Lotus House

What Lotus House does

Lotus House, operated by the Sundari Foundation, Inc. (a Florida-incorporated 501(c)(3)), is the largest women's homeless shelter in the United States. Founded in 2004 and opened in March 2006 in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, the organization shelters 1,450-1,550 women, youth and children annually from a 100,000 SF state-of-the-art facility (Lotus Village, opened 2018) with 500+ beds, and in November 2024 added a 70,000+ SF Children's Village education and resource center housing 14 nonprofit partners under a collective impact model. Services are organized as a core shelter platform supplemented by specialized program modules: clinical and supportive services (therapy, parenting classes, case management), education and employment programs (tutoring, GED, job readiness), holistic programming (art, yoga, meditation), Rainbow Lotus LGBTQIA+ services, Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique (retail job training), The Farm hydroponic urban garden, and Lotus Village Voices media platform. Distribution is direct, in-person, and regionally concentrated in Miami-Dade County, complemented by monthly community distributions serving the broader Overtown neighborhood.

The business model is a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit operating model with no fees charged to guests. Revenue streams comprise individual and corporate donations (including the "Sponsor a Woman" and "Sponsor a Meal" programs), government grants and contracts (Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, City of Miami, federal programs), and ancillary thrift-store retail revenue. The 2025 annual budget is approximately $13.4 million, with 96% allocated directly to programs. Capital campaigns have been supported by high-net-worth donors including Martin Margulies ($47 million cumulative), Ken Griffin ($5 million in 2025), and Gisele Bündchen ($1 million in 2023), alongside $32 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing (2023) for the Children's Village development. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer engagement, corporate partnerships, celebrity endorsements (Bündchen, Gloria Estefan), and grant applications rather than commercial sales. The organization also leads the National Women's Shelter Network, a 400+ member shelter network launched in 2021.

Name

Lotus House

Legal name

Sundari Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://lotushouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lotus House is the largest women's homeless shelter in the United States, operating from Miami's Overtown neighborhood. It serves 1,450-1,550 women, youth, and children annually with shelter, therapy, education, employment training, and the 70,000+ SF Children's Village resource center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Shelter and Supportive Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Trauma-informed care
• Supportive housing programs
• Children and family services
• Job training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Primary revenue source through one-time and recurring donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donors can give via the website, sponsor a meal, or sponsor a woman.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from government sources including Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, City of Miami, and federal programs.
3. Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique: Thrift store operations providing clothing for women and children, furnishings for transitioning guests, and job training in retail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lotus House provides free emergency and transitional shelter along with comprehensive trauma-informed supportive services to women, youth and children experiencing homelessness in Miami. Its core delivery platform is the 500-bed Lotus Village campus, supplemented by the 70,000+ sq ft Children's Village education and resource center, the Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique for retail job training, the Farm hydroponic garden, Rainbow Lotus LGBTQIA+ programming, and monthly community distributions serving the surrounding Overtown neighborhood.

