The Maafa Redemption Project
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit founded in 2017 in West Garfield Park, Chicago, providing residential housing, workforce training, character development, and wrap-around social services free of charge to emerging adult men of color.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Maafa Redemption Project does
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered at 22 N Kildare Ave, Suite 100 in West Garfield Park, Chicago. The organization operates as a residential institute serving emerging adult men of color, delivering dormitory-style housing, workforce training, character and spiritual development, and wrap-around social services at no cost to participants. Its primary beneficiary segment is young Black and Brown men in West Garfield Park seeking pathways out of gang involvement and street activity through education, employment, and community connection. The organization is affiliated with New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church and operates from St. Barnabas Church as program headquarters.
MAAFA has expanded its programmatic surface beyond the residential institute to include the Sankofa School of the Arts (serving 92 students ages 4-18 in 2023), the MAAFA Alumni Program (MAP, launched 2022 for graduate leadership development), and community engagement programs such as Real Talk Fridays and Fishes & Loaves Ministry. The organization is the lead community partner on the $50 million Sankofa Wellness Village development in West Garfield Park, which is a coalition project with the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative funded in part by a $10 million Chicago Prize. The Wellness Village will include a federally qualified health center, social innovation hub, credit union, community grocery, and The MAC (MAAFA Center for Arts & Activism), with phased openings in 2025 and 2026.
The organization's revenue model relies entirely on philanthropic support: individual and corporate donations (processed via PayPal), foundation grants (including $300,000 from We Raise Foundation in 2020), event revenue, and pass-through administration of relief funding (e.g., participation in Oprah Winfrey's $5M COVID-19 relief package). The organization has earned media recognition through Tribeca Film Festival (All These Sons), Chicago Bulls Charities Award (2018), Chicago Blackhawks partnerships, and DePaul University collaborations. Founder and Executive Director Marshall Hatch Jr. was selected for the Emerson Collective DIAL Fellowship in 2023. The organization operates with approximately 8 staff and serves ~42 program participants annually across its core residential program.
The Maafa Redemption Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Maafa Redemption Project
- Legal name
- The MAAFA Redemption Project
- Website
- https://maafachicago.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The MAAFA Redemption Project is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit founded in 2017 in West Garfield Park, Chicago, providing residential housing, workforce training, character development, and wrap-around social services free of charge to emerging adult men of color.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Maafa Redemption Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Faith-Based Community Social Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO)
Keywords
Where The Maafa Redemption Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Maafa Redemption Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Support: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, relying on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The EIN is 83-3525168.
- Government and Foundation Grants: Major grant funding including the $10 million Chicago Prize awarded to the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative. Additional grants include We Raise Foundation ($300,000) and Oprah Winfrey's $5M COVID-19 relief package (administered by MAAFA for Chicago).
- Event Revenue and Partnerships: Revenue generated through community events, corporate partnerships (e.g., Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks), and media collaborations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Maafa Redemption Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based residential institute for emerging adult men of color in West Garfield Park, Chicago. It provides dormitory-style housing, workforce training, character and spiritual development, and wrap-around social services at no cost to participants, and surrounds that core residential program with a portfolio of ancillary programs including arts education (Sankofa School of the Arts), community dialogue (Real Talk Fridays), food security (Fishes & Loaves Ministry), an outdoor community garden (Sankofa Story Garden), and an alumni leadership institute (MAAFA Alumni Program / MAP). All programming is delivered directly in the West Garfield Park community and is supported by charitable donations, foundation grants, and collaborative pooled funding initiatives.
Product overview
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based residential institute for emerging adult men of color in West Garfield Park, Chicago. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including dormitory-style residential support, workforce training, character/spiritual development, and wrap-around social services. Core programs include: the Sankofa Wellness Village (a $50M community investment with health center, innovation hub, credit union, and grocery), The MAC (MAAFA Center for Arts & Activism, opening 2026), the Sankofa School of The Arts (serving 92 students ages 4-18 in 2023), Sankofa Story Garden (outdoor community space), and the MAAFA Alumni Program (MAP, a community leadership institute). Additional programs include Real Talk Fridays, Fishes & Loaves Ministry, and Chicago Blackhawks partnership events. The organization was founded in 2017 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Sankofa School of the Arts: An arts education program serving students ages 4-18, with 92 students served in 2023.
- Sankofa Wellness Village
- Sankofa Story Garden
- MAAFA Alumni Program (MAP)
Products and services
- MAAFA Redemption Program (Residential Institute) The core residential institute of the organization: a faith-based cohort program offering dormitory-style housing, workforce training, character and spiritual development, and wrap-around social services (including mental health support) to emerging adult men of color in West Garfield Park, Chicago, at no cost to participants.
- Sankofa School of The Arts An arts education program serving students ages 4-18 with instruction in various artistic disciplines; in 2023, the program served 92 students in West Garfield Park.
- MAAFA Alumni Program (MAP) A community leadership institute launched in 2022 to support MAAFA Redemption Project graduates in their continued personal development and leadership roles within the West Garfield Park community.
- Real Talk Fridays A community engagement program providing regular open dialogue sessions for community members in West Garfield Park, addressing issues relevant to the residents served by the organization.
