SisterHouse Chicago

What SisterHouse Chicago does

SisterHouse Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit residential recovery organization that educates and empowers women to lead sober and fulfilling lives by providing a safe, structured, faith-based living community. Founded in 1982 (firmographic) and operating a structured recovery program for nearly three decades (29th Annual Graduation held June 2026), the organization serves women aged 21 and older who are at least 28 days clean and sober, accepting residents exclusively through referrals from partner treatment centers, hospitals, the penal system, and other recovery homes in the Chicagoland area. Its core offering is the 'Recovery is Possible' program, a multi-phase residential curriculum spanning 18–24 months across orientation/assessment, job-readiness training (delivered in partnership with CARA), and longer-term reintegration through employment, housing, and family reunification support.

The program has no proprietary technology stack; service delivery is human-led, anchored by an Executive Director, a Behavioral Health Specialist, and a Program Coordinator, supported by an Executive Board. SisterHouse is formally sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, which provides spiritual and institutional oversight, and operates from a single facility at 25 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, Illinois. It is not a technology company and maintains no apps, APIs, or software products.

The business model is donation-funded and non-commercial: services are provided free of charge to residents, with operating support drawn from grants, corporate gifts, and individual donations (including through an Amazon Wish List for in-kind contributions and recurring community fundraising events such as the Annual Virtual 5K and Grateful Gathering). The organization has not raised venture capital or private equity; the only disclosed funding event is a 2022 contribution from The Alliant Credit Union Foundation. Its primary customer segment is a narrow persona — adult women in recovery from substance abuse in the Chicago metropolitan area — rather than paying enterprise customers, which is reflected in a 2024 Candid Gold Seal of Transparency and roughly 46 residents served during the 2019–2020 reporting period.

Name

SisterHouse Chicago

Legal name

SisterHouse

Website

https://sisterhousechicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SisterHouse Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, faith-based residential recovery and life-skills programming for women aged 21+ in recovery from substance abuse across the Chicagoland area, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Substance Abuse Recovery Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAFACAN

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Behavioral Health & Substance Use Treatment

Keywords

• Residential recovery services
• Substance abuse treatment
• Women's recovery housing
• Faith-based recovery program
• Life skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: SisterHouse is supported by grants, corporate gifts, and individual donations from supporters. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SisterHouse Chicago provides a free, structured residential recovery program for women aged 21 and older who are at least 28 days clean and sober. The 18-24 month, multi-phase program combines safe housing in a faith-based spiritual living community with life-skills training, job readiness (via CARA), employment support, and family reunification services. Residents are admitted exclusively through referrals from partner treatment centers, the penal system, hospitals, and recovery homes.

Product overview

SisterHouse Chicago offers a single integrated recovery program called the 'Recovery is Possible' program, which combines residential housing, spiritual community support, and structured phases of recovery. The program includes three sequential phases spanning 18-24 months, incorporating life skills development, job training partnerships, educational opportunities, and family reunification support. The organization also operates an Amazon Wish List for in-kind donations to support residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recovery Is Possible Program A structured three-phase residential recovery program for women aged 21+ who are at least 28 days clean and sober. Phase I (4 months) focuses on orientation and assessment; Phase II (6 months) includes job readiness training and goal setting via the CARA program; Phase III (totaling 18-24 months) emphasizes employment, housing, and family reunification. Residents are admitted through partner referrals.
• Residential Living Community A safe and structured spiritual living community providing temporary housing for women in recovery from substance abuse, located at 25 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, Illinois. Operated as a sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
• Amazon Wish List Program A in-kind donation program enabling supporters to purchase needed items via an Amazon Wish List, with items shipped directly to SisterHouse to support residents' daily needs.

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 core and minor.

• School Sisters of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSisterHouse is a sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. This faith-based sponsorship provides the spiritual foundation and organizational oversight for the recovery program.
• Loretto HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment center referral partner providing patients to SisterHouse program. Located at 645 S. Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60644.
• Haymarket CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment center referral partner. Located at 932 W. Washington, Chicago, IL 60607.
• Lutheran Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment center referral partner. Located at 5517 N. Kenmore Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.
• HRDI – Human Resource Dev. InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment center referral partner. Located at 222 S. Jefferson St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60661.
• CARA (Cara Collective)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJob readiness and employment training partner. Residents participate in the CARA job training program as part of Phase II of the SisterHouse program. Featured in resident success stories.
• Grace HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery home referral partner. Located at 1801 W. Adams St, Chicago, IL 60612.
• Gateway Foundation Kedzie CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery home referral partner. Located at 1706 N. Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Cara Collective: Chicago nonprofit providing job-readiness training for individuals affected by homelessness and incarceration. Listed as SisterHouse's employment-training partner via the CARA program; thematically comparable as an aftercare/employment partner in the recovery-to-work pipeline.

Direct peers

• Gateway Foundation: One of the largest nonprofit substance abuse treatment providers in Illinois with residential and outpatient services. Operates the Kedzie Center referenced as a SisterHouse referral partner; comparable mission and target population.
• Haymarket Center: Chicago-based nonprofit providing residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment. SisterHouse is a step-down referral destination for Haymarket Center residents, making them directly comparable partners in the Chicagoland recovery continuum.
• Womens Treatment Center (Chicago): Chicago nonprofit providing substance abuse treatment and recovery services specifically for women. Directly comparable target population and program model to SisterHouse.
• Yellow Brick Road Recovery Home: Recovery home partnering with SisterHouse for referrals. Comparable peer in the sober-living/residential recovery space for women and men in Chicago.
• Grace House: Long-term residential recovery home for women in Chicago. Directly comparable model and population (women in recovery) and listed as a referral partner in the SisterHouse network.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford House: National network of democratically-run sober living homes. Comparable as a long-term sober-living operator, though Oxford House is not faith-based and uses a self-run model.
• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois: Large nonprofit delivering community-based behavioral health, recovery, and social services across Illinois. Comparable as a referral source and broader social-service peer within the same funding ecosystem.
• Loretto Hospital: Chicago community hospital operating inpatient behavioral health and substance abuse services. Comparable as a referral source and as an incumbent healthcare provider serving overlapping West Side Chicago populations.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: National nonprofit leader in addiction treatment and recovery. Comparable in mission and residential program design, with substantially broader geographic reach and clinical infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SisterHouseChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sisterhouse-chicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/sisterhousechicago
• Xx.com/SISTERH0USE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 SisterHouse Chicago