Mission:USA

What Mission:USA does

Mission:USA is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by Glen Fitzjerrell to serve formerly incarcerated individuals, recovering addicts, and gang members in transition. Its flagship program, The Bridge, is a weekly Tuesday-night gathering launched in February 2004 at 1443 Roosevelt Road, Chicago, that combines spiritual teaching, original worship music, and structured 10-minute talks with on-site connections to churches, recovery programs, housing providers, and employment agencies. Supporting programs include jail and prison outreach at Cook County Jail (men's Division 11 and women's Thrive 90-day drug rehabilitation unit), the Bridge Builders paid training pipeline for program alumni, the 2023-launched Crossover program that incubates new community outreaches run by Bridge graduates, and gender-specific women's programming.

The organization delivers all services free of charge to attendees and is funded entirely through tax-deductible contributions from individuals, churches, and partner organizations, processed via an online e-giving platform and mailed checks to a Forest Park, IL PO Box. It operates a small core staff (6-10, including the founder, program director, worship director, program coordinator, social media volunteer, and office manager) supplemented by part-time Bridge Builders and volunteer host teams from across the United States. The Bridge draws 45-65 attendees on a typical night and has cumulatively served over 62,000 meals and helped more than 5,000 individuals over 20 years.

Distribution is exclusively regional (Chicago metropolitan area) and primarily in-person, with no technology product or digital service layer. The organization's business model depends on donor contributions, 37 active referral partnerships, and a 342-team national host-team volunteer network, rather than fees, contracts, or institutional grants. Strategic emphasis over the past five years has shifted from single-program delivery toward a portfolio model, where Bridge alumni design and run new community outreaches through Crossover.

Name

Mission:USA

Legal name

Mission:USA

Website

https://missionusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mission:USA is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs The Bridge, a weekly Tuesday-night program for ex-offenders, recovering addicts, and gang members, providing spiritual support, recovery resources, housing and job referrals, and aftercare through partnerships with Cook County Jail and dozens of Chicago churches and recovery programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prison Reentry and Addiction Recovery Support

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Substance Use Rehabilitation (Inpatient Rehab) (HLAFACAE)

Keywords

• Reentry support services
• Addiction recovery support
• Prison aftercare programs
• Social service referrals
• Community outreach ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

FOREST PARK, Illinois

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Mission:USA is funded primarily through tax-deductible financial contributions from individuals, churches, and organizations. The organization accepts online donations through their e-giving platform and checks mailed to their office.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mission:USA operates The Bridge, a free weekly large-group meeting that provides community, teaching, worship, mentoring, meals, and connections to recovery, housing, employment, and church resources. Its related jail and prison programs, Bridge Builders training, women's programs, recovery support, and Crossover outreaches support people leaving incarceration, addiction, and gang life.

