What Friendly House does

Friendly House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center and social service agency founded in 1930 in Northwest Portland, Oregon. It operates a settlement house model delivering educational, recreational, and life-sustaining services across three program verticals: Children's Programs (full-day preschool for ages 3-5, after-school care for Chapman Elementary K-5 students, and Summer/Winter/Spring Break day camps), Community Services (gym and fitness center, membership, facility rentals, pickleball, lifelong learning classes, and free Community Nights), and Adult & Senior Services (care coordination, information and referral assistance, transportation coordination, and Elder Pride Services — culturally specific programming for LGBTQ+ older adults in partnership with SAGE). All programs are offered on a sliding fee scale with scholarships (including the Rebecca Longaker Scholarship Fund, raising over $650,000 since 2007), ensuring equitable access regardless of income.

The organization is funded through a diversified revenue model spanning six streams: program fees, membership dues, individual and recurring donations (Bridge Builders monthly giving), government contracts (notably Multnomah County for senior services since 1978), facility rentals, and foundation grants/capital campaign contributions. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, volunteer networks (600+ annually), school and government partnerships (Chapman Elementary, Home Forward, Home First Development, SAGE), and direct in-person delivery at its physical facilities — the Crawford Building and the Brentano Building currently undergoing renovation. Operational technology is limited to standard SaaS tools (Brightwheel, Ultracamp, VolunteerHub, Constant Contact, GravityLink); Friendly House does not develop or deploy proprietary technology, as its value proposition is human-mediated service delivery rather than software.

Friendly House serves an intergenerational community: hundreds of children annually through children's programs, 400+ people via CASH Oregon tax preparation, ongoing cohorts of older adults in Multnomah County (including LGBTQ+ older adults throughout the metro area), and broader Northwest Portland residents via fitness, recreation, and rental offerings. The organization holds the America's Best Charities Seal of Excellence and a City of Portland Sustainability at Work Silver Certification. It is governed by a Board of Directors under current Executive Director Mya Chamberlin, who succeeded 39-year veteran Vaune Albanese in 2020. Major strategic priorities include the Brentano Building Children's Program Center renovation and the Together for Good capital campaign to expand physical capacity.

Name

Friendly House

Legal name

Friendly House

Website

https://fhpdx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friendly House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center founded in 1930 in Northwest Portland, Oregon, delivering sliding-scale preschool, after-school, camp, fitness, senior services, and LGBTQ+ elder programming (Elder Pride Services) to children, families, and older adults across Multnomah County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE), Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB), Senior & Transitional Monthly Housing (THAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Community center services
• Nonprofit childcare programs
• Senior social services
• Settlement house programs
• Sliding-scale recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees for children's programs (preschool, after school, summer/winter/spring break camps) are charged on a sliding scale basis, with scholarships available for qualifying families. Membership fees provide access to gym, fitness center, and class discounts.
2. Membership Dues: Annual and monthly membership fees provide access to fitness center, gym, lending library, internet center, and discounts on classes and rentals. Dual memberships, individual, student, senior, and scholarship rates available.
3. Donations: One-time and monthly donations accepted through online payment gateway. Bridge Builder monthly giving program available. Bequests and in-kind donations also accepted.
4. Government Contracts: Contracts with Multnomah County to provide senior services and with other government entities for specific programs.
5. Facility Rentals: Rental income from community rooms (Keeston Room, Garden Room, East Room, Crawford Gym) for meetings, events, and workshops.
6. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from foundations and government grants, including the Together for Good capital campaign supporting facility renovations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friendly House operates a nonprofit community center and social service agency in Portland, Oregon, providing educational, recreational, and life-sustaining programs across the lifespan. Its offerings include full-day preschool, after-school care, summer/winter/spring break camps for children; a gym and fitness center, pickleball courts, membership-based facility access, room and gym rentals, and free Community Nights for the broader community; and senior services such as Elder Pride Services for LGBTQ+ older adults, care coordination, and information/referral assistance for adults 60+.

