What ALIVE! does

ALIVE! is a 501(c)(3) interfaith nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1969 to provide food, housing, and financial assistance to low-income and crisis-affected residents of the City of Alexandria. Its core service portfolio spans food distribution (including a 5-day grocery supply, weekend distributions, pop-ups, and home delivery), free mini-market Food Hubs in the West End and Del Ray neighborhoods, emergency Family Assistance for rent/utilities/medical bills, Furniture and Housewares programs for households transitioning into stable housing, and ALIVE! House transitional housing for women and families experiencing homelessness. The organization is supported by 50 interfaith member congregations and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

ALIVE! operates an asset-light service model in which the actual capacity is delivered largely by thousands of volunteers and partner congregations, with an 18-person paid staff providing professional oversight. The technology stack is limited to warehouse distribution and inventory management systems supporting Food Hub operations, with no disclosed digital platform, mobile application, or AI components. Distribution is physical and multi-modal: two permanent Food Hubs, the Old Town Warehouse, pop-up distributions at schools and community centers, scheduled community distributions at Cora Kelly Elementary and William Ramsay Rec Center, home delivery for homebound residents, and a new food truck added in November 2024.

ALIVE! is funded through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix of individual donations, corporate sponsorships, two signature annual events (the StepALIVE! Walkathon, which raised $88,000 in October 2024, and the Empty Bowls Alexandria dinner, which raised approximately $75,000 in March 2025), grants, in-kind food contributions (about half of distributed food comes from community food drives), and United Way/Combined Federal Campaign channels. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying Alexandria residents. The organization reports serving approximately 20,000 individuals monthly and distributing the equivalent of 1.7 million meals annually.

Name

ALIVE!

Legal name

ALIVE!

Website

https://alive-inc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ALIVE! is a 501(c)(3) interfaith nonprofit founded in 1969 that provides free food, housing, and emergency financial assistance to roughly 20,000 low-income Alexandria, Virginia residents each month through Food Hubs, transitional housing, and 50 member congregations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: ALIVE! generates revenue through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events such as the annual StepALIVE! walkathon and Empty Bowls dinner. The Empty Bowls event raised approximately $75,000 in 2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ALIVE! is a nonprofit safety-net organization that provides free food distribution (Food Hubs, weekend and pop-up community distributions, and home delivery), emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities and medical bills, transitional housing through ALIVE! House, and essential furniture and housewares to City of Alexandria residents experiencing food or housing insecurity. Programming is delivered through two Food Hubs, an Old Town warehouse, and a coordinated volunteer and interfaith congregation network, serving about 20,000 residents each month.

