What Benedict Center does

Benedict Center is a Milwaukee-based interfaith nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers community-based mental health and substance use treatment, harm reduction services, sexual assault advocacy, reentry support, and systems-change advocacy for justice-involved women in Milwaukee County. Its core program portfolio comprises the Women's Harm Reduction Program (a licensed behavioral health clinic offering evidence-based individual and group counseling), the Sisters Program (neighborhood-based harm reduction and housing-first services for women in the street-based sex trade, delivered through two drop-in centers and street outreach), the Women's Reentry Program (in-custody and community-transition support at the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center), the Bridge Program (wraparound legal, employment, and peer support), and the Justice Advocacy Program (policy reform focused on pre-arrest diversion). All services are provided at no cost to clients.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its service infrastructure relies on licensed clinical staff, Street Outreach Specialists, Certified Peer Specialists, telehealth sessions, mobile reentry visits, and partnerships with the Medical College of Wisconsin for original research. Benedict Center's business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack: government grants and contracts (Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services, US DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance), individual and corporate donations (Johnson Controls Foundation, Forest County Potawatomi, Catholic Community Foundation), tiered membership through Friends of the Benedict Center ($30-$200 annually), and event-based fundraising anchored by the annual Women & Justice Gala (which exceeded $125,000 in 2025). Distribution is direct: physical service locations at three Milwaukee sites, street outreach in target neighborhoods, criminal-justice system referrals, and self-referrals via IMPACT/211.

Name

Benedict Center

Legal name

Benedict Center

Website

https://benedictcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Benedict Center is a Milwaukee nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides licensed behavioral health treatment, harm reduction, reentry, and advocacy services at no cost to justice-involved women in Milwaukee County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health and Social Services for Justice-Involved Women

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Substance use treatment
• Mental health counseling
• Reentry services
• Harm reduction services
• Criminal justice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization raises funds through individual donations (online via Network for Good, mail-in checks), corporate sponsorships for events like the annual Women & Justice Gala, and bequest or planned giving options. The 2025 Women & Justice Event exceeded its goal and raised over $125,000.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Major annual gala (Women & Justice Event) generates significant fundraising revenue. The 2025 event raised over $125,000. Sponsorship opportunities available at various levels.
3. Friends of the Benedict Center Membership: Annual membership dues ranging from $30 (Basic) to $200 (Visionary) that support the organization's programs.
4. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from government sources including Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services, and grants from entities like US DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance for MPOWER pre-arrest diversion program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Benedict Center is a licensed behavioral health facility providing community-based substance use and mental health treatment, harm reduction services, sexual assault advocacy, reentry support, and systems-change advocacy for women involved in the criminal justice system. Programs are delivered at no cost to clients through individual and group counseling, drop-in centers, street outreach, and telehealth, funded by government contracts, grants, and charitable donations.

Product overview

Benedict Center is a nonprofit social services organization offering a coordinated portfolio of programs for justice-involved women. The core offerings include the Women's Harm Reduction Program (licensed behavioral health clinic providing substance use and mental health treatment), Sisters Program (drop-in centers and street outreach for women in the street-based sex trade), Women's Reentry Program (incarceration support and community transition), Justice Advocacy Program (systems change advocacy), and Bridge Program (wraparound services linking women between programs). These programs work together through a harm reduction, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive approach to help women navigate the criminal justice system and achieve safer, healthier lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Harm Reduction Program: Provides mental health and substance abuse treatment through individual and group counseling for women in the criminal justice system.
• Sisters Program
• Women's Reentry Program
• Justice Advocacy Program
• Bridge Program

