Friendship House (FH)

What Friendship House (FH) does

Friendship House (FH) is a Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 within a Wilmington thrift store and formally incorporated in 1988 as Friendship House, Inc. The organization provides housing, clothing, and supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness and houselessness across Delaware, drawing an explicit distinction between homelessness (loss of community and connection) and houselessness (loss of physical residence). FH operates a portfolio of eight core programs including five Empowerment Centers (Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Boxwood, and Kent & Sussex Counties), a Transitional Housing program, a Clothing Bank, Life Skills & Job Training (including the CEO Program for women with justice involvement), Financial Assistance, Seasonal Programming (Code Purple and Code Orange emergency shelter), and Supportive Services. In 2023, Empowerment Centers served 5,690 people (3,280 Wilmington + 1,260 Newark + 739 Middletown + 411 Boxwood), the Clothing Bank distributed 104,619 clothing items to 12,561 people, $254,685 in financial assistance reached 4,013 Delawareans, and over 900 households received rent and utility assistance.

The service model is delivered primarily through physical locations rather than technology — there is no proprietary technology stack, no APIs, no mobile applications, and no AI/ML components; core technology is explicitly categorized as not applicable. The Clothing Bank processes roughly 200,000 lbs of clothing annually, Transitional Housing served 81 participants in 2024 (with 17 graduates and 43 still in program), and Code Purple activation deployed 64 events across Wilmington and Newark in a single winter season with 7 host faith communities and 1,300 volunteer hours. The Transitional Housing program reports a 95% likelihood that residents who stay at least one year remain housed, employed, and in recovery for 5+ years, and the program has helped over 2,000 residents across 30+ years.

FH operates a donation-based revenue model in which all client services are provided free of charge. Revenue streams include individual donations (Network for Good online platform, checks, stock, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions), corporate grants and employee matching programs, in-kind donations (clothing, household items, school uniforms), the annual Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community fundraiser (raising over $100,000 in 2024 and $91,000 in 2023), and United Way donor designations via code 9033. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Gail Kilmer and operated by Executive Director & CEO Kim Eppehimer (also appointed to the Wilmington Homeless Task Force by Mayor John Carney), with specialized program directors overseeing Operations, Community Engagement, Development, Empowerment Centers, and Women's and Men's Housing. FH holds the Candid Platinum Transparency 2024 seal and has been the top fundraising organization at the Highmark Walk for five consecutive years (2020–2024).

Name

Friendship House (FH)

Legal name

Friendship House, Inc.

Website

https://friendshiphousede.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friendship House is a Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing housing, clothing, financial assistance, and supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness and houselessness through five Empowerment Centers, a Transitional Housing program, and a Clothing Bank statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless & Houseless Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Transitional housing
• Social services
• Nonprofit case management
• Emergency shelter

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Online donations through Network for Good platform, check donations, stock donations, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
2. Corporate Donations & Grants: Corporate grants, acknowledgment grants tied to volunteer service, employee-generated grants, company matching programs
3. Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community: Annual fundraising walk event; raised over $100,000 in 2024 and $91,000 in 2023
4. In-Kind Donations: Clothing, household items, school uniforms donated by individuals and organizations
5. United Way: United Way code 9033 for donor designation (not a United Way agency)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Friendship House provides housing, clothing, and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and houselessness in Delaware. Core offerings include five Empowerment Centers offering case management and hospitality, a Transitional Housing Program for adults in recovery, a Clothing Bank distributing clothing and school uniforms, Financial Assistance for rent/utilities/fines, Life Skills and Job Training, and Seasonal Programming (Code Purple/Code Orange emergency shelters). All services are provided at no cost to clients.

Product overview

Friendship House (FH) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected social services for individuals experiencing homelessness and houselessness in Delaware. The core offerings include five Empowerment Centers providing case management and daily hospitality services; a Transitional Housing Program offering subsidized housing with intensive case management; a Clothing Bank distributing clothing and school uniforms; Life Skills and Job Training programs including the CEO job training program; Financial Assistance for utilities, rent, and documentation; Seasonal Programming with Code Purple/Code Orange emergency shelter; and comprehensive Supportive Services. Services are accessible across Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, and Kent/Sussex Counties with over 2,000 volunteers supporting operations annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creating Excellent Outcomes (CEO) Program: A job and life skills training program within the Clothing Bank designed to support women to rebuild their reputations, revitalize their spirits, and rediscover their true potential.
• Fines and Fees Fund

Products and services

• Empowerment Centers Five Empowerment Centers across Delaware providing holistic, individualized case management, hospitality services, computer lab access, phone services, mailing address, vital records assistance, financial assistance, and transportation referrals for individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Transitional Housing Program Subsidized housing with individualized case management for adults recovering from substance abuse, domestic violence, incarceration, or human trafficking. Program participants receive up to two years in a supportive living environment with life skills training, employment support, and credit counseling.
• Clothing Bank Clothing assistance program operating from two warehouses (expanded in 2023), providing new and gently used clothing to individuals of all ages across Delaware, including a Shoe Bank partnership with Shoes That Fit and free school uniform distribution.
• Life Skills & Job Training Computer skills classes, resume writing support, job search assistance, email setup, and housing application support. Includes the CEO (Creating Excellent Outcomes) job training program for women rebuilding their lives.
• Financial Assistance Program Emergency financial aid supporting individuals and families facing financial challenges including outstanding utility bills, rent, security deposits, fines and fees (via dedicated Fines and Fees Fund), expungement costs, and vital documents assistance.
• Seasonal Programming Emergency weather-related services including Code Purple (winter shelter activated when temperatures drop below 20°F), Code Orange (heat relief when heat index reaches 100°F+), and Saturday Morning Winter Hospitality at First & Central Presbyterian Church (November–March).
• Supportive Services Comprehensive case management including assistance with obtaining vital records (IDs, birth certificates), referrals to community resources, education, and training opportunities.
• School Uniform Program Free school uniform distribution (polo shirts, khaki/navy pants) to public school students in Delaware, partnered with Shoes That Fit for the Shoe Bank providing new name-brand sneakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% likelihood of staying housed, employed, and in recovery for 5+ years for residents spending at least one year in Transitional Housing program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and foundational.

• Limen Recovery and WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2025Two legacