The Shepherd Place Inc

What The Shepherd Place Inc does

The Shepherd Place Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a single-site emergency shelter for women and families experiencing homelessness in Dover, Delaware. Founded in 1990 by Father Lawrence Hunt and a group of local citizens, the shelter is housed in a circa-1920 property that was transferred to the organization for one dollar in 1988 by the estate of the previous owner. The organization provides 30-day emergency shelter stays (capped by Delaware state law), meals, clothing, case management, employment assistance, savings program coordination, and transitional housing placement at no cost to clients. It serves approximately 500 women and 250 children annually in Kent County, Delaware, and does not accept single men or clients with certain prior rule violations or recent prior stays.

The underlying operating model is community-supported and non-technological: there is no proprietary software, digital platform, or AI/ML component. Revenue is derived entirely from community donations, in-kind contributions, volunteer services, and the organization's affiliation with United Way Delaware; the organization explicitly receives no direct federal aid. GTM is community-led: clients arrive through self-referrals, social-service-agency referrals (the majority channel), local church referrals (Church of the Holy Cross, St. Polycarp Roman Catholic Church, Faith Community Church, Peoples Church of Dover, among others), Dover Air Force Base personnel referrals, and word-of-mouth community networks. Distribution channels are direct (in-shelter services) and referral-based (agency and church partners), with a transitional housing partner network completing the path to permanent independence.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Taj McNair, Vice President Dante' Johnson, and Treasurer Robert Gordy Jr.; the Secretary and Executive Director positions are currently vacant, which is a material governance and operational risk. Geographic scope is limited to Kent County/Dover. Service capacity is structurally constrained — the 30-day state-mandated maximum stay and the waiting list for transitional housing placements indicate demand exceeds supply. The Shepherd Place has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no commercial investors.

Name

The Shepherd Place Inc

Legal name

The Shepherd Place Inc

Website

https://shepherdplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shepherd Place Inc is a Dover, Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a homeless shelter for women and families, providing 30-day emergency stays, meals, case management, and transitional housing coordination serving over 500 women and 250 children annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hopewell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Shepherd Place operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies entirely on donations from the community, local businesses, and organizations. The shelter receives no direct federal aid and is an affiliated United Way agency.
2. Volunteer Services: Community volunteers provide essential services including transportation, workshops, facility maintenance, and childcare activities. These volunteer contributions reduce operational costs and enhance service delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Shepherd Place provides a 30-day emergency shelter, meals, clothing, personalized case management, and transitional housing placement coordination for women and families experiencing homelessness in Kent County, Delaware. All services are delivered free of charge at its Dover facility and follow a structured Path to Stability program moving residents from safe shelter through employment and savings into permanent independent housing.

Product overview

The Shepherd Place is a single-program family shelter offering integrated homeless services for women and families. The core offerings consist of 30-day emergency shelter stays, personalized case management services, transitional housing placement coordination, and basic necessities including food and clothing. These services are provided at no cost to clients and are designed to guide residents through a structured Path to Stability from safe shelter through employment to permanent independent housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Services
• Case Management and Planning
• Transitional Housing Program
• Food and Clothing Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ women helped every year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 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 core.

• United Way DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Shepherd Place is an affiliated United Way agency. This partnership provides access to funding, volunteer coordination support, and community resources through the United Way network.
• Transitional Housing ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe shelter partners with transitional housing programs to ensure residents who complete the shelter program have a safe place to build their future before achieving full independence. Case managers coordinate placement in partner transitional homes with support services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Code Purple of Delaware: Statewide network providing emergency overnight warming shelter capacity in Kent and Sussex counties. Highly comparable as a community-driven, volunteer-supported emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Delaware, sharing donor base, referral channels, and mission overlap with The Shepherd Place.
• Ministry of Caring: Wilmington-based nonprofit operating emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Delaware. Directly comparable continuum-of-care model, Catholic-affiliated donor base, and case management structure.
• Habitat for Humanity of Kent County: Kent County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity providing affordable homeownership and critical home repair for low-income residents. Adjacent housing-stabilization peer serving overlapping low-income families in the same geography and donor pool.
• People's Place II (Milford, DE): Community-based nonprofit operating domestic violence shelter, housing assistance, and case management in central and southern Delaware. Comparable service mix targeting women and families in crisis with case management and housing placement.
• Delaware Housing Coalition / Dover Interfaith Mission: Faith-based community organization in Dover providing emergency assistance, food, and shelter coordination in Kent County. Directly comparable geographic footprint, church-supported model, and referral-driven intake for people experiencing homelessness.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington: Diocesan social services agency operating food pantries, case management, and emergency assistance across Delaware. Comparable faith-based, donor-supported nonprofit with broader service portfolio but overlapping referral network and homeless-services work in the same state.
• Salvation Army Delaware (Wilmington/Kent County): National faith-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, transitional housing, and social services across Delaware including Kent County. Broad incumbent offering overlapping emergency shelter and case management but at larger scale and with federal funding access The Shepherd Place lacks.

Direct peers

• YWCA Delaware: Statewide nonprofit providing domestic violence shelter, supportive housing, and case management specifically for women and families in Delaware. Directly comparable target population, residential service model, and emphasis on women-led stabilization pathways.
• Family Promise of Delaware: Affiliate of national Family Promise network providing emergency shelter and case management specifically for families with children experiencing homelessness in Delaware. Most direct comparable for target population (women and families), service mix, and community-referral-driven model.

Others

• Housing Alliance Delaware: Statewide advocacy and capacity-building organization focused on homelessness and affordable housing policy in Delaware. Adjacent ecosystem peer - coordinates funders, shelter providers, and policy work that affects operating conditions for The Shepherd Place.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shepherds-place

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Shepherd Place Inc