Products and services

• Women's Harm Reduction Program Licensed behavioral health clinic providing mental health and substance use treatment through individual and group counseling specifically designed for women involved in the criminal justice system. Offers evidence-based groups including Helping Women Recover, Seeking Safety, Anger and Stress Management, Domestic Violence/Trauma, Moving On, and Parenting Classes.
• Sisters Program Neighborhood-based harm reduction and housing-first program helping women in the street-based sex trade find hope and live healthier, safer lives. Includes street outreach and two drop-in centers (North and South locations) providing basic needs, case management, counseling, and housing navigation services.
• Women's Reentry Program Voluntary program supporting women during incarceration at Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center and their transition back into the community. Provides evidence-based curricula addressing trauma, substance use, and interpersonal violence through groups, individual sessions, and strength-based case management.
• Justice Advocacy Program Systems change and advocacy initiative working to shift local policies to establish harm reduction and housing-first approaches for women in the street-based sex trade. Focuses on public health approaches to substance use, mental illness, and trauma instead of criminalization.
• Bridge Program Wraparound services program helping women progress from Women's Reentry Program and Sisters Program into the Women's Harm Reduction Program. Provides legal advocacy, peer support, employment coaching, and community building services.
• Sexual Assault Advocacy Culturally competent sexual assault advocacy services supporting women in the street-based sex trade who are victims of sexual assault and/or trafficking. Provides personal advocacy, crisis stabilization, and support in achieving justice and healing.
• DOC Community Corrections Community supervision support services for women returning from state prison under parole agent supervision. Provides cognitive behavioral treatment programs including Helping Women Recover and Seeking Safety.
• Community-Based Services (Pre-Arrest Diversion) Voluntary treatment and support services allowing women to connect with care without entanglement in the criminal justice system. Includes Sisters Program Drop-In Centers and Women's Harm Reduction Program through Comprehensive Community Services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 women served annually with advocacy, support, and treatment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Milwaukee County Housing DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency administering the MPOWER (Milwaukee Providing Opportunities for Wellness, Empowerment & Recovery) pre-arrest diversion program, awarded a 3-year grant from US DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance. Partnership also includes coordination on housing access through Milwaukee's Coordinated Entry system.
• Milwaukee County District Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore planning team member of MPOWER collaboration to create pre-arrest diversion policy for women in street-based sex trade.
• Milwaukee Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore planning team member of MPOWER collaboration. Police are first-line responders and key partners in implementing pre-arrest diversion policy.
• Medical College of WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MPOWER initiative and housing survey research. Conducted studies on women in Sisters Program including adverse childhood events and violence victimization. Findings inform advocacy and program development.
• Southside Organizing CommitteesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in MPOWER collaboration representing neighborhood interests in the most affected communities.
• IMPACT 211supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to increase awareness of unmet housing needs of women in street-based sex trade and coordinate housing services.
• Milwaukee's Continuum of CaresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance housing access and coordinate services for homeless women through the coordinated entry housing system.
• Advancing A Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHWE) at Medical College of WisconsinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to document housing needs and health disparities facing women in street-based sex trade.
• Milwaukee County Behavioral Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Access to Recovery Services network providing mental health and substance use treatment coordination for justice-involved women.
• Meta HousesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment provider partnership coordinating inpatient and aftercare services for women in recovery.
• Sisters Program South Collaborators (Faith Organizations)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board and faith partners including: Ascension Lutheran Church (ELCA), Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, School Sisters of Notre Dame, School Sisters of St. Francis, Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida, Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis
• Marquette University Legal ClinicsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBridge Program coordinates on-site legal clinic sessions and guest attorney education sessions on various relevant topics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Meta House: Milwaukee-based nonprofit providing substance abuse treatment and recovery housing for women, including justice-involved populations. Named as a treatment provider partner in Benedict Center's own materials and operates overlapping programs (residential treatment, outpatient, aftercare) for the same target population in the same metro area.
• Osborne Association: New York-based nonprofit providing gender-responsive services for women involved in the criminal justice system, including reentry, family support, and advocacy. Operates a comparable continuum of jail-based, reentry, and community programs with a similar harm-reduction and trauma-informed approach.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit providing alternatives to incarceration, reentry support, behavioral health, and advocacy for formerly incarcerated individuals, with gender-responsive programs. Operates a comparable continuum including pre-entry, in-custody, reentry, and community-based services, similar in model to Benedict Center's.
• Center for Community Alternatives: New York-based nonprofit providing alternatives to incarceration and reentry services, with a dedicated program for justice-involved young women. Operates restorative justice, diversion, and community-based supervision programs paralleling Benedict Center's pre-trial and reentry work.
• Women's Prison Association: New York-based nonprofit providing gender-responsive alternatives to incarceration, reentry support, and advocacy for justice-involved women. Operates a comparable continuum including jail-based, supervised release, and community-based housing programs targeting the same population as Benedict Center.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-based national anti-poverty and human rights nonprofit providing housing, behavioral health, and justice-involved services across multiple states. Operates a broader portfolio but overlaps with Benedict Center's housing navigation, harm reduction, and behavioral health work for vulnerable populations.
• Wellpath: National correctional healthcare company providing behavioral health, substance use, and medical services inside jails and prisons. Overlaps with Benedict Center's licensed behavioral health and substance use treatment mission but operates as a private for-profit incumbent at much larger scale across hundreds of facilities.
• Volunteers of America National Services: Large national nonprofit operating reentry, behavioral health, and housing programs across multiple states, including services for justice-involved women. Operates a broader portfolio (correctional, veterans, senior services) but overlaps directly with Benedict Center's reentry and community-based services.

Emerging players

• Amber Initiative: National advocacy and technical assistance organization supporting pre-arrest diversion and harm reduction programs for women in the sex trade, particularly those exiting street-based work. Directly comparable to Benedict Center's Sisters Program and Justice Advocacy Program in mission and policy approach, operating at a national rather than city scale.

Others

• Impact100 Greater Milwaukee: Greater Milwaukee women's collective giving organization that awarded Benedict Center a $100,000 grant to fund Certified Peer Specialists. Functions as a funder/ecosystem partner rather than a service peer, but is materially connected through capital deployment and donor relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/benedictcenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@benedictcenter7389/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/BenedictCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benedict-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/benedictcenterwi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Benedict Center