Because Justice Matters

What Because Justice Matters does

Because Justice Matters (BJM) is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit ministry incorporated in California (EIN 42-2392406) and headquartered at 65 Dorland Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Founded in 2008 by Ruthie Kim and led today by Executive Director Gabrielle Alzate, the organization delivers a multi-program portfolio to women, girls, and families facing systemic challenges in the Tenderloin, including poverty, housing instability, trauma, and limited opportunity. Core programs include weekly dance and creative arts classes, SHINE Mentorship for system-affected adolescent girls ages 9-15, the Azul Leadership Cohort for young adults ages 18-24, the IGNITE youth group, an annual youth summer camp, student apprenticeships, family Bible studies, and EdenMade outreach to women in adult entertainment venues. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery relies on in-person staff, volunteers, and standard web and email communication tools built on Squarespace. The underlying programmatic methodology is rooted in the Eight Key Components of Christian Community Development (CCD), a 35-year-old researched framework that shapes curriculum design and organizational philosophy. The WildFlour Pizza social enterprise pairs Azul students with paid pizza pop-up events to deliver youth employment and leadership experience while generating earned revenue, and a recurring Proposition Chicken give-back partnership supplements donor-driven funding.

BJM's revenue model is a hybrid donations/charitable contributions and social-enterprise structure: the primary funding stream is individual monthly and one-time donors, supplemented by foundation and community giving, while WildFlour Pizza pop-up events generate secondary transaction-based revenue. All programs are provided at no cost to participants, and no pricing tiers exist. Geographic footprint is concentrated in a single Tenderloin location, with program reach characterized as serving hundreds of youth annually across multiple cohorts since 2008, and a new bilingual church-planting initiative (La Iglesias) emerging in 2024.

Name

Because Justice Matters

Legal name

Because Justice Matters

Website

https://becausejusticematters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Because Justice Matters is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit founded in 2008 in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, delivering dance, mentorship, leadership development, and outreach programs to women, girls, and families through donated funding and a social-enterprise pizza pop-up.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Community Development and Youth Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Faith-based community ministry
• Youth mentorship programs
• Leadership development cohort
• Community development services
• Social enterprise catering

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue stream for Because Justice Matters comes from individual donors, monthly giving supporters, and one-time charitable contributions. Donors fuel programs supporting women, girls, and families in the Tenderloin through dance, mentorship, leadership development, and other ministry activities.
2. WildFlour Pizza Events: WildFlour is a social enterprise pizza pop-up business operated by Azul Leadership Cohort students. Revenue from pizza events supports youth employment, leadership training, and program costs while providing practical business experience to young adults ages 18-24.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Because Justice Matters is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit ministry delivering a portfolio of free, faith-based programs — including dance and creative arts classes, SHINE Mentorship for system-affected adolescent girls ages 9-15, the Azul Leadership Cohort for young adults ages 18-24, IGNITE youth group, student apprenticeships, family Bible studies, annual youth summer camp, and the EdenMade outreach ministry to women in the adult entertainment industry — to women, girls, and families in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The organization supplements donated funding with the WildFlour Pizza social enterprise, a youth-operated pizza pop-up that provides paid catering while training Azul students in business and leadership skills.

Product overview

Because Justice Matters operates as a multi-ministry Christian nonprofit offering a portfolio of interconnected programs for women, girls, and families in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The core programming includes dance classes and creative arts for girls, the SHINE Mentorship program for adolescent girls ages 9-15, and the Azul Leadership Cohort for young adults ages 18-24. Supporting programs include IGNITE youth group, WildFlour Pizza social enterprise, EdenMade outreach ministry, annual youth summer camp, student apprenticeships, family Bible studies, and an emerging bilingual church planting initiative. These programs work together to build pathways to brighter futures through presence, mentorship, creative expression, and spiritual formation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WildFlour: A pizza pop-up social enterprise operated by the Azul Leadership Cohort, providing youth employment and leadership training.
• Azul Leadership Cohort
• SHINE Mentorship
• IGNITE
• EdenMade
• La Iglesias