Product overview

Friendly House is a nonprofit community center and social service agency in Portland, Oregon, offering a diverse portfolio of programs across three main categories: Children's Programs (Preschool, After School, Summer/Winter/Spring Break Camps with scholarship support), Community Services (gym and fitness center, community nights, membership, facility rentals, pickleball), and Senior Services (Elder Pride Services for LGBTQ+ older adults, general Senior Services, care coordination, information and referral). The organization operates on a sliding fee scale and scholarship model to ensure equitable access regardless of income. All programs connect through a unified mission of building community and providing life-sustaining services from preschoolers through seniors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $650,000 raised for scholarships since 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Home First DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Development partner for The Opal affordable housing community for people aged 55+. Friendly House provides ongoing resident services coordination, community building opportunities, and case management for residents.
• Home ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Health and Wellness programming activities for residents at five Home Forward properties in Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast Portland. Programming includes health and hygiene support, exercise classes, creative classes, and mindfulness workshops for low-income residents.
• SAGE (SAGE Metro Portland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the national SAGE organization dedicated to services and advocacy for LGBT seniors. Reflects Elder Pride Services' work with the national nonprofit network.
• EngAGEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring arts-based programming and services to low-income residents of Cascadian Terrace Apartments and five other properties through Home Forward partnership.
• Home ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded contract to provide health and wellness programming at five Home Forward buildings in the urban core, bringing enrichment activities to restricted income apartment communities.
• CASH OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASH Oregon volunteers assist community members with preparing and filing taxes at no cost. Friendly House has been a tax site for many years, helping over 400 people annually.
• Legal Aid Services of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree Senior Law Project providing legal assistance for people aged 60+ in Multnomah County, addressing issues including estate planning, consumer problems, and conservatorship.
• Portland Parks and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly facilitated discussion groups on topics important to older adults held at Friendly House, providing forum for discussion and exploration of resources.
• Bloodworks NorthwestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeriodic blood drives hosted at Friendly House facilities.
• SELCO Community Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.
• AppleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.
• National Charity LeagueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.
• NikeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.
• Slabtown Kiwanis ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.
• University of PortlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecent volunteer group contributing to community service projects at Friendly House.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Caldera: Caldera is a Portland-based nonprofit providing arts and learning programming for underserved youth, partially overlapping with Friendly House's summer/winter/spring break camps and after-school enrichment. It operates in a different niche (arts-focused youth development) but draws from the same regional youth-services funding pool.

Emerging players

• Cascade AIDS Project (CAP): CAP is a Portland-based nonprofit providing services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ communities, overlapping thematically with Friendly House's Elder Pride Services. Both serve LGBTQ+ populations in Portland and may compete for some targeted foundation funding while occasionally partnering on shared clients.

Others

• Home Forward: Home Forward is the housing authority of Portland / Multnomah County and is both a major funding/contract partner and a programmatic peer. Friendly House delivers Community Outreach Programming at five Home Forward properties, making the relationship both a partnership and a competitive alternative for resident-services contracts.
• Habitat for Humanity Portland Region: Habitat Portland is a similarly scaled Portland nonprofit operating in affordable housing and community development, adjacent to Friendly House's housing-related work (The Opal, Elder Pride housing assistance). While focused on homeownership rather than services, it competes for similar foundation and corporate donor dollars in the Portland nonprofit market.

Direct peers

• YMCA of Columbia-Willamette: The Portland-metro YMCA operates the most direct comparable multi-program community model: fitness facilities, memberships, child care (preschool, after school, day camps), and senior programs. Both Friendly House and the YMCA serve as multi-generational community hubs in the same Portland market, competing for the same families, seniors, and fitness members.
• Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI): SEI is a Portland-based community nonprofit providing youth services, family support, and culturally specific programming, overlapping with Friendly House's children, family, and community services portfolio. Both serve low- and moderate-income populations in Portland and compete for similar foundation, government, and individual donor support.
• Jewish Community Center (Portland JCC): The Portland JCC follows the same settlement-house / community center model as Friendly House: fitness facilities, preschool, after-school care, summer camps, and senior programming. Both serve as multi-generational hubs with a mix of paid memberships, programs, and subsidized access, making it a direct operational and business model peer.
• Boys & Girls Club of Portland Metro: Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro provides after-school care, summer camps, and youth development programming on a sliding scale, directly overlapping with Friendly House's children, after-school, and summer/winter/spring break camp offerings for K-5 and elementary-age youth in the Portland region.
• Elders in Action: Elders in Action is a Portland-based nonprofit focused on advocacy, information, and services for older adults, closely paralleling Friendly House's Senior Services and care coordination programs. Both compete for similar grant funding (Multnomah County, foundations) and serve the same 60+ demographic in the same geographic market.

Broad incumbents

• SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders): SAGE is the national organization serving LGBTQ+ older adults through advocacy, training, and program support, and Friendly House's Elder Pride Services is formally affiliated as SAGE Metro Portland. While SAGE operates at a national scope, it shapes the funding, policy, and best-practice environment in which Friendly House's specialized services compete and qualify for support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/friendlyhouseinc
• Xx.com/friendlyhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendly-house-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Friendly House