NeighborLink FW

What NeighborLink FW does

NeighborLink Fort Wayne, founded in 2003, is the founding chapter of the NeighborLink Network and a private nonprofit organization headquartered at 2826 S. Calhoun St., Fort Wayne, Indiana. Its mission is to connect vulnerable homeowners—elderly, disabled, or low-income residents who cannot maintain their own properties—with volunteers from churches, businesses, and the broader community who perform home maintenance tasks such as yard work, snow removal, wheelchair ramp construction, plumbing, exterior painting, and roof replacement.

The core technical product is a GPS-enabled web platform hosted at app.neighborlink.org, comprising three integrated portals: a Request Help portal for neighbors to submit project needs, a Find Projects portal that uses GPS-based proximity matching to help volunteers discover and sign up for nearby projects, and a Crowdfunding module enabling targeted donations to specific projects. The platform is supplemented by an annual Camp NeighborLink volunteer event. All services are provided free of charge to recipients; volunteer labor is always free, and material costs are covered through donations and grants.

The revenue model is donation-driven and diversified across individual donations, church contributions, homeowner contributions, volunteer contributions, and government grants—most notably HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds administered through the City of Fort Wayne's Division of Community Development, capped at $7,500 per qualifying project. GTM is community-led, relying on volunteer referrals, church networks, and earned media including a 2022 Good Morning America feature. The organization operates with a small paid staff (~7–8) supplemented by AmeriCorps VISTA members and is governed by a board of directors drawn from local professional sectors.

Name

NeighborLink FW

Legal name

NeighborLink Fort Wayne

Website

https://nlfw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NeighborLink Fort Wayne, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit that operates a GPS-enabled web platform connecting volunteers from churches, businesses, and the community with vulnerable homeowners in Greater Fort Wayne for free home repair and maintenance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Volunteer Coordination Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Volunteer coordination platform
• Community home repair
• Nonprofit volunteer services
• Neighbor assistance program
• Volunteer mobilization network

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations support operational costs and project completion. Donors can give generally or fund specific crowdfunding projects.
2. Homeowner contributions: Homeowners receiving help may contribute to material costs for their projects on a case-by-case basis.
3. Church contributions: Churches contribute funds to support project materials for neighbors in their communities.
4. Volunteer contributions: Volunteers may contribute funds toward project materials they work on.
5. Government grants: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from HUD administered through City of Fort Wayne's Division of Community Development, limited to $7,500 per qualifying project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NeighborLink Fort Wayne operates a GPS-enabled web platform that connects vulnerable homeowners with volunteers to complete home maintenance and repair projects such as yard work, snow removal, plumbing, wheelchair ramps, and exterior painting. All volunteer labor is provided free of charge to homeowners across Greater Fort Wayne, while project materials are funded through donations, crowdfunding, and government grants. The organization also runs an annual Camp NeighborLink event and executes CDBG-funded projects in partnership with the City of Fort Wayne.

Product overview

NeighborLink Fort Wayne operates a single unified volunteer coordination platform accessible at app.neighborlink.org. The core system comprises three integrated portals: a Request Help Portal for neighbors to submit project requests (including yard work, snow removal, wheelchair ramps, plumbing, and home repairs), a Find Projects Portal enabling volunteers to discover and sign up for projects via GPS-based proximity matching, and a Donation/Crowdfunding module for targeted project funding. The platform also runs an annual Camp NeighborLink program as a seasonal volunteer engagement event. All components are integrated within one web application serving the Greater Fort Wayne area since 2003.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NeighborLink Volunteer Coordination Platform A web-based platform that connects neighbors in need with volunteers, allowing users to request help, browse and sign up for projects based on GPS proximity, and make donations. The platform serves as the central hub for coordinating volunteer services across Greater Fort Wayne.
• Request Help Portal An online request system allowing neighbors in need to submit requests for assistance with projects such as yard work, snow removal, home repairs, and accessibility modifications. Targets vulnerable homeowners in Greater Fort Wayne who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise unable to perform home maintenance themselves.
• Find Projects Portal A volunteer-facing portal enabling users to discover and sign up for available projects in their area, with filtering by distance and project type based on GPS technology. Targets individuals, church groups, and businesses wanting to serve neighbors in Greater Fort Wayne.
• Crowdfunding Projects A targeted donation feature allowing supporters to fund specific projects, with funds allocated directly to building materials and project expenses. Supports NeighborLink's broader volunteer coordination service by covering material costs for individual projects.
• Camp NeighborLink An annual summer volunteer camp event offering meaningful service projects, morning devotions, and community building activities for volunteers of all ages. Targeted at individual volunteers and families/groups from the Greater Fort Wayne community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of neighbors served annually across Greater Fort Wayne
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Fort Wayne - Division of Community Development/Office of Housing and Neighborhood ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2021Multi-year partnership to execute Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funds up to $7,500 per qualifying project for home repairs including roof replacements, exterior painting, foundation repairs, and accessibility modifications. Helps secure skilled labor to supplement volunteer efforts for complex projects.
• Windows, Doors & More (WDM)minorOthersContractor partner that performed bathroom remodel including walk-in tub installation for CDBG-qualified homeowner. Worked with organization to reduce costs to meet $7,500 grant limit.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteer matching platform connecting professionals with nonprofits. Comparable digital volunteer-matching approach, particularly for skilled work like construction and home repair.
• VolunteerMatch: Digital platform that matches volunteers with local nonprofit opportunities based on skills, location, and interests. Closely comparable volunteer-coordination technology and self-serve matching model.
• Rebuilding Together: National nonprofit that coordinates volunteers to provide critical home repairs for low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners. Directly comparable mission, volunteer-mobilization model, and homeowner-vulnerability focus.
• Meals on Wheels America: National nonprofit using volunteer networks to deliver essential services (meals, wellness checks) to elderly and disabled homebound individuals. Comparable service-to-vulnerable-populations model reliant on volunteer mobilization.
• CityServe: Faith-based nonprofit network that mobilizes local churches and volunteers to meet tangible community needs. Closely aligned Christ-centered volunteer-mobilization model and church-partner ecosystem.
• Modest Needs: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform that funds small, specific requests from working poor and vulnerable households. Closely comparable crowdfunding-meets-vulnerable-population model and per-project donor engagement.
• Repair the World: Faith-based nonprofit mobilizing Jewish volunteers for community service addressing local needs. Directly comparable faith-based volunteer mobilization and neighborhood-impact model.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity: Largest US nonprofit focused on affordable housing and home repair for vulnerable populations. While broader in scope (new construction + repairs) and global in reach, it shares NeighborLink's homeowner-support mission and volunteer-driven model.
• AmeriCorps: Federal program that places volunteers and VISTA members into community-service roles. NeighborLink has historically engaged AmeriCorps VISTA members; AmeriCorps is a comparable volunteer-mobilization infrastructure provider at national scale.

Regional players

• Point in Time: Volunteer-driven nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk populations through home-repair and stabilization services. Comparable home-repair service delivery and vulnerable-population focus, with different geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NeighborLinkFortWayne
• Instagraminstagram.com/neighborlinkfw
• Xx.com/neighborlinkfw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighborlink-fort-wayne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 NeighborLink FW