Bread of Life Mission

What Bread of Life Mission does

Bread of Life Mission is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1939 and headquartered at 97 S. Main Street in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. It delivers a faith-based, Christ-centered continuum of services exclusively to men 18+ experiencing homelessness and addiction in Seattle, including an Emergency Shelter, a 24/7 Enhanced Shelter with mandatory sobriety and case management, a Cold Weather Shelter activated during severe weather, daily meals, clothing distribution, on-site social services, and the Life Path Program, a structured 9-12 month residential Christian recovery program covering discipleship, life skills, counseling, addiction education, job readiness, and reintegration into a church community. In its most recent fiscal year the organization reports serving 87,781 meals, 35,559 shelter-nights, and 5,700 clothing items. All services are provided at no cost to participants; the Life Path Program carries an internal operating cost of approximately $3,000 per month per participant.

The organization operates without any disclosed proprietary technology product, mobile app, or public API, and explicitly states it receives no local, state, or federal government funding. Its revenue model is built entirely on a diversified mix of philanthropic streams: one-time and recurring individual donations via a website portal, phone, and mail; employer gift-matching programs; planned giving through bequests, wills, and trusts; non-cash asset donations including stocks, securities, cryptocurrency, Donor Advised Funds, and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs; and in-kind contributions of clothing, hygiene items, food, and professional services. Donor stewardship is supported by quarterly email newsletters (The Sound of Hope), mission tours, social media (Facebook, Instagram), an Amazon Wishlist for goods, and an annual 24-hour community storytelling event called Conversations on a Bench held on World Homeless Day.

Bread of Life Mission is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Cyndie Martini, with Kenneth Ham (Treasurer, retired CEO of First Choice Health) and Larry Karpack (Secretary, CEO of Watershed Science and Engineering) among its voting members, and is led day-to-day by President & CEO Kim Cook. It is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and listed on Charity Navigator and GuideStar, and is a member of the Citygate Network of Christian life-transformation ministries. The organization runs on a small core team of 1-10 employees supplemented by an extensive volunteer base, with no parent company, subsidiaries, mergers, or acquisitions disclosed.

Name

Bread of Life Mission

Legal name

Bread of Life Mission

Website

https://breadoflifemission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bread of Life Mission is a 501(c)(3) faith-based non-profit founded in 1939 in Seattle that provides emergency shelter, meals, clothing, and the 9-12 month Life Path residential recovery program to men experiencing homelessness and addiction, funded entirely through individual donations, employer matching, planned giving, and in-kind contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Faith-based recovery program
• Emergency shelter operations
• Addiction recovery services
• Social services nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring financial gifts from individual donors via website donation portal, phone, and mail.
2. Employer Gift Matching: Corporate employer matching programs that double the impact of employee donations.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, wills, and trust arrangements for long-term donor relationships.
4. Non-Cash Asset Donations: Donations of stocks, securities, cryptocurrency, Donor Advised Funds, and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs offering tax benefits.
5. In-Kind Donations: Physical goods including clothing, hygiene items, food, and professional services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bread of Life Mission provides free emergency shelter, enhanced 24/7 shelter, cold weather shelter, daily meals, clothing distribution, and on-site social services to homeless men in Seattle. Its flagship offering is the Life Path Program, a 9-12 month residential Christian recovery program that combines discipleship, life-skills training, counseling, and case management to help men overcome addiction, homelessness, and broken lifestyles. All services are provided at no charge to participants and funded through individual donations, corporate matching, and planned giving.

Product overview

Bread of Life Mission is a single-location, faith-based non-profit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of services for homeless men in Seattle. The core offerings center on shelter programs (Emergency Shelter, Cold Weather Shelter, and Enhanced 24/7 Shelter) and the Life Path Recovery Program—a 9-12 month residential Christian recovery program offered at no cost to participants. Supporting services include daily meals, clothing distribution, social services (mail, computer access, bus passes), and a Prayer Team volunteer program. The organization does not operate a technology product but delivers these programs at 97 S. Main Street, Seattle, WA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Path Program: A 9-12 month Christian Life Recovery Program that helps men develop tools to make realistic, achievable changes leading to a better quality of life at no charge to participants.
• Enhanced Shelter
• Cold Weather Shelter

Products and services

• Life Path Program A 9-12 month residential Christian Life Recovery Program for men 18+ that provides discipleship, teaching, life skills, counseling, and faith-based support to help participants overcome addiction, homelessness, and broken lifestyles. Offered at no charge to participants, with operating costs of approximately $3,000 per month per participant funded through donations.
• Enhanced Shelter A 24/7 enhanced shelter offering meals, showers, laundry, case management, and counseling with a requirement for sobriety and engagement in structured case management toward stability and housing.
• Cold Weather Shelter Emergency shelter activated during severe weather conditions, providing mats, showers, warm clothing, and hot meals during the coldest nights of the year.
• Emergency Shelter Emergency overnight shelter available for individuals in need, with basic services including showers, meals, and temporary rest.
• Daily Meals Program Hot meals served daily to guests and program participants, with approximately 87,781 meals provided annually.
• Clothing Distribution Distribution of new and used clothing in men's sizes S-2XL, including ongoing needs for socks, undergarments, and seasonal items such as winter jackets and boots. Approximately 5,700 items of clothing provided annually.
• Social Services On-site social services including mail service, computer use, Metro bus passes, and case management to help guests access resources and work toward stability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87,781 meals provided annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• Charity NavigatorminorOthersThird-party charity evaluator providing transparency ratings and accountability verification for nonprofit organizations. EIN #91-6057907 verified.
• ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability)minorOthersAccreditation organization for evangelical nonprofits ensuring financial integrity and ethical practices.
• GuideStar (Candid)minorOthersNonprofit information aggregator providing transparent data on nonprofit operations and finances.
• Citygate NetworkmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of life-transformation ministries providing mutual support, resources, and collaboration among Christian homeless missions across North America.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC): Major Seattle nonprofit serving adults experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness, and behavioral health needs through shelter, permanent supportive housing, and case management. Comparable in client population and integrated service delivery model.
• Seattle's Union Gospel Mission: Long-established Christian rescue mission in Seattle providing emergency shelter, addiction recovery, and meals to homeless individuals. Most directly comparable to Bread of Life Mission in faith-based approach, Seattle geography, and continuum-of-care service model.
• Mary's Place: Seattle-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter and housing services primarily to families, women, and children experiencing homelessness. Comparable in shelter-delivery model and local Seattle geography, though different demographic focus.
• Compass Housing Alliance: Seattle-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable in shelter-plus-housing continuum and case management services.
• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Faith-affiliated social services network operating housing, shelter, and case management programs across Western Washington. Comparable in faith-rooted service approach and breadth of supportive services for vulnerable populations.
• Tacoma Rescue Mission: Faith-based rescue mission in nearby Tacoma providing shelter, meals, and recovery programs for homeless individuals. Highly comparable in Christ-centered whole-person model and Life Recovery Program structure.
• Catholic Housing Services: Housing-focused arm of Catholic Community Services operating emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing across Western Washington. Comparable in geographic scope and low-barrier shelter programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army: National and global faith-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, addiction recovery, and social services. Comparable in core service mix (shelter + recovery + meals) but operates at vastly larger scale across many geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SeattleMission
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattleBOLM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/breadoflifemission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Bread of Life Mission