The Free Store Project
The Free Store Project is a Brooklyn-based non-profit founded in 2020 that operates 24/7 outdoor community sharing kiosks across NYC, providing free donated goods to underserved residents while diverting usable items from landfills, with revenue from donations and an upcycled merchandise webstore.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Free Store Project does
The Free Store Project is a Brooklyn, New York-based 501(c)-class non-profit founded in 2020 by Myles Smutney during the COVID-19 pandemic to address economic inequality and reduce waste through circular-economy mutual aid. The organization operates four freestanding outdoor community sharing kiosks ("Free Stores") across NYC neighborhoods including Bushwick, Fort Greene, the Lower East Side, and the Upper West Side (the latter at Frederick Douglass NYCHA Houses in partnership with Ujamaa Fridge). Each kiosk is open 24/7 year-round and provides donated clothing, housewares, school supplies, books, electronics, toys, and non-perishable food at no cost; participants are encouraged to "take what they need and give if they can."
The model combines New York stooping and thrift culture with mutual-aid principles to divert usable goods from landfills while delivering them to underserved communities, including homeless individuals and LGBTQ youth (through partnerships with Ali Forney Center, StreetWork NYC, Coz Salon, and Otis & Finn Barbershop). Distribution is complemented by periodic clothing swaps, Free Flea Markets, and a "How To Handbook" that supports replication. Operations are founder-led with 6 employees and a volunteer base.
The organization sustains operations through two revenue streams: (1) tax-deductible donations collected via Donorbox to fund maintenance, transportation, and a planned headquarters, and (2) proceeds from a Shopify webstore selling upcycled artwork and hand-poured candles made by volunteers. The Free Store Project additionally stewards the Freedom Market shelf-sponsorship program that amplifies BIPOC entrepreneurs and is developing the Lower East Side Cultural Center (LESCC) initiative to convert an abandoned public restroom at Allen and Delancey into a permanent community arts and culture hub.
The Free Store Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Free Store Project
- Legal name
- The Free Store Project
- Website
- https://thefreestoreproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Free Store Project is a Brooklyn-based non-profit founded in 2020 that operates 24/7 outdoor community sharing kiosks across NYC, providing free donated goods to underserved residents while diverting usable items from landfills, with revenue from donations and an upcycled merchandise webstore.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Free Store Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Mutual Aid / Social Services
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)
- SIC
- Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Kiosk & Micro-Format Convenience Retail (CRAHABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB)
Keywords
Where The Free Store Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
The Free Store Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The Free Store Project accepts donations through Donorbox to fund operations, maintenance of Free Store locations, transportation, and establishment of headquarters. The organization operates as a non-profit initiative relying on community financial support.
- Upcycled Merchandise Sales: The organization sells upcycled items (artwork, hand-poured candles, one-of-a-kind creations by volunteers) through their Shopify storefront. All proceeds support repair and restocking of their four locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Access to Community Resources |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Free Store Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Free Store Project operates a network of freestanding, 24/7 community sharing kiosks ("Free Stores") placed in public outdoor spaces across New York City neighborhoods that provide free access to donated items including clothing, housewares, school supplies, books, food, and electronics. The organization supplements these physical kiosks with periodic clothing swaps, free flea markets, a Shopify webstore selling upcycled volunteer-made merchandise, and downloadable how-to handbooks for community replication of the Free Store model.
Product overview
The Free Store Project operates a network of free-standing community sharing kiosks (Free Stores) across NYC, functioning as a circular economy model. The core offering consists of physical Free Store Kiosks operating 24/7 outdoors, supplemented by periodic Clothing Swaps and Free Flea Markets. The organization also runs a Shopify-based Webstore selling upcycled volunteer-made products, provides How To Handbooks for community implementation, and is developing the Lower East Side Cultural Center initiative. All offerings are free to participants and aim to reduce waste while addressing economic inequality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Free Store Kiosks Outdoor community sharing kiosks operating 24/7 in NYC neighborhoods, providing free access to donated items including clothing, housewares, school supplies, books, food, and electronics. Open to all participants; visitors can take what they need and give if they can.
- Clothing Swaps and Free Flea Markets
- Free Store Webstore (Shopify)
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 Free Store locations operating 24/7 across NYC
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Free Store Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Free Store Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Free Store Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Ujamaa FridgecorePartnership for Upper West Side Free Store location at Frederick Douglass NYCHA Houses. Collaborative effort to bring free resources to NYCHA residents.
- Freedom MarketcoreLong-term supporter that stocks select shelves with environmentally friendly BIPOC products. Amplifies voices of BIPOC entrepreneurs through the Free Store network. Helps bridge the 10x wealth gap between families.
- Materials for the ArtsminorProvides supplemental items for Free Store locations and Free Libraries. Supports community Free Flea Markets and Swap events with donated materials.
- Ali Forney CentercorePartner providing services to homeless LGBTQ youth who receive Free Store resources and free gender-affirming haircuts through collaborative events.
