Mustard Seed Shelter

What Mustard Seed Shelter does

Mustard Seed Shelter is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1995 that operates a temporary homeless shelter for women and children in Saginaw, Michigan. Located at 1325 Cherry Street, the facility accommodates up to approximately 40 guests at a time — 12 single women in one wing and up to 28 women with children (about seven mothers with children) in a second wing — in private bedrooms with semi-private bathrooms, full kitchens, and community spaces. Following a 2020 expansion and renovation that doubled capacity, the shelter offers an unlimited-stay model (average 3–6 months) and delivers a wraparound service portfolio spanning emergency shelter, Jamie's Clothing Boutique, Recovery & Crisis Support, Mental Health & Counseling, Life & Parenting Skills, Goal Planning, Money Management, and an Aftercare program, supported by partnerships with SC-CHAP, YWCA, Habitat for Humanity, Hope Network, Ten16, Peer360, CAN Council, and Delta/SVSU.

The business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating: all guest services are provided free of charge, and the organization is funded through individual donations via PayPal, the Friends Membership program ($50 individual / $500 church minimums, recurring), corporate sponsorships and in-kind gifts (including an Amazon Wishlist), signature fundraising events (Sowing Seeds of Hope Golf Outing, 30th Anniversary Celebration at the Dow Event Center, inaugural Coldest Night of the Year walk, Taco Dinner & Bake Sale), and a benefit album sold at $25 per CD/USB. The organization states that 95 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to programs. The go-to-market is community-led — referrals from hospitals, DHHS, social workers, churches, and partner agencies — augmented by a Facebook page, the website (themustardseedshelter.org), YouTube storytelling, earned media, and event marketing. There is no proprietary technology platform; the only systems referenced are the HMIS data infrastructure shared via SC-CHAP, PayPal for donations, and a Shopify-style direct e-commerce channel via the Amazon Wishlist.

Since founding, Mustard Seed has welcomed more than 1,700 women and children and was led by co-founder Leona Sullivan along with Rosalie Riegle and Jeannine Coallier; today, Executive Director Amy Bartels Roe has led the organization since 2014, supported by a Board of Directors (William Hartl, President; Sigrid Ewers, Secretary; Michael Haremski, Treasurer; Kathy Bonn, Vice President; Cheryl Vinson Taylor, Bobbi Allen, Yolanda Orozco Collier) and a Guest Services Support team that includes several former guests with lived experience of homelessness and recovery — a structural feature that defines the shelter's service model and reputation.

Name

Mustard Seed Shelter

Legal name

Mustard Seed Shelter

Website

https://themustardseedshelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mustard Seed Shelter is a Saginaw, Michigan nonprofit founded in 1995 that operates a free, unlimited-stay temporary shelter for approximately 40 women and children experiencing homelessness, delivering wraparound services — counseling, recovery support, parenting classes, financial literacy, and aftercare — funded entirely through donations, memberships, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Shelter Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

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), Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Women housing support
• Crisis recovery programs
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time and recurring gifts via PayPal and other channels. The organization emphasizes that 95 cents of every dollar goes directly to life-changing programs.
2. Friends Membership Program: Annual membership program with suggested donations of $50+ per year for individuals or $500+ for churches and organizations, payable annually, quarterly, or monthly with automatic PayPal payments.
3. Annual Golf Outing (Sowing Seeds of Hope): Annual fundraising golf event generating approximately $90,000 in the five years since being adopted by Mustard Seed. Individual registration is $100 per golfer; team registration is $400.
4. 30th Anniversary Celebration: Special anniversary event with sponsorship tiers (Tree of Life Sponsor $30,000+, Mountain Mover $3,000+, Faithful Root $300+, Seed Sower $30+) and ticket sales to raise funds and community awareness.
5. Benefit Album Sales: Sale of the 'Help Them Find a Soft Place to Fall' benefit album at $25 per CD or USB, with bulk purchase options for businesses, churches, and organizations. All album sales proceeds go directly to the shelter.
6. Corporate Sponsorships & In-Kind Giving: Corporate partners and organizations provide financial sponsorships for events, as well as in-kind donations of goods (clothing, hygiene products, food, household items). The Amazon Wishlist enables direct gifting of needed supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mustard Seed Shelter provides free temporary shelter and wraparound support services to homeless women and children in Saginaw County, Michigan. Its core offering includes safe housing, meals, clothing, hygiene items, on-site clothing boutique access, recovery and crisis support, mental health counseling, life and parenting skills training, goal planning, money management coaching, and aftercare — with no strict time limits on length of stay. The shelter is funded entirely by donations, membership fees, sponsorships, and fundraising events, with 95 cents of every dollar going directly to programs.

