Jacob's Well
Jacob's Well is a registered Canadian charity operating a single living room space in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, offering weekly community programs (meals, worship, games, Bible study, coffee) to roughly 50–80 neighbours and supported by 30–40 volunteers and four paid staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Jacob's Well does
Jacob's Well is a registered Canadian charity (Charity Number #884667916RR0001) founded in June 2001 by Pauline Fell in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES). The organization operates a single "living room space" at 543 Powell Street, where it hosts five weekly community programs: Games Night (Mondays), Worship Night (Tuesdays), Community Kitchen (Wednesdays), Bible Study (Thursdays), and Coffee Time (Fridays). Community Kitchen dinners gather approximately 50–80 neighbours and friends, and the programs are supported by 30–40 volunteers serving weekly alongside four paid staff members (Executive Director Joben David, Community Coordinator Chris Sundby, Community Administrator Joyce Voo, Community Sustainability Coordinator Anna Panzo). The entity is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Alexia Gillespie.
The organization has no proprietary technology, no software products, and no AI capabilities. Its primary operational partnership is with Food Stash Foundation, which supplements food bank supplies for the Community Kitchen. Sub-brands include Door & Table (intimate music-night fundraising events hosted at St. James Anglican Church) and Chris Runs 2.0 (an 800km Vancouver Island fundraising run scheduled for June 26–July 5, 2026). Funding is derived entirely from individual donations, e-transfers, the annual Raise for the Well fundraiser, Door & Table events, and a "Gift of Welcome" giving program; the organization explicitly states it is not funded by any church or public organization.
The business model is donation-driven with no products or services sold. Marketing relies on organic social media (Instagram, Facebook), email newsletters, a Reflections blog, and word-of-mouth. Customer/constituent segmentation is geographic (DTES residents), and the value proposition centers on radical inclusion, mutual friendship rather than transactional service delivery, and a minimum one-year volunteer commitment that creates long-term relational continuity. The organization is single-site (no geographic expansion signals) and operates without parent companies, institutional investors, or government funding.
Jacob's Well firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jacob's Well
- Legal name
- Jacob's Well
- Website
- https://jacobswell.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Jacob's Well is a registered Canadian charity operating a single living room space in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, offering weekly community programs (meals, worship, games, Bible study, coffee) to roughly 50–80 neighbours and supported by 30–40 volunteers and four paid staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jacob's Well industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Social Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)
Keywords
Where Jacob's Well is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Jacob's Well business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The organization accepts financial donations from individuals via e-transfer, Vancity direct transfer, and cheques. All donations are tax receiptable.
- Door & Table Events: Door & Table is a series of intimate music nights and fundraising events hosted at St. James Anglican Church. These limited seating events feature Vancouver artists and help support rent costs for the living room space.
- Raise for the Well: Annual fundraiser where participants create their own teams to support Jacob's Well.
- Gift of Welcome: Donations can be made in the name of a loved one as a meaningful gift, with tax receipts issued.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Jacob's Well product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jacob's Well operates a physical "living room space" at 543 Powell Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, hosting weekly community gatherings including Games Night, Worship Night, Community Kitchen, Bible Study, and Coffee Time. The organization delivers in-person friendship-building programs to neighbourhood residents, supported by a volunteer program requiring a minimum one-year commitment.
Product overview
Jacob's Well is a faith-based non-profit organization that operates as a community living room space in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Rather than a technology product company, it offers community programs and services including weekly gatherings (Games Night, Worship Night, Community Kitchen, Bible Study, Coffee Time, Prayer), educational workshops, volunteer programs, and fundraising events. The organization does not operate a software platform but provides in-person community support services focused on friendship-building and mutual transformation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Door & Table: A series of fundraising events and intimate music nights in support of Jacob's Well, hosted at St. James Anglican Church in the DTES.
- Chris Runs 2.0
Products and services
- Weekly Community Programs Regular weekly gatherings forming the core rhythm of community life: Games Night (Mondays), Worship Night (Tuesdays), Community Kitchen (Wednesdays), Bible Study (Thursdays), and Coffee Time (Fridays), open to all neighbourhood residents.
- Door & Table A series of intimate music nights and fundraising events held at St. James Anglican Church in Vancouver's DTES, featuring local artists, with a portion of each ticket tax-receiptable to support Jacob's Well.
