What Dawn Farm does

Dawn Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit addiction treatment and recovery support organization founded in 1973 and headquartered in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with facilities across Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti in Washtenaw County. It operates a long-term continuum of care for individuals with substance use disorders, including social detoxification (Spera Recovery Center, free to clients), long-term residential treatment at two sites (The Farm, a 64-acre 36-bed property in Ypsilanti, and Dawn Farm Downtown, a 13-bed site in Ann Arbor), outpatient therapy and group services, transitional housing across 12+ locations ($570/month, 6-month to 2-year stays), and jail/community corrections programs delivered under contract with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. Treatment is evidence-based (CBT, DBT, 12-step facilitation, EMDR, psychiatric services) and grounded in the "Gold Standard of Treatment" model derived from physician health programs, with average residential engagement of 3-4 months and total program involvement of up to 2.5 years.

The organization serves primarily individuals with addiction regardless of ability to pay, plus families, criminal-justice-involved populations, and LGBTQ+ individuals seeking affirming care. No proprietary technology platform is operated; service delivery is human-led clinical and peer support. Revenue is generated through a hybrid of client fees ($189/day residential, $40-150/session outpatient), charitable donations (a significant portion of funding, processed via PayPal), donation-funded scholarships, and government contracts (Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office). Insurance is generally not accepted due to the residential (non-inpatient) classification. The organization is accredited by CARF, licensed by the State of Michigan, HIPAA-compliant, and led by President Anna Byberg with a clinical director and program coordinators across each service line.

Dawn Farm's go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth within the recovering community, healthcare referrals (notably Packard Health, which provides the Medical Director), and criminal justice referrals rather than paid advertising. The organization distinguishes itself on cost (rates stated as low as 1/10 of comparable programs via modest facilities and resident-run operations) and on the centrality of the recovering community as the principal healing mechanism. Brand assets include 50+ years of operation, an Education Series running since 1990, and community events such as the annual Jamboree and Ride for Recovery.

Name

Dawn Farm

Legal name

Dawn Farm

Website

https://dawnfarm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dawn Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1973 and based in Washtenaw County, Michigan, operating a long-term continuum of addiction treatment and recovery support services — residential, detox, outpatient, transitional housing, and jail-based programs — primarily for individuals with substance use disorders, regardless of ability to pay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ypsilanti

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Client Fees: Fees charged to clients for residential treatment ($189/day), outpatient services ($40-150/session), and transitional housing ($570/month). Some services offered at no cost to clients (detox, jail programs). Insurance generally not accepted due to residential vs inpatient classification.
2. Charitable Donations: Significant portion of operational funding comes from charitable gifts from the community. Donation-funded beds available for clients who lack insurance or funds. Accepts one-time and recurring donations via website with PayPal processing.
3. Government Contracts: Contract with Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department funds jail and community corrections programs at no cost to clients.
4. Scholarship Fund: Donation-funded scholarship program for long-term residential treatment. Limited beds available with wait times of 1-3 months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dawn Farm is a nonprofit addiction treatment organization that provides a continuum of long-term recovery services including residential treatment (36-bed farm-based facility and 13-bed downtown program), social detoxification via Spera Recovery Center, outpatient therapy, transitional housing across 12+ locations, and jail/community corrections programs. Services are offered at low or no cost regardless of insurance status, supported by charitable donations and government contracts.

Product overview

Dawn Farm is a nonprofit addiction treatment center offering a continuum of long-term treatment services since 1973. The organization operates as a single integrated treatment platform with multiple service lines including Residential Treatment (The Farm and Dawn Farm Downtown), Detoxification via Spera Recovery Center, Outpatient Services, Transitional Housing, and Jail/Community Corrections programs. The Gold Standard of Treatment approach underpins all services, modeled after physician health programs. Additional offerings include the Education Series for professionals and community education, plus scholarship-funded treatment for those without financial resources. The organization is accredited by CARF and licensed by the State of Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spera Recovery Center: A detoxification facility providing a safe, recovery-friendly environment for detoxification with emphasis on developing sustainable plans for ongoing recovery.
• Dawn Farm Downtown
• The Farm
• Dawn Farm Education Series