Product overview

ALIVE! (Alexandrians Involved Intuitively Lifting Everyone!) is a nonprofit safety-net organization providing comprehensive support services to Alexandrians facing food insecurity and economic hardship. The organization operates a multi-service model consisting of food distribution programs (including Food Hubs, pop-up distributions, and home delivery), housing stability initiatives (ALIVE! House transitional shelter, Family Assistance for emergency financial support), and household essentials (Furniture and Housewares programs). The portfolio is unified by the mission to help neighbors through difficult times with dignity and compassion, serving approximately 20,000 individuals monthly. Major programming also includes signature fundraising events (StepALIVE! Walkathon, Empty Bowls Alexandria), the Mission Possible Partners corporate engagement program, and holiday assistance including the Turkey Basket Delivery program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Distribution Program Free program providing fresh and shelf-stable groceries for up to five days, available to anyone in need in the City of Alexandria. Delivered through weekend indoor distributions, pop-up distributions at schools, churches and community centers, and home delivery for homebound residents via referrals from social service agencies and ALIVE! congregations.
• ALIVE! Food Hubs Free mini-market style storefronts at the West End Food Hub and Del Ray Food Hub where Alexandria residents select groceries based on household size and dietary preferences. On-site ALIVE! Service Navigators connect visitors with additional support resources.
• Family Assistance Program Referral-based emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, medical bills, and other essential needs, intended to prevent homelessness and stabilize Alexandria families facing short-term financial crises.
• Furniture Program Referral-based program that supplies essential basic furniture items to families transitioning into stable housing in Alexandria.
• Housewares Program Application-based program providing basic household items such as utensils, cookware, and microwaves to outfit homes for residents moving into stable housing.
• ALIVE! House Transitional housing and support services for women and families experiencing homelessness in the City of Alexandria.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 20,000 individuals monthly
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United States Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 December 2025USSFCU donated $75,000 to local nonprofits to combat food insecurity during the holiday season. Leadership made personal visits to organizations including Carpenter's Shelter, Capital Area Food Bank, and Maryland Food Bank to deliver checks.
• Mission Possible Partners Program OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerALIVE! collaborates with congregations, businesses, and community organizations including Alfred Street, Blaszkow Legal PLLC, BryceTech, Del-Ray Business Association, Church of Jesus Christ of LDS, Islamic Relief, Jen Walker Team, Old Town Speed & Style, and Westminster Presbyterian Church to strengthen the local safety net.
• Restaurant Partners for Empty BowlsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurants donate food for the annual Empty Bowls fundraising dinner including Beeliner Diner, Bread & Water Company, Buzz Bakeshop, Cameron Café, Chadwicks, Chalkboard, Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar, Del Ray Café, and many others.
• Alexandria Eviction Prevention Partnership (AEPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEPP is a partnership of ALIVE!, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, and The Lazarus Ministry that provides rental assistance and eviction support to Alexandria residents.
• National Association of Letter CarriersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive where letter carriers collect non-perishable food donations along their routes, with ALIVE! volunteers picking up donations from local Post Offices.
• 50 Interfaith Member CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALIVE! is supported by 50 interfaith member congregations including Alfred Street Baptist Church, Oakland Baptist Church, Christ Church, and many others that provide volunteers, donations, referrals, and community support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Martha's Table: DC-based nonprofit providing food, clothing, and family support through a choice-based grocery model. Comparable client-choice food distribution philosophy and dual food-and-family services mission.

Direct peers

• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the DC metro area including Alexandria. ALIVE! is a recipient/distribution partner, making Capital Area Food Bank a directly comparable food-insecurity operator at larger regional scale.
• Carpenter's Shelter: Alexandria-based homeless services nonprofit and direct ALIVE! partner. Operates shelter and housing-stability programs in the same service area with a closely overlapping beneficiary base.
• Food for Others: Fairfax, VA-based food bank distributing groceries to low-income residents. Operates an almost-identical model of free grocery distribution and food drives in a neighboring Northern Virginia jurisdiction.
• Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance: Regional housing-affordability advocacy and service coalition. Co-partner with ALIVE! in the Alexandria Eviction Prevention Partnership, sharing the housing-stability and emergency-rental-assistance mission.
• SOME (So Others Might Eat): DC-based comprehensive anti-poverty nonprofit combining food, housing, and workforce services. Closely matches ALIVE!'s integrated food-plus-housing-plus-financial-assistance service stack.
• Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC): Arlington, VA-based food pantry network with a similar client-choice grocery-distribution model. Operates one jurisdiction over with directly comparable food-hub and client-choice programming.

Regional players

• ACTS (Action in Community Through Service): Prince William County comprehensive safety-net organization providing food, shelter, and financial assistance. Closely mirrors ALIVE!'s integrated service model in a neighboring Virginia jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Food Bank: Statewide Maryland food bank and ALIVE! partner/supplier. Operates at much larger scope as the regional wholesale food-distribution incumbent feeding smaller pantries like ALIVE!.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington: Multi-service Catholic Charities affiliate covering Northern Virginia with food, housing, financial, and refugee services. Overlaps ALIVE!'s safety-net portfolio at greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/alive4alexandria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 ALIVE!