The Women's Shelter

What The Women's Shelter does

The Women's Shelter is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) agency headquartered at 3425 North Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina. Founded approximately 1994–1995, it provides emergency shelter and a comprehensive up-to-two-year residential program for women experiencing homelessness and crisis in the Midlands region of South Carolina, serving an average of 90 women per year through dedicated staff, volunteers, and licensed professionals. Its core offering is direct, on-site human-delivered social services — safe housing, supportive programming, life-skills development, and transitional support — with no proprietary technology platform, no digital product, and no AI/ML capability.

The organization has no fee-for-service revenue model; it is funded by individual, church, and civic donations, supplemented by two recurring fundraising products. The first is an annual Mother's Day card sale featuring local-artist designs mailed on behalf of purchasers, priced at $8 per card in 2025 and raised to $10 per card in 2026. The second is the 45th Annual Thanksgiving Souper, a community soup-and-crackers event held at Eastminster Presbyterian Church with a $5 minimum suggested donation and Chick-fil-A owner/operators as primary sponsor. The shelter also accepts in-kind donations through a published wish list covering bus passes, gift cards, household supplies, and personal care items.

Operationally, the entity is a single-site residential shelter with no subsidiaries, no parent company, no disclosed leadership team, and no public reporting of financials. Its marketing is community-based — local events, direct-mail postcards, and a website news section — with no digital advertising or sales motion. Distribution is purely direct service delivery to walk-in / referred clients in the Midlands; there are no channel partners, resellers, or geographic expansion beyond the Columbia, SC catchment.

Name

The Women's Shelter

Legal name

The Women's Shelter

Website

https://womenshelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Women's Shelter is an independent non-profit in Columbia, SC that provides emergency shelter and up-to-two-year residential programming for homeless women in crisis, serving roughly 90 women annually in the Midlands region through donations and community fundraisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Homeless women support
• Transitional housing program
• Community social services
• Crisis housing assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Community Donations: Relies on donations from individuals, churches, and civic groups to fund operations and resident programming.
2. Mother's Day Card Sales: Sells specially designed Mother's Day cards featuring local artist work. Cards are mailed to honorees on behalf of purchasers. Revenue: $8 per card (2025), $10 per card (2026).
3. Thanksgiving Souper Event Donations: Annual fundraising event featuring soup and crackers. Proceeds support shelter residents. Minimum suggested donation: $5.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Women's Shelter is an independent nonprofit agency that provides emergency shelter and comprehensive support programming for homeless women in crisis. Residents can participate in the residential program for up to two years, with dedicated staff, volunteers, and licensed professionals delivering safe housing and life-skills support to an average of 90 women each year in the Midlands area of South Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter and Comprehensive Programming
• Mother's Day Blessings Cards

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chick-fil-Aprimary sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 September 2025Chick-fil-A owner/operators serve as primary sponsor of the annual Thanksgiving Souper fundraising event, donating their time and product to ensure the event's success. All monies raised support shelter residents.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Oliver Gospel Mission: Columbia, SC-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing shelter, meals, and recovery services to homeless individuals. Comparable as a Midlands-area emergency shelter and social services nonprofit with donation-based funding.
• Sistercare: Columbia, SC-based nonprofit providing shelter and supportive services specifically for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Comparable as a Midlands-area women-focused shelter nonprofit with a similar residential program model.
• Family Promise of the Midlands: Columbia, SC-based nonprofit providing shelter and stabilization services for families experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a Midlands-area shelter provider with a similar donation-funded operational model.
• Transitions Homeless Center: Columbia, SC-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable as a Midlands-area homeless shelter serving a similar client population with a comparable service model.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army of the Midlands: National faith-based nonprofit with a Columbia, SC location providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and social services. Comparable as a larger, established provider of shelter and homeless services in the same geographic market.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing shelter and supportive services for young people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a larger, established shelter provider with a similar residential programming model, though focused on youth rather than adult women.
• YWCA of the Midlands: Columbia, SC-based chapter of the national YWCA organization providing housing, advocacy, and support services for women. Comparable as a women-focused Midlands-area social services nonprofit, though with broader programming beyond shelter.

Others

• South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: Statewide coalition coordinating domestic violence and sexual assault services across South Carolina. Comparable as a statewide social services network that likely includes or partners with women-focused shelters serving similar populations.
• United Way of the Midlands: Columbia, SC-based nonprofit that funds and coordinates with local social service agencies including homeless shelters. Comparable as a Midlands-area nonprofit ecosystem participant that likely provides grant funding or referral partnerships to The Women's Shelter.

Regional players

• The Lydia House: Myrtle Beach, SC-based nonprofit providing shelter and supportive services for homeless women and families. Comparable as a South Carolina women-focused shelter with a similar comprehensive programming model, but operating in a different region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-womens-shelter

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 The Women's Shelter