South Side Mission

What South Side Mission does

South Side Mission is a 501(c)(3) Christian non-profit ministry founded in 1925 and headquartered at 1127 S Laramie St in Peoria, Illinois. It serves primarily residents of the 61605 zip code — one of the 100 poorest in the United States, with a median household income of $23,155 and 38.4% of residents below the poverty line — as well as rural Central Illinois. All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, including a soup kitchen feeding 125-150 people weekly, Holiday Meal Ministry delivering over 2,700 meals each on Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hope Builders home repair for elderly and low-income homeowners, and a suite of youth programs (after-school tutoring, STEAM, e-sports, podcasting, horticulture, culinary arts, and summer day camp) capped at 100 after-school slots and serving approximately 400 youth at Camp Kearney annually.

The organization operates a multi-site physical footprint comprising the main Laramie campus, two thrift stores (Garden Street and War Memorial Drive), and the 155-acre Camp Kearney facility in Canton, IL, which is also rented to outside groups outside the June-July season. It has no proprietary technology platform; infrastructure consists of standard donation processing via Authorize.Net, Amazon Smile charitable integration, a Constant Contact email newsletter, a podcast and radio show (Mission Matters on WVEL), and social media channels.

South Side Mission's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (primary), thrift store retail, planned giving (estates, stocks, donor-advised funds), corporate/church/foundation gifts, and camp rentals, producing an annual budget of approximately $4 million. The organization reports that 84 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs and that nearly 40,000 volunteer hours annually (valued at over $1 million) underpin a structurally low-cost delivery model, with no United Way funding received. It is ECFA-accredited, affiliated with Citygate Network, and led by Executive Director Rev. Craig D. Williams (8th ED, appointed October 22, 2017) under a Board of Directors that includes officers Ron Wyatt (President), Stacey Reed (Vice President), Caesar Jackson (Treasurer), and Lisa Kroehler (Secretary).

Name

South Side Mission

Legal name

South Side Mission

Website

https://southsidemission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Short description

South Side Mission is a Peoria, Illinois-based 501(c)(3) Christian non-profit founded in 1925 that provides free youth programs, food services, home repair, thrift stores, and summer camp to economically disadvantaged residents of the 61605 zip code and Central Illinois, operating on a roughly $4 million annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Social Services (Christian Ministry / Nonprofit)

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Community ministry services
• Christian youth programs
• Food assistance services
• Nonprofit thrift stores
• Home repair ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Financial contributions from caring individuals; primary source of funding. Accepts one-time and recurring donations via secure online portal.
2. Thrift Store Revenue: Two thrift stores (Garden Street and War Memorial) generate funds for programs. Accepts donations of clothing, furniture, household items, and vehicles.
3. Planned Giving: Estate planning, bequests, stocks, donor-advised funds, and beneficiary designations from retirement funds or life insurance.
4. Corporate/Church/Foundation Support: Generous support from churches, businesses, and foundations in the community.
5. Camp Facility Rentals: Camp Kearney facility available for rent to outside groups during non-summer months (outside June-July), with reasonable fees supporting the camp ministry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

South Side Mission is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian ministry that provides free, life-transforming community services to economically disadvantaged children, families, and elderly residents in Peoria's 61605 zip code. Its core offerings include youth after-school and summer programs, a free Soup Kitchen feeding 125-150 people weekly, a Holiday Meal Ministry delivering 2,700+ meals each on Thanksgiving and Christmas, a free week-long summer camp at Camp Kearney for 400 youth annually, a home repair ministry (Hope Builders) for elderly and low-income homeowners, and two thrift stores that fundraise for and supply the ministry. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through donations, grants, and thrift store revenue.

Product overview

South Side Mission is a non-profit Christian ministry organization (501(c)(3)) providing community services primarily to the 61605 zip code in Peoria, Illinois. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including Camp Kearney (a free summer camp for disadvantaged youth), youth development programs (tutoring, culinary arts, e-sports, horticulture, and content creation), food services (Soup Kitchen and Holiday Meal Ministry serving thousands annually), home repair (Hope Builders), thrift stores for fundraising, and a monthly giving program (Bridge Builders). All programs are coordinated through the main campus at 1127 S. Laramie St. with the goal of proclaiming Jesus Christ and providing hope through life-transforming ministries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Kearney: A free, week-long summer camping experience for inner city children located 20 minutes south of Peoria, encompassing 155 acres of woods, prairie, streams, and lakes.
• Hope Builders
• Bridge Builders
• G.A.P. After School Ministry

