What Boston Rescue Mission does

Boston Rescue Mission, founded in 1899 (originally as Merrimac Mission) and reorganized under its current name in 1994, is a Massachusetts-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 39 Kingston Street in downtown Boston. It provides emergency overnight shelter for up to 178 women and men, daily meal programs, sober living residential recovery, rapid rehousing and stabilization for women and newly arriving migrants, case management, job-readiness training through its Job Referral Network, and voluntary spiritual development programs. All direct services are delivered free of charge, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, with no intake requirements. The organization also maintains international humanitarian programs in Haiti (clean water for 4,000 people across four villages, school textbooks) and Kenya (orphan and primary-school support), and operates a food pantry two days per week.

The business model is donation-driven: 100% of revenue comes from private individuals, foundations, and corporations — there is no significant government funding and no fee-for-service revenue. Fundraising channels include online donations (PayPal, QGiv), church and corporate partnerships (over 100 churches; named corporate partners include Liberty Mutual, Roche Bros, Advent International, and Chick-fil-A), foundation grants, planned/legacy giving through the Cornerstone Society, and in-kind donations (food, clothing, professional services). The organization is audited annually by Kevin P. Martin & Associates, P.C., and reports quantified outcomes including approximately 100,000 meals served in FY25, 37,933 bed nights provided in FY20 (serving nearly 1,000 individuals), and 2,000+ annual volunteers. Notable recognized leaders include President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Governor Charlie Baker, and former Mayors Tom Menino and Marty Walsh.

From an operations/technology standpoint, the organization runs no proprietary technology platform — its stack consists of standard SaaS tools (JotForm for volunteer intake, EmailOctopus for newsletter, PayPal/QGiv for donations, Wix-hosted website) and is governed by a Board of Directors under long-tenured President & CEO John G. Samaan, who has led the Mission since 1993. A distinctive workforce characteristic is that many staff are former clients with lived experience of homelessness and substance use disorders, which functions as a peer-support-based operating asset rather than a technology one. Mission Chair Elizabeth Keeley received the 2022 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, and the Mission has received a 4-Star rating (per the displayed Charity Navigator-style badge on site).

Name

Boston Rescue Mission

Legal name

Boston Rescue Mission, Inc.

Website

https://brm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Boston Rescue Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1899 that provides free emergency shelter (178 beds), daily meals, sober living programs, job referral services, and case management to homeless and underserved individuals in Greater Boston, with international programs in Haiti and Kenya.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Homeless services
• Sober living programs
• Food assistance programs
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Private individual donors constitute the largest source of annual revenue for the Boston Rescue Mission. Donations are accepted online via credit card, debit card, or PayPal; by check; and through recurring monthly, quarterly, or annual giving programs.
2. Church and Corporate Partnerships: Over 100 churches support the Mission with periodic financial contributions, food drives, volunteer service, and in-kind donations. Corporate partners provide financial support, volunteer hours, program sponsorships, and material donations.
3. Foundation Grants: The organization receives foundation grants as part of its diversified funding portfolio, along with some public funds for specific programs.
4. Public/Government Funding: Some public funds are received for specific programs. Funding from private individuals, foundations, and corporations constitutes 100% of annual revenue.
5. Legacy and Planned Giving: The Cornerstone Society encourages legacy gifts including bequests through wills, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, retirement plan designations, and bank/investment account beneficiaries.
6. In-Kind Donations: Food donations from food banks, grocery stores, restaurants, and individuals; material goods including clothing, toiletries, and wish list items; and professional services. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act protects food donors from liability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Boston Rescue Mission delivers free, direct social services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Greater Boston, operating a year-round emergency overnight shelter with capacity for 178 women and men, daily community meal and food pantry programs, residential sober living and rapid rehousing recovery programs, a Job Referral Network connecting clients to employer partners, and voluntary spiritual development programs. All services are provided at no charge 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no intake requirements. The organization also conducts international humanitarian programs in Haiti (clean water systems, school supplies) and Kenya (orphanage and school sponsorship).

