The Cathedral Center Inc

What The Cathedral Center Inc does

The Cathedral Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founded in 2002 and operating two main facilities: an emergency shelter at 845 N. Van Buren Street and the Friendship House Flexible Emergency Housing facility at 1029 N Marshall Street. Its mission is to end homelessness among women and families in Milwaukee through a tiered continuum of services. The organization provides emergency shelter for up to 28 unaccompanied women and 8 families with children for stays up to 90 days, Flexible Emergency Housing at Friendship House for up to 2 years for 4 women and 8 families, Community Case Management, an Employment Services Program (workforce development), and a Child & Family Program serving single mothers, fathers, two-parent households, and multigrational families. In 2024, the organization delivered 18,887 nights of shelter and housing, served 244 unaccompanied women, and supported 73 families comprising over 205 adults and children.

The organization operates with a staff of approximately 40 skilled professionals and a volunteer base of more than 400 individuals annually. There is no proprietary technology product; the core operating model is human-intensive service delivery. Its revenue model is a mix of donations and individual fundraising (including annual events such as the Empowerment Challenge, Pathway Home celebration, Glitz & Glam, and Mother's Day card program), foundation grants (from Catholic Community Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Family Foundation, and others), and government funding primarily from Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services. All services are provided free of charge to clients. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on referrals from healthcare providers, social service agencies, and community organizations, as well as direct outreach through partner-hosted drop-in events.

The Cathedral Center is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Donna Rongholt-Migan. Its brand presence is sustained through a website, active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and a quarterly e-newsletter called 'Heart Matters.' The organization maintains a broad coalition of community partners including faith-based, philanthropic, government, and civic stakeholders, which collectively represent both a funding base and a referral pipeline for clients.

Name

The Cathedral Center Inc

Legal name

The Cathedral Center, Inc.

Website

https://cathedral-center.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cathedral Center is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing emergency shelter, flexible housing, community case management, employment services, and child and family programs for women and families experiencing homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Homelessness support programs
• Flexible housing programs
• Community case management
• Workforce development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate donations, and annual fundraising events including Empowerment Challenge, Pathway Home celebration, Glitz & Glam, and Mother's Day card program. Donations support operational costs and client assistance (rent, security deposits, transportation, meals).
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Catholic Community Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Family Foundation, and others to support programs and operations.
3. Government Funding: Funding from Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services to support shelter operations and social services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cathedral Center provides emergency shelter for up to 28 unaccompanied women and 8 families for up to 90 days, plus extended flexible housing at the Friendship House for up to 2 years. It also delivers community case management, an Employment Services Program for workforce development, and a Child & Family Program. All services are provided free of charge to women and families experiencing homelessness in Milwaukee.

Product overview

The Cathedral Center is a non-profit social services organization offering a portfolio of homeless shelter and housing programs. The core services include Emergency Shelter (serving up to 28 women and 8 families for up to 90 days), Friendship House Flexible Emergency Housing (extending support for up to 2 years), Community Case Management, the Employment Services Program (workforce development), and a Child & Family Program. The organization serves single mothers, fathers, two-parent households, and multigenerational families. A quarterly E-Newsletter called 'Heart Matters' communicates impact and updates to supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friendship House: Flexible Emergency Housing program providing housing for up to 2 years for women and families

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,887 nights of emergency shelter and housing provided in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Hunger Task ForcesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood security partner providing meals and food support for shelter guests.
• St. Ben's ParishsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner hosting Community Case Management drop-in events for housing referrals and assessments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Pathfinders Milwaukee: Milwaukee nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and youth/family services including a family crisis shelter. Overlaps with Cathedral Center's family-shelter capacity and competing for the same Wisconsin family-housing grants.
• Milwaukee Rescue Mission: Faith-based Milwaukee shelter providing emergency beds, meals, and recovery programs. Competes with Cathedral Center for the same Milwaukee faith-community donors and government homeless-services contracts.
• Sojourner Family Peace Center: Milwaukee nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and case management specifically for women and families affected by domestic violence. Overlapping client population and funding sources with Cathedral Center.
• Guest House of Milwaukee: Milwaukee nonprofit operating emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services for men and veterans experiencing homelessness. Shares Cathedral Center's referral-driven model, county funding sources, and direct-service nonprofit structure.
• Hope House of Milwaukee: Milwaukee-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness. Directly competes for the same donor, volunteer, and Milwaukee County DHHS funding pool as Cathedral Center while serving overlapping populations.
• Meta House: Milwaukee nonprofit providing residential treatment and housing specifically for women and mothers experiencing substance use and homelessness. Directly comparable women-focused residential model in the same market.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Large regional Catholic social services agency offering housing, counseling, and case management across the archdiocese. Operates with overlapping funders (including Catholic Community Foundation) and broader service scope than Cathedral Center.
• Community Advocates: Large Milwaukee social services agency operating housing programs, case management, and the Community Shelter Branch. Broad incumbent sharing the same Milwaukee County DHHS funding streams and housing-referral network.
• Salvation Army of Milwaukee County: National faith-based nonprofit with a Milwaukee presence providing shelter, transitional housing, and family services. Larger incumbent with a wider service portfolio but overlapping donor base and county-funded shelter services.
• Volunteers of America (Wisconsin): National nonprofit operating housing, shelter, and family-support programs across Wisconsin. Larger incumbent with similar service model and same federal/state funding sources but a multi-state footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CathedralCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cathedral-center-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cathedralcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Cathedral Center Inc