Ministry of Caring

What Ministry of Caring does

The Ministry of Caring, Inc. is a Wilmington, Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 by Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap., that delivers a full continuum of social services to low-income and homeless individuals through 20 programs operating across 39 owned properties in Wilmington and New Castle. Service lines include emergency shelter (five locations including Mary Mother of Hope House I, II, III, House of Joseph I, and Samaritan Housing), free restaurant-style meal service through the Emmanuel Dining Room at two locations serving approximately 550 meals daily, two state-licensed child care centers with five-star Delaware Stars ratings serving children from six weeks through kindergarten age, job placement and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training at the Job Placement Center, dental care at the Pierre Toussaint Dental Office, donated goods distribution at the Ruth Balick Distribution Center, and permanent supportive housing for seniors across Sacred Heart Village I, Sacred Heart Village II, Village of St. John, and the under-construction Villa Maria.

The organization's revenue model is philanthropic rather than commercial: all services are provided free of charge, and operating support is assembled from individual donations, corporate giving (including a $25/year Guild membership and a $1,200+/year Legacy of Giving program), foundation grants (notably Highmark Delaware BluePrints for the Community and TD Charitable Foundation), United Way and Combined Federal Campaign designations (the latter funding roughly one-third of Emmanuel Dining Room's budget), special events such as the Eleganza fashion show and Emmanuel Dining Room Auction, and Delaware Neighborhood Assistance Act tax-credit eligible donations starting at $2,500 for individuals and $10,000 for businesses. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on volunteer labor from nearly 100 churches, synagogues, businesses, and civic groups plus national volunteer pipelines (AmeriCorps, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companions, National Able Network), and marketing is conducted through quarterly email newsletters, organic social media (Facebook, X/Twitter), the organization's website, and earned local media coverage rather than paid advertising. Annual budget exceeds $10 million as of 2022, and the organization served approximately 20,000 individuals per year with a staff of 51-100 employees.

Name

Ministry of Caring

Legal name

Ministry of Caring Inc.

Website

https://ministryofcaring.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Caring is a Wilmington, Delaware 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 that delivers emergency shelter, free meals, child care, job training, dental care, and affordable senior housing across 39 properties and 20 programs serving 20,000 low-income and homeless individuals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB), Faith-Based / Nonprofit Assisted Living Providers (HLADABAH)

Keywords

• Social services nonprofit
• Emergency shelter services
• Affordable senior housing
• Homeless services
• Community food assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses, including the Legacy of Giving program for annual pledges of $1,200 or more, and stock donations to Merrill Lynch account.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Highmark Delaware's BluePrints for the Community, TD Charitable Foundation Housing For Everyone grants, and Delaware Division of the Arts grants.
3. United Way and CFC: Nearly one-third of Emmanuel Dining Room's operating budget is provided by United Way and Combined Federal Campaign of the Chesapeake Bay Area.
4. Special Events: Fundraising through events including Emmanuel Dining Room Auction, Eleganza fashion show luncheon, International Night dinners, and Ireland trip tours.
5. Tax Credit Donations: Delaware State Housing Authority and federal Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credits available for donations of $2,500 (individuals) or $10,000 (businesses), providing 50% state tax credit up to $50,000 per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Caring provides a full continuum of social services to the poor and homeless in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware, operating 20 programs across 39 properties. Core offerings include emergency shelters, free daily meals (approximately 550 meals per day at Emmanuel Dining Room locations), affordable senior housing, transitional and holistic housing, licensed child care centers, job placement with Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training, dental care for the uninsured, and a distribution center for donated clothing, furniture, and household items. All services are provided free of charge to recipients.

Product overview

The Ministry of Caring is a social services organization operating as a unified portfolio of interlinked programs rather than a single product or platform. The core offerings include Child Care Services (with Child Care Center and Guardian Angel Child Care), Emmanuel Dining Room (food relief at multiple locations), Emergency Shelters (five shelters for men, women, and families), and Long-Term/Holistic Housing (senior housing, supportive housing for special needs populations). Supporting services include the Job Placement Center with CNA training, Ruth Balick Distribution Center for donated goods, and Pierre Toussaint Dental Office. The Francis X. Norton Center provides event venue services. Together, these 20 programs across 39 properties provide a full continuum of care for the poor and homeless in Wilmington, Delaware.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emmanuel Dining Room: Program serving nutritious meals at no cost to the hungry at multiple locations in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware. Founded in 1979.
• Job Placement Center
• Ruth Balick Distribution Center
• Francis X. Norton Center
• The Guild
• Mary Mother of Hope House
• House of Joseph
• Sacred Heart Village
• Village of St. John