Product overview

Boston Rescue Mission operates as a single unified nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of social services focused on ending homelessness. The organization provides emergency overnight shelter (up to 178 beds), meal programs serving nearly 100,000 meals annually, sober living residential recovery programs, job readiness through the Job Referral Network, spiritual development, international mission work (Haiti and Kenya), and various volunteer and donation programs. These services are integrated through case management and partnerships with healthcare providers, vocational services, and housing assistance programs to guide individuals from immediate need to self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,933 bed nights provided to nearly 1,000 individuals (FY20)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Formal advocacy partnership joined in 1995 to advocate for policies and public funding needed to assist people who are homeless to stabilize their lives.
• Chick-fil-A Copley SquarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Chick-fil-A Copley Square in Boston to tackle hunger and food insecurity in the neighborhood. Addresses the statistic that approximately 1 in 3 adults in Massachusetts are food insecure.
• Liberty MutualcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing volunteering opportunities, program support, and material donations. One of the most dedicated corporate supporters of the Mission.
• Roche BroscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing food donations and support for the Mission's meal programs and operations.
• Advent InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing financial and volunteer support to the Mission's programs and operations.
• Grace ChapelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChurch partner supporting the Mission with periodic financial contributions, volunteer service, and spiritual programming. One of many church partners.
• Boston Chinese Evangelical ChurchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChurch partner providing support for the Mission's community programs and outreach efforts.
• Boston Tzu ChiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFaith-based organization partner supporting the Mission's humanitarian efforts.
• Lovin' SpoonfulscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization partner helping to rescue and distribute food to the Mission and other organizations serving those in need.
• Northeastern UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partner providing consistent support through student volunteering, internship programs, and donation drives over several years.
• Boston UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partner providing student volunteers and support for the Mission's programs.
• Archbishop Williams High SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchool partner providing consistent support and student volunteers for the Mission.
• Boston Health Care for the HomelesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership bringing professionals who provide medical care and referrals for mental health and recovery treatment for shelter guests.
• Jewish Vocational ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational services partnership helping clients obtain job skills that open doors to employment with living wages and opportunities for professional growth.
• Red Rose Nursery and Children's CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan partner organization for distributing food and clothing to orphans and underwriting educational costs for primary school children in Karungu village near Lake Victoria.
• Back on My FeetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational running group for people in recovery. Client James participates in this organization to help motivate others with his story.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health advocacy organization. Client James works with NAMI to help motivate others struggling with mental illness and addiction.
• Job Referral Network EmployerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup of Boston-area companies that have partnered to provide Mission program members with opportunities to interview for employment. Partners agree to grant at least an interview based on Mission recommendation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heading Home: Greater Boston nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable in service model and target population, with strong emphasis on housing placement outcomes.
• City Mission Boston: Boston-area faith-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk populations through shelter, food programs, and recovery services. Closely comparable to Boston Rescue Mission in mission, faith-based approach, service mix, and donor-funded model in the same geographic market.
• Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Boston-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth and young adults with shelter, meals, education, and job training. Comparable service mix (shelter + meals + workforce) targeted at a younger subset of the same population Boston Rescue Mission serves.
• Rosie's Place: Boston-based shelter and resource center specifically serving women experiencing homelessness and poverty. Highly comparable service model (shelter, meals, case management, advocacy) and donor-funded structure, with a similarly long operating history in the Boston market.
• Pine Street Inn: Boston's largest emergency shelter and housing organization, operating multiple sites and serving thousands of homeless individuals daily. Direct comparable given identical Boston-based emergency shelter, meal, and housing stabilization services, with a similar volunteer and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA): Massachusetts statewide nonprofit alliance focused on ending homelessness through advocacy, training, and Housing First initiatives. Boston Rescue Mission is a member organization; MHSA is comparable as a peer advocacy and capacity-building organization in the same homeless services ecosystem.
• St. Francis House: Boston-based day shelter and resource hub serving adults experiencing homelessness and poverty. Direct peer in providing meals, case management, and recovery support in downtown Boston to overlapping client populations.

Others

• Lovin' Spoonfuls: Massachusetts-based food rescue nonprofit that distributes surplus food to hunger-relief organizations including Boston Rescue Mission. Not a direct service competitor but a strategic supplier partner in the same food security ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston: Large regional faith-based social services network operating across Greater Boston with programs in shelter, food assistance, refugee resettlement, and family services. Broader portfolio but overlapping clientele and service categories with Boston Rescue Mission.
• The Salvation Army of Greater Boston: National faith-based nonprofit with significant Boston-area operations in emergency shelter, meal service, and recovery programs. Directly overlapping services with Boston Rescue Mission but operating at a much larger national scale with broader program portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bostonrescuemis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bostonrescuemis
• Facebookfacebook.com/BosRescueMission
• Instagraminstagram.com/bostonrescuemission

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Boston Rescue Mission