Safe Shelter Collaborative

What Safe Shelter Collaborative does

Safe Shelter Collaborative is a nonprofit program produced by Caravan Studios, a division of TechSoup Global (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in San Francisco). Founded in 2014, the program operates a free online coordination platform that enables 501(c)(3) public charities, tribal organizations, and government agencies providing sheltering services to survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault to send emergency shelter placement requests to regional member networks (Hubs) and receive responses within minutes.

The product suite consists of two integrated components: (i) a web-based Safe Shelter Collaborative Platform that allows vetted agency staff to broadcast shelter placement requests to participating regional agencies using a standardized set of non-identifying case information to protect survivor privacy, and (ii) the SafeNight mobile app, a free consumer application that enables individual donors to receive alerts when an agency needs emergency hotel funding and to make tax-deductible donations to cover hotel stays when traditional shelter is unavailable. Agencies also access free training webinars on topics such as using hotels for emergency shelter and serving trafficking survivors. The platform is organized around regional Hubs that form when seven or more sheltering agencies in a geography join, and the program currently spans 14 states.

The business model is non-commercial and grant-dependent. The platform is provided at no cost to qualified agencies that pass a vetting process; the program is funded primarily through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime (cooperative agreement 15POVC-23-GK-01415-NONF) and supplemented by contributions from foundation and corporate backers including the Hearst Foundation, Humanity United, Polaris Project, Microsoft Corporate Citizenship, Blue Shield, Vodafone, United Way, and others. Go-to-market is community-led: monthly orientations, an Ally program, peer referrals, and webinars drive membership acquisition. Out-of-scope revenue mechanics (subscription pricing, enterprise contracts) are not part of the model, and SafeNight donations represent an emerging supplemental funding stream rather than a primary revenue source.

Name

Safe Shelter Collaborative

Legal name

TechSoup Global

Website

https://safesheltercollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Safe Shelter Collaborative, a nonprofit program produced by Caravan Studios (TechSoup division), operates a free shelter coordination platform and SafeNight mobile app enabling sheltering agencies serving survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault to find emergency shelter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services Technology / Shelter Coordination Platform

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Emergency Shelter, Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM) (BPADADAB), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Shelter coordination platform
• Survivor services technology
• Emergency shelter network
• Nonprofit case management
• Human trafficking support

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The organization is funded primarily through grants from government agencies and foundations. The primary disclosed funder is the Office of Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Member agencies currently access the platform for free.
2. Donor Crowdfunding (SafeNight): The SafeNight app enables individual donors to make tax-deductible donations to fund hotel stays for survivors when shelter is unavailable. Agencies receive donations directly from supporters who have selected their organization in the app.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Safe Shelter Collaborative is an online platform and mobile application that enables sheltering agencies serving survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault to send shelter placement requests to regional networks of participating agencies. It includes the SafeNight mobile app, which alerts individual donors to fund hotel stays as emergency alternative housing when traditional shelter is unavailable. The platform reduces placement times from hours to minutes by connecting 7+ agencies per regional Hub.

Product overview

The Safe Shelter Collaborative offers a unified platform consisting of two integrated products: the core Safe Shelter Collaborative Platform for shelter agencies to locate and coordinate emergency shelter placements across regional networks, and the SafeNight Mobile App that enables individual donors to fund hotel stays when shelter is unavailable. Agencies use the platform to send shelter requests to regional Hubs and receive responses within minutes, while the SafeNight app allows supporters to donate directly when hotels are needed as emergency alternative housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeNight: A free downloadable mobile app that allows supporters to pay for hotel stays for survivors when shelter is unavailable.

Products and services

• Safe Shelter Collaborative Platform A shelter coordination platform that enables agencies serving survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault to send shelter placement requests to regional member agencies, reducing placement times from hours to minutes. It is free for qualified 501(c)(3) charities, tribal organizations, and government agencies.
• SafeNight Mobile App A free mobile application that allows supporters to receive notifications when an agency needs emergency hotel funding and make tax-deductible donations to cover hotel stays for survivors when traditional shelter is unavailable.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of participating agencies report placement times reduced from hours to minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TechSoupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Safe Shelter Collaborative is produced by Caravan Studios, a division of TechSoup, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. TechSoup has over 30 years of experience determining eligibility of global nonprofits in service of corporate partners and national and international funders.
• Microsoft Corporate CitizenshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter/backer of the Safe Shelter Collaborative.
• Polaris ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborator providing subject matter expertise to the Safe Shelter Collaborative.
• Blue ShieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter/backer of the Safe Shelter Collaborative.
• VodafoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter/backer of the Safe Shelter Collaborative.
• United Way (UWMD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter/backer of the Safe Shelter Collaborative.
• SanarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a collaborator supporting the Safe Shelter Collaborative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: Operates a national network of residential shelters and outreach programs for homeless and trafficked youth. Comparably positioned to deliver shelter capacity for the populations Safe Shelter Collaborative targets, but at much larger organizational scale across a broader service portfolio.
• Catholic Charities USA: Operates one of the largest U.S. networks of residential and emergency-shelter services, including DV and human-trafficking programs. Comparable as a shelter-capacity incumbent whose local agencies could join regional Hubs or whose referral infrastructure could compete with the platform.
• The Salvation Army USA: Already referenced as a Safe Shelter Collaborative collaborator (Carr P. Collins Center in DFW), operates emergency shelter and hotel-voucher pathways nationwide. Comparable as a large incumbent shelter/housing provider whose local branches can plug into regional Hubs as member agencies.

Direct peers

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): Operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and a network of service providers for sexual-assault survivors. Overlapping survivor population and parallel referral/intake model targeted at the same third Safe Shelter Collaborative segment (sexual-assault survivors).
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org): Operates the national DV hotline that triages and refers survivors to shelter resources across the U.S. Both organizations target the same DV survivor population and rely on coordination with local shelter providers to deliver placements.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): National membership organization for U.S. domestic-violence service providers that aggregates technology, training, and policy resources for DV shelters — directly comparable role as a back-end capability provider to the DV-shelter ecosystem Safe Shelter Collaborative serves.
• Polaris Project: Operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline and referral pathways for survivors — a listed Safe Shelter Collaborative collaborator providing subject-matter expertise. Both organizations run technology-enabled, national-scope referral/intake infrastructure serving trafficking survivors.
• National Runaway Safeline (1-800-RUNAWAY): Operates the national 24/7 helpline for runaway and homeless youth, providing crisis intervention and shelter referrals. Highly comparable to the runaway/homeless-youth segment the Safe Shelter Collaborative has explicitly expanded into.

Emerging players

• 211 (United Way): A free, confidential social-services helpline and referral network operated with United Ways across the U.S. — a complementary (and partially competing) referral pathway that also routes callers to shelter and emergency-assistance resources.

Regional players

• A New Leaf: Listed as a Safe Shelter Collaborative member agency providing shelter forms and hotel resources. Comparable as a regional shelter-and-services provider of the same type that forms the user base of the platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/safenightapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaravanStudiosNonprofit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Safe Shelter Collaborative