What The Lamb Center does

The Lamb Center is a 501(c)(3) ecumenical Christian nonprofit operating a daytime drop-in center for adults and families experiencing homelessness in Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in November 1992 as a ministry of Truro Episcopal Church (now Truro Anglican Church) and incorporated as an independent nonprofit (EIN 41-2222581), it is headquartered in a purpose-built two-story facility at 3160 Campbell Drive that opened in May 2016. The organization serves an average of 120+ guests daily, logging 36,500+ visits annually, and provides a free, integrated suite of services spanning basic needs (45,000+–63,000+ meals per year, 14,000+ showers, 10,000+ laundry loads, clothing closet, mail and phone service), healthcare (on-site nurse practitioner clinic, dental clinic with volunteer dental professionals, and Fairfax County medical outreach referrals), case management (housing access, ID and benefits assistance), workforce development (City Jobs Program and Operation Stream Shield providing paid transitional employment with case management), and pastoral care (Bible studies, chapel services, AA meetings). 50% of City Jobs participants found employment in FY24.

The organization is sustained entirely by charitable contributions — there is no fee-for-service revenue. Funding streams include individual donations (2,000+ donors), church and faith community support (100+ churches and 120+ congregations), planned giving and estate gifts, corporate and business donations (including employer matching), gifts of stock and bonds (held at Charles Schwab), and workplace giving via United Way (#9681) and Combined Federal Campaign (#86867). The go-to-market motion is community-led: word-of-mouth referrals within the homeless community, faith-network engagement, and the annual Hope and a Future Banquet (which raised $273K in 2025). Distribution is exclusively through the single Fairfax drop-in site (open Mon–Fri 8am–3pm, Sat 8am–12:30pm); there are no digital products, no mobile app, and no developer API.

The most material strategic initiative is Beacon Landing, a 54-unit, five-story, 43,000 sq ft Permanent Supportive Housing community under construction one block from the existing facility — the largest PSH development in Northern Virginia — being co-developed with Wesley Housing (announced December 2022) with Harkins Builders as general contractor. Groundbreaking occurred on November 5, 2025. The organization's technology footprint is intentionally minimal; competitive differentiation rests on community ecosystem density, three decades of brand equity (Charity Navigator four-star, GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency), and integrated municipal/government partnerships rather than on proprietary technology.

Name

The Lamb Center

Legal name

The Lamb Center

Website

https://thelambcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lamb Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a daytime drop-in center in Fairfax, Virginia, providing free meals, showers, laundry, healthcare, case management, workforce development, and pastoral services to individuals experiencing homelessness, supported by a network of 100+ church partners and 2,000+ donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct financial contributions from individual donors, including online donations via the website, PayPal Giving Fund, and check donations. Over 2,000 individual donors support the organization.
2. Church and Faith Community Support: Sustained funding from over 100 church partners and more than 120 congregations that send ministers for weekly chapel services.
3. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable remainder trusts, and legacy giving programs that provide long-term support.
4. Corporate and Business Donations: Support from dozens of local businesses, including employer matching gift programs.
5. Stock and Bond Gifts: Gifts of marketable securities transferred to the organization's investment account at Charles Schwab.
6. Workplace Giving: United Way (#9681) and Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFC #86867) beneficiary, allowing payroll deductions for donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Lamb Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a daytime drop-in center in Fairfax, Virginia, providing free, in-person services to adults experiencing homelessness. Its offerings span basic-needs relief (hot meals, showers, laundry, clothing, hygiene kits), on-site medical, dental, vision, and mental-health care, case management, workforce development, computer and phone access, mail services, transportation help, ID/document recovery, and spiritual support, all delivered at a single physical location at no cost to guests.

