Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc

What Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc does

Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Mona Purdy following her observation of shoeless children in Guatemala. The organization collects gently worn and new shoes from individuals, retail drop sites, and community shoe drives, then distributes them directly to impoverished communities across more than 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states, with emphasis on disaster relief, Native American reservations, and regions where families live on less than $2 per day. As of 2023, the organization reports cumulative distribution exceeding 5 million pairs of shoes.

The organization operates five interconnected programs: a Shoe Donation Program, a Volunteer Program (warehouse sorting and packing), a Shoe Drive Hosting Program for schools, businesses, churches, and civic groups, a Monetary Donation/Sponsorship Program routed through PayPal Giving Fund, and a Disaster Relief Program activated for events such as the Pakistan earthquake and Haiti relief. Operations are anchored at a single headquarters and warehouse at 11201 S Cottage Drive in Chicago's historic Pullman neighborhood, housed in a restored 1880 George Pullman stable building, with a network of 19+ named retail and fitness drop sites concentrated in the Chicago metro area.

The business model is donation-based across three streams: in-kind shoe donations (the dominant inflow), monetary donations through PayPal and partner fundraising, and hosting fees/shipping-cost contributions from shoe drive organizers. The organization does not sell products and discloses no revenue figures, funding rounds, or parent entities. Strategic partnerships include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. State Department, Amazon, USAID, DLA Piper, Fleet Feet Chicago, and Nexus Distribution. Technology is limited to a Squarespace-hosted website and standard social/donation platforms; there is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI capability in evidence.

Name

Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc

Legal name

Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc

Website

https://shareyoursoles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Share Your Soles Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that collects gently worn shoes via retail drop sites and community shoe drives, then distributes them directly to impoverished communities and disaster zones across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable shoe donation and distribution

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination (HSAFABAI)

Keywords

• Charitable shoe donation
• Humanitarian footwear distribution
• Disaster relief supplies
• Community shoe drives
• Nonprofit donation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Financial donations from individuals and organizations provide funding for shipping costs and operational sustainability. Donations processed through PayPal Fundraiser.
2. Shoe Donations: Donation of gently worn and new shoes collected from individuals and organizations, sorted and distributed to those in need worldwide.
3. Shoe Drive Hosting: Organizations and groups host shoe drives to collect donations, often supplementing with fundraising to cover shipping costs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Share Your Soles Foundation collects new and gently worn shoes from individual donors, schools, businesses, and civic organizations across the United States, then distributes them directly—without recycling or refurbishment—to impoverished communities in 40+ countries and all 50 U.S. states, with a focus on disaster relief and families living on less than $2 a day. The organization is funded by monetary donations (primarily via PayPal) and in-kind shoe contributions, relying on volunteers for warehouse sorting, packing, and international delivery trips.

