What YWCA Columbus does

YWCA Columbus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 1886 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The organization operates across three integrated service pillars: Housing (YWCA Family Center, a 50-room emergency shelter for families, and a Women's Residency Program serving nearly 100 women in permanent supportive housing), Youth Development (Safe & Sound Child Care, a five-star Step Up To Quality-rated childcare program, and YWCA Kids Place before/after-school programs in Gahanna and Westerville school districts), and Social Justice (Justice, Equity & Belonging Training, the Leadership for Social Change Program, and the Bright Futures Program).

The organization combines direct service delivery with systemic advocacy. Its technology stack is operational rather than proprietary, relying on third-party SaaS tools including Blackbaud and Stripe for donation processing, VolunteerHub for volunteer management, Mindful Giving for wishlist-based donations fulfilled through Amazon Business, Ticket Tailor for event ticketing, and Monday.com for meal sponsorship scheduling. No proprietary technology platform or product was disclosed.

YWCA Columbus is funded through a diversified revenue mix including individual donations, recurring monthly giving via the Persimmon Club ($25–$100/month tiers), corporate sponsorships (gala tiers ranging from $3,000 to $50,000), meal sponsorships at the Family Center ($300–$500 per meal), program service fees for childcare (subsidized via government grants and sliding scale), and federal/state/local government grants. The organization serves families experiencing homelessness, women in housing programs, children ages 6 weeks to 13 years in childcare, and organizations/individuals seeking racial equity training across Central Ohio. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

YWCA Columbus

Legal name

YWCA Columbus

Website

https://ywcacolumbus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

YWCA Columbus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1886 that serves families experiencing homelessness, women in need of supportive housing, and children through integrated programs in emergency shelter, permanent housing, licensed childcare, and racial equity training across Central Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services and Nonprofit Community Programs

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• Social services
• Emergency housing
• Childcare services
• Social justice training
• Community advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, major gifts, and recurring monthly giving through the Persimmon Club program
2. Program Service Fees: Fees for childcare programs including Kids Place and Safe & Sound; subsidized through government grants and sliding scale
3. Meal Sponsorship: Corporate and individual sponsors fund meals at Family Center - $300 for breakfast, $500 for lunch/dinner
4. Special Events: Revenue from annual events including Activists and Agitators and Women of Achievement luncheon
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Gala sponsorship tiers ranging from $3,000 to $50,000 for 140th Anniversary Gala
6. Grants and Government Funding: Federal, state, and local government grants plus foundation support for shelter, housing, and childcare programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

YWCA Columbus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 1886 that delivers emergency and permanent supportive housing, early childhood education/childcare, youth development, and social justice and equity training programs for individuals, families, and organizations in the Columbus, Ohio region.

Product overview

YWCA Columbus is a nonprofit social services organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of programs organized into three core service areas: Social Justice (training and leadership programs), Housing (emergency shelter and permanent housing), and Youth Development (childcare and entrepreneurship). The organization operates as a unified nonprofit with integrated services—the Family Center provides emergency shelter alongside on-site Safe & Sound childcare, while the Women's Residency offers long-term housing with supportive services. Major programs include the Women's Residency Program serving nearly 100 women, the YWCA Family Center serving families with children, Safe & Sound childcare, and YWCA Kids Place before/after school care. Signature events include Activists and Agitators (annual social justice event) and Women of Achievement awards. The organization is funded through donations, grants, and government contracts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Short-term emergency shelter services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing crisis in the Columbus, Ohio area.
• Permanent Supportive Housing Long-term stable housing combined with supportive services for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness.
• Early Childhood Education and Childcare Licensed childcare and early childhood education programs for young children, supporting school readiness and family stability.
• Social Justice and Equity Training Structured training programs on racial equity, gender equity, and inclusion delivered to businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500 children served daily through childcare programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACT Ohio (Affiliated Construction Trades of Ohio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership launched to bring more women into Building Trades through apprenticeship opportunities. Combined initiative with Ohio State Building & Construction Trades Council to provide apprenticeship readiness programs serving women, people of color, justice-involved workers and veterans.
• Community Shelter BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey coordination partner for Columbus/Franklin County continuum of care addressing homelessness. YWCA Columbus is one of seven shelter providers in the Shelter Providers Network working with CSB for shelter funding advocacy and system coordination.
• Early Start Columbus (City of Columbus)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe & Sound childcare program receives funding through Columbus Early Start program, allowing qualifying families to access high-quality Pre-K programs for free or low-cost tuition for children ages 4+ from families earning up to 300% Federal Poverty Level.
• Nationwide, Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, Installed Building Products (IBP), Champion Cares FoundationminorOthersMajor donors who provided funding for the Family Center playground renovation project, including swings, slides, climbing structures, basketball facilities, and hockey court.
• YMCA of Central OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYWCA Columbus took over emergency shelter and services for families in 2005 at community request; ongoing referral and coordination relationship in Columbus homeless services continuum.
• Columbus Safety CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for dedicated, community-led non-police response program at city level for mental health crisis intervention.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio: Faith-affiliated regional nonprofit delivering housing, shelter, refugee resettlement, and senior services in Central Ohio; directly comparable service portfolio and nonprofit funding model.
• YWCA of Greater Cleveland: Ohio-based YWCA affiliate offering domestic violence, childcare, housing, and equity programs; comparable governance, mission focus, and reliance on donations and public funding.
• YMCA of Central Ohio: Columbus-based multi-service nonprofit offering housing, childcare, and youth programs; overlapping service portfolio and the same geographic market, including a documented historical referral relationship with YWCA Columbus.
• YWCA Greater Cincinnati: Sister YWCA affiliate serving Greater Cincinnati with a parallel portfolio of domestic violence services, housing, childcare, and racial justice programming; directly comparable in mission, structure, and revenue model.
• Goodwill of Central and Southern Ohio: Regional social services nonprofit operating workforce development, family services, and community programs across Central Ohio; comparable scale, hybrid donations/program-fee revenue model, and population focus.
• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: Central Ohio food bank and community services provider; comparable in operating scale, donor-driven revenue model, and integration with the Columbus social safety net including meal provision at the YWCA Family Center.
• United Way of Central Ohio: Columbus-based community-impact nonprofit funding and convening social services; comparable donor cultivation model, gala-style events, and reliance on workplace giving and corporate sponsorships.

Others

• Community Shelter Board: Columbus/Franklin County funder and convener of the homeless service continuum; not a direct operating peer, but a key funding and coordination partner for YWCA Family Center and the Shelter Providers Network.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: National umbrella organization for the YWCA movement; comparable mission and brand but operates at a national advocacy/training level rather than as a direct local service provider.

Emerging players

• Star House: Columbus nonprofit serving homeless youth with drop-in services and housing; overlapping youth/child segment and funding environment, though narrower in age range and mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ywcacolumbus
• Facebookfacebook.com/ywcacolumbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ywca-columbus
• Instagraminstagram.com/ywcacbus
• TikToktiktok.com/@ywcacbus

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 YWCA Columbus