Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County

What Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County does

SHIP of Frederick County (Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity incorporated in Maryland in 2014 and headquartered in Frederick, MD. The organization addresses youth homelessness and housing insecurity among students enrolled in Frederick County Public Schools, serving over 1,000 such students annually and a separate cohort of roughly 200 unaccompanied youth ages 16-24. Its service model is community-led, relying on cross-sector partnerships with schools, local and state government, foundations, businesses, and volunteers; case managers are embedded in six Frederick County high schools (Brunswick, Catoctin, Frederick, Governor Thomas Johnson, Tuscarora, Walkersville) and referrals flow through federally-mandated McKinney-Vento liaisons.

The organization operates three core programs — Basic Material Needs (hygiene products, clothing, food), New Horizons (school-based case management, counseling, and a five-week Summer Academy), and Thrive Housing Network (volunteer Host Home placements and Rapid Rehousing) — supplemented by Youth Support emergency shelter coordination, Youth Action Board advocacy, College Horizons post-secondary support, and Driver's Education and Car Purchasing programs. There is no proprietary technology platform; the "product" is direct human service delivery supported by partnerships with Hood College (which provides $4,000/year scholarships to graduates), Second Chances Garage, Frederick Laundry, the YMCA, and others.

The revenue model is donation-, grant-, and event-driven. Income is generated through individual donations with tiered Donor Society levels ranging from recurring $100+ monthly gifts to $10,000-$50,000+ major gifts; foundation and corporate grants (Ausherman Family Foundation, Community Foundation of Frederick County, Women's Giving Circle, Maryland Community Health Resources Commission); government funding from HUD, the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development, Frederick County Government, and the Frederick County Local Management Board; and fundraising events such as the Annual Lip Sync Battle and SHIP's Soiree. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (President Andi Overton, Vice President Kim Whitely, Treasurer Caroline Orlowski, plus Directors Stephanie Fisher, Kylie McCleaf, Jesica Roman, and Robin Bradyslifer) and led by Executive Director Melissa Muntz, with a small staff of fewer than 10 people including program administrators, case managers, and a development/marketing manager.

Name

Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County

Legal name

Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP) of Frederick County, Inc.

Website

https://shipfrederick.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SHIP of Frederick County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports homeless and housing-insecure students in Frederick County, Maryland through case management, host-home housing, material assistance, and academic programs within Frederick County Public Schools. Founded in 2014, it serves more than 1,000 youth annually via donations, foundation grants, and government funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible financial contributions from individuals at various levels through the Donor Society program with tiers including Navigator of Excellence ($10,000), Voyager of Excellence ($20,000), Master of Excellence ($50,000), and First Mate of Excellence (recurring monthly donors of $100+).
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Ausherman Family Foundation, Community Foundation of Frederick County, Women's Giving Circle, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
3. Government Funding: Support from Frederick County Government, Frederick County Local Management Board, Housing and Urban Development, and Maryland State Department of Housing and Development.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue from fundraising events including the Annual Lip Sync Battle ($55 tickets) and SHIP's Soiree ($50 tickets).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SHIP of Frederick County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that identifies, shelters, and stabilizes homeless and housing-insecure students in Frederick County, Maryland. Its core service mix includes emergency housing through a Host Home Program, school-based identification and advocacy, individualized case management, and direct material/financial assistance for students in K-12 and youth ages 16-24.

Product overview

SHIP of Frederick County operates as a non-profit service organization offering multiple interconnected programs to address youth homelessness. The core portfolio includes Basic Material Needs (hygiene, clothing, food assistance), New Horizons (case management and counseling within schools), Thrive Housing Network (host homes and rapid rehousing), and Youth Support (emergency shelter). These programs are supplemented by Youth Action Board (youth leadership), College Horizons (post-secondary support), Driver's Education and Car Purchasing Programs, and New Horizons Summer Academy. The programs work together to provide a continuum of care from immediate material needs through housing stability and educational completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Host Home Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ students graduated from New Horizons program since 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frederick County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides youth with access to medical insurance and services, supporting the overall health needs of homeless students.
• Mental Health AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides access to mental health support and community system navigation for students.
• Frederick County Workforce ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides youth with access to career development and employment opportunities; refers youth for summer job placement.
• Frederick County Coalition for the HomelesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHIP is a member of this coalition which identifies county homeless needs, advocates for resources, and coordinates services.
• The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human NeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates emergency shelter for students and families when no other options exist.
• YMCA of Frederick CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in New Horizons Academy summer program supporting local homeless youth.
• Second Chances GarageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with SHIP's Driver's Education Program to provide cars to students, enabling transportation to school and work.
• Hood CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides $4,000 scholarships to each New Horizons Academy graduate for every year they attend the college.
• Frederick LaundryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides affordable wash, dry, and fold services to students experiencing homelessness who lack laundry access.
• Fout Crane and RiggingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of SHIP's Annual Lip Sync Battle fundraising event.
• Story TapestriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit arts organization providing video, stop motion animation, and other creative mediums for New Horizons Academy students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless: Maryland-based nonprofit providing housing and supportive services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness, including programs serving homeless students. Regionally comparable peer operating in an adjacent Maryland county with similar education-and-housing integration.
• Sasha Bruce Youthwork: DC-area nonprofit providing housing, workforce training, and supportive services to youth and families experiencing homelessness. Comparable to SHIP in mission and program mix (emergency shelter, host homes, education support) but operates in a different mid-Atlantic geography.
• JSSA (Jewish Social Service Agency): Regional nonprofit serving the National Capital area with mental health, housing, and social services including programs for at-risk youth. Comparable peer whose COO serves on SHIP's board, signaling overlapping mission and constituency in the mid-Atlantic region.

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: Large national nonprofit providing shelter, housing, education, and workforce programs to youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking. Broadly comparable to SHIP in serving the same population with a similar continuum-of-care model, but at national scale and including overnight shelter infrastructure SHIP does not directly operate.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing housing, education, employment, and health services to young people experiencing homelessness. Broadly comparable to SHIP as a multi-program youth homelessness organization that integrates housing with education support and case management, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Point Source Youth: National nonprofit focused on preventing and ending unaccompanied youth homelessness, with a particular emphasis on the Host Home model. Directly comparable to SHIP's Thrive Housing Network, which uses an identical host-home approach for unaccompanied youth ages 16-24.
• National Network for Youth: National membership organization supporting youth-serving agencies that work with homeless and disconnected youth ages 12-25. Directly comparable because it addresses the same population (unaccompanied homeless youth) and same continuum of needs (housing, education, case management) that SHIP serves.
• The Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless: Local coalition of which SHIP is a member, identifying county-level homeless needs, advocating for resources, and coordinating services. Directly comparable because it works on the same population in the same Frederick County geography and shares overlapping service-coordination responsibilities with SHIP.
• SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit dedicated to the educational success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable to SHIP because it operates at the intersection of K-12 education and youth homelessness, advocating for McKinney-Vento implementation — the same federal framework SHIP relies on for referrals.

Others

• National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY): National professional association that supports the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act's education provisions. Comparable as an ecosystem participant — SHIP's referral channel via McKinney-Vento liaisons is directly supported by NAEHCY's training and advocacy work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SHIPFrederick

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County