Product overview

Lotus House operates as a comprehensive homeless shelter and supportive services organization with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the Lotus Village shelter facility (500-bed capacity), supplemented by specialized program modules including therapeutic services, education/employment programs, holistic programming, the Children's Village education center, Rainbow Lotus LGBTQIA+ services, Lotus House Thrift retail training, The Farm hydroponic garden, Lotus Village Voices media platform, and community distribution outreach. Together these programs form an integrated continuum of care designed to help women, youth and children heal, achieve self-sufficiency, and exit the shelter system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lotus Village Shelter Services Emergency and transitional shelter at a 500-bed, 100,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility providing sanctuary, resources, and comprehensive trauma-informed supportive services (therapy, education, employment training, holistic programming) to women, youth and children experiencing homelessness in Miami.
• Children's Village A 70,000+ sq ft education and resource center in Overtown, Miami serving children of sheltered women and the surrounding community. Operates a collective impact model with 14 nonprofit partners providing early childhood education, therapy, arts programs, health services, legal aid, and LGBTQ youth services.
• Rainbow Lotus Specialized programming and holistic services designed for homeless LGBTQIA+ adults and youth, providing a safe, supportive and nurturing environment within the Lotus House ecosystem.
• Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique A thrift store operated by Lotus House guests and alumni providing clothing, furnishings, and retail/barista job training programs for employment readiness; revenue supports shelter operations.
• Community Distributions Monthly community events providing free groceries, prepared meals, essential hygiene items, health screenings, and health education to residents of Miami's Overtown neighborhood outside the shelter system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86%+ of guests successfully exit the shelter system to stable housing (compared to national averages where most shelters see 60%+ return to homelessness)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Civic ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 November 2025Served as pro bono general contractor for the Children's Village development project.
• Behar Font & PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 November 2025Architect for the Children's Village development project.
• Bilzin SumbergcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 November 2025Provided pro bono legal counsel for the Children's Village development.
• Arts 4 LearningcoreOthers · 6 November 2025Nonprofit partner organization housed at Children's Village providing arts education programming.
• Alliance for LGBTQ YouthcoreOthers · 6 November 2025Nonprofit partner organization housed at Children's Village providing services to LGBTQ youth.
• United Way MiamicoreOthers · 6 November 2025Nonprofit partner organization housed at Children's Village providing community services.
• Easter Seals South FloridacoreOthers · 6 November 2025Nonprofit partner organization housed at Children's Village providing disability services.
• Legal Services of Greater MiamicoreOthers · 6 November 2025Nonprofit partner organization housed at Children's Village providing legal services.
• Florida International University (FIU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Research partner conducting service-driven studies on developmental, mental health, and trauma-related issues in children at the shelter. Partnership has produced peer-reviewed publications and evidence-based interventions.
• National Women's Shelter NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Network launched by Lotus House in 2021 to elevate voices of women with lived homeless experience, showcase best practices, conduct research, offer training, and advance solutions to end homelessness. Now includes 400+ shelters across the country.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mary's Place: Seattle nonprofit providing emergency shelter for women, children, and families with wraparound services. Direct segment overlap (women and children experiencing homelessness) and similar trauma-informed programming.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit serving homeless, trafficked, and at-risk youth with shelter and supportive services across multiple U.S. cities. Shares trauma-informed, education-and-employment-embedded model and similar youth-segment focus.
• The Bowery Mission: NYC nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, and holistic programs to homeless and hungry New Yorkers. Comparably large, multi-program shelter with comprehensive services and similarly mature footprint.
• Pine Street Inn: Boston-based nonprofit providing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for men and women experiencing homelessness. Comparably large, multi-program shelter with employment/training services and similar service integration model.
• Father Joe's Villages: San Diego's largest homeless services provider offering emergency shelter, transitional housing, and comprehensive supportive services. Comparable scale, wraparound services, and large purpose-built facility footprint.
• Los Angeles Mission: LA-based nonprofit shelter providing emergency and transitional housing, meals, education, and recovery services. Comparable large urban shelter with wraparound services model.
• Atlanta Mission: Atlanta-based nonprofit providing emergency and transitional housing, meals, and recovery services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Comparably large facility footprint and multi-program model.
• Compass Family Services: SF nonprofit serving homeless families with shelter, housing, and supportive services. Comparably focused on family-centered shelter model with child, education, and employment supports.

Emerging players

• Martha's Table: DC nonprofit offering food, clothing, education, and family support programs including family housing. Overlap on wraparound services for low-income women and children, though with greater emphasis on food distribution.

Others

• National Network to End Domestic Violence: National advocacy and capacity-building network for domestic violence shelters across the U.S. While not a direct service provider, it operates a parallel national network concept and shares domestic-violence-victim overlap with Lotus House's women and youth segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LotusHouseShelter
• Facebookfacebook.com/LotusHouseShelter
• Xx.com/lotushouse1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sundari-foundation-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Lotus House