Guiding Star Wakota

What Guiding Star Wakota does

Guiding Star Wakota is a Minnesota-based nonprofit pregnancy and family resource center founded in 1976 (originally as Wakota Life-Care Center) and headquartered in a 10,000-square-foot facility at 1140 Robert Street South, West St. Paul. The organization provides free services to women, families, and fathers, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, fertility awareness classes, gynecological Well Woman exams, parent support groups, life coaching, material assistance (diapers, clothing, and baby equipment), and a Good Father Program offering 1:1 mentoring. Care is delivered by a staff of approximately eight (an Executive Director, Director of Client Services, Office Manager/Bookkeeper, Client Advocate & Life Coach, bilingual Client Advocate, Registered Nurse, Receptionist, and Good Father Program Manager), supported by volunteers. The organization explicitly does not provide or refer for abortions and serves clients from northern Dakota County and St. Paul's Hispanic/Latino West Side, with approximately 25% of clients coming from outside the traditional service area.

The underlying delivery model is service- and location-based rather than technology-based; there is no proprietary technology platform, no digital product, and no AI components — operations rely on WordPress-managed websites (guidingstarwakota.org and a separate client portal at guidingstarwakotacenter.org), social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and a GiveSmart-powered online donation flow. The organization is an affiliate of the Guiding Star Project since 2016, one of seven centers in that national network of comprehensive women's health centers.

Revenue is generated entirely through contributed support — individual donations, community and church/school contributions, corporate sponsorships, and an annual fundraising gala — with all services provided free of charge to clients. A $3 million capital campaign completed in December 2021 funded the new headquarters and service expansion. Recent disclosed client throughput includes 13,924 client visits and 1,939 new clients served over a two-year period, alongside 209 ultrasounds, 1,538 classes conducted, 14,102 packages of diapers, 9,502 clothing packages, and 1,574 pieces of used baby equipment distributed over the same window. The organization is celebrating its 50-year milestone in 2025-2026.

Name

Guiding Star Wakota

Legal name

Guiding Star Wakota

Website

https://guidingstarwakota.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guiding Star Wakota is a Minnesota-based nonprofit (founded 1976) providing free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, fertility awareness education, gynecological care, material assistance, and fatherhood mentoring to women, families, and fathers in northern Dakota County and St. Paul's West Side.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Pregnancy and Family Resource Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJALAK

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYEDAJAKAK

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

Keywords

• Pregnancy resource center
• Fertility awareness education
• Family support services
• Prenatal ultrasound services
• Material assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a nonprofit relying on donations from individuals, community members, churches, schools, and corporate sponsors. The website features donation capabilities through an online giving platform. Additionally, the organization hosts an annual gala as a premier fundraising event.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Guiding Star Wakota is a nonprofit pregnancy and family resource center that provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, gynecological Well Woman exams, fertility awareness classes, parenting support groups, life coaching, and material assistance (diapers, clothing, and baby equipment) to women and families. It also runs the Good Father Program offering 1:1 mentoring for expectant and current fathers, with all services delivered in person at its West St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters.

Product overview

Guiding Star Wakota is a non-profit pregnancy and family resource center offering a comprehensive suite of services for women, families, and fathers. The organization operates as a single integrated service delivery model combining medical services (pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, women's health/gynecological care), educational programs (fertility awareness classes, support groups), material assistance (diaper distribution, baby equipment, clothing packages), and fatherhood support (Good Father Program with 1:1 mentoring). Services are provided at their 10,000-square-foot headquarters in West St. Paul, Minnesota, and are delivered through trained staff including Client Advocates, Life Coaches, a Registered Nurse, and program managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pregnancy Testing
• Ultrasound Imaging
• Women's Health Services (Well Woman Exams)
• Fertility Awareness Classes
• Parent Support Groups
• Personal Development and Life Coaching
• Good Father Program (Fatherhood 1:1 Mentoring)
• Material Assistance (Diapers, Clothing, and Baby Equipment Distribution)

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,924 client visits and 1,939 new clients served over two-year period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Guiding Star ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016In 2016, Wakota Life-Care Center became an affiliate of the Guiding Star Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing and supporting comprehensive health centers that offer natural, wholistic, and life-affirming services. Guiding Star Wakota is one of seven centers forming this growing national network. The affiliation provides organizational support, brand affiliation, and network resources.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heartbeat International: Umbrella organization for a global network of pregnancy help centers, including Option Line; provides similar pregnancy support, parenting education, and material assistance through affiliated local centers.
• Catholic Charities USA: Large national social services network offering pregnancy and family support, case management, and material assistance through diocesan affiliates; a broader incumbent in the same client and donor ecosystem.
• Guiding Star Project: National nonprofit parent network of which Guiding Star Wakota is one of seven affiliates; sets the model, brand, and resource backbone for the local center, and is the most direct strategic counterpart.

Emerging players

• Mama Mia (pregnancy app): Digital-first pregnancy and maternal health platform offering on-demand education, community, and bilingual resources; an emerging, non-clinical peer competing for the same digital mindshare of expectant mothers.

Direct peers

• OPTIONS for Women / Options Pregnancy Resource Centers: Network of faith-based pregnancy resource centers providing free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education, and material aid; directly comparable service portfolio and target client.
• CompassCare Pregnancy Services: Multi-location pregnancy resource center providing pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI testing, parenting classes, and material support; comparable operating model and service mix.
• Carenet Pregnancy Center (San Antonio): Standalone multi-service pregnancy center offering pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STI screening, parenting classes, fatherhood programs, and material assistance — a single-site operational comparable.
• Birthright International: Volunteer-based nonprofit offering free pregnancy testing, counseling, material assistance, and referrals at local chapters; competes for the same client base of women experiencing unplanned pregnancies.
• Care Net: National affiliation network for nearly 1,200 pregnancy resource centers offering pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, parenting classes, and material assistance; the closest large-scale peer in mission and service mix.

Regional players

• Salvation Army Northern Minnesota Division: Regional social services provider operating in the same Minnesota geography, offering family support, material assistance, and case management to overlapping low-income client populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@guidingstarwakota7893
• Facebookfacebook.com/guidingstarwakota
• Instagraminstagram.com/GuidingStarWakota
• Xx.com/gswakota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guiding-star-wakota

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Guiding Star Wakota