Francis And Benedict, Inc.

What Francis And Benedict, Inc. does

Francis And Benedict, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Katie Walters after a trip to Togo, West Africa. The organization sells handcrafted fashion items — dresses, skirts, tops, pants, and jewelry — produced by a team of Togolese seamstresses based at the House of Peace facility in Lomé, Togo, and markets them to U.S. consumers. Operations span two geographies: a small U.S. team in Summerville, South Carolina, that handles e-commerce, marketing, and donor relations, and an on-ground Togo operation led by the Avoyi family that oversees production and seamstress training.

The business model combines product sales with recurring charitable donations. Revenue comes from three streams: one-time apparel and gift card sales through the Shopify storefront, monthly mission partnerships at $15 (training a seamstress) and $40 (health insurance for the Togo team), and optional annual contributions. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Shopify, augmented by periodic U.S. pop-up shows and an advocate referral program. Seasonal collections (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) and an external designer collaboration underpin the merchandising cadence, while storytelling through blog, email, and Instagram drives community engagement.

The organization's stated annual training capacity is 10 women at the House of Peace, and it employs approximately 15 Togolese seamstresses alongside 6 U.S. staff. It is privately held and not equity-funded; financial details are not publicly disclosed, and the company holds no patents, formal partnerships, regulatory actions, or AI/technology assets. The value proposition centers on a nonprofit, faith-based mission: every purchase or recurring donation is framed as directly funding skills training, healthcare, and dignified employment for vulnerable women in Togo.

Name

Francis And Benedict, Inc.

Legal name

Francis And Benedict, Inc.

Website

https://francisandbenedict.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Francis And Benedict is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sells handcrafted fashion made by Togolese seamstresses through a Shopify storefront and funds its mission through apparel sales and recurring monthly donations from U.S. supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethical Apparel

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Ethical apparel manufacturing
• Handcrafted fashion retail
• Fair trade clothing
• Nonprofit mission donations
• Artisan African fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Summerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of handcrafted fashion items including dresses, skirts, tops, pants, jewelry, and accessories. Products are manufactured by Togolese seamstresses and sold to consumers in the U.S.
2. Monthly Mission Partnerships: Recurring monthly donations from mission partners. $15/month provides sewing training and graduation kit; $40/month funds health insurance for Togolese team members. Also accepts annual contributions.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase on the Shopify platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Francis And Benedict manufactures and sells handcrafted fashion apparel — including dresses, skirts, tops, pants, and jewelry — produced by a team of Togolese seamstresses at the House of Peace facility in Lomé, Togo. The organization supplements product revenue with recurring monthly mission partnership donations ($15 and $40 tiers) and annual contributions that directly fund sewing training, graduation kits, and health insurance for the Togolese team.

Product overview

Francis+Benedict is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating an e-commerce fashion retail platform built on Shopify. The company sells handcrafted fashion items including dresses, skirts, tops, pants, and jewelry, all produced by Togolese seamstresses in Togo, West Africa. The product portfolio spans seasonal collections (Spring 'Afterglow', Summer 'The Moment', Fall, Winter) plus year-round offerings like the Advocate Kit, Gift Cards, and FINAL SALE items. Revenue from fashion sales funds mission operations including seamstress training, children's education, and community support programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Dresses Handcrafted dresses created by skilled Togolese seamstresses in Lomé, Togo, sold to consumers who value ethical production and African-inspired design. Sales revenue funds sewing training, health insurance, and mission operations.
• Handcrafted Skirts Handcrafted skirts featuring intricate patterns and beading, made by Togolese seamstresses as part of the brand's year-round fashion line.
• Handcrafted Tops Handcrafted tops created by Togolese seamstresses as part of the year-round apparel offering.
• Handcrafted Pants Handcrafted pants produced by the Togolese sewing team as part of the year-round fashion collection.
• Jewelry Accessory items complementing the handcrafted apparel line, supporting the same mission-funding model.
• Gift Card Digital gift cards sold through the Shopify storefront that allow supporters to give the gift of mission partnership and Francis+Benedict fashion products.
• Advocate Kit A packaged kit of marketing materials and information that enables advocates to promote and sell Francis+Benedict products through personal websites and referrals, generating revenue for mission operations.
• Spring Collection 'Afterglow' Seasonal collaboration collection with designer Megan Molten, embodying joy, release, and delight through handcrafted designs produced by the Togolese seamstress team.
• Summer Collection 'The Moment' Summer 2024 seasonal collection inspired by Togo, West Africa, featuring designs that evoke ocean breezes and the spirit of the community.
• Fall Collection Seasonal Fall fashion line of handcrafted apparel and accessories produced by the Togolese seamstress team.
• Winter Collection Seasonal Winter fashion line of handcrafted apparel and accessories produced by the Togolese seamstress team.
• $15/month Total Mission Support Recurring monthly donation subscription at $15/month that funds sewing training for women at the House of Peace and provides each graduate with a full kit including a sewing machine and supplies, helping them launch a career. Contributions are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
• $40/month Health Insurance Sponsorship Recurring monthly donation subscription at $40/month that secures health insurance for all Togolese team members and the family of Francis and Benedict Avoyi. Contributions are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
• Annual Mission Partnership Single annual charitable contribution option allowing donors to plan a one-time yearly gift that sustains mission operations throughout the year. Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trains 10 women annually in sewing at House of Peace
• +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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ABLE: ABLE is an ethical fashion brand employing women globally to produce apparel and accessories, with transparent supply-chain storytelling. Comparable to Francis + Benedict in fair-wage employment mission and DTC fashion retail, though operating at much larger scale.
• Sseko Designs: Sseko Designs is a fair-trade apparel and accessories brand employing women in Uganda, sold direct-to-consumer online. Closely comparable to Francis + Benedict in mission-driven model, East/West African production base, and DTC artisan-fashion positioning.
• Purpose Jewelry: Purpose Jewelry is a nonprofit fair-trade jewelry brand employing women rescued from human trafficking, sold via DTC e-commerce. Comparable to Francis + Benedict in nonprofit status, women-empowerment mission, artisan jewelry/accessories product line, and online retail.
• Krochet Kids intl. Krochet Kids is a nonprofit apparel brand producing handcrafted clothing in developing countries (Uganda, Peru) with a mission to empower women through employment. Operates an almost identical model to Francis + Benedict: handcrafted apparel, nonprofit mission, North American customer base.
• Mayamiko: Mayamiko is an ethical fashion brand producing handcrafted apparel and accessories in Malawi, with fair-trade artisan employment at its core. Comparable to Francis + Benedict in African handcraft production, fair-trade mission, and DTC artisan-fashion positioning.
• Nisolo: Nisolo is an ethical footwear and accessories brand producing in Peru and other developing countries, sold DTC with a living-wage mission. Comparable to Francis + Benedict in ethical-production narrative, developing-country manufacturing, and DTC fashion consumer targeting.
• Raven + Lily: Raven + Lily is a fair-trade fashion and accessories brand employing marginalized women in multiple developing countries, sold DTC with a strong ethical-fashion narrative. Comparable to Francis + Benedict in women-empowerment mission and artisan apparel/accessories DTC model.
• Elegantees: Elegantees is a fair-trade apparel brand producing handcrafted clothing in Ethiopia by women artisans, sold direct-to-consumer. Closely comparable to Francis + Benedict in handcrafted production in Africa, women-empowerment mission, and DTC e-commerce model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/francisandbenedict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/francis-and-benedict-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Francis And Benedict, Inc.