Open Shelter

What Open Shelter does

Open Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded on December 6, 1983 by Kent Beittel in Columbus, Ohio. Originally established as Ohio's first 24-hour emergency walk-in shelter, the organization has since transitioned into a Day Services Shelter & Advocacy Center serving homeless and marginally-housed individuals. The organization is led by Executive Director Sheli Mathias, who has held the role since 2020, and operates with a lean team of seven staff members from a 10,000 sq ft facility at 1037 Parsons Ave acquired in 2022.

The organization's core offerings include day services, advocacy, and direct material support. In 2025, Open Shelter served 4,348 individuals and distributed 57,894 sack lunches and 114,375 to-go meals. The organization also operates a Payeeship program, established in 1986, that helps beneficiaries manage their finances, with an average of approximately $50,000 in client funds administered monthly. Service delivery is supported through a partner network that includes Mt. Carmel Street Medicine, South Side Thrive, Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Southeast Healthcare, VoteRiders, and the Social Security Administration, along with dozens of local churches.

Open Shelter's funding model is typical of community-based 501(c)(3) organizations: donations, grants, and volunteer services form the revenue base. Corporate sponsors include Eldorado Scioto Downs and the NASCAR Foundation (which contributed $5,000+ to support the meal program), with additional support from faith-based institutions and individual donors. As a non-investment-grade nonprofit, Open Shelter does not pursue traditional venture or growth-equity funding, and no audited financials are disclosed.

Name

Open Shelter

Legal name

The Open Shelter, Inc.

Website

https://theopenshelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Shelter is a Columbus, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that operates a Day Services Shelter & Advocacy Center serving homeless and marginally-housed individuals, providing meals, financial management assistance, and advocacy partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services / Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless day services
• Emergency shelter assistance
• Material assistance program
• Payeeship money management
• Community advocacy center

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct monetary donations from individuals through PayPal, mail-in donations, and monthly recurring contributions.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from businesses and organizations like Eldorado Scioto Downs, Enterprise Mobility, and community foundations.
3. Volunteer-Provided Services: Meal preparation and service by volunteer groups, reducing operational costs while building community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Open Shelter operates a Day Services Shelter and Advocacy Center in Columbus, Ohio providing direct services to homeless and marginally-housed individuals, including hot meals, sack lunches, clothing, hygiene kits, outdoor survival supplies, State ID and birth certificate assistance, phone/fax/computer access, mailing address services, and a third-party Payeeship money management program for disabled and at-risk guests. All services are provided free of charge and funded entirely through individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, and volunteer-driven community support.

