What Transition House does

Transition House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1976 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the first domestic violence shelter on the U.S. East Coast and the second in the country. The organization serves survivors of domestic violence — including individuals, families, children, youth, and elders of all backgrounds, ethnicities, immigration statuses, and gender/sexual identities — by providing a housing continuum spanning an emergency shelter (capacity for 9 families/individuals), transitional and supported living programs in scattered-site apartments, and long-term housing options.

Its core programmatic offerings are delivered through two main structures: the Housing Continuum (emergency shelter plus scattered-site transitional and supported living) and the Community Support Partnership, formed in 2013 with the Cambridge Housing Authority and City of Cambridge to deliver housing advocacy, safety planning, legal advocacy and court accompaniment, counseling, support groups, public benefits advocacy, and services for children, youth, families, and elders. A 24/7 crisis hotline (617-661-7203) is the primary access point, supplemented by walk-in hours at Cambridge Housing Authority (Tuesdays, 12–2pm).

The organization's underlying technology is operational rather than technological in the product sense: a trauma-informed service delivery model, standardized safety-planning protocols, hotline operations infrastructure, and a housing continuum management system called EmpowerDB. Its business model is donation- and grant-funded: revenue streams comprise individual donations (one-time, recurring, planned giving, tribute, Amazon Smile), foundation grants (notably a $100,000 Cummings Foundation grant disbursed over three years and MOVA ARPA funds), and corporate sponsorship of an annual Red Door Benefit with tiers from $1,000 to $50,000. All services to survivors are provided free of charge, and the organization maintains a 45+ year operational track record with 11–50 staff and an executive team led by Sarah Gyorog (Executive Director since 2018).

Name

Transition House

Legal name

Transition House

Website

https://transitionhouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Transition House is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that provides free domestic violence intervention and prevention services — including a 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, transitional and supported housing, counseling, and legal advocacy — to survivors of all backgrounds in partnership with Cambridge Housing Authority and the City of Cambridge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Senior & Transitional Monthly Housing (THAMAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency shelter housing
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Survivor advocacy programs
• Violence prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time, weekly, monthly, and recurring donations from individual supporters via PayPal, Venmo, credit card, and mail. Includes tribute gifts and Amazon Smile contributions.
2. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as Cummings Foundation ($100,000 over three years) and Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (ARPA funds).
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, charitable remainder trusts, retirement plan beneficiary designations, appreciated securities donations, and matching gifts.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Transition House provides free emergency shelter, transitional and supported housing, and a Community Support Partnership delivering counseling, legal advocacy, safety planning, and prevention services to survivors of domestic violence. The organization operates a 24/7 crisis hotline and serves people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities with language translation capacity. All services are delivered through a trauma-informed, social-justice-centered model at no cost to survivors.

Product overview

Transition House operates as a domestic violence prevention and intervention organization with a housing continuum spanning emergency shelter (serving 9 families), transitional and supported living programs, and a partnership with Cambridge Housing Authority. Beyond housing, the organization provides the Community Support Partnership offering advocacy, safety planning, legal advocacy, counseling, and support groups. The 40 Stories Project is a storytelling initiative launched in 2016 to raise awareness. All services are free and serve people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities with language translation services available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter A converted-home emergency shelter serving 9 families and individuals at a time with trauma-informed community, 24/7 staffing, ADA-accessible common kitchen and baths, and indoor/outdoor play spaces. Provided free to survivors of domestic violence.
• Transitional & Supported Living Programs Longer-term transitional and supported housing programs for individuals and families who have experienced domestic violence and cannot yet access safe, affordable housing. Residents live in scattered-site apartments and access a range of support services.
• Community Support Partnership Whole-community program offering housing advocacy, safety planning, legal advocacy and court accompaniment, domestic violence counseling, support groups, public benefits advocacy, training and technical assistance, counseling for children/youth/families, and elder services.
• 24/7 Hotline Services Round-the-clock crisis hotline at 617-661-7203 providing immediate assistance, safety planning, and referrals for individuals experiencing domestic violence, with multilingual capacity.
• Safety Planning

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• Cambridge Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 10-year partnership creating emergency and transitional housing options through flexible use of CHA vouchers and public housing. CHA funds a liaison staff person at Transition House.
• City of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Support Partnership formed in 2013 with Cambridge Housing Authority and City of Cambridge to provide whole-community focus on domestic violence prevention.
• Horizons for Homeless ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers trained through Horizons for Homeless Children provide playspace support including homework help and supervised playtime with children in shelter on weekday evenings.
• The Black ResponsestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cambridge-based community organization dedicated to redistributing city funds to Black and Brown communities. Supporting creation of Cambridge HEART alternative 9-1-1 response system.
• Cambridge Health AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for mental health and healthcare services for survivors of domestic violence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline: National-scale 24/7 confidential hotline service for DV survivors - directly comparable to Transition House's 24/7 crisis hotline operations but serving national rather than regional call volume.
• Safe Horizon: One of the largest social service organizations in the US operating shelters, hotlines, and counseling for DV and other crises, with directly comparable crisis response modalities to Transition House but at much greater national scale.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence: National membership and advocacy coalition representing DV service providers across the United States, with direct organizational category overlap to Transition House's mission of policy, prevention, and capacity building for the DV movement.

Direct peers

• Casa Myrna Vazquez: Boston's largest provider of domestic violence programs offering emergency shelter, housing, counseling, and legal advocacy - directly comparable to Transition House's housing continuum and integrated support service model in the same Greater Boston market.
• DOVE Inc. Massachusetts regional DV organization delivering shelter, advocacy, and supportive services in the Greater Boston area, with a comparable community-based intervention and prevention focus.
• The Network/La Red: Boston-area organization providing DV support specifically to LGBQT communities with safety planning, shelter, and advocacy - directly comparable to Transition House's open-service model serving survivors of all identities and backgrounds in the same primary market.
• Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center: Massachusetts-based DV organization offering emergency shelter and trauma-informed support across the Merrimack Valley, mirroring Transition House's 24/7 hotline, shelter, and advocacy service mix in a comparable regional Massachusetts market.

Regional players

• YWCA Cambridge: Cambridge-based YWCA chapter offering DV services, child welfare, and economic empowerment programs serving overlapping populations in the same primary market as Transition House, with a broader service portfolio that includes similar DV intervention services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TransitionHous

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Transition House