Shoes For The Homeless, Inc.

What Shoes For The Homeless, Inc. does

Shoes for the Homeless, Inc. was a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2011 by Ira Diamond, DPM (retired) and headquartered in the Los Angeles area. Its stated mission was to provide quality footwear to homeless men, women, and children across the United States, addressing basic needs for protection, comfort, and dignity. The organization operated a core Shoe Distribution Program complemented by a Volunteer Youth Ambassador Program that engaged 450 students from 26 states in service and outreach activities. There is no proprietary technology, digital platform, or AI/ML capability associated with the entity; operations were volunteer-driven and coordinated through a small staff.

The business model was donation-funded, with services provided at no cost to beneficiaries. Distribution occurred through partnerships with established Los Angeles-area homeless services nonprofits, including Union Rescue Mission, Upward Bound House, Los Angeles Mission, and Los Angeles House of Ruth. The organization was supported by a board of directors and one paid employee (April Hudson). Institutional investors, parent companies, and conventional revenue metrics are not applicable to the entity's nonprofit structure, and no financial figures were disclosed in the source material.

In 2024 the organization announced it would cease independent operations and transition its program to Los Angeles House of Ruth, where the founder's legacy and the Youth Ambassador program would continue. The corporate entity's operating status is recorded as closed, with the program assets effectively transferred to the successor host. There are no pending mergers, acquisitions, funding rounds, regulatory actions, or product launches beyond this restructuring event.

Name

Shoes For The Homeless, Inc.

Legal name

Shoes for the Homeless, Inc.

Website

https://shoesforthehomeless.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shoes for the Homeless, Inc. was a nonprofit founded in 2011 that distributed donated footwear to homeless men, women, and children across the United States through partnerships with nonprofit service providers, supported by a volunteer Youth Ambassador program. Operations are transitioning to Los Angeles House of Ruth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Culver City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Funded through charitable donations from individuals and organizations. No specific revenue model details disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Shoes for the Homeless, Inc. collects and distributes donated quality footwear to homeless men, women, and children across the United States. The organization operates a core shoe distribution program paired with a Volunteer Youth Ambassador program that engages students in sorting and distributing shoes. The organization is nonprofit and provides all services free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Shoes for the Homeless, Inc. was a nonprofit organization providing charitable footwear distribution to homeless individuals across the United States since its founding in 2011. The organization operated a core shoe distribution program complemented by a Youth Ambassador volunteer program that engaged young people in service. The organization has announced its final farewell, with operations transitioning to Los Angeles House of Ruth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shoe Distribution Program Charitable footwear distribution program that provides quality donated shoes free of charge to homeless men, women, and children across the United States, distributed through partnerships with nonprofit service organizations such as Union Rescue Mission, Upward Bound House, and Los Angeles Mission.
• Volunteer Youth Ambassador Program Volunteer youth ambassador initiative that engaged 450 students from 26 states in community service activities supporting shoe distribution and the organization's mission to provide quality footwear to homeless individuals.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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.

• Los Angeles House of RuthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Transitioning organization to Los Angeles House of Ruth where the mission will continue and grow. Ira Diamond's legacy will live on through this partnership. Ensures youth will remain actively involved in service and individuals will continue receiving shoes with dignity.
• Union Rescue MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor nonprofit partner in homeless services. Received shoe distributions to serve homeless individuals in need.
• Upward Bound HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner serving homeless populations. Received shoe distributions to provide footwear to individuals and families in need.
• Los Angeles MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished Los Angeles nonprofit serving homeless individuals. Partnered in the mission to distribute shoes with dignity and care.
• West LA CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jim Limbaugh and wife Trish provided early and continued support for the mission. Valued institutional partner in the organization's development.
• West Wardrobe TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership working alongside West LA College to support the organization's mission and operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Shoes That Fit: Nonprofit that provides new shoes to children in need across the U.S. Closely comparable mission and distribution model, though focused on school-aged children rather than the broader homeless population.
• Samaritan's Feet: Nonprofit providing shoes to homeless and underprivileged individuals, often through volunteer-driven events. Direct peer in mission, beneficiary population, and operational model.
• Soles4Souls: Nonprofit that distributes donated shoes to people in need across the U.S. and internationally. Closest direct peer — both organizations source donated footwear and distribute it to individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Emerging players

• One World Running: Nonprofit that collects donated running shoes and distributes them to people in need in the U.S. and abroad. Comparable in shoe-donation movement but focused on athletic footwear specifically.
• Dress for Success: Nonprofit providing professional clothing and shoes to women in need. Adjacent in distributing donated footwear and apparel to disadvantaged populations, though focused on workforce reentry rather than homelessness.
• Nothing But Nets: Nonprofit campaign that delivers bed nets and other essentials to populations in need. Thematically adjacent in distributing essential goods to vulnerable populations through donor and partnership networks.

Regional players

• Los Angeles Mission: Established Los Angeles homeless services nonprofit and former distribution partner. Comparable in serving the same beneficiary population in the same metro, with broader social services beyond footwear.
• Union Rescue Mission: Los Angeles-based homeless services nonprofit that was a core distribution partner of Shoes for the Homeless. Operates in the same beneficiary population and geography and is now positioned to absorb the program.

Broad incumbents

• TOMS: For-profit footwear brand historically built on a one-for-one donation model. Operates in adjacent footwear-for-need space at much larger scale, with brand recognition and corporate distribution capability that dwarfs small charitable peers.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit that accepts donated goods and supports workforce development. Adjacent in the charitable donation and reuse ecosystem, though footwear is a small fraction of its broader mission.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shoes-for-the-homeless-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Shoes For The Homeless, Inc.