San Francisco Night Ministry

What San Francisco Night Ministry does

San Francisco Night Ministry (SFNM) is a California-incorporated nonprofit founded in 1964 that delivers multifaith spiritual care to unhoused, vulnerably housed, and LGBTQ+ populations in San Francisco. Its core services are three: (1) the Care Line, a nightly telephone crisis and spiritual support line operating 6 pm to midnight that answered 7,641 calls in the most recent reported year; (2) Night Ministers, clergy-trained spiritual caregivers who walk San Francisco streets every night of the year providing presence, listening, and harm-reduction supplies; and (3) a portfolio of weekly and monthly inclusive community gatherings including Open Cathedral (bilingual outdoor Christian worship), Open Shabbat (monthly Jewish), Open Sangha (monthly Buddhist meditation), and Faithful & Fabulous (queer-centered gatherings such as Sacred Cup, Queer Tarot Happy Hour, Sacred Cocktails, and the annual Drag Church In The Streets). Annual events include the Vigil for the Homeless Dead and Open Chanukah.

Name

San Francisco Night Ministry

Legal name

San Francisco Night Ministry

Website

https://sfnightministry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Francisco Night Ministry is a 60-year-old San Francisco nonprofit that delivers nightly interfaith spiritual care on the streets, over the phone, and through inclusive community gatherings for unhoused and LGBTQ+ residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Spiritual Care Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Spiritual care services
• Street ministry outreach
• Clinical pastoral education
• Multifaith community worship
• Crisis phone support

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The majority of donations come from individual supporters, with over 90% of donations under $500. This grassroots funding model keeps the organization independent from institutional funding.
2. Legacy/Estate Gifts: Bequests, estate plans, life insurance policies, charitable trusts, recurring gifts, and stock grants from individuals who have included SFNM in their estate planning.
3. Congregational Support: Group legacy gifts from congregations or organizations, such as proceeds from building sales. Historical support from mainline Protestant churches has declined over time.
4. CPE Program Tuition: Revenue from Clinical Pastoral Education program participants. CPE students pay application fees and program tuition for accredited chaplaincy training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

San Francisco Night Ministry is a multifaith nonprofit that provides spiritual care and crisis support on the streets of San Francisco every night, over the phone through its Care Line, and through inclusive community worship gatherings. Its core offerings include nightly street ministry presence, a Care Line phone support service, multifaith community gatherings (Open Cathedral, Open Shabbat, Open Sangha), queer-centered Faithful & Fabulous programs, ACPE-accredited Clinical Pastoral Education, and the Ambassador volunteer training program.

