PUYALLUP VALLEY ST FRANCIS HOUSE

What PUYALLUP VALLEY ST FRANCIS HOUSE does

St. Francis House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1974 and headquartered at 322 7th Street SE in Puyallup, Washington, serving low-income individuals and families across East Pierce County. Its mission is to provide clothing, food, and short-term financial assistance to those in need, free of charge, in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. The organization operates a portfolio of integrated programs including a Clothing Bank (with over 211,000 items distributed and 825+ new registrants annually), an Emergency Assistance/Homelessness Prevention Program for rent and utilities (256 households served), an Emergency Food Pantry, a Back-to-School Program (955 students), a Christmas & Holiday Gift Giving Program (1,327 children), an ESL partnership with Pierce College, and the Directions Cohort personal/professional growth program co-facilitated with the Puyallup Food Bank. The organization also operates The Nook, a charity boutique reselling donated goods as a fundraising channel.

The business model is a hybrid donor-supported nonprofit: individual donations (including the recurring Miracle Makers Society at $25–$100/month tiers), in-kind donations of goods and clothing, planned/legacy giving, annual fundraising events (Miracle Makers' Breakfast in May, Fashionable Giving Auction in October), and retail revenue from The Nook. Distribution is direct-to-client through physical locations in Puyallup, with scheduled clothing bank appointments, emergency assistance by application, and walk-in retail at The Nook. The customer base is exclusively individual low-income families and residents within a defined set of East Pierce County zip codes; there is no B2B revenue concentration. The organization is heavily volunteer-dependent, with a 7-person paid staff, and recent strategic emphasis has been on leadership transition (Sister Pat retired in 2023) and program diversification rather than scale expansion. No technology platform or AI capability is associated with the organization.

Name

PUYALLUP VALLEY ST FRANCIS HOUSE

Legal name

Puyallup St. Francis House

Website

https://puyallupfrancishouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Francis House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Puyallup, Washington, providing free clothing, food, emergency financial assistance, ESL classes, and holiday programs to low-income individuals and families in East Pierce County since 1974.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Puyallup

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring financial donations from individuals. The organization promotes monthly giving through the Miracle Makers Society with tiered membership levels.
2. Donated Items Sales (The Nook): The Nook charity boutique sells 'twice-loved' donated items including home décor, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and other goods. Proceeds support St. Francis House programs.
3. Item Donations: Community donations of clothing, household items, food, and other goods that are redistributed to clients at no cost.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual events including A Gathering of Miracle Makers breakfast (May) and Fashionable Giving Auction (October) generate revenue for operations.
5. Planned Giving: Estate planning vehicles including cash donations, appreciated securities, real estate, business interests, personal property, life insurance, and retirement plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

St. Francis House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free clothing, supplemental food, short-term emergency rent and utility assistance, school supplies, holiday gifts, ESL classes, and personal/professional development workshops to low-income individuals and families in East Pierce County, Washington. It also operates The Nook, a charity boutique whose proceeds support these programs. All direct services are delivered free of charge to qualifying residents within specified zip codes.

Product overview

St. Francis House operates as a charitable nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) providing a portfolio of social service programs to low-income individuals and families in East Pierce County since 1974. The core service delivery consists of a Clothing Bank offering free clothing and household items by appointment, an Emergency Food Pantry for supplemental food, an Emergency Assistance/Homelessness Prevention Program for rent and utility bill support, a Back-to-School Program providing school supplies and clothing to students, and a Christmas & Holiday Gift Giving Program serving over 1,300 children annually. Additional programs include ESL Partners (English language classes via Pierce College partnership), Directions Cohort (personal/professional growth workshops), and The Nook Charity Boutique (resale store supporting operations). The organization also manages recurring giving (Miracle Makers' Society), planned giving options, and volunteer engagement. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying residents within specific zip codes in East Pierce County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Nook: A charity boutique operated by St. Francis House that sells 'twice-loved' treasures at low prices. Opened in November 2012, located at 1416 East Main Street, Puyallup, WA 98372.