Products and services

• Residential Treatment Long-term residential treatment program offering 3-4 months of care with evidence-based approaches including cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and psychiatric services. Operates at two locations: The Farm (64-acre rural facility in Ypsilanti with 36-bed capacity) and Dawn Farm Downtown (13-bed capacity in Ann Arbor). For adults with substance use disorders.
• Detoxification (Spera Recovery Center)

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-4 month average residential stay produces 'sleeper effect' - gradual re-engagement of prefrontal cortex decision-making functions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Japanese Addiction Treatment ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015International connection with Japanese treatment providers including Minowa MAC. Dawn Farm's former President Jim Balmer presented at Tokyo conference in 2002, leading to ongoing relationship with Japanese treatment professionals who visit for learning exchanges.
• Food GathererscoreOthersFood Gatherers provides generous food donations that fuel Dawn Farm programs for clients. This partnership ensures clients have access to adequate nutrition during treatment.
• Zingerman'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerZingerman's provides venue for Harvest Gathering fundraiser at Zingerman's Greyline. Co-owner Paul Saginaw serves on Dawn Farm Board of Trustees.
• Packard HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationPackard Health provides Medical Director services for Dawn Farm. Their addiction treatment team serves as clinical leadership.
• Washtenaw County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract partnership providing jail-based recovery groups, diversion programs, and community corrections outpatient services. This is a primary channel for client acquisition in criminal justice segment.
• The Unicorn ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grassroots effort by people in recovery from opioid use to help folks understand that recovery is possible. Partnered with Dawn Farm for Harvest Gathering event.
• Alpha Beta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi FraternityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Bra & Underwear Drive to ensure those coming into treatment have necessary undergarments.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caron Treatment Centers: Nonprofit addiction treatment organization offering long-term residential, outpatient, and recovery support programs. Closely comparable in mission, nonprofit status, and continuum-of-care model to Dawn Farm.
• Cumberland Heights: Nonprofit addiction treatment center in Tennessee offering the full continuum from detox through recovery residences. Closely comparable mission and continuum-of-care structure to Dawn Farm.
• Ashley Addiction Treatment: Nonprofit addiction treatment provider offering residential, outpatient, and recovery housing with an integrated clinical model. Comparable in nonprofit status and full continuum of care to Dawn Farm.
• Gateway Foundation: Nonprofit addiction treatment provider with residential, outpatient, and correctional/criminal justice programming. Directly comparable to Dawn Farm's mix of clinical services and correctional partnerships.
• Valley Hope: Nonprofit addiction treatment organization operating residential and outpatient programs across multiple Midwestern locations. Comparable in regional nonprofit model and continuum-of-care delivery to Dawn Farm.
• Phoenix House: Nonprofit addiction treatment provider with therapeutic community model and full continuum including recovery housing. Directly comparable in therapeutic community approach and residential/transitional housing model to Dawn Farm.
• Promises Behavioral Health: Addiction treatment provider offering residential, detox, outpatient, and recovery housing services. Comparable in service-line mix to Dawn Farm, though operating as a for-profit organization.

Broad incumbents

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Large nonprofit addiction treatment provider offering residential, outpatient, and recovery services nationwide. Comparable in mission and continuum-of-care approach but at far greater scale and geographic reach than Dawn Farm.
• Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: Large nonprofit providing long-term residential addiction recovery programs with a work-based therapeutic model. Comparable in low-cost, long-duration, faith-informed residential recovery approach to Dawn Farm's cooperative farm model.

Regional players

• Home of New Vision: Washtenaw County-based nonprofit providing addiction treatment, recovery housing, and supportive services. Direct geographic and programmatic peer to Dawn Farm in the same Michigan service area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dawnfarm1973
• Facebookfacebook.com/dawnfarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dawn-farm
• Instagraminstagram.com/dawn.farm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Dawn Farm