What Saint Leonard's Ministries does

Saint Leonard's Ministries is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1955 that provides a comprehensive continuum of reentry services for justice-impacted men and women returning from Illinois prisons and jails. Operating from a six-building campus on Chicago's Near West Side (headquartered at 2100 W. Warren Blvd.), the organization delivers transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, workforce training, education programs, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and case management — all provided free of charge to participants. The Michael Barlow Center additionally offers workforce readiness, culinary skills, construction skills, and high school diploma programs open to any individual with a criminal background.

The organization's service portfolio is structured as a vertical product line: residential programs (Saint Leonard's House for men, Grace House for women, Saint Andrew's Court and Harvest Commons Residence for permanent supportive housing), the Michael Barlow Center for employment and education, and specialized training programs. There is no proprietary technology product; differentiation rests on a holistic, on-site service model that consolidates housing, healthcare, education, and employment support under one roof, supported by partner organizations (notably Adler for mental health counseling).

Saint Leonard's is funded through a combination of private donations, foundation grants, and government/public funding. It is currently conducting a $16.5 million capital campaign (with September 2026 groundbreaking planned) to renovate the renamed Bob Dougherty Campus, supported by a $3 million investment fund operated with a sustainable 4% annual draw. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors most recently refreshed in February 2026 with appointments bringing social work, architecture, and community development expertise. Zack Schrantz serves as Chief Executive Officer. The organization has no parent company, no outside equity ownership, and operates solely as an independent charitable nonprofit (EIN 36-2378516).

Name

Saint Leonard's Ministries

Legal name

Saint Leonard's Ministries

Website

https://slministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Saint Leonard's Ministries is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1955, that provides free transitional and permanent housing, workforce training, education, and reentry support services to justice-impacted men and women returning from Illinois incarceration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reentry and Transitional Housing Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (8131), Community Housing Services (62422), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Reentry housing services
• Workforce training programs
• Substance use treatment
• Transitional housing support
• Justice-involved rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Saint Leonard's relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and community supporters. The organization operates a capital campaign to raise funds for campus renovation and expansion, with a target of $16,500,000. Donors contribute to support the mission of providing free services to residents.
2. Government/Public Funding: Public funding sources support programs, though the organization notes these sources often do not cover the full cost of quality programs. The organization utilizes a sustainable 4% draw from its $3 million in investments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Saint Leonard's Ministries is a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides free residential housing, workforce training, education, mental health, and substance use treatment to men and women returning from Illinois prisons and jails. Its continuum of care spans intermediate and long-term housing, permanent supportive housing, and employment and education programs delivered through its campus in Chicago's Near West Side.

Product overview

Saint Leonard's Ministries is a nonprofit social services organization offering a comprehensive continuum of care for justice-impacted individuals. The organization provides a multi-component service portfolio including four residential housing programs (Saint Leonard's House, Grace House, Saint Andrew's Court, and Harvest Commons Residence), the Michael Barlow Center for workforce development and education, specialized training programs (culinary and construction trades), and education services. These programs are designed to guide men and women through steps to transform their lives, including housing stability, employment readiness, education attainment, mental health support, and substance use treatment. The organization serves returning residents in the Chicago area through intermediate and long-term housing solutions, permanent supportive housing, and comprehensive re-entry support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saint Leonard's House Intermediate and long-term residential housing program for men, located on Saint Leonard's Ministries' Chicago Near West Side campus, providing housing along with meals, case management, and access to health and education services.
• Grace House Residential housing program for women, providing intermediate and long-term housing along with meals, case management, and access to health and education services in Chicago.
• Saint Andrew's Court Permanent supportive housing providing single-room apartments with ongoing support services for program graduates in Chicago.
• Harvest Commons Residence Permanent supportive housing offering continued residence for program graduates of Saint Leonard's Ministries in Chicago.
• Michael Barlow Center Workforce and education training center open to individuals with criminal backgrounds, offering education, job readiness services, individualized career counseling, and specialized programs such as Culinary Skills Training and Construction Skills Training.
• Education Programs Structured educational programming for returning residents enabling them to earn high school diplomas and pursue further education.
• Training Programs Industry-specific certificate programs and skill-based training including culinary arts and construction trades for returning residents.
• Employment Services Job readiness, placement assistance, and ongoing employment support for program participants, including the Road to Success course.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59-78% of residents secure second-stage housing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Christ Church WinnetkaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChrist Church Winnetka hosts an annual rummage sale and supports Saint Leonard's with a portion of the proceeds. Alvin, a Saint Andrew's Court alum, volunteered at this event.
• AdlerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdler provides mental health counseling services to Saint Leonard's residents. The organization offers hours of mental health counseling annually.
• Lawndale Christian Legal CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Ekholm, new board member, served as owner's representative for the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center opened by Lawndale Christian Legal Center, indicating ongoing community partnership in the justice reform space.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Defy Ventures: National nonprofit that delivers entrepreneurship-based reentry programming for people with criminal backgrounds. Comparable target population and workforce-development mission, with the differentiated angle of self-employment/entrepreneurship rather than culinary/construction vocational tracks.
• Safer Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit providing employment, housing, and reentry support for justice-impacted individuals. Most directly comparable peer given the shared Chicago geography, similar target population, and overlapping workforce development and housing services.
• Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC): Illinois-based nonprofit providing substance use, mental health, and case management services for justice-involved individuals. Closely comparable mission overlap, especially on the substance use treatment and clinical reentry support that Saint Leonard's delivers via its residential programs.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit focused specifically on employment outcomes for people returning from incarceration. Comparable in reentry target population and workforce-development intensity; operates in multiple states but with similar transitional-work methodology.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit offering housing, employment, education, and advocacy for people with criminal justice involvement. Directly comparable multi-service reentry model with similar continuum-of-care approach and outcome-driven programming.

Regional players

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC): Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing housing, education, employment, and advocacy for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable multi-service reentry model and policy-advocacy function; operates primarily in California and would be a regional rather than direct competitor to Saint Leonard's.

Others

• Lawndale Christian Legal Center: Chicago faith-based organization focused on criminal defense and the Community Justice Center. Listed because it is an existing Saint Leonard's community partner and serves the same justice-impacted Chicago population from a complementary legal-advocacy angle.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-based anti-poverty and human rights nonprofit with programs spanning housing, health, justice, and refugee services. Comparable on the Chicago geography and broad social-services portfolio, though operating at much larger scale and serving a broader population than Saint Leonard's.
• Catholic Charities USA: National network of faith-based social service agencies providing housing, reentry, and community support. Comparable faith-based social-services orientation and multi-service delivery model, though serving a much broader population beyond justice-impacted individuals.
• Volunteers of America: National faith-affiliated nonprofit operating housing, behavioral health, and reentry programs across the U.S. Comparable faith-rooted social services orientation and reentry/housing portfolio, with substantially larger national footprint than Saint Leonard's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/st.leonardsministries
• Facebookfacebook.com/StLeonardsMinistries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-leonard%27s-ministries
• Instagraminstagram.com/st.leonardsministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saint Leonard's Ministries