Products and services

• Clothing Bank Provides free clothing, shoes, coats, small appliances, bedding, dishes, and household items to low-income individuals and families in East Pierce County. Clients can shop by appointment on scheduled days.
• Emergency Assistance / Homelessness Prevention Program Provides critical short-term rent and utility bill assistance to help prevent homelessness. Includes gas vouchers, bus passes, and other support services for qualifying households.
• Emergency Food Pantry Provides supplemental food items including canned goods, peanut butter, oatmeal, granola bars, and shelf-stable items to individuals and families during clothing bank visits.
• Back-to-School Program Provides low-income students with backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies and school clothing each fall to help children succeed academically.
• Christmas & Holiday Gift Giving Program Provides new toys and gifts to over 1,300 children annually through Christmas Corner and Family Adoption programs, along with holiday meal assistance.
• ESL Partners Program English as a Second Language classes offered in partnership with Pierce College. Classes are hybrid/online format with free laptop and WiFi hotspot loans, $25 tuition per quarter with waivers available.
• Directions Cohort A six-week personal and professional growth program offering financial education, resume preparation, career exploration, and community building in partnership with Puyallup Food Bank.
• The Nook Charity Boutique A charity boutique selling gently used and new items including home décor, jewelry, vintage items, clothing, books, and artwork. Proceeds support St. Francis House programs. Also operates online through Shopify.
• Miracle Makers' Society Monthly recurring donation program where members contribute $25, $50, $75, or $100 per month to support ongoing operations and programs of St. Francis House.
• Planned Giving Estate planning and legacy giving options including cash donations, appreciated securities, real estate, business interests, personal property, life insurance, and retirement plan contributions.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities including clothing bank operations, office assistance, seasonal work, The Nook retail, and grounds maintenance. Most positions require 4-6 hour commitment once or twice weekly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8,300 client visits annually impacting over 21,329 individuals
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pierce CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESL Program partnership. Pierce College partners with St. Francis House to provide English as a Second Language classes. Classes are hybrid/online with $25 tuition per student per quarter. Free childcare available at offsite locations.
• Puyallup Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirections Cohort partnership. Puyallup Food Bank co-facilitates the Directions Cohort program focused on personal and professional growth through a holistic approach.
• Northwest Furniture BankminorOthersReferral partner for furniture assistance. When St. Francis House cannot accept furniture donations, clients are referred to Northwest Furniture Bank in Tacoma (253-302-3868, 117 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, WA 98421).
• Gateway Medical AllianceminorOthersReferral partner for medical equipment. Clients needing medical equipment are referred to Gateway Medical Alliance (253-872-5886).
• Rusty Bradeen TruckingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity business partner supporting St. Francis House programs through donations and sponsorship.
• Korum Ford-Lincoln-HyundaiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity business partner supporting St. Francis House through donations and sponsorship.
• State Farm (Agency Owner Christian McClung)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner and board member representing State Farm Insurance in Puyallup.
• Murrey's Waste ConnectionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaste management company partner providing support to St. Francis House.
• South Hill MallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal mall partner supporting St. Francis House programs and events.
• Rambo Total Pest ControlminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPest control company as community business partner.
• Bandstand Music IncminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic company as community business partner.
• Brennan HeatingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeating services company as community business partner.
• Premium Fleet ServiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFleet service company as community business partner (co-owned by board member Kim Whisler).
• Titus WillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAuto dealership as community business partner.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region: Goodwill ORR operates thrift retail stores (comparable to The Nook) whose proceeds fund job training and community programs across Washington. It mirrors St. Francis House's combination of donated-goods resale plus mission-driven services, but at substantially larger scale and with a workforce development focus rather than emergency assistance.
• United Way of Pierce County: United Way of Pierce County is a community fundraising nonprofit that pools donations and distributes grants to local human services agencies in the same East Pierce County geography. It is comparable in donor-development model and regional focus, but operates as a fund aggregator/intermediary rather than direct service provider.
• Salvation Army Pierce County: The Salvation Army operates an extensive faith-based social services platform (food, rent/utility assistance, holiday programs, thrift retail) across Pierce County and beyond. It is comparable as a much larger incumbent running a similar faith-rooted, multi-program service model, but with regional/national scale and a paid-staff operating model rather than St. Francis House's small-staff, hyper-local approach.

Direct peers

• Emergency Food Network: Emergency Food Network operates the food bank system serving Pierce County, including sourcing and distributing food to partner agencies like St. Francis House's Emergency Food Pantry. It is directly comparable as a regional food-security nonprofit in the same service geography.
• Northwest Furniture Bank: Northwest Furniture Bank is explicitly named in St. Francis House's referral partner network for furniture assistance in Tacoma. It operates a closely analogous nonprofit model (donations in, redistribution to low-income clients) within the same Pacific Northwest region.
• Puyallup Food Bank: Puyallup Food Bank is a direct operational partner of St. Francis House (co-facilitating Directions Cohort) and serves overlapping low-income populations in East Pierce County. Both organizations run community-facing assistance programs funded primarily by donations and grants, making them direct comparable nonprofits in the same geography.
• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Catholic Community Services is a faith-inspired nonprofit serving Western Washington with housing, food, and emergency assistance programs targeting low-income populations. It is comparable to St. Francis House in faith-rooted mission, service portfolio (emergency rent/utility, food, clothing), and Pacific Northwest footprint.
• Mary's Place: Mary's Place is a Pacific Northwest nonprofit providing emergency shelter, clothing, food, and family services to families experiencing homelessness. It mirrors St. Francis House's integrated basic-needs service model (shelter/clothing/food) for low-income families, though Mary's Place is larger and more shelter-focused.

Others

• Pierce County Human Services Department: Pierce County Human Services is the local government entity administering housing, food, and emergency assistance programs in the same East Pierce County service area. It is thematically adjacent as a funder/referral counterpart rather than a direct competitor, since it provides government-administered services that complement (and sometimes overlap with) St. Francis House's offerings.

Regional players

• Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kitsap Counties: Habitat SKK addresses housing affordability and homelessness prevention in the broader Pacific Northwest region, overlapping with St. Francis House's emergency rent/utility assistance and homelessness-prevention mission. It is comparable in addressing basic-needs housing, but operates across a larger and partially different geographic area than East Pierce County.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/francishouse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5v2ShtyjH-2Z6eebPtPFSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/puyallupfrancishouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/stfrancishouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/puyallup-valley-st-francis-house

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PUYALLUP VALLEY ST FRANCIS HOUSE