Product overview

The Open Shelter is an Advocacy Center and Day Services Shelter for homeless and marginally-housed people in Central Ohio. The organization operates as a single integrated service model providing multiple interconnected programs: the Day Shelter and Advocacy Center serves as the hub offering direct services and referrals; the Material Assistance Program distributes clothing, hygiene items, and outdoor equipment; the Payeeship Program (including SSI Payeeship) provides third-party money management; the Meals Program supplies sack lunches and hot meals; Medical Services are delivered through partner organizations; and the State ID/Birth Certificate Assistance helps guests obtain identification documents. Additional services include the Camper's Closet for survival supplies, legal mailing address services, and Personal Hygiene Bags distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Shelter & Advocacy Center Day services shelter and advocacy center providing crucial needs directly to homeless and marginally-housed people in Central Ohio, including coordinated supportive services provided directly or by referral. Operated from 1037 Parsons Ave., Columbus, OH.
• Material Assistance Program Established in 1984, this program collects, sorts and distributes new and used material goods free of charge to guests, including clothing, hygiene items, and outdoor equipment.
• Payeeship Program Third-party money management program helping homeless and recently homeless persons who need assistance managing their finances to get housed and stay housed. Payee accounts average over $50,000 a month.
• Sack Lunches & To-Go Meals Program Provides sack lunches for up to 350 homeless and marginally housed persons each weekday, along with hot meals and to-go meals prepared off-site and delivered by volunteer groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,348 homeless and marginally housed individuals assisted in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• C3 ChurchminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Brittany & Outreach Team have 'adopted' The Open Shelter, preparing and serving meals, doing clean-up events, and providing pancake breakfasts.
• Eldorado Scioto DownscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Powered by Caesars Entertainment. Major donor at Match Madness ($2,500 donation) and provider of Father's Day meals. Sponsors Pride March entry.
• Social Security AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986SSI Payeeship Program established in 1986 to assist disabled persons receive and manage entitlements. Average $50,000/month in payee accounts invested in keeping recipients housed.
• Mt. Carmel Street MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site health services provided at the shelter location, addressing medical needs of homeless individuals.
• South Side ThrivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal collaborative partner providing connections for guests to access services and resources.
• Mid-Ohio Food CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank partnership providing food resources for meal programs.
• Southeast HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing mental health and medical services referrals.
• VoteRiderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free ID/DL vouchers and birth certificate ordering assistance for guests. Guest must be Ohio resident.
• See Kids DreamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth empowerment organization with decades-long partnership. Students create projects supporting The Open Shelter, learning empathy and philanthropy.
• Church of The MessiahcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWesterville church providing decades of support including meals, sack lunches, holiday gifts, volunteer groups, and board leadership (Pastor Pete Elliott serves as Board President). Helped with move to Parsons Avenue location.
• Stone Village ChurchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRev. John Wooden leads community support with sack lunches, sleeping bag donations, and holiday event assistance.
• Our Lady of Peace ChurchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTom & Veronica Garrity lead monthly hot meal service, holiday support, and urgent needs assistance. Long-term supporters for decades.
• Shakers Public HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorthington restaurant 'Round Up For A Reason' beneficiary in July, donating customer rounded-up amounts to The Open Shelter.
• Brittani OrrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided free haircuts at Father's Day 2025 Celebration event.
• Back To Hope FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated video reflecting the care and compassion supported by donors for The Open Shelter.
• Dublin Coffman High SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAthletic teams participated in holiday giving programs and Mother's Day 2025 event.
• Columbus Southeast Lions ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContributed to holiday giving programs for homeless individuals and families.
• AFC Entertainment GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated promotional video for The Open Shelter reflecting community support.
• Primary OnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing on-site medical services at the shelter location.
• Southeast Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health services provided at shelter location through referral partners.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Needs List registry allowing donors to purchase needed items directly for the shelter.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Star House: Star House is a Columbus drop-in center serving homeless and at-risk youth with meals, showers, laundry, and case management. It is comparable as a peer shelter providing day services, meals, and material assistance in the same Central Ohio market.
• Faith Mission: Faith Mission is a Columbus-based homeless services organization operating emergency shelters and recovery housing. It is directly referenced in Open Shelter's guest stories and serves the same Central Ohio homeless population with overlapping shelter and meals services.

Regional players

• Community Shelter Board: Community Shelter Board is the Columbus/Franklin County planning and funding body for homeless services. It is comparable as the regional coordinator that funds and tracks many of the same shelter and homelessness prevention programs Open Shelter delivers.
• Maryhaven: Maryhaven is a Central Ohio nonprofit providing addiction recovery, mental health, and housing services. It overlaps with Open Shelter in serving homeless individuals with co-occurring needs, often via cross-referrals.

Others

• YMCA of Central Ohio: YMCA of Central Ohio provides community services including housing and youth programs. It is comparable as a community-based organization offering wraparound services and shelter-adjacent programming in the Columbus region.
• Ohio Association of Foodbanks: Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a statewide hunger-relief network that includes Mid-Ohio Food Collective, a direct Open Shelter partner. It is comparable as the upstream food-supply infrastructure supporting Open Shelter's meal programs.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Diocese of Columbus - St. Vincent de Paul / Catholic Social Services: Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul operate food pantries, shelters, and emergency assistance across Central Ohio. They are comparable faith-based peers providing material assistance and meals to the same homeless and low-income populations.
• Salvation Army of Central Ohio: Salvation Army operates shelter, meals, and material assistance programs nationwide including Columbus. It is comparable as a broad-incumbent provider of emergency shelter, food, and clothing services to homeless populations.
• Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio: Lutheran Social Services provides shelter, housing, and social services across Ohio. It is comparable as a broader-faith-based social services organization operating shelter and supportive housing programs in the same region; Open Shelter's Director of Guest Services previously worked there.

Emerging players

• Back To Hope Foundation: Back To Hope Foundation produced a video about Open Shelter and is referenced as a community partner. As a smaller, emerging nonprofit, it shares the advocacy/mission-driven model though its direct service overlap is limited.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theopenshelter
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheOpenShelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-shelter
• Instagraminstagram.com/theopenshelter
• TikToktiktok.com/@theopenshelter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Open Shelter