Dorothy Day House

What Dorothy Day House does

Dorothy Day House is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 83-0389694) that provides transitional housing and wraparound support services to families experiencing homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee. Founded in May 2006 by Sister Maureen Griner and a small group of volunteers inspired by the Dorothy Day / Catholic Worker Movement tradition, the organization addresses a structural gap in the regional shelter system: it is the only shelter in Shelby County that accepts whole families regardless of composition, including married couples and families with preteen and teenage boys, who are typically separated in other facilities. The organization operates three transitional houses — Dorothy's House (est. 2006), Loretta's House (est. 2018), and Joseph's House (est. 2020) — with combined capacity to serve up to nine families at a time, with no residency requirement and no 30-day limit on stays.

The organization's service mix comprises temporary housing, individualized case management, family workshops, and employment support aimed at helping families achieve stable housing, reliable transportation, and living-wage employment. All services are provided at zero cost to the families served. Operations are delivered by a small paid staff of 1–10 employees (Executive Director, Director of Development and Communications, Business Manager, Development & Communications Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, three House Managers, and Donations Coordinator) supplemented by a volunteer base built over 20 years and governed by a Board of Directors. The organization transitioned from an all-volunteer model to an incorporated, staffed nonprofit in 2017.

The business model is entirely donation-funded: revenue comes from individual one-time and monthly giving, corporate contributions, foundation grants, fundraising events, in-kind donations, and an Amazon Wish List. There is no proprietary technology platform; the digital footprint consists of a Squarespace-hosted website, standard social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and a Blackbaud-powered donation portal. Since founding, Dorothy Day House has housed 175+ families in Memphis while receiving 800+ housing requests in the past year alone — a chronic supply-demand gap that defines both the social need and the organization's fundraising narrative.

Name

Dorothy Day House

Legal name

Dorothy Day House

Website

https://dorothydaymemphis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dorothy Day House is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating three transitional houses that provide free housing and case management to families experiencing homelessness. It serves as the only Shelby County shelter accepting whole families regardless of composition, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded entirely by donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Accepts financial donations through online portal and in-kind donations. No cost to families served.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dorothy Day House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Memphis, Tennessee that provides transitional housing and support services for families experiencing homelessness. The organization operates three distinct residential houses — Dorothy's House, Loretta's House, and Joseph's House — and supplements housing with case management, family workshops, and employment support, all delivered at no cost to resident families.

Product overview

Dorothy Day House is a non-profit organization providing transitional housing and support services for homeless families in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization operates three transitional houses (Dorothy's House est. 2006, Loretta's House est. 2018, and Joseph's House est. 2020) serving up to nine families at a time. These housing facilities are complemented by support services including case management, family workshops, and employment support. The organization is the only shelter in Shelby County that accepts whole families regardless of composition, with no residency requirement and no 30-day limit on stays. Services are provided at zero cost to families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dorothy's House Transitional residential housing program for families experiencing homelessness in Memphis, Tennessee, providing stable accommodation as part of the Dorothy Day House nonprofit's family stabilization services.
• Loretta's House Transitional residential housing program for families experiencing homelessness in Memphis, Tennessee, operated as part of the Dorothy Day House nonprofit's family stabilization services.
• Joseph's House Transitional residential housing program for families experiencing homelessness in Memphis, Tennessee, operated as part of the Dorothy Day House nonprofit's family stabilization services.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Other local agenciescoreOthersCollaborates with other local agencies to provide comprehensive services to families experiencing homelessness. Working with other local agencies is central to the mission and service delivery model.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Youth Villages: Large Memphis-headquartered nonprofit providing residential and family services for at-risk youth and families. Comparable as a major Memphis-based family-services organization with overlapping donor base and government contracting experience.
• Agape Child & Family Services: Memphis-based nonprofit providing child and family services, including housing stability and family support programs. Comparable as a faith-rooted Memphis family-services nonprofit with overlapping clientele.
• Salvation Army Memphis: National faith-based organization operating Memphis shelter and family services. Comparable as a larger incumbent operating emergency/transitional housing in the same Memphis market with overlapping donor base.
• Catholic Charities West Tennessee: Regional Catholic social services agency based in Memphis operating housing, family, and emergency assistance programs. Comparable as a larger, broader faith-based social services provider in the same Memphis market.
• Memphis Habitat for Humanity: Memphis affiliate of Habitat for Humanity focused on affordable homeownership. Comparable as a Memphis-based housing nonprofit addressing housing insecurity, though operating a permanent-affordable-housing model rather than transitional shelter.

Others

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization for affordable housing and homelessness policy. Thematically related as an ecosystem participant shaping funding and policy for organizations like DDH.
• Community Alliance for the Homeless (Memphis): Memphis-area coalition coordinating homelessness response across providers. Adjacent ecosystem participant that DDH likely partners with and is benchmarked against.

Direct peers

• Room in the Inn Memphis: Memphis affiliate of the Room in the Inn network providing shelter and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a Memphis-based shelter provider with similar volunteer-driven, community-led operational model.
• Memphis Union Mission: Long-standing Memphis nonprofit providing shelter and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable as a Memphis-based faith-rooted shelter operator serving a similar population with overlapping donor and volunteer pools.
• Family Promise of Memphis: National nonprofit with Memphis affiliate specifically serving families experiencing homelessness through shelter and housing programs. Most directly comparable as a family-focused shelter operator with the same target population and similar service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dorothydaymemphis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorothy-day-house-memphis
• Instagraminstagram.com/dorothydaymemphis
• Xx.com/dorothydayhouse

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorothy Day House