Product overview

San Francisco Night Ministry is a multi-faith spiritual care nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs centered on compassionate presence and community support. The core services include the Care Line (nightly phone-based spiritual and crisis support), Night Ministers (street-based spiritual caregivers walking nightly), and weekly community gatherings including Open Cathedral (bilingual outdoor Christian worship), Open Shabbat (monthly outdoor Jewish gathering), and Open Sangha (monthly Buddhist meditation). Additional offerings include Faithful & Fabulous (queer-centered gatherings including Sacred Cup, Queer Tarot Happy Hour, and Drag Church In The Streets), the Ambassador Program (100-hour street ministry training), and ACPE-accredited Clinical Pastoral Education. The organization operates from a nonprofit social-services model, providing spiritual care without judgment or conversion, serving unhoused and marginalized populations across San Francisco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care Line A nightly telephone crisis and spiritual care line operating from 6 pm to midnight Pacific time, offering listening, prayer, meditation, and emotional support to callers in crisis, experiencing loneliness, faith questions, or simply seeking connection.
• Night Ministers Professionally trained spiritual caregivers who walk the streets of San Francisco every night of the year, offering presence, listening, harm-reduction supplies (such as socks, blankets, and Narcan), and practical support to unhoused and marginalized individuals.
• Open Cathedral Outdoor inclusive Christian worship services held weekly (Thursdays at 16th and Mission BART, Sundays at UN Plaza), featuring bilingual liturgy, communion, shared meals, and community for all.
• Open Shabbat Monthly outdoor Jewish spiritual gathering held on the fourth Friday of each month at 16th and Mission BART station, welcoming the Sabbath with song, prayer, and community meal.
• Open Sangha Monthly Buddhist meditation service held on the third Monday of each month at UN Plaza, offering guided meditation, reflection, mindful conversation, and a shared meal.
• Faithful & Fabulous A family of queer-centered spiritual gatherings including Sacred Cup coffee gatherings, Queer Tarot Happy Hour, Sacred Cocktails, and the annual Drag Church in the Streets, creating sacred space for LGBTQ+ community.
• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) ACPE-accredited chaplaincy training program for emerging chaplains through street ministry, Care Line counseling, community programs, and Ministry of Awareness, with full unit, extern, and distance/online format options.
• Ambassador Program A five-month, 100-hour volunteer training program for community members to serve alongside Night Ministers on the streets, developing spiritual care, listening, and compassionate presence skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,641 Care Line calls answered in one year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Or Shalom Jewish CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOr Shalom Jewish Community volunteers host Open Shabbat services monthly, bringing food and facilitating the Jewish worship gatherings at 16th & Mission BART station.
• San Francisco Zen CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership includes co-hosting Open Sangha Buddhist meditation services. Rev. Tenzen David Zimmerman serves as Central Abbot and Circle of Friends member representing the Zen Center.
• Faithful FoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime collaborator in spiritual accompaniment work. Sr. Carmen Barsody and Sam Dennison represent Faithful Fools on SFNM's Circle of Friends advisory group.
• San Francisco Interfaith CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Michael Pappas, Executive Director of SF Interfaith Council, partners regularly on public spiritual engagement and coalition work. SFNM participates in interfaith vigils and collaborative events.
• Episcopal Diocese of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRt. Rev. Austin Rios, the first Latino bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, is a Circle of Friends member. The diocese is a strong supporter of SFNM with passion for street ministry.
• Grace CathedralmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrace Cathedral hosted SFNM's 50th anniversary celebration with Anne Lamott as guest speaker. They also arranged Jose Sarria's funeral to be held at Grace Cathedral.
• Imperial Court SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership since the 1980s AIDS crisis. SFNM participates in annual Imperial Court processions. Absolute Empress LIX Linda Summers is on the Circle of Friends.
• UCSFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Susan Conrad, Director of Spiritual Care at UCSF, brings clinical chaplaincy experience and ACPE education to SFNM's extended spiritual care community.
• Sierra Pacific Synod, ELCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBishop Jeff Johnson, the first openly gay bishop in the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod and former Night Minister, supports SFNM's LGBTQ+ witness and justice outreach.
• Open CathedralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Nancy Pennekamp serves as Circle of Friends member and longtime Deacon at Open Cathedral, continuing to accompany the community as pastoral presence.
• San Francisco ContemplariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Seanan Fong, founder, partners with SFNM through the Annual Vigil for the Homeless Dead.
• KQEDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal public media covered SFNM's street ministry work including a Forum segment on 'Interfaith Ministers Walk the Streets of the Tenderloin Every Night, Listening'.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Faithful Fools: SF-based nonprofit focused on accompaniment of unhoused neighbors and education on poverty; explicitly named as a longtime SFNM collaborator. Closely aligned mission and methodology (spiritual accompaniment, street-based presence) make it a direct peer.
• Glide Memorial Church: Long-running San Francisco faith-based organization providing meals, social services, and spiritual care to unhoused and low-income residents. Highly comparable to SFNM in mission (compassionate presence, faith-rooted services) and population served.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: SF nonprofit serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness with housing, education, and wraparound support. Comparable target population (unhoused/marginalized in SF) and nonprofit services model.
• St. Anthony Foundation: Tenderloin-based Catholic nonprofit delivering daily meals, healthcare, and social services to San Franciscans experiencing poverty. Directly comparable as a faith-rooted, multi-program social services nonprofit operating in the same geography and serving overlapping populations.
• Hamilton Families: San Francisco nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness. Comparable target population and SF-based faith-adjacent service model.
• Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco: Faith-rooted SF nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and workforce programs for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a faith-affiliated, San Francisco-based social services organization with similar target population.
• The Gubbio Project: SF-based nonprofit providing daytime sanctuary and hospitality to unhoused neighbors; SFNM's Programs Director John Brett previously led Gubbio. Directly comparable as a faith-rooted social services organization serving the same unhoused population in San Francisco.

Regional players

• Coalition on Homelessness (San Francisco): SF-based advocacy and direct service organization working with unhoused residents. Comparable geography and population focus, though oriented more toward advocacy than spiritual care.

Emerging players

• SF Suicide Prevention (Care Line peer): Bay Area crisis line and prevention services nonprofit; comparable to SFNM's Care Line as a phone-based emotional/spiritual crisis support service operating in overlapping geographies and populations.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of San Francisco: Large regional faith-affiliated social services agency offering shelter, housing, immigration, and family services. Comparable faith-based social services model but at greater scale and broader portfolio than SFNM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-night-ministry

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 San Francisco Night Ministry