- Fishes & Loaves Ministry A food security and community meal program providing meals and community connection for residents of West Garfield Park, operated as part of MAAFA Redemption Project programming.
- Sankofa Story Garden An outdoor community space and garden installation that serves as a gathering and educational space for the community, supporting programming tied to the Sankofa School of the Arts and the broader Sankofa Wellness Village initiative.
Quantifiable outcome
- 42 young men served and multiple cohorts graduated by 2022
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Maafa Redemption Project
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Maafa Redemption Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Maafa Redemption Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Garfield Park Rite to Wellness CollaborativeflagshipMAAFA is a core member of the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, a coalition awarded $10 million through the Chicago Prize to lead the Sankofa Wellness Village development - a $50 million investment in West Garfield Park revitalization.
- Chicago Bulls / DePaul UniversityminorDePaul Sports Management Course collaborated with Chicago Bulls and MAAFA Redemption Project for experiential learning. The Chicago Bulls have also partnered with MAAFA for community events and awarded the organization a Chicago Bulls Charities Award.
- West Side UnitedcoreMAAFA participated in administering Oprah Winfrey's $5 million COVID-19 relief package in Chicago as a member of Live Healthy Chicago, aligned with West Side United's health equity initiatives.
- New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist ChurchcoreMAAFA is affiliated with New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, which purchased St. Mel Holy Ghost Parish Buildings in 1994. The church houses significant stained glass art including the MAAFA Remembrance Window and the Sankofa Peace Window. MAAFA occupies St. Barnabas Church as its program headquarters.
- Chicago BlackhawksminorChicago Blackhawks partnered with MAAFA for community events, providing visibility and support for the organization's programs.
- ConTextosminorConTextos runs an Authors Circle program with MAAFA Redemption Project participants, supporting literacy and writing skills development.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Maafa Redemption Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inspiration Corporation: Inspiration Corporation operates workforce training, social enterprises, and housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty in Chicago. Comparable to MAAFA in combining residential stability, workforce training, and wraparound supports for opportunity populations.
- Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative: The collaborative of which MAAFA is a core member, awarded the $10M Chicago Prize to lead the Sankofa Wellness Village development. Directly comparable as a coalition-based, place-based community development vehicle in West Garfield Park.
- West Side United: West Side United is a collaborative of more than 100 organizations working on health and economic equity on Chicago's West Side. MAAFA is itself a member and collaborator, and the two share geography, funder networks, and the population served.
- Chicago CRED: Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny) is a violence reduction and workforce development initiative focused on young men at high risk in Chicago's most violent neighborhoods. It is directly comparable to MAAFA in serving emerging adult men of color in Chicago with workforce, mentoring, and wraparound services.
- Cara Collective: Cara Collective provides workforce training, social enterprises, and wraparound support to individuals impacted by homelessness or incarceration in Chicago. It is comparable to MAAFA's residential + workforce + social services model for a similar population of opportunity youth and reentry populations.
Broad incumbents
- New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church: The host church and institutional backbone of MAAFA, New Mount Pilgrim is a major West Garfield Park faith institution that runs its own community programs, housing the MAAFA Remembrance Window and other community initiatives. They are deeply intertwined as parent-affiliate.
- Heartland Alliance: Heartland Alliance is a large Chicago-based human services nonprofit serving people affected by poverty, including housing, workforce, and reentry programs. Comparable in mission and service mix to MAAFA but operating at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
- Thresholds: Thresholds provides mental health, housing, and workforce services to adults with mental illness and substance use conditions across Illinois. Comparable in delivering residential and wraparound services in Chicago, though focused on mental health rather than MAAFA's faith-based formation model.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Maafa Redemption Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Maafa Redemption Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Maafa Redemption Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Maafa Redemption Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Maafa Redemption Project 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 The Maafa Redemption Project
What does The Maafa Redemption Project do?
The MAAFA Redemption Project is a faith-based residential institute for emerging adult men of color in West Garfield Park, Chicago. It provides dormitory-style housing, workforce training, character and spiritual development, and wrap-around social services at no cost to participants, and surrounds that core residential program with a portfolio of ancillary programs including arts education (Sankofa School of the Arts), community dialogue (Real Talk Fridays), food security (Fishes & Loaves Ministry), an outdoor community garden (Sankofa Story Garden), and an alumni leadership institute (MAAFA Alumni Program / MAP). All programming is delivered directly in the West Garfield Park community and is supported by charitable donations, foundation grants, and collaborative pooled funding initiatives.
Is The Maafa Redemption Project a public or private company?
The Maafa Redemption Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Maafa Redemption Project founded?
The Maafa Redemption Project was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Maafa Redemption Project based?
The Maafa Redemption Project is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Maafa Redemption Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Philanthropic Support is the primary driver. The others are government and Foundation Grants and event Revenue and Partnerships.
Who are The Maafa Redemption Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inspiration Corporation, Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, West Side United, Chicago CRED and Cara Collective. Broad incumbents are New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, Heartland Alliance and Thresholds.
Does The Maafa Redemption Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Maafa Redemption Project.
What industry is The Maafa Redemption Project in?
The Maafa Redemption Project's product category is Faith-Based Community Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAD, Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis), with a secondary code of FSALAKAO, Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs. Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8300.