Product overview

The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in homeless services center in Fairfax, Virginia, offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around three pillars: basic needs (meals, showers, laundry, clothing, pastoral care, healthcare), workforce development (City Jobs Program and Operation Stream Shield providing paid work opportunities with case management), and housing support (including the Beacon Landing permanent supportive housing project). The center operates as a single integrated service model rather than discrete product modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ meals served annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Harkins BuildersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 November 2025Construction partner for Beacon Landing permanent supportive housing project. Harkins Builders is the general contractor for the five-story, 43,000 square foot development.
• Wesley HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2022Partnership with Wesley Housing, a leading nonprofit affordable housing developer in Northern Virginia with nearly 50 years of experience and over 2,800 rental units developed. Together they are developing Beacon Landing, a 54-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community that will be the largest in Northern Virginia. The partnership combines Wesley Housing's development expertise with The Lamb Center's expertise in serving the homeless population.
• City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation Department to operate the City Jobs Program, which provides meaningful outdoor work experience to unhoused individuals. Participants work on community improvement projects including litter removal, landscaping, snow removal, and city event support.
• Fairfax County Stormwater Planning DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division on Operation Stream Shield (OSS), an environmentally focused work program where participants collect trash from stream valleys, remove invasive species, and restore trails. Participants earn daily stipends and receive case management support.
• FACETScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FACETS, a local nonprofit, to administer the Rapid Rehousing Program and connect guests with housing resources and benefits.
• Church Army (Branson, Missouri)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for recovery programs. The Lamb Center has referred guests to Church Army's program in Branson, Missouri for addiction recovery services.
• The Car MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for vehicle donations. The Car Ministry helps those facing extreme poverty obtain auto transportation. The Lamb Center refers donors interested in car donations to this organization.
• Gracing SpacesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership with Gracing Spaces, a ministry of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Clifton, VA that furnishes apartments for families transitioning out of homeless shelters. The Lamb Center refers donors of furniture and household items to this organization.
• Fairfax County (Healthcare Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fairfax County to connect guests to expanded physical and mental health services. A Fairfax County Medical Outreach Worker provides referrals to medical, vision, and dental services for homeless and uninsured guests.
• 100+ Churches and 120+ CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships with over 100 churches providing financial and volunteer support, and more than 120 congregations whose ministers rotate through weekly Thursday chapel services at The Lamb Center.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Martha's Table: Washington, DC-based nonprofit operating a daytime drop-in model serving individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and homelessness, with comprehensive wraparound services including meals, clothing, and education. Directly comparable to TLC's drop-in, meals, and case-management service stack.
• FACETS: Fairfax-based nonprofit addressing poverty and homelessness through case management, emergency assistance, rapid rehousing, and workforce development. Already an active TLC referral partner through the Rapid Rehousing Program and serves an overlapping population in Fairfax County.
• Pathways to Housing DC: DC-based nonprofit pioneering the Housing First model with permanent supportive housing, Assertive Community Treatment, and wraparound services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Directly comparable to the PSH model TLC is developing at Beacon Landing.
• Carpenter's Shelter: Alexandria, VA-based emergency shelter and supportive housing provider serving single adults and families experiencing homelessness in Northern Virginia. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and service mix including workforce development and case management.
• N Street Village: Washington, DC drop-in and housing program serving homeless women with comprehensive services including meals, showers, laundry, healthcare, and case management. Operates the same daytime drop-in model as TLC with a comparable breadth of on-site services.
• SOME (So Others Might Eat): DC-based nonprofit providing comprehensive services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty, including meals, healthcare, behavioral health, workforce development, and housing. Mirrors TLC's integrated service philosophy and serves a similarly vulnerable population in the broader DC/NoVA region.
• Thrive DC: Washington, DC nonprofit operating a daytime drop-in center for individuals experiencing homelessness, providing meals, showers, laundry, case management, and pathways to employment and housing. Closest direct operating-model peer to TLC in the DC metropolitan area.
• Shelter House: Fairfax County-area nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and outreach services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Operates in the same Fairfax community as TLC with overlapping referral relationships and donor base.

Regional players

• Rising Hope Mission: Northern Virginia faith-based nonprofit operating a day program, emergency shelter, and meals service for people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County. Closest geographic peer in the faith-based homeless services space.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of Fairfax: Regional branch of a national social services network providing housing, refugee resettlement, food assistance, and case management across Northern Virginia. Larger, broader portfolio of overlapping services and competes with TLC for some county contracts and donor dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thelambcenter
• Xx.com/TheLambCenter3

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Lamb Center