Pillars

What Pillars does

Pillars, Inc. is a private non-profit social services organization headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, that delivers the Fox Valley region's primary housing continuum for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Formed on October 1, 2018 through the merger of Homeless Connections (founded 1981), Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities (1986), and Fox Valley Warming Shelter (2008), Pillars runs four Appleton facilities: a main administrative office at 605 E Hancock St, an Adult Shelter at 1928 W College Ave, a Resource Center at 129 S Mason St, and a 24-hour Adult & Family Shelter at 400 N Division St. Operations span 133 nightly beds and over 140 affordable rental units, delivering approximately 48,000 nights of shelter annually and housing 150 households per year at rent set at 30% of monthly income.

The service portfolio is organized as a six-pillar continuum: Crisis Housing, Supportive Housing (Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, It Takes a Village, Rapid Rehousing, Single Room Occupancy), Stable Housing, Prevention & Diversion, Street Outreach, and the Resource Center day facility. Target segments include adults and families experiencing homelessness, unsheltered individuals, veterans, domestic violence survivors, at-risk households, and low-income households earning up to 80% of low-income limits. The Resource Center served 644 unduplicated clients in 2023 with 40% year-over-year utilization growth, and 255 clients accessed services exclusively through that facility. Technology is not a core competency; the firm operates a standard non-profit stack with website, email, social media, and CRM-light outreach (Instagram @pillarsfoxcities, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) plus the Coordinated Entry referral network.

The revenue model is a hybrid non-profit mix combining individual donations (one-time and recurring), corporate and foundation grants, government ARPA funds, and affordable housing rental income. Combined revenue at the 2018 merger was $3.6 million. Major 2024-25 funding inflows include $1,500,000 in ARPA from Outagamie County for behavioral health services through December 2026, a $50,000 Basic Needs Giving Partnership grant in January 2025, ~$213,000 net from the 2025 Keys to Hope event, and matched giving from SECURA Insurance, J.J. Keller Foundation, and the Roger & Lynn Van Vreede Charitable Fund. A July 31, 2025 bequest from the Richard 'Dick' Reetz estate added 20 rental units across 10 properties — a 26% portfolio increase and the largest single property addition in organizational history. Current leadership is Executive Director Lisa Strandberg, with a four-director bench covering Client Services, Community Engagement, Organizational Development, and Operations. Geographic scope is exclusively regional — Appleton and the Fox Cities, Wisconsin.

Name

Pillars

Legal name

Pillars, Inc.

Website

https://pillarsinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pillars is a Wisconsin-based non-profit providing a comprehensive housing continuum in the Fox Valley, including emergency shelter, street outreach, supportive housing, and over 140 affordable rental units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Housing Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Affordable housing programs
• Supportive housing services
• Crisis housing shelter
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, families, and community members to support shelter operations, housing programs, and organizational sustainability. Donations can be one-time or recurring.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporations, foundations, and government entities including Outagamie County's $1,500,000 ARPA funding and matching challenges from organizations like SECURA Insurance and J.J. Keller Foundation.
3. Affordable Housing Rent: Rent payments from tenants in stable housing units. Rent is set at an affordable level at 30% of monthly income, ensuring households have resources to address basic needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pillars provides a comprehensive housing continuum of services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin. The organization operates emergency shelters, a daytime Resource Center, street outreach, prevention and diversion case management, supportive housing programs (including Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Rapid Rehousing, and Single Room Occupancy), and over 140 affordable rental units with rent set at 30% of tenant income.

Product overview

Pillars is a nonprofit homeless shelter and housing services organization that provides a continuum of care from crisis housing to stable housing solutions. The organization operates multiple shelter facilities (Adult Shelter, Adult & Family Shelter), maintains over 140 affordable housing units, and offers supportive services including Prevention & Diversion programs, Street Outreach, and a Resource Center. Services are designed to move individuals and families from homelessness to stable housing through case management, goal-setting, and connections to community resources. On October 1, 2018, three legacy organizations (Homeless Connections, Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities, and Fox Valley Warming Shelter) merged to form Pillars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides 48,000 nights of shelter annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Fox Cities Habitat for HumanitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabitat for Humanity partnered with Pillars to build a home for long-time volunteer Brittany. Both organizations work to address housing issues in the community, with Pillars staff volunteering at construction sites.
• Harbor HousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for those fleeing domestic violence in Appleton, part of the additional shelters network recommended by Pillars.
• Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing meals/food resources and hosting Point-in-Time count coordination for the Fox Cities Housing Coalition.
• Valley TransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided transportation for clients during Polar Vortex emergency when shelter pipes burst, helping relocate people to The Mission Church.
• Fox Cities Housing CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates the twice-yearly Point-in-Time count in the Fox Cities. Pillars staff participate in identifying and providing resources to unsheltered individuals.
• ADVOCAPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for housing resources in the Fox Valley area.
• COTSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for housing resources in the Appleton area.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Salvation Army Fox Cities: The Salvation Army operates emergency shelter and social services in the same Fox Valley market and is identified as a Pillars referral partner for meals and Point-in-Time coordination, offering overlapping shelter and basic-needs programs.
• Harbor House Domestic Abuse Services: Harbor House provides emergency shelter specifically for survivors of domestic violence in Appleton and is a Pillars referral partner, overlapping in crisis-shelter service delivery for vulnerable populations in the Fox Cities region.
• Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity builds and rehabs affordable housing in the same Fox Valley market and partnered with Pillars on a volunteer home build, addressing overlapping affordable housing and homeownership-adjacent missions.
• ADVOCAP: ADVOCAP is a Fox Valley Community Action agency providing housing, energy, and family services; identified as a Pillars referral partner with overlapping anti-poverty and housing stabilization programming.

Regional players

• COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter): COTS operates emergency shelter and homelessness services in Appleton and is listed as a Pillars referral partner, providing overlapping crisis-housing services in the same local market.

Others

• United Way Fox Cities: United Way Fox Cities funded Pillars' merger discussions and continues as a major financial partner; comparable as a regional funder/convener of social services rather than a direct operating peer.
• Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region: The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region hosted a 2023 convening with Pillars to plan for its long-term future and houses the Van Vreede Charitable Fund — a major philanthropic partner rather than direct service competitor.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National Alliance to End Homelessness is a policy and advocacy organization focused on the same homelessness-premission Pillars addresses, providing context on federal funding and best-practice frameworks Pillars operates within.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities Diocese of Green Bay: Catholic Charities provides emergency assistance, housing support, and case management across Wisconsin, overlapping Pillars' housing stability, prevention, and family support services on a broader regional footprint.
• Family Promise: Family Promise is a national nonprofit addressing family homelessness through shelter and stabilization programs, comparable to Pillars' Adult & Family Shelter and prevention/diversion services across multiple U.S. communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PillarsFoxCities
• Facebookfacebook.com/pillarsfoxcities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pillarsfoxcities
• Instagraminstagram.com/pillarsfoxcities
• Xx.com/incpillars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Pillars