Products and services

• Dance Classes Weekly dance instruction for girls featuring creative arts, performances, and recitals, aimed at building confidence, social-emotional development, and physical skills through movement and worship; offered free of charge to girls in San Francisco's Tenderloin.
• SHINE Mentorship Research-backed mentorship program for system-affected adolescent girls ages 9-15, focusing on self-identity, healthy relationships, goal setting, and leadership development; provided free of charge to participants and their families.
• Azul Leadership Cohort 9-month leadership development program for young adults ages 18-24, combining mentoring, discipleship, and practical skills training through the WildFlour Pizza social enterprise; provided free of charge to participants.
• IGNITE Youth Group Weekly youth group for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students featuring community, devotions, prayer, and intergenerational connection; offered free of charge.
• WildFlour Pizza Pizza pop-up social enterprise booked for private gatherings (e.g., graduation parties), where Azul cohort students plan, prep, and host events to gain hands-on leadership, communication, and business experience while generating revenue to support the ministry.
• EdenMade Outreach Ministry Monthly outreach to clubs serving women in the adult entertainment industry, providing gift bags, resource connections, prayer support, and pathways to brighter futures; provided free of charge to participants.
• Youth Summer Camp Annual overnight camp experience for BJM youth featuring outdoor activities, worship, mentorship, foot-washing ceremonies, and spiritual formation activities; offered free of charge to participants.
• Student Apprenticeships High school and college student program providing summer and school-year opportunities for learning, serving, and growing within BJM ministries.
• Family Bible Studies Weekly family-oriented Bible study gatherings including Mothers' Appreciation Breakfasts, Scripture study, and intergenerational worship; offered free of charge.
• La Iglesias Bilingual Church Plant Emerging bilingual (English and Spanish) neighborhood church ministry rooted in Christ's love, meeting Sunday evenings for prayer, worship, teaching, and fellowship; offered free of charge.
• Operation Santa Claus Annual Christmas outreach program providing gift bags and resources to families in the Tenderloin, including opportunities for families to pay it forward; offered free of charge.

Named customers3 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

One partnership is on record.

• Proposition ChickenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Proposition Chicken is a San Francisco-based restaurant that partners with Because Justice Matters. During July, customers can support BJM by dining at Proposition Chicken every Monday, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• YWCA San Francisco & Marin: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit focused on empowering women and girls through housing, advocacy, and youth programming. Directly comparable to BJM in mission (women and girls), geographic market (SF Bay Area), and youth/family services delivery.
• Glide Memorial Church: San Francisco faith-based nonprofit in the Tenderloin/SoMa corridor providing meals, housing support, and community programming. Directly comparable to BJM as a Tenderloin-rooted faith community serving high-need populations.
• San Francisco City Impact: Faith-based nonprofit serving San Francisco's Tenderloin and inner-city communities through outreach, children's programs, and community development. Directly comparable to BJM in Tenderloin location, faith-based identity, and holistic family/youth services.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area: Bay Area mentoring nonprofit providing one-to-one youth mentorship with a similar lifespan-pipeline ethos. Directly comparable to BJM's SHINE mentorship program in serving system-affected youth through sustained adult relationships.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco nonprofit serving homeless and system-impacted youth ages 12-24 with housing, education, and employment services. Comparable to BJM in target population (system-impacted youth ages 18-24 via Azul) and SF Tenderloin/SoMa geography.
• At The Crossroads: San Francisco nonprofit serving homeless young adults ages 18-24 through outreach and case management. Comparable to BJM's Azul Cohort in target demographic, geography, and faith-informed approach to young adult stabilization.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco: Established youth development nonprofit serving San Francisco youth through after-school programs, mentorship, and leadership pipelines. Comparable to BJM's dance, youth group, and mentorship programs in serving at-risk youth with structured developmental activities.
• Young Life: Large, established faith-based youth ministry organization operating in urban, suburban, and rural communities worldwide. Comparable to BJM in its Christ-centered youth development approach, though at far greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Christian Community Development Association (CCDA): National association that BJM actively engages with at its annual conference. CCDA developed the Eight Key Components of Christian Community Development framework that BJM explicitly operates under, making it both an ecosystem peer and an enabling/association relationship.

Regional players

• Mission Dolores Neighborhood Center: San Francisco Mission District nonprofit serving children, youth, and families with after-school and community programs. Comparable to BJM as a faith-rooted neighborhood nonprofit delivering youth/family programming in San Francisco's urban core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bjm_sf
• Facebookfacebook.com/becausejusticematters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/because-justice-matters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Because Justice Matters