Better Family Life

What Better Family Life does

Better Family Life Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development corporation incorporated in Missouri and headquartered at 5415 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, founded in 1983 to stabilize inner-city neighborhoods. The organization reports serving more than 50,000 low-income children and adults annually across the St. Louis metropolitan area through four operational departments: Youth, Family and Clinical Services; Community Engagement and Housing/Asset Development; Workforce Development; and Cultural Arts. Programs include after-school and summer youth enrichment (Youth Passport to the Future, Viking Quest, Kuumba Youth Performance Ensemble, S.A.F.E. Passage, America SCORES St. Louis, Youth Leadership Academy, Teen Pregnancy Prevention), credentialed workforce training (SkillUP, Missouri Work Assistance, Call Center Representative Certification), housing counseling (First Time Homebuyer Assistance, Foreclosure Intervention, Step Up to Home Ownership), micro-lending (through Carrollton Bank and NJCW Healing Hearts Bank), clinical mental-health services, and cultural programs (BLACK DANCE-USA festival, Art and Empowerment Mural Tours, Urban Rhythms, Black Dance Research Library, Afrikan Fusion dance classes, Sankofa Rising). The Page Boulevard Revitalization Initiative extends activity into physical neighborhood redevelopment with NeighborWorks America and Washington University.

Revenues derive primarily from government grants and contracts (Missouri DESE 21st Century Community Learning Centers, St. Louis County Children's Service Fund, Missouri Department of Social Services VOCA at $1 million, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health, USDA, Missouri Family Services Department, Missouri Foundation for Health), with secondary income from tax-deductible donations via Network for Good, partner-funded housing counseling with 25+ financial institutions, microloan partner arrangements, and a nascent recurring-revenue stream from tiered subscriptions to the virtual Art and Empowerment Mural Tour ($99/month to $5,000/year) and a membership program targeting 1,000 members. Service delivery is multi-channel: four physical sites (St. Louis headquarters plus satellites in Arnold, St. Ann/Ferguson), a central phone intake line, online registration and donations, and a partner referral network including ARCHS, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Accenture, and United Way. Operations are led by Interim CEO LaTonya R. Jackson with Co-Founder DeBorah D. Ahmed as Executive Director of the Cultural, Educational and Business Center; headcount is 101-250 employees.

Name

Better Family Life

Legal name

Better Family Life Inc

Website

https://betterfamilylife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Better Family Life Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development corporation founded in 1983 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, serving more than 50,000 low-income children and adults annually through youth, workforce, housing, clinical, and cultural-arts programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF), Maternal, Child & Family Health Departments (HLAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Workforce development programs
• Youth family services
• Housing counseling programs
• Cultural arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Better Family Life receives significant funding through government grants including Missouri DESE 21st Century Community Learning Centers, St. Louis County Children's Service Fund, Missouri Department of Social Services VOCA grant ($1 million), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health, and U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through Network for Good platform, including specific campaigns like the Eye of the Storm Tornado Relief Fund. Tax-deductible donations support general operations and specific programs.
3. Program Memberships and Subscriptions: Virtual mural tour subscriptions ranging from $99/month for individuals to $5,000/year for institutions. Also includes membership program targeting 1,000 members with associated benefits and community involvement.
4. Housing and Development Services: Services include homebuyer education, foreclosure intervention counseling, and housing-related counseling. Revenue may be generated through partnership arrangements with lenders and financial institutions.
5. Micro Business Loans: BFL Micro Lending Programs partner with National Council of Jewish Women (NJCW) Healing Hearts Bank for microloans up to $500 for low-income female entrepreneurs, and Carrollton Bank for larger microloans based on character and capacity assessments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Better Family Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development corporation that provides comprehensive social services to low-income residents in the St. Louis metropolitan area through four program departments: Youth, Family and Clinical Services; Workforce Development; Housing and Asset Development; and Cultural Arts. Core offerings include job training and certifications, youth after-school and summer programs, homebuyer education and foreclosure counseling, microloans, mental health services, and cultural enrichment through dance, art, and heritage programs. The organization serves 50,000+ individuals annually free of charge or at low cost.

