-based vocational training to fund operations. Closest peer to H.O.W. Foundation's self-sustaining earned-revenue model.
• The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: Operates a nationwide network of no-cost, multi-month residential recovery programs where residents work in Salvation Army thrift stores and service operations as part of treatment. H.O.W. Foundation's model is essentially a small-scale, single-site version of this approach.
• Oxford House: A national network of democratically self-run sober living homes for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder. Comparable to H.O.W. Foundation's sober-living, peer-led residential component, though smaller-unit and without the work-program overlay.
• Cornerstone of Recovery: Tennessee-based residential substance use treatment facility offering 30-day-plus programs based on the 12-step model. Comparable residential recovery model to H.O.W. Foundation, though clinically staffed and insurance-reimbursed rather than self-supporting.

Broad incumbents

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: The largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider in the US, offering residential, outpatient, and educational programs grounded in the 12-step model. A broader incumbent serving a similar patient population with a much larger clinical and geographic footprint than H.O.W. Foundation.
• Caron Treatment Centers: Pennsylvania-based nationally recognized nonprofit residential and outpatient addiction treatment provider with a long history of 12-step-based programming. Comparable mission and modality to H.O.W. Foundation but at substantially greater scale and clinical intensity.
• Talbott Recovery Campus (Bradford Health Services): Historically a standalone nonprofit residential addiction treatment program in Atlanta, now part of Bradford Health Services. Comparable residential 12-step-oriented programming to H.O.W. Foundation but operates as part of a larger treatment network with clinical and insurance infrastructure.

Regional players

• Crossroads Centre Antigua: Residential addiction treatment facility in Antigua founded by musicians in recovery, offering multi-month 12-step-based programs with a work therapy component. Highly comparable model to H.O.W. Foundation but operating in the Caribbean rather than the US Midwest.
• Sundown M Ranch: Washington-state nonprofit residential and outpatient addiction treatment provider serving adults and adolescents. Comparable long-stay residential treatment mission to H.O.W. Foundation, but serving a different US geography with a clinically licensed operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HOWFoundationR1
• Facebookfacebook.com/HOWFoundationofOklahoma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h-o-w-foundation-tulsa
• Instagraminstagram.com/howfoundationtulsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about H.O.W. Foundation