Product overview

Mission:USA operates a single unified program ecosystem centered on The Bridge, a weekly community meeting for men and women coming out of incarceration, addiction, and street violence. The core Bridge program serves as a hub connecting attenders to churches, jobs, housing, and recovery resources. Supporting programs include the Crossover Program (launched 2023) for incubating new community outreaches by Bridge graduates, the Bridge Builders Program for training and employing program alumni, Prison Programs and Aftercare for jail ministry, Women's Programs for gender-specific support, and Recovery Support for transportation and connections to addiction recovery programs. The organization also offers a published book by founder Glen Fitzjerrell sharing their methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bridge Free weekly large-group meeting for men and women affected by incarceration, addiction, or street life, providing community, teaching, worship, mentoring, a meal, and referrals to churches, jobs, housing, and recovery support.
• Crossover Program Community outreach incubation program in which Bridge graduates design and run new outreaches, including homeless outreach, a women's overcomers group, and neighborhood Bible studies.
• Bridge Builders Program Training and part-time employment program for people impacted by The Bridge, covering attendee support, housing and job connections, personal testimony, van driving, meeting setup, and food delivery.
• Prison Programs and Aftercare Jail and prison outreach and post-release aftercare for men and women, including programs in Cook County Jail's Division 11 and Thrive unit and continued connections with participants through release.
• Women's Programs Women-specific ministry and recovery support through Bridge meetings, relationships with women's recovery programs, jail outreach, small groups, individual support, and recovery craft outreach.
• Recovery Support Ongoing recovery support that connects people leaving treatment programs with weekly transportation, sober community, recovery meetings, and related resources.
• More Church Than Church Published book by Mission:USA founder Glen Fitzjerrell that presents experience and practices for personal and organizational work in gang outreach, prison aftercare, and community ministry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 consecutive years of weekly meetings without missing a single Tuesday
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cook County JailcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner30-year partnership with Cook County Jail to provide programming for both male and female inmates. Staff work with men in maximum security Division 11 and women in Thrive (90-day drug rehabilitation unit) as well as the general population. The Bridge serves as the largest post-prison aftercare meeting in Chicago.
• Residential Recovery Programs (Over 10)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with over 10 recovery programs in Chicago, providing transportation each week to the Bridge program. Staff in these programs recognize the value of the Bridge and encourage attendance. Recovery programs refer clients to the Bridge as ongoing support after completing their formal programs.
• Churches (Dozens of Chicago-area churches)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff visit churches around Chicago to find places where attenders can feel accepted. Pastors are invited to speak at the Bridge and personally invite attenders to join their congregations. The organization builds church partnerships based on their ability to welcome and connect with program participants.
• Housing Programs (Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff have developed comprehensive knowledge of housing programs throughout Chicago and provide 1-pagers to inform attenders of intake and application procedures. They work with attenders to apply and complete required processes, increasing acceptance into programs and success with housing placement.
• Job Placement Agencies (Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with placement agencies throughout Chicago to support job placement for Bridge attenders. Staff help leverage existing job experience to secure first employment after incarceration or addiction recovery.
• Host Teams (342 teams from 10 states)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch volunteer teams of 6-10 people who bring and serve a meal after Bridge services, help with childcare, and greet attendees. Teams come from all over the U.S., including Hawaii, Minnesota, and Tennessee. The Host Team experience is described as like a 'missions trip at a fraction of the cost.'

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Thistle Farms: Nashville-based nonprofit supporting women recovering from trafficking, addiction, and incarceration through community, housing, and employment — directly comparable in faith-based recovery and women's empowerment focus.
• Prison Fellowship: Largest U.S. faith-based prison and reentry ministry, operating programs that serve incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals — directly comparable to Mission:USA's combination of in-prison programming and aftercare community.
• Televere Foundation: Faith-based nonprofit supporting ex-offenders with reentry, recovery, and community reintegration services across multiple U.S. locations; directly comparable in aftercare and discipleship model.
• The Recovery Café: Network of recovery-focused community centers offering long-term peer support to people in recovery from addiction, homelessness, and incarceration — directly comparable community-based recovery support model.
• A New Way of Life: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing housing, reentry support, and community to formerly incarcerated women — directly comparable in reentry services and women-focused programming.
• St. Leonard's Ministries: Chicago-based nonprofit providing residential and reentry services for formerly incarcerated men and women; directly comparable in geography, target population, and faith-based service model.
• InnerChange Freedom Initiative: Faith-based in-prison and post-release program historically run through Prison Fellowship and state DOC partnerships; directly comparable in faith-based prison aftercare model.

Broad incumbents

• Holland Rescue Mission: Established faith-based organization providing recovery, housing, and reentry services across broader programmatic scope; comparable as faith-based recovery and reentry nonprofit operating at larger scale.
• The Doe Fund: Large nonprofit providing transitional housing, workforce development, and reentry support for formerly incarcerated and homeless individuals; comparable in holistic reentry services for ex-offenders.

Emerging players

• Exodus Cry: Faith-based nonprofit combating sex trafficking and supporting survivors; comparable as faith-based social-services nonprofit and overlapping with Mission:USA staff alumni (e.g., Sarah Nelson's prior role).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@missionusachicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/missionusachicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mission-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/missionusachicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mission:USA