Products and services

• Camp Kearney A free, week-long summer camping experience for inner-city children from the 61605 zip code and rural Central Illinois, serving 400 youth annually. Located on 155 acres featuring woods, prairie, streams, and lakes with activities including zip-lining, rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, and devotional programs. The facility is also available for rent to outside groups during non-summer months.
• Greater Academic Progress (G.A.P.) After School Ministry One-on-one after-school tutoring program for youth K-12 centered around each child's specific needs, covering reading, math, science, and developing time management and study skills. Enrollment is limited to 100 students.
• Summer Day Camp Eight-week summer day camp program for school-age children featuring crafts, swimming at Camp Kearney, two daily meals, Bible studies, and various recreational activities.
• Youth E-Sports Program E-Sports program providing youth access to state-of-the-art computers and gaming systems in a fully renovated high-tech gaming room for building teamwork, strategy, and leadership skills.
• Youth Podcasting & Content Creation Youth podcast program with state-of-the-art equipment enabling youth to create content discussing their faith, lives, and South Side Mission activities.
• Youth Horticulture Program Horticulture program combining hands-on agricultural education with faith-based values through traditional and greenhouse gardening where youth grow vegetables and flowers.
• Youth Culinary Arts Youth culinary training program teaching cooking skills in a fully equipped kitchen with individual stations and live instruction, including biblical truth and life skills.
• Soup Kitchen Free weekday lunch service open to everyone in the community, serving 125-150 people weekly with encouraging words and biblical messages from visiting or staff pastors. The mission reports providing a meal for $2.05 due to food donations and volunteer support.
• Hope Builders Home repair and renovation program partnering with volunteers, churches, and businesses to coordinate repairs for economically disadvantaged and elderly homeowners in the 61605 zip code.
• Holiday Meal Ministry Annual Thanksgiving and Christmas meal delivery and sit-down meal service, delivering over 2,700 meals each holiday and requiring several hundred volunteers.
• Thrift Stores Two thrift stores in Peoria, Illinois (Garden Street at 2919 W. Garden Street and War Memorial at 603 E War Memorial Dr) accepting donations of clothing, furniture, and household items, with funds raised supporting South Side Mission programs. Garden Street is open Tuesday–Saturday 9am–4pm; War Memorial is open Monday–Saturday 9am–6pm. Senior discount days are offered.
• Bridge Builders (Monthly Giving Program) Monthly and frequent giving program for donors who provide crucial recurring financial support to keep South Side Mission operations running.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% of every dollar goes directly to programs helping people
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Metro Peoria Baptist AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Founding partner in Hope Builders ministry since 2004. Coordinates home repairs and renovations for economically disadvantaged and elderly homeowners in 61605. Partnership has expanded to include churches outside Baptist Association, outside region, and even out of state.
• David Vaughan InvestmentsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 8th Annual Corporate Challenge pickleball event. David Vaughan Investments organizes corporate teams to participate in fundraising event benefiting South Side Mission programs. Event is exclusive to corporations and not open to the public.
• New Life Christian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with South Side Mission to provide free haircuts for youth during summer programs. Church volunteers and stylists provided services.
• WVEL RadiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal radio station partners with South Side Mission for Mission Matters radio show, airing content about ministry programs and community impact.
• Citygate NetworkminorOthersAffiliated with Citygate Network, a fellowship of churches and ministries serving communities in need across the country.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Salvation Army Peoria: A faith-based nonprofit providing food assistance, youth programs, holiday meals, and thrift stores in Peoria and across the U.S. Directly comparable mission model and service portfolio to South Side Mission.
• Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois: Operates thrift stores as a revenue-generating engine to fund nonprofit community programs, including workforce training and youth services. Highly comparable business model with retail funding nonprofit programs.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Peoria: A faith-based social services organization serving the same Peoria region with food assistance, housing support, and youth programs. Direct peer in mission, geography, and service offerings.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Peoria: Provides home repair and renovation services for low-income homeowners, paralleling Hope Builders. Comparable volunteer-driven construction ministry model serving economically disadvantaged households.
• Boys & Girls Club of Peoria: Provides after-school programs, tutoring, mentoring, and summer programming for youth in Peoria. Closely comparable youth development programming to South Side Mission's G.A.P. After School Ministry and Summer Day Camp.
• Midwest Food Bank: Regional food distribution nonprofit feeding those in need through partner agencies. Comparable food ministry model supporting community meal programs similar to South Side Mission's Soup Kitchen.
• Peoria Rescue Ministries: Faith-based Peoria nonprofit providing meals, shelter, and recovery services. Directly comparable in faith-based community service delivery to vulnerable populations in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Peoria: Major community nonprofit providing youth programs, summer camp, and family services in the same Peoria market. Overlaps in youth and camp programming but operates on a secular rather than faith-based platform.

Others

• Citygate Network: National fellowship of churches and ministries serving communities in need. South Side Mission is an affiliated member; comparable in mission scope and faith-based service delivery model nationally.

Emerging players

• Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ): Network of local faith-based affiliates that mobilize churches to coordinate social services for people in need. Comparable in faith-based church-driven service coordination model serving vulnerable communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/southsidemissio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SouthSideMission
• Facebookfacebook.com/southsidemission
• Instagraminstagram.com/southsidemissionpeoria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-side-mission-peoria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 South Side Mission