Product overview

Mustard Seed Shelter operates as a homeless shelter for women and children offering a portfolio of interconnected services including emergency shelter, clothing boutique, recovery and crisis support, mental health counseling, life and parenting skills training, goal planning, and money management. The organization extends its reach through initiatives like The NEST Program (furnishing assistance), SC-CHAP consortium membership, and guest aftercare. Fundraising products include a benefit album and annual events like the golf outing and Friends membership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jamie's Clothing Boutique: A clothing boutique providing women and children at Mustard Seed Shelter with free access to clothing to feel dignified, confident, and ready for new opportunities. Named in honor of Jamie Dycus, a former guest who helped create and organize the boutique space.
• The NEST Program (Neighbors Enabling Success Together)
• SC-CHAP (Saginaw County Consortium of Homeless Assistance Providers)

Products and services

• Shelter (Emergency Housing) Safe, nurturing temporary housing for homeless women and children in Saginaw County, with private bedrooms, semi-private bathrooms, full kitchens, community spaces, meals, hygiene products, and essential resources. Capacity of approximately 40 guests (up to 12 single women and up to 28 women and children in roughly 7 family units).
• Jamie's Clothing Boutique
• Recovery & Crisis Support
• Mental Health & Counseling
• Life & Parenting Skills
• Goal Planning
• Money Management
• The NEST Program (Neighbors Enabling Success Together) Furnishing program originally created at Mustard Seed that helps individuals transitioning from homelessness to home with linens, dishes, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, furniture, and small appliances; now operated by Partnership Center with continued referrals from Mustard Seed.
• Guest Aftercare
• Friends Membership
• Help Them Find a Soft Place to Fall (Benefit Album)
• Sowing Seeds of Hope Golf Outing