- Workshops Educational workshops such as the Friendship at the Table Workshop and Linocut Art Workshop, providing learning and skill-building opportunities for community members.
- Volunteer Program A volunteer program requiring a minimum one-year commitment in which 30-40 volunteers serve weekly to participate in friendship-building work and share life with the Downtown Eastside community.
- Reflections Blog & Conversations A collection of blog posts and conversation series covering topics related to community life, faith, and experiences at Jacob's Well.
- Donation Programs Multiple giving options including financial donations (e-transfer, Vancity direct transfer, cheques), the Raise for the Well annual fundraiser, Give a Gift of Welcome donations in someone's name, and item donations from a wishlist.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50-80 community members gather for weekly Community Kitchen dinners
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Jacob's Well
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Jacob's Well technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Jacob's Well partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Food Stash FoundationcoreFood Stash Foundation delivers produce to supplement what Jacob's Well receives from the food bank for their weekly Community Kitchen program. This partnership enables the community meals by providing fresh produce that volunteers and neighbourhood friends use to cook together.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Jacob's Well competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Union Gospel Mission: Faith-based non-profit operating in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside providing meals, shelter, and community programs to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Closely comparable to Jacob's Well in faith orientation, DTES footprint, meal programming, and donation-based funding model.
- Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society: Indigenous-led non-profit in Vancouver's DTES providing cultural, community, and social programs for Indigenous peoples. Comparable as a DTES-anchored community-services organization, though culturally rather than faith-rooted.
- Mission Possible: Faith-rooted non-profit operating in Vancouver's DTES providing employment training, meals, and community programs to people facing marginalization. Comparable in faith orientation, DTES focus, and integrated meal-plus-community-service model.
- First United Church Community Ministry Society: United Church-affiliated non-profit serving Vancouver's DTES with community meals, drop-in programs, housing support, and spiritual care. Directly comparable to Jacob's Well in faith-rooted community programming, DTES geography, and weekly meal-service offerings.
- The Door Is Open: Christian community ministry in Vancouver's DTES offering weekly meals, drop-in space, and friendship-based outreach. Comparable in faith identity, relational rather than transactional service model, and DTES community-meal programming.
- A Place of Refuge Society: Faith-based recovery and community non-profit in the Greater Vancouver area offering residential and outreach programs to people facing addiction and homelessness. Comparable in faith orientation, relational care model, and serving populations similar to Jacob's Well's DTES community.
Broad incumbents
- Lookout Housing + Health Society: BC-wide non-profit providing housing, health, and community services to vulnerable populations including in Vancouver's DTES. Comparable in serving the same marginalized demographic but operates at significantly larger scale and is not faith-rooted.
- PHS Community Services Society: Large Vancouver-based non-profit operating housing, harm reduction, and community services across the DTES and beyond. Comparable as a DTES-anchored community-services operator but materially larger and more clinically oriented than Jacob's Well.
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Vancouver: Faith-based non-profit providing community meals, refugee support, and social services across Greater Vancouver including DTES programming. Comparable as a faith-rooted community-services organization but with institutional denominational backing Jacob's Well lacks.
- YWCA Metro Vancouver: Large regional non-profit serving vulnerable women and families across Metro Vancouver including DTES programming. Comparable as a community-services non-profit but with broader geographic scope and a different demographic focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Jacob's Well social profiles
Digital presenceJacob's Well financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jacob's Well leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Jacob's Well funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jacob's Well M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Jacob's Well
What does Jacob's Well do?
Jacob's Well operates a physical "living room space" at 543 Powell Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, hosting weekly community gatherings including Games Night, Worship Night, Community Kitchen, Bible Study, and Coffee Time. The organization delivers in-person friendship-building programs to neighbourhood residents, supported by a volunteer program requiring a minimum one-year commitment.
Is Jacob's Well a public or private company?
Jacob's Well is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Jacob's Well founded?
Jacob's Well was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Jacob's Well based?
Jacob's Well is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Jacob's Well make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are door & Table Events, raise for the Well and gift of Welcome.
Who are Jacob's Well's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Union Gospel Mission, Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society, Mission Possible, First United Church Community Ministry Society, The Door Is Open and A Place of Refuge Society. Broad incumbents are Lookout Housing + Health Society, PHS Community Services Society, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and YWCA Metro Vancouver.
Does Jacob's Well have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jacob's Well.
What industry is Jacob's Well in?
Jacob's Well's product category is Community Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAL, Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 7900.