Grace Guest House

What Grace Guest House does

Grace Guest House is a nonprofit healthcare hospitality house founded on February 12, 2014, by Cynthia Battista (Cindy) and opened in November 2017 at 2315 Seneca Street in Buffalo, New York. It is the only certified healthcare hospitality house in Western New York, providing donation-based overnight lodging, day respite, nutritious meals, complimentary weekday shuttle van service, and on-site laundry to patients, families, and caregivers receiving medical treatment at regional healthcare facilities including Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Catholic Health. The facility includes private ensuite rooms, common living areas, WIFI, a first-floor ADA-compliant room, a chair glide to the second floor, and a wheelchair lift, and is within walking distance of Mercy Hospital. Suggested donation is $40 per room per night, but no family is turned away due to inability to pay.

The organization operates with a small professional staff of approximately six people (Executive Director Stephanie Lawson, Development Manager Christine Kiebzak, Operations Manager Gianna Totaro, Guest Services Associate Rita Carluccio, House & Grounds Associate Justin Niemera, and staff member Teresa Humber), supplemented by volunteers and a Board of Directors that includes representatives from ECMC, Catholic Health, M&T Bank, National Fuel, CTBK, and other regional institutions. The founder, Cynthia Battista, remains involved as Findress. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard hospitality management practices.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, fundraising events, and in-kind contributions. Primary revenue streams are individual and corporate donations, annual fundraising events (notably the Grit & Grace motorcycle safety and awareness ride, with Accent Stripe and CATCO as six-year presenting sponsors, and the Season of Grace holiday house lighting), and in-kind donations of household supplies, groceries, and gift cards. Go-to-market is referral-based through regional healthcare facilities and community-led through volunteer programs, the Women Who Care advisory committee, and donor cultivation led by the Development Manager and Executive Director. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), the organization website, and signature community events.

Name

Grace Guest House

Legal name

Grace Guest House

Website

https://graceguesthouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grace Guest House is a nonprofit healthcare hospitality house in Buffalo, NY, providing donation-based overnight lodging, meals, and shuttle transportation to patients, families, and caregivers receiving medical treatment at Western New York regional hospitals, the only certified facility of its kind in the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Hospitality Lodging

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAGAEAC

Extended-Stay Suites (Kitchenette/All-Suite)

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Extended-Stay & Serviced Apartments (Aparthotels)

SECONDARYHSABAGAB

Overnight Respite Care

Home & Personal Services/Elder Care & In-Home Care Services/Respite Care Services

Keywords

• Healthcare hospitality lodging
• Nonprofit patient lodging
• Family guest house services
• Medical hospitality house
• Caregiver accommodation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual and corporate donations. Donation-based stays with suggested $40/night contribution, though no family is turned away due to inability to pay.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Grit & Grace motorcycle ride and Season of Grace holiday house lighting generate sponsorship revenue and ticket sales.
3. Goods Donations: In-kind donations of household supplies, groceries, and gift cards help offset operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grace Guest House is a nonprofit healthcare hospitality house that provides overnight lodging and day respite for patients, families, and caregivers receiving medical treatment at regional healthcare facilities in Western New York. All-inclusive stays include private ensuite rooms, nutritious meals, complimentary weekday shuttle van service, on-site laundry, and a 24/7 caring environment, offered on a donation-based model regardless of ability to pay.

Product overview

Grace Guest House operates as a single-location nonprofit healthcare hospitality organization offering a unified service model centered on lodging, meals, and transportation for families facing medical crises. The core offering consists of overnight accommodation and day respite services at their 2315 Seneca Street facility in Buffalo, NY, supplemented by complimentary weekday shuttle van service to regional hospitals and nutritious meal preparation. The organization supplements its operational programs with volunteer engagement through its Hands of Grace initiative and advisory leadership via the Women Who Care committee. Annual fundraising events including the Grit & Grace motorcycle ride and Season of Grace holiday lighting support organizational sustainability. All services operate on a donation-based model regardless of guests' ability to pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthcare Hospitality Overnight Lodging
• Day Respite Services
• Complimentary Shuttle Van Service
• Meals and Food Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,427 guests served in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Mercy Hospital of BuffalocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary hospital partner located walking distance from Grace House. Primary referral source for patients and families needing lodging during medical treatment. Grace House serves families referred through Mercy Hospital.
• Erie County Medical Center (ECMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor regional healthcare facility and referral partner. Serves patients requiring specialized medical care who need nearby family lodging.
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional referral partner for families of cancer patients receiving treatment. Grace House provides lodging for families traveling for oncology care.
• Accent StripeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Grit & Grace annual motorcycle safety and awareness ride for 6 consecutive years. Provides financial support and brand alignment with mission.
• CATCOflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Grit & Grace annual motorcycle safety and awareness ride for 6 consecutive years. Supports fundraising events and mission awareness.
• M&T BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner providing financial support. Board member Julia Berchou serves as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff to the CEO at M&T Bank. Community banking partner.
• National FuelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner and board member John Tammaro serves as representative. Provides operational support to nonprofit hospitality services.
• Catholic HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner with representation on board (Grace Ayoub, Implementation Administrator) and Women Who Care committee (Kate Heidinger). Referral network for patient families.
• United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger LakescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard member Teresa O'Loughlin serves as Chief Development Officer, connecting Grace House to broader community resources and fundraising networks.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hackerman-Patz House: Hospital-affiliated hospitality house at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore serving families of pediatric and adult patients. Comparable referral-driven, donation-supported model to Grace Guest House.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: The largest nonprofit healthcare hospitality house network globally, providing lodging for families of pediatric patients near hospitals. Operates the same core model as Grace Guest House — donated overnight stays plus meals and support — at far greater scale, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Hospitality Homes: Boston-area nonprofit providing free short-term housing in host homes and apartments for patients and families traveling for medical care. Shares Grace Guest House's mission of removing lodging barriers during medical treatment, with a distinct delivery model.
• Hospitality House of Asheville: The Asheville, NC healthcare hospitality house that originally inspired Grace Guest House's founder. Operates an essentially identical mission and operating model, providing direct peer benchmarking on scale, fundraising, and hospital partnerships.
• Fisher House Foundation: Provides free lodging to military and veterans' families near VA and military medical centers. Same donation-based hospitality house model as Grace Guest House, with a different patient population (veterans vs. general medical/cancer patients).
• Brent's Place: A nonprofit healthcare hospitality house in Denver serving families of immunocompromised patients, particularly bone-marrow transplant and oncology families. Mirrors Grace Guest House's combination of overnight lodging, meals, transportation, and referral-based intake from partner hospitals.
• SECU Family House: Nonprofit hospitality house near UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC, providing low-cost lodging for patients and families. Closely aligned with Grace Guest House's hospital-adjacent, donation-supported model.

Others

• Healthcare Hospitality Network: Industry association representing nonprofit healthcare hospitality houses across the U.S. Grace Guest House is a member-equivalent operator; HHN provides industry standards, training, and peer benchmarking relevant to Grace Guest House's certified status.

Broad incumbents

• Candlewood Suites: Extended-stay hotel brand with kitchen-equipped suites designed for longer visits, including medical travel. Comparable on suite-based extended lodging but commercial pricing model versus Grace Guest House's donation-based model.
• Residence Inn by Marriott: Extended-stay hotel brand offering suite-style lodging with kitchenettes — the commercial alternative families may consider when a healthcare hospitality house is unavailable. Relevant as a benchmark for what Grace Guest House's all-suite model competes against on nights it cannot accommodate guests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/716gracehouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/gracehousebuffalo
• Instagraminstagram.com/716gracehouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gracehousebuffalo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Grace Guest House