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,700 women and children welcomed since 1995
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saginaw County Consortium of Homeless Assistance Providers (SC-CHAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSC-CHAP is a continuum of care comprising public, private, and nonprofit agencies serving homeless special populations (youth, persons with mental illness, domestic violence survivors, veterans, persons with substance abuse disorders). Mustard Seed's director serves on the SC-CHAP board, providing leadership in planning, policy, resource allocation, and HMIS oversight to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. SC-CHAP provider members include City Rescue Mission, East Side Soup Kitchen, Emmaus House, Hidden Harvest, Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority, United Way of Saginaw County, and 12 other organizations.
• Partnership CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, Mustard Seed gifted the NEST (Neighbors Enabling Success Together) furnishing program to Partnership Center, which had been serving Saginaw's most vulnerable neighbors for over 30 years. Partnership Center now operates NEST from 2115 Ring Street, helping dozens of families each month — many of them Mustard Seed graduates — furnish their new homes. Mustard Seed remains closely connected to NEST and continues to refer guests. NEST is operated with help from Hopevale Church's Can Do Crew and a dedicated Move Team.
• Great Lakes Bay Health CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Lakes Bay Health Centers provides healthcare services to Mustard Seed guests, including primary care, behavioral health, and substance abuse treatment integration. They also partner on recovery support through the Ten16 Recovery Network affiliation.
• Ten16 Recovery NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTen16 Recovery Network provides addiction recovery resources and support to Mustard Seed guests, complementing the shelter's Recovery & Crisis Support Program. Partnership involves counseling, peer support groups, and connections to recovery services.
• Peer360 Recovery AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer360 Recovery Alliance provides peer-based recovery support services to guests, including certified recovery coaches who offer lived-experience guidance. Mustard Seed staff member Terrie Howard obtained her Recovery Coach certificate through this partnership.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAA and NA provide peer support group resources and meeting information for guests in recovery from substance abuse disorders, integrated into Mustard Seed's Recovery & Crisis Support Program.
• CAN CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN Council provides parenting classes and family support services to Mustard Seed guests as part of the Life & Parenting Skills programming, helping mothers strengthen relationships with their children and create stable, nurturing home environments.
• Higher Purpose (City Rescue Mission)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher Purpose, a program of City Rescue Mission of Saginaw, provides empowerment and support services that complement Mustard Seed's life skills and self-sufficiency programming for guests.
• Life ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Clinic provides health and wellness services and referrals for Mustard Seed guests, including support at their Saginaw location, as part of the holistic care model.
• Youth Protection CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Protection Council provides parenting classes to Mustard Seed guests. Arielle and other guests have attended parenting classes through this community partnership as part of their personal growth plans.
• Saginaw-Shiawassee Habitat for HumanitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabitat for Humanity helps Mustard Seed guests build sweat equity toward purchasing affordable homes. Former guest Stacey Forejt and her children moved into a Habitat home following their shelter stay. Jamie Dycus is currently building sweat equity with Habitat toward purchasing her own home. Mustard Seed works with Habitat on the recovery support program as well.
• Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSVSU students implement the Seeds of Success program for Mustard Seed guests, curating study tips, online courses, and educational resources organized by age group (K-5 through college level). Five members of the Roberts-Gilbertson Fellowship 27th Cohort developed this initiative. Student intern Sarah Torres (Master of Social Work) provided counseling and empowerment programming.
• Delta CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelta College contributes student volunteers and interns to Mustard Seed. Delta College students built walls for the shelter's expansion project. Former guest Kim Gulliver enrolled at Delta College in Fall 2024 after stabilizing at the shelter.
• YWCA of the Great Lakes Bay Region Women's Economic Empowerment ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMustard Seed guests participate in YWCA's free Moving Ahead and Pathways to Progress workshops, as well as the Staying Ahead program for graduates. Services include personalized financial education, one-on-one financial coaching, practical workshops on budgeting and credit, and connections to job opportunities and financial assistance programs.
• Hope NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope Network provides mental health and counseling services to Mustard Seed guests, offering access to therapists and support resources as part of the shelter's trauma-informed care model.
• Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority (SCCMHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCCMHA provides community mental health services and is a member of SC-CHAP, providing coordinated care for Mustard Seed guests dealing with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
• Saginaw Psychological ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaginaw Psychological Services provides professional counseling and psychological support to guests as part of Mustard Seed's Mental Health & Counseling Support Program.
• Training and Treatment Innovations (TTI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTTI provides training and treatment resources to Mustard Seed staff and guests, supporting the shelter's mental health and counseling programs and professional development.
• Hidden HarvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHidden Harvest provides fresh produce and food donations to Mustard Seed, complementing the shelter's meal program and supporting guests' nutritional health. Leona Sullivan coordinates with Hidden Harvest to source fresh fruits and vegetables for daily meals.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMustard Seed maintains an Amazon Wishlist enabling supporters to purchase needed items (hygiene supplies, children's toys, household essentials) directly and have them shipped to the shelter.
• Hopevale Church (Can Do Crew)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopevale Church's Can Do Crew volunteers assist NEST (Neighbors Enabling Success Together) in moving, cleaning, and repairing donated household items before they are provided to families transitioning out of homelessness.
• Beech Hollow Golf CourseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeech Hollow Golf Course (7494 Hospital Road, Freeland, MI 48623) hosts Mustard Seed's Annual Sowing Seeds of Hope Golf Outing, providing the venue for one of the shelter's key annual fundraising events.
• Dow Event CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Dow Event Center in Saginaw serves as the venue for Mustard Seed's 30th Anniversary Celebration on November 13, 2025, hosting approximately 200+ guests for the milestone event.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• City Rescue Mission of Saginaw: Operates emergency shelter, meal programs, and recovery services in Saginaw, including the Higher Purpose program referenced as a Mustard Seed partner. Directly comparable local nonprofit serving unhoused populations in the same county.
• Emmaus House (Saginaw): Provides transitional housing and supportive services in Saginaw for individuals experiencing homelessness, including those with substance abuse histories. Several Mustard Seed staff previously worked at Emmaus House, indicating close operational overlap.
• YWCA of the Great Lakes Bay Region: Regional partner operating domestic violence shelter, economic empowerment, and women's housing programs that overlap directly with Mustard Seed's mission; collaborates on the Women's Economic Empowerment Program and Moving Ahead workshops.
• East Side Soup Kitchen: Saginaw-based nonprofit providing meals and basic-needs services to individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. A fellow SC-CHAP member serving overlapping client populations in the same county.
• Family Promise of Saginaw: National network affiliate providing shelter and stabilization services for families with children experiencing homelessness. Comparable mission and service model (family-focused shelter plus wraparound support) to Mustard Seed's women-and-children wing.
• Saginaw-Shiawassee Habitat for Humanity: Provides affordable home ownership pathways, including sweat-equity arrangements used by former Mustard Seed guests (Stacey Forejt, Jamie Dycus) to transition out of homelessness into permanent housing.

Regional players

• Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority (SCCMHA): Public community mental health authority serving Saginaw County, including specialized housing and supportive services for individuals with mental illness. Overlaps with Mustard Seed's mental health and counseling programs as a coordinating partner.
• Hidden Harvest: Saginaw-based food rescue and distribution nonprofit providing fresh produce to meal programs serving the homeless. A SC-CHAP member that complements Mustard Seed's meal services through in-kind food sourcing.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army of Saginaw: Large national faith-based organization operating emergency shelter, transitional housing, and social services in Saginaw. Comparable service categories (emergency shelter, case management) but at much greater scale and broader scope than Mustard Seed.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Saginaw: Regional Catholic Charities affiliate delivering a broad portfolio of social services including emergency assistance, housing support, and counseling across the Great Lakes Bay Region. Overlaps with Mustard Seed's social services mission at a larger footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/themustardseedshelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mustard-seed-shelter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 Mustard Seed Shelter