Product overview

Share Your Soles Foundation operates as a single-purpose nonprofit organization focused on shoe donation and distribution. The organization runs five interconnected programs: the Shoe Donation Program (accepting new and gently worn shoes), Volunteer Program (warehouse sorting and packing), Shoe Drive Hosting Program (community collection events), Monetary Donation/Sponsorship Program (financial support), and Disaster Relief Program (emergency shoe distribution). These programs work together as a unified charitable operation rather than a modular product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shoe Donation Program The organization's primary program accepting donations of new and gently worn shoes for distribution to impoverished communities worldwide, including recipients in Central America, Africa, the Caribbean, and across all 50 U.S. states.
• Volunteer Program Opportunities for individuals and groups to volunteer time at warehouse locations in Pullman, Chicago, helping sort, clean, and pack donated shoes for distribution. Open to schools, businesses, churches, and other philanthropic groups.
• Shoe Drive Hosting Program Community-based initiative enabling schools, businesses, churches, and civic organizations to organize their own shoe collection drives, with the organization providing promotional materials and collection guidance. Shoe drive hosts often supplement collections with fundraising to cover shipping costs.
• Monetary Donation Program Financial contribution program allowing donors to support shoe shipping costs and organizational sustainability, with PayPal Giving Fund as the primary donation channel (paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1797010).
• Disaster Relief Program Emergency shoe distribution initiative providing footwear to disaster-affected areas, previously activated for international disasters including the Pakistan earthquake (with U.S. State Department permission), the Haiti earthquake relief, and Hurricane Matthew response in Croix-des-Bouquets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million+ pairs of shoes distributed to 40+ countries and all 50 U.S. states since 1999
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Health and Human Services (HHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Pathways School boot distribution initiative. First U.S. distribution of boots through this partnership.
• Fleet Feet ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFleet Feet Chicago conducted interview with founder Mona Purdy and featured the organization in their news, helping raise awareness for the shoe donation cause.
• NBC NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in NBC News segment titled 'Used shoes take giant steps in poor countries' covering the organization's work and impact.
• U.S. State DepartmentcoreOthersGranted permission to enter Pakistan following earthquake that left an estimated 3.5 million people homeless, enabling disaster relief shoe distribution.
• AmazonminorOthersCorporate partner supporting the organization with donations.
• USAidminorOthersPartner logo displayed on partners page, indicating support for the organization's mission.
• DLA PiperminorOthersLaw firm partner providing support to the organization.
• Nexus DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner helping with logistics for shoe shipments.
• Operation Knight FlightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization featured on partners page.
• Sprout SocialminorOthersSocial media management platform partner.
• Arrow Wealth PlanningminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 10004 190th Pl, Mokena, IL 60448 accepting shoe donations (3-5 pairs).
• Running for KicksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 7158 W 127th St, Palos Heights, IL 60463 accepting shoe donations.
• Naperville Running CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 34 W Jefferson Ave, Naperville, IL 60540 accepting shoe donations.
• New BalanceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site locations at 9636 161st Pl Orland Park, IL 60467 and 2879 W 95th St Naperville, IL 60564 accepting shoe donations.
• Miroballi ShoesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site locations at 14360 S La Grange Road, Orland Park, IL 60462 and 124 N Hale St Wheaton, IL 60187 accepting shoe donations.
• Ray Meyer Fitness Center and Recreation CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 2235 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 accepting shoe donations.
• Orange Theory FitnessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site locations at 640 N Wells St Chicago and 823 N Madison St Chicago accepting shoe donations.
• Orland Park Health & Fitness CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 15430 West Ave, Orland Park, IL 60462 accepting shoe donations.
• Human Race SportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop site location at 15148 LaGrange Rd, Orland Park, IL 60462 accepting shoe donations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Feeding America: Large U.S. nonprofit logistics network that could be a model for scaling in-kind goods distribution; not a direct competitor but a benchmark for nonprofit distribution infrastructure and corporate donor partnerships.

Emerging players

• Shoes for the Shoeless: Smaller nonprofit focused on providing new shoes to children in the U.S. and abroad; similar dignity-preserving direct-distribution approach but narrower geographic scope.
• International Aid: Christian nonprofit distributing relief supplies including footwear to developing countries; comparable international logistics model and donor-driven resourcing.

Direct peers

• Soles4Souls: The largest U.S.-based shoe donation nonprofit, distributing new and gently worn shoes globally — the closest direct comparability on mission, donation model, and international distribution footprint.
• Buckner International: Faith-based humanitarian nonprofit running shoe and clothing distribution programs including 'Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls'; comparable donation-drive structure and international focus.
• Samaritan's Feet: International shoe-distribution nonprofit serving impoverished children and disaster victims; comparable target beneficiaries, distribution model, and donor-driven operating model.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF USA: Global child-welfare organization with disaster-relief supply distribution including clothing and footwear; relevant competitor for international disaster-relief partnerships and donor attention.
• World Vision: Large international humanitarian organization distributing relief goods (including footwear) to disaster-affected and impoverished communities; comparable international relief focus but operates at vastly larger scale.
• Good360 (Goodwill Industries International): Large nonprofit network that accepts and redistributes shoes and apparel through retail and donation channels; overlaps with Share Your Soles in shoe-aggregation logistics, though at much larger scale and with resale orientation.
• TOMS Shoes: Pioneered the One-for-One footwear giving model; while now a for-profit brand with broader product lines, its giving model remains a benchmark for shoe-related philanthropy and competes for the same donor mindshare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShareYourSoles

Compliance1 record

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 Share Your Soles Foundation, Inc