SOFIA House

What SOFIA House does

SOFIA House Inc. is a registered Canadian charity (CRA No. 132527870 RR0001) founded in October 1988 in Regina, Saskatchewan, operating the first and longest-running second-stage shelter in the province. The organization provides long-term safe housing and integrated support services for women and children fleeing domestic violence, offering 20 furnished apartments at a confidential location equipped with security cameras and secure entrances. Services are delivered free of charge and include the Women's Program (trauma-informed one-on-one counseling and advocacy), Children's Program (individual and group support for children exposed to violence), Individual and Group Counseling, the SOFIA House Outreach Program (SHOP) for post-departure continuity, and the Family Management and Summer Programs for life-skills development.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Funding streams include individual and corporate donations, fundraising events (Lady in Red Gala, Holiday Homecoming, Pursers & Playlists, Ride for Refuge), foundation grants (notably United Way Regina at $58,710), municipal grants (City of Regina), and provincial/federal grants (Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Department of Justice Canada). In-kind donations are also significant — SaskTel's Phones for a Fresh Start program and Rohit Communities' Baskets of Hope are documented examples. The organization serves Southern Saskatchewan, where gender-based violence rates are the highest in Canada. Distribution is referral-driven: intake flows from first-stage emergency shelters (Regina Transition House, Isabel Johnson Shelter, WISH Shelter), community organizations, and direct outreach.

The organization is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors with committees for Finance, Governance, and Fund Development, and led by Executive Director Lauren Dahnke. Operations are delivered by a small team (11-50 employees) including a Program Manager, Program Team Lead, Intake Worker, and Engagement Coordinator. SOFIA House has no proprietary technology stack, no app, no API, and no AI/ML capabilities — the core delivery model is human-led, trauma-informed, and on-site. Strategic positioning leverages 35+ years of accumulated expertise, research partnerships with the University of Regina and PATHS, and a documented outcome track record including 94% occupancy and 7-month average length of stay.

Name

SOFIA House

Legal name

SOFIA House Inc.

Website

https://sofiahouse.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOFIA House is a Regina-based registered Canadian charity founded in 1988 that operates the first second-stage shelter in Saskatchewan, providing long-term safe housing and trauma-informed counseling, advocacy, and children's programs for women and children fleeing domestic violence, funded entirely through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Shelter Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Domestic violence shelter
• Second-stage housing
• Women's support services
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Family violence support

Headquarters

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual and corporate donations, fundraising events, and in-kind donations of goods and services
2. Government Grants: Public funding including Saskatchewan Community Foundation donations and short-term grants
3. Foundation Grants: United Way Regina funding for individual and group counseling programs ($58,710)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SOFIA House provides long-term safe housing and integrated trauma-informed support programs for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Regina, Saskatchewan. The organization operates 20 furnished apartments with confidential locations, security cameras, and secure entrances, complemented by on-site counseling, Women's Program, Children's Program, post-departure outreach (SHOP), and family management programming. All services are delivered free of charge to residents through referrals and direct community outreach.

Product overview

SOFIA House operates as a single unified social service offering — a second-stage shelter providing integrated long-term housing and supportive programming for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The core offering is the Second Stage Housing Program, which provides 20 furnished apartments with security features. This is complemented by four integrated support programs: the Women's Program (trauma-informed counseling and advocacy), the Children's Program (individual and group support), the SOFIA House Outreach Program (SHOP) for post-departure continuity, and the Family Management and Summer Programs for structured life-skills development. All services are delivered on-site by dedicated coordinators using a trauma-informed, woman-centered approach, with funding supported by United Way Regina and community donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Second Stage Housing Program
• Women's Program
• Children's Program
• SOFIA House Outreach Program (SHOP)
• Family Management Program
• Family Summer Program
• Individual and Group Counseling Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 25 families (25 women, 45 children) in fiscal year 2013-2014
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AvanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing partner providing property development services for SOFIA House facilities
• City of ReginacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner providing community support and funding through community grant programs
• SaskTelminorOthersPhones for a Fresh Start program - collects used cell phones and provides them to women's shelters for women in abusive situations to maintain communication and safety
• PATHS (Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research initiative on GBV in Saskatchewan and potential of second-stage housing as a solution
• University of ReginacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner with SOFIA House and PATHS on GBV research project
• Rohit Communities ReginaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganized Baskets of Hope initiative providing 36 gift baskets for Mother's Day
• Regina Hotel AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported Mrs. Canada Globe Pageant fundraiser for SOFIA House
• Circle ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity collaboration for Hearts in the Park awareness event during National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week
• Regina Police ServiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity collaboration for Hearts in the Park awareness event

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PATHS (Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan): Provincial umbrella association for transition houses and second-stage shelters in Saskatchewan. Direct peer as the coordinating body serving SOFIA House's same client population (women and children fleeing violence) and operating in the same provincial regulatory and funding ecosystem.
• YWCA Regina: Provides shelter and support services for women and families in Regina including domestic violence programming. Direct peer given overlap in target population (women and children) and complementary service offerings in the same regional market.
• Regina Transition House: First-stage emergency shelter in Regina serving women and children fleeing domestic violence. Direct peer operating in the same city and serving the same client population, with a referral pipeline to SOFIA House for second-stage housing.
• Isabel Johnson Shelter: First-stage emergency shelter referenced in SOFIA House's referral network. Direct peer operating in the same city and serving the same population, providing the upstream intake pathway to SOFIA House's second-stage program.
• WISH Shelter (Regina): Referral partner emergency shelter in Regina listed on SOFIA House's website. Direct peer serving women fleeing violence in the same regional market with a comparable trauma-informed care model.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women's Foundation: National funder and policy advocate addressing gender-based violence across Canada. Comparable as a broad incumbent that channels funding to and shapes policy for organizations like SOFIA House operating at the provincial/community level.
• Interval House (Toronto): Established second-stage shelter in Toronto providing long-term housing and counseling for women fleeing violence. Comparable as a larger, longer-established second-stage operator with a more comprehensive service model — a benchmark for SOFIA House's potential scale trajectory.
• YWCA Canada: National federation of YWCAs operating women's shelters and DV programming across Canada. Broad incumbent peer with comparable mission and overlapping client base; provides federal advocacy, training, and funding pathways available to SOFIA House.

Regional players

• Circle Project (Regina): Regina-based community organization collaborating with SOFIA House on the Hearts in the Park awareness event. Comparable as a regional peer serving overlapping vulnerable populations in the same geographic market, including Indigenous community members.

Emerging players

• Native Women's Shelter (Toronto): Indigenous-focused emergency shelter for women and children fleeing violence. Comparable due to specialized Indigenous programming and culturally safer service model — directly relevant to SOFIA House's identified Indigenous women and families segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SOFIAHouseYQR
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOFIAHouseYQR
• Instagraminstagram.com/sofiahouse.regina
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sofia-house

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 SOFIA House