The Gaines House

What The Gaines House does

The Gaines House, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit transitional living residence founded in 1967 and headquartered at 1702 South Gaines Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. It serves homeless women aged 18 or older who have mental, physical, or behavioral health disabilities, providing a 24-hour supervised environment that supports psychiatric rehabilitation and independent-living preparation. The service is delivered from a single 2-story brick historic home built in 1870, listed on the National Register of Historic Homes, which accommodates up to 25 women at a time in shared bedrooms.

The core offering combines housing with comprehensive support services: meals, laundry facilities, medication monitoring, transportation to medical appointments, daily adult living skills assistance, and recreational activities including monthly social events, an annual Friends and Family Day, and an annual Christmas Party held for over 20 years. Unlike time-limited shelters, The Gaines House does not impose a stay cap. Residents are charged a $500 monthly fee covering accommodation and support services; the organization also accepts in-kind donations of toiletries, food, furnishings, linens, cleaning supplies, and kitchen supplies.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: recurring resident rent ($500/month per resident, up to $150,000 annualized at full 25-resident capacity) and donations structured via Planned Giving, an Annual Fund, and General Donations. The flagship fundraising vehicle is the annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner (17th iteration scheduled for May 14, 2026 at Chenal Valley Country Club), featuring $100 individual tickets and silent auction tiers from $25 to $1,000. In 2006, the organization shifted from a historically low-profile posture to active fundraising after losing public and institutional funding. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (President: Julia Hart), operates with ~5 staff including Executive Director Benita Cole, and has served more than 1,000 women from all 75 Arkansas counties since inception.

Name

The Gaines House

Legal name

The Gaines House, Inc.

Website

https://thegaineshouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gaines House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 25-resident transitional living residence in a historic 1870 Little Rock home, providing 24-hour supervised housing, meals, medication monitoring, and independent-living support to homeless women with mental, physical, or behavioral health disabilities across Arkansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transitional Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Transitional housing
• Residential support services
• Homeless shelter services
• Psychiatric rehabilitation
• Disability support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Resident Rent: Residents pay $500 per month for transitional housing. This covers accommodation, meals, laundry facilities, and support services.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The nonprofit receives donations through various channels including Planned Giving, Annual Fund, and General Donations. Major annual fundraising event is the Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Gaines House provides 24-hour supervised transitional housing for up to 25 homeless women aged 18 or older with mental, physical, or behavioral health disabilities, delivered from a historic 2-story brick home on the National Register of Historic Homes in Little Rock, Arkansas. Resident services include meals, laundry, medication monitoring, medical appointment scheduling and transportation, daily living skills assistance, and a recreational activities program, with rent set at $500 per month. The organization supplements resident revenue with donations, planned giving, an annual fund, and the annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner fundraiser.

Product overview

The Gaines House is a non-profit transitional living residence offering a single, unified service: 24-hour supervised housing for homeless women with mental, physical, or behavioral health disabilities. The core offering is the transitional living residence itself, with associated resident support services (meals, transportation, medication monitoring, daily living skills assistance), recreational activities, and an annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner fundraiser. Donations are accepted through a structured program including planned giving and general donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transitional Living Residence 24-hour supervised transitional living residence for homeless women aged 18 or older who have a mental, physical, or behavioral health disability, accommodating up to 25 women in a historic 2-story brick home on the National Register of Historic Homes in Little Rock, Arkansas.
• Resident Support Services Comprehensive support services bundled with the residential program, including meals, laundry facilities, medical appointment scheduling and transportation, medication monitoring, and assistance with daily living skills. Residents pay $500 per month for the full service bundle.
• Recreational Activities Program Monthly recreational activities such as dinners and movies, an annual Friends and Family Day, and an annual Christmas Party held for over 20 years, providing community engagement and social support for residents.
• Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner Annual fundraising dinner event honoring individuals for their contributions to the community, featuring an elegant dinner, testimonials, awards ceremony, and silent auction, with $100 per person tickets and sponsorship opportunities.
• Donation Program Structured donation program including planned giving, annual fund, and general donations, with tiered giving options from $5 to $1,000 and acceptance of in-kind donations such as toiletries, food, furnishings, linens, cleaning supplies, and kitchen supplies. All donations are 100% tax deductible under the organization's 501(c)(3) status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ women successfully transitioned to independent living
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered founding and minor.

• Little Rock Junior LeaguefoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Co-founded The Gaines House in 1967. Contributed to establishment of the organization alongside other founding partners.
• Pulaski County Mental Health AssociationfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Co-founded The Gaines House in 1967. Provided mental health expertise and community support for the organization.
• Arkansas Rehabilitation ServicesfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Co-founded The Gaines House in 1967. Provided rehabilitation services expertise and support for the organization.
• Altrusa International of Little RockfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Co-founded The Gaines House in 1967. Contributed to establishment of the organization alongside other founding partners.
• Chenal Valley Country ClubminorOthersVenue partner for the annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Award Dinner event. Located at 10 Chenal Club Boulevard, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National network providing shelter, transitional housing, and case management services for homeless and at-risk populations. Overlaps with The Gaines House on mission and referral-driven admissions, though operates at significantly broader scale and program scope.
• The Salvation Army: National nonprofit operating emergency shelter, transitional housing, and rehabilitation programs nationwide. Directly comparable on the residential-care-for-vulnerable-populations axis, but at much larger scale and with broader program breadth.
• YWCA USA: National nonprofit operating housing, shelter, and supportive services specifically for women survivors of domestic violence and homelessness. Overlaps directly with The Gaines House's women-only residential-care mission, but at significantly greater scale and broader service scope.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit operating a broad portfolio of affordable housing, transitional, and supportive housing programs across the U.S. Comparable as an incumbent provider of subsidized/supportive housing for vulnerable populations including those with behavioral health needs.

Regional players

• Our House: Little Rock, Arkansas-based shelter serving homeless families with children. Comparable as a same-city, similarly-sized nonprofit providing residential services to vulnerable Arkansas populations, and a potential local referral partner.

Direct peers

• House of Ruth: Multi-city nonprofit providing transitional housing and supportive services to women and families in crisis. Operates a comparable small-residential model with on-site case management, paralleling The Gaines House's women-only residential rehabilitation structure.
• Thistle Farms: Nashville-based nonprofit running a residential recovery community for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Operates a similarly small, women-only, no-stay-cap residential model with on-site social enterprise, making it highly comparable in mission and operating structure.
• Magdalene House: Austin, TX-based nonprofit offering residential recovery housing for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Closely comparable to The Gaines House in its women-only, longer-stay, supervised residential model with integrated life-skills programming.
• Family Promise: National nonprofit network that mobilizes congregations and volunteers to provide shelter, transitional housing, and stabilization services to families experiencing homelessness. Comparable in operating model (community-led referrals + transitional residential programming) and donor/volunteer mobilization approach.

Others

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National policy and research nonprofit focused on systemic solutions to homelessness, including Continuum of Care program design. Comparable as an ecosystem participant shaping the funding and policy environment (HUD, Medicaid waivers) that determines The Gaines House's operating context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/thegaineshouse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP557sGz1Z75nq50_WC2w_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGainesHouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegaineshouse

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 The Gaines House