Products and services

• Child Care Services Two state-licensed child care centers offering early learning for children from 6 weeks through kindergarten age, with a five-star Delaware Stars rating, serving children of low-income and homeless parents.
• Emmanuel Dining Room Free daily meals served restaurant-style at two locations in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware, serving approximately 550 meals per day with support from nearly 100 volunteer church, synagogue, and civic groups.
• Emergency Shelters Multiple emergency shelters providing lodging, daily meals, and case management for homeless men, women, families, and individuals in crisis.
• Francis X. Norton Center Special events and activity center available for public social and educational functions, meetings, weddings, and fundraisers, with capacity for 200 guests and full catering services.
• Long-Term Housing Permanent supportive housing including Sacred Heart Village I and II, Village of St. John, Bethany House I and II, Maria Lorenza Longo House, and House of Joseph II for seniors, single women, women with children, families, and individuals with special needs.
• Holistic Housing Transitional housing programs providing up to two years of supportive housing with case management for families, women with children, and single women working toward self-sufficiency.
• Job Placement Center Employment assistance and job training services including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program for disadvantaged and chronically homeless individuals, partnering with Dawn Career Institute.
• Ruth Balick Distribution Center Collection, storage, and distribution point for donated clothing, furniture, and household items provided at no cost to those in need, operating from a 5,400 square-foot warehouse.
• Pierre Toussaint Dental Office Dental care clinic providing routine cleanings, extractions, fillings, dentures, and oral cancer exams for uninsured poor individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 individuals served annually
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AmeriCorpscoreOthers · 1 January 1994Federally funded AmeriCorps connects 75,000+ Americans with service opportunities annually. Ministry of Caring's Caring Corps members work directly with those served, raising awareness of poverty challenges and fostering lifetime service ethic. Members become part of national network of 1+ million who have given more than a billion hours of service since AmeriCorps began.
• Foster Grandparent Program of DelawarecoreOthersFederal mentoring program of Senior Corps for adults 55+ dedicated to helping children. Ministry of Caring benefits as a placement agency from seniors who act in supplemental capacity to staff in the Child Care Program.
• Jewish Family Services of DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and human services agency that has provided social workers for life skills workshops for residents of women's shelters, transitional residences and long-term housing at the Ministry since 1991.
• Lutheran Volunteer CorpscoreOthersOne- or two-year national volunteer service program for individuals exploring spirituality while working for social justice. LVC has provided Ministry of Caring with young adults for nearly three decades, bringing specialized skills and dedication to serving the poor.
• National Able NetworksupportingOthersProvides staff for Ministry programs through the Older Americans Act and U.S. Department of Labor. Low-income men and women 55+ work 20 hours per week in shelters, child care, Emmanuel Dining Room and Job Placement Center. Program often leads to participants' full-time employment.
• Senior CompanionssupportingOthersNational Senior Corps program pairing volunteers 55+ with adults who have difficulty with day-to-day living tasks. Delaware program coordinated and funded by First State Community Action Agency supplies staff who help seniors at the Francis X. Norton Center.
• St. Francis HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Caring partners with St. Francis Healthcare through St. Clare Medical Outreach program. Mobile medical van serves poor and uninsured at Ministry sites throughout Wilmington. St. Francis Healthcare supports House of Joseph II with Medical Director and St. Francis Home Care support.
• Dawn Career InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJob Placement Center's CNA training program is offered through partnership with Dawn Career Institute, providing healthcare workforce training pathway for low income and homeless individuals.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunday Breakfast Mission: Wilmington-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, and recovery programs for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Directly comparable in faith-inspired service model and shelter/feeding programs.
• Lutheran Community Services: Faith-based Delaware nonprofit delivering social services including food, shelter, and refugee resettlement. Comparable in faith-based nonprofit model and Delaware geographic focus.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Wilmington: Catholic faith-based social services provider operating in the same Wilmington/Delaware region, delivering shelter, food, housing, and case management to similar low-income and homeless populations. Directly comparable in mission, funding model, and service mix.
• St. Patrick's Center: Faith-based nonprofit in Wilmington providing emergency shelter, meals, and supportive services to the homeless and poor. Directly comparable in faith-rooted service delivery and shelter operations.
• Sojourners' Place: Wilmington emergency shelter and transitional housing provider serving homeless men. Overlaps directly with the Ministry's House of Joseph I and emergency shelter portfolio.
• People's Place II: Wilmington-based nonprofit serving homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth with shelter and supportive services. Comparable in shelter-based social services and Delaware-focused footprint.
• Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County: Local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity operating in the same Wilmington/New Castle geography, providing affordable housing and home repair for low-income residents. Comparable in housing-focused mission and reliance on volunteer labor.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella for Catholic social service agencies including housing, food, and immigration services. Broad incumbent comparable to the Ministry's Catholic-franciscan service model.
• Salvation Army Delaware: Large national faith-based social services organization with Delaware operations including shelter, food, and housing programs. Overlaps with Ministry's shelter/dining offerings but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Brandywine Valley Organic Care: Local Delaware nonprofit providing social services and care coordination in the same regional footprint. Smaller-scale peer with overlapping client populations and community-based service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ministrycaring
• Facebookfacebook.com/ministryofcaring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 Ministry of Caring