Bethany House

What Bethany House does

Bethany House is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Rochester, New York, that provides temporary housing and supportive services to homeless women and children. Founded in 1977 as part of the Catholic Worker Movement, the organization operates a single House of Hospitality at 1111 Joseph Avenue, offering emergency stays of up to 45 days. Its core services include temporary shelter, a food pantry, and a children's clothing closet. The organization is one of approximately 228 Catholic Worker communities worldwide and serves an indefinite population of women and children experiencing housing insecurity in the Rochester area.

The organization employs approximately 30 staff and is funded exclusively through private donations and grants, explicitly declining government funding. Its digital infrastructure is minimal, consisting of a Weebly-hosted website and a Vertical Response email newsletter system used for donor outreach and event promotion. Revenue is not disclosed and the organization operates on a donation-driven business model rather than fee-for-service. Community engagement is sustained through recurring in-person events such as the annual Bunco fundraiser (now in its 19th year) and the addition of virtual event programming such as "Bethany House Jeopardy." The organization holds an equal opportunity certification, reflecting standard nonprofit governance practices, and operates without any disclosed technology products or AI capabilities.

Name

Bethany House

Legal name

Bethany House

Website

https://bethanyhouserocny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bethany House is a Rochester, NY nonprofit providing temporary housing (up to 45 days), food pantry access, and children's clothing to homeless women and children. Founded in 1977 under the Catholic Worker Movement, it operates a single 30-staff facility funded by private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIANAC

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

SECONDARYBPAGAEAB

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Temporary housing
• Food pantry assistance
• Homeless services
• Community hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial contributions from individuals via PayPal or check donations. No government funding accepted.
2. Supply Donations: In-kind donations of supplies including feminine hygiene products, personal care items, paper products, cleaning supplies, and undergarments.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events such as Bunco tournaments and virtual events like Bethany House Jeopardy that generate revenue and community engagement.
4. Private Grants: Funding from private foundations and grants; the organization does not accept government funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bethany House provides free temporary housing (up to 45 days), a community food pantry, and a children's closet to homeless women and their children in Rochester, NY. The organization also offers volunteer-cooked community dinners and support services for women processing trauma and planning goals. All services are provided at no charge and the organization operates entirely on private donations and grants without accepting government funding.

Product overview

Bethany House operates as a Catholic Worker House of Hospitality providing social services to women and children in Rochester, NY. The organization offers a unified portfolio of free support services including temporary housing (up to 45 days), a community food pantry, and a children's closet for families in need. These services address homelessness and instability caused by domestic violence, incarceration, addiction, mental health issues, physical illness, or poverty. The organization does not charge for services and relies entirely on private donations and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves women and children in Rochester, NY area with temporary housing up to 45 days

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mary's Place: Nonprofit providing emergency shelter and housing to women, children, and families experiencing homelessness. Comparable population focus (women and children) and free-service model analogous to Bethany House.
• St. Joseph's House of Hospitality: Another Catholic Worker House of Hospitality in the same movement, offering food, shelter, and advocacy to homeless and poor individuals. Directly comparable service model and ideological grounding to Bethany House.
• Willow Domestic Violence Center: Rochester-area nonprofit providing emergency shelter and services to survivors of domestic violence. Directly comparable target population (women fleeing abuse) that Bethany House also prioritizes for housing.
• Grace House (Catholic Worker): Catholic Worker community offering hospitality, food, and shelter to unhoused women. Same ideological and operational lineage as Bethany House, with directly analogous services.
• House of Mercy (Catholic Worker): Catholic Worker House of Hospitality operating in the same ideological tradition as Bethany House, providing shelter, food, and hospitality to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Closest structural peer to Bethany House's model.
• Sojourner House (Providence, RI): Nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and support services specifically to women and children experiencing domestic violence and homelessness. Closely comparable mission and service mix to Bethany House.

Broad incumbents

• Volunteers of America of Western New York: Regional arm of a national nonprofit that operates emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive services across Western New York. Broader portfolio with overlapping shelter and family services.
• Catholic Charities of Rochester: Larger diocesan social services agency that operates emergency shelters and family services across the Rochester region. Broader portfolio and scale than Bethany House, but overlapping mission and beneficiary population.

Regional players

• YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County: Regional YWCA serving women and families in Rochester with shelter, DV services, and supportive housing. Operates in the same geography with overlapping services to women experiencing homelessness and crisis.
• Helping Hands Mission (Rochester): Rochester-area nonprofit providing emergency food and basic-needs assistance to households in crisis. Comparable community-based food pantry and supply-drive model operating in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BethanyHouseofHospitality%E2%80%8B
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bethanyhouse

Compliance1 record

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 Bethany House