- StreetWork NYCcorePartner organization serving homeless teens and LGBTQ youth. Collaborated on free haircut events providing resources and gender-affirming services.
- Coz SalonminorVolunteered pro styling services for free gender-affirming haircuts to homeless LGBTQ youth in partnership with Free Store Project and Ali Forney Center.
- Otis & Finn BarbershopminorParticipated in team-up to provide free cuts, fades and confidence to homeless teens and LGBTQ youth alongside Free Store Project and Coz Salon.
- University Settlement (ROAR! Resource Fair)coreFree Store Project Founder Myles curated the ROAR! Resource Fair at SDR Park. University Settlement hosted the afterparty and collaborative community event.
- Brooklyn Chamber of CommerceminorPartnered for 2022 Non-Profit Speaker Symposium at St Francis College featuring founders and leaders in innovative social justice.
- The Little Dam Free StorecoreCommunity partner location at 24 St. Nicholas Ave in Bushwick (outside Little Beaver Bar). Managed by community partner Lyndsay Roush. Open 24/7.
- Lower East Side Cultural Center InitiativemajorBold vision to transform abandoned public restroom at Allen and Delancey into permanent community cultural space. Free Store Project leading community-driven effort to create space for art, culture, education, and connection while restoring public restrooms.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Free Store Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Olio: Olio is a hyperlocal sharing app that lets neighbors share surplus food and household items for free to reduce waste. It is directly comparable as a community-shared-resource platform addressing both economic inequality and landfill diversion, though delivered via mobile rather than physical kiosks.
- Little Free Library: Little Free Library stewards a global network of small public book-sharing boxes installed in neighborhoods worldwide. It is structurally analogous to The Free Store Project in operating 24/7 unsupervised community kiosks for free resource sharing in outdoor public spaces and replicating via a community-built model.
- Freecycle Network: Freecycle Network is a global grassroots gifting community where members post and receive free used goods to keep items out of landfill. It is highly comparable to The Free Store Project on the dimensions of community-led reuse and zero-cost participation, functioning as a digital equivalent of the Free Store kiosks.
- Buy Nothing Project: Buy Nothing Project is a global community-gifting network where neighbors give and receive items for free across hyperlocal Facebook groups. It mirrors The Free Store Project's give-or-take mutual-aid model focused on waste reduction and dignified access, differing only in being a digital rather than physical-kiosk platform.
- Ujamaa Fridge: Ujamaa Fridge operates community refrigerators providing free food in public spaces across NYC. It is a direct peer to The Free Store Project's non-food kiosks and is in fact an existing partner on the Upper West Side NYCHA Free Store location.
Broad incumbents
- ThredUp: ThredUp is a large online resale marketplace for secondhand apparel and accessories. It is broader-market comparable on secondhand redistribution but operates as a for-profit e-commerce retailer, contrasting with The Free Store Project's free-of-charge community-kiosk model.
- Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill is a large nonprofit operating a network of thrift and donation-based retail stores that resell donated goods to fund workforce programs. It overlaps with The Free Store Project on the reuse and secondhand-merchandise value chain but operates as a paid retail model at national scale.
- Salvation Army Family Stores: Salvation Army Family Stores operate national thrift retail funded by donated goods to support social programs. They share the secondhand-merchandise redistribution mission with The Free Store Project but sell rather than give away items, and operate at multi-state scale.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home-goods resale stores that divert reusable furniture and building materials from landfill. They are adjacent to The Free Store Project's housewares redistribution focus but are paid retail and operate across hundreds of U.S. locations.
Others
- Materials for the Arts: Materials for the Arts is NYC's largest creative reuse center, redirecting surplus materials from businesses to nonprofits, schools, and artists. It is an existing in-kind donor to The Free Store Project and a comparable donor/supplier in the reuse and waste-diversion ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Free Store Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Free Store Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Free Store Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Free Store Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Free Store 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 Free Store Project
What does The Free Store Project do?
The Free Store Project operates a network of freestanding, 24/7 community sharing kiosks ("Free Stores") placed in public outdoor spaces across New York City neighborhoods that provide free access to donated items including clothing, housewares, school supplies, books, food, and electronics. The organization supplements these physical kiosks with periodic clothing swaps, free flea markets, a Shopify webstore selling upcycled volunteer-made merchandise, and downloadable how-to handbooks for community replication of the Free Store model.
Is The Free Store Project a public or private company?
The Free Store Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Free Store Project founded?
The Free Store Project was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Free Store Project based?
The Free Store Project is headquartered in New York City, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Free Store Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are upcycled Merchandise Sales.
Who are The Free Store Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Olio, Little Free Library, Freecycle Network, Buy Nothing Project and Ujamaa Fridge. Broad incumbents are ThredUp, Goodwill Industries International, Salvation Army Family Stores and Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Materials for the Arts is listed as an others.
Does The Free Store Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Free Store Project.
What industry is The Free Store Project in?
The Free Store Project's product category is Community Mutual Aid / Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHABAD, Kiosk & Micro-Format Convenience Retail, with a secondary code of CRAHALAB, Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5331.