Product overview

Better Family Life Inc is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community development corporation established in 1983 that offers a comprehensive portfolio of social service programs rather than a unified software product. The organization operates as a multi-department service provider with distinct program areas: Youth, Family, and Clinical Services (including Youth Passport to the Future, Youth Leadership Academy, Viking Quest, Kuumba Youth Performance Ensemble, Summer Job League, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and Wellness/Clinical Services); Workforce Development (including Missouri Work Assistance, SkillUP, Call Center Certification, Business Start-Up Training, and Micro Business Loans); Housing and Asset Development (including First Time Homebuyer Assistance, Foreclosure Intervention, Step Up to Home Ownership, and Page Blvd Revitalization); Cultural Arts (including BLACK DANCE-USA, Art and Empowerment Mural Tours, Urban Rhythms, Black Dance Research Library, and Afrikan Dance Classes); and Membership/Communiversity Programs. These programs are interconnected, with the Communiversity serving as a violence-prevention model, the Neighborhood Healing Network providing trauma-informed support, and Sankofa Rising offering TANF-eligible clients pathways into cultural arts careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Passport to the Future After-School Program Missouri-licensed after-school child care program for K-12 students offering computer literacy, cultural arts, dance, and substance prevention classes aligned with state academic standards.
• Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) Program building leadership skills and capacity of St. Louis youth through experiential learning and policy engagement opportunities.
• Viking Quest After-School Enrichment Program Free after-school enrichment program for students in the Normandy School Collaborative, designed to enhance academic achievement through a holistic experience.
• America SCORES St. Louis Youth program empowering students in urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression, and service learning, inspiring youth to lead healthy lifestyles.
• Kuumba Youth Performance Ensemble (KYPE) Youth and young adult performance ensemble (ages 5-25) traveling throughout the region as ambassadors for Africa's artistic and cultural heritage through dance, drama, music, and poetry.
• S.A.F.E. Passage Summer Camp Eight-week summer program empowering African American youth through African and African American studies, dance, drama, field trips, arts and crafts, sports, and swimming.
• Summer Job League Workforce placement program helping emerging workers ages 16-24 earn workplace skill certificates and connect with area businesses for real-world work experience.
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Program serving youth ages 12-18 to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases through in-school and community-based after-school programs.
• Wellness and Clinical Services Intervention program offering counseling, crisis intervention, and clinical case management to youth, adults, and families, staffed by licensed psychologists and clinical social workers.
• Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) Program helping Temporary Assistance recipients prepare for jobs, gain work experience, find employment, and keep jobs through partnership with the Family Support Division.
• SkillUP Program Intergenerational poverty initiative providing free training and employment services to SNAP recipients in Missouri, with transportation, work-related expenses, and childcare assistance.
• Call Center Representative Certification Training course developing customer service professionals with soft skills, computer skills, and automated call simulation, culminating in NRF Customer Service and Sales Certification.
• Better Family Life Business Center Program helping individuals receive eligible benefits and services, working to inform, educate, advocate, and preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing.
• BFL Business Start-Up Training Economic development services helping small business entrepreneurs with business development, planning, and access to capital through instruction and networking support.
• Micro Business Loan Program Micro lending program with two loan funds: up to $500 microloans through NJCW Healing Hearts Bank and Carrollton Bank Microloans based on character and capacity assessment.
• First Time Homebuyer Assistance Housing counseling and education services teaching homebuyers to establish housing budgets, manage finances, and save money to prevent foreclosure.
• Foreclosure Intervention Counseling Counseling services helping clients avoid foreclosure or reduce financial penalties through face-to-face sessions and workout plans with lending institutions.
• Step Up to Home Ownership Intensive, accelerated track providing hands-on assistance in the home buying process, addressing household financial management, credit restoration, and lending alternatives.
• Page Blvd Revitalization Initiative (PRI) Community-driven planning effort led by Better Family Life to stabilize and revitalize the Page Boulevard corridor in St. Louis.
• BLACK DANCE - USA: A Celebration in Movement The region's longest-running Black dance festival, celebrating Afrikan and Afrikan-inspired dance techniques with participants from around the country.
• Art and Empowerment Mural Tours Guided tours of the largest Black history mural in Missouri, with curriculum available for supplementary or independent study.
• Urban Rhythms Arts education and prevention program utilizing cultural traditions of Afrikan and Afrikan-descended people to promote wellness, curb school violence, prevent dropouts, and improve academic performance.
• Black Dance Research Library Multimedia archive tracking the evolution of Afrikan and Afrikan-inspired dance techniques, open to the general public, students, and researchers.
• Melenated Marketplace Seasonal marketplace (May through September) featuring locally-owned businesses selling Afrikan-inspired clothing, jewelry, crafts, food, and literature.
• Afrikan Fusion and Traditional West Afrikan Dance Classes Weekly dance classes for ages 10 and older, teaching traditional West Afrikan dance techniques.
• Black Cinema Screening of Black films from Afrika and the Diaspora on a varying schedule.
• Membership Program Membership program galvanizing and strengthening African American families through personal, intellectual, and professional development with action committees for civic engagement, service, and special events.
• Neighborhood Healing Network Trauma-informed care initiative providing services to individuals impacted by crime, offering resources to overcome barriers to education and employment.
• Sankofa Rising Career readiness program for TANF-eligible adults aged 18+ seeking careers in Cultural Arts including Jewelry Design, Digital Storytelling, Dance, and Costume design.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ low-income individuals served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARCHS (A Regionally Collaborative Approach to Success)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Primary workforce development partner for SkillUP Intergenerational Poverty Initiative supporting low-income residents in the Promise Zone. ARCHS also oversees the $1 million Neighborhood Healing Network grant from Missouri Department of Social Services.
• AccentureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner providing professional development and career pathway support for workforce programs.
• Missouri Family Services DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) program providing employment and training services to Temporary Assistance recipients.
• NeighborWorks AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the Page Blvd Revitalization Initiative (PRI) community-driven planning effort led by Better Family Life.
• The Brown School at Washington University in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Page Blvd Revitalization Initiative (PRI) providing evaluation support through Brown School Evaluation Center.
• Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of Teen Pregnancy Prevention program serving 2,000 youth ages 12-18 annually through in-school and community-based after school programs.
• St. Louis County Children's Service FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of Wellness and Clinical Services providing mental health services, crisis intervention, and clinical case management.
• Neighborhood Healing Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$1 million VOCA grant hub partners: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Fathers & Families Support Center, Mission: St. Louis, and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Coordinated by ARCHS with trauma-informed care services.
• Alive & Well CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Neighborhood Healing Network providing educational programming about abuse, victim rights, laws, violence, and trauma-informed care.
• Missouri DESE 21st Century Community Learning CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of Viking Quest/After-School Enrichment Program and Youth Passport to the Future serving Normandy School Collaborative.
• Urban League of Metropolitan Saint LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner in St. Louis regional talent pipeline initiatives and Neighborhood Healing Network hub.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth and family program partner providing funding and collaborative support for community services.
• America Scores AffiliatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Louis chapter implementing soccer, writing, creative expression, and service learning programs to empower students in urban communities.
• Missouri Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministering $1 million Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant for Neighborhood Healing Network trauma services.
• Missouri Foundation for HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder supporting youth programs and wellness initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of St. Louis: Direct peer providing wraparound social services including family counseling, housing assistance, and refugee/immigrant support across the St. Louis region. Operates with comparable scale and multi-program service breadth.
• FamilyForward: Direct peer providing family counseling, youth programs, and crisis intervention services in the St. Louis region. Comparable clinical and case management capabilities, competing for the same Children's Service Fund and VOCA allocations.
• Mission: St. Louis: Direct peer delivering community-based programs in housing, workforce, and youth services in St. Louis, including co-partnership with BFL in the Neighborhood Healing Network. Competes for similar grassroots and faith-aligned funder dollars.
• Fathers & Families Support Center: Direct peer in fatherhood engagement, youth violence prevention, and family stabilization in St. Louis. Co-hub partner with BFL in the Neighborhood Healing Network; overlaps on Saturday School and men's leadership programming.
• Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis: Direct peer operating as a multi-program community development nonprofit in the St. Louis region, delivering workforce development, youth services, housing counseling, and civic engagement to African American communities — overlapping BFL's Neighborhood Healing Network hub role.
• Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC): Direct peer administering federal Community Services Block Grant, weatherization, Head Start, and emergency assistance in St. Louis County. Closely comparable in serving low-income populations through federal pass-through funding, including TANF-related services like BFL's Sankofa Rising.
• United Way of Greater St. Louis: Direct peer functioning as a community services funder and convener in the St. Louis region, supporting youth, family, and workforce programs. Comparable in serving low-income populations but operates primarily through sub-granting rather than direct service delivery.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis: Direct peer in youth development, providing after-school, summer, and teen programming across the St. Louis metro. Co-partner with BFL on the Neighborhood Healing Network hub, but competes for the same Missouri DESE 21st CCLC and youth-services funding pools.
• Goodwill of Greater St. Louis: Direct peer operating workforce development, skills training, and re-entry programs in St. Louis. Overlaps with BFL's SkillUP and Call Center Certification offerings as a primary competitor for SNAP E&T and workforce contract funding.

Broad incumbents

• NeighborWorks America (St. Louis training partners): Broad peer in community development and affordable housing, providing capacity-building grants and training to local CDFIs and housing counseling organizations like BFL. Acts as both supporter (PRI funding) and capacity standard-setter for BFL's housing programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-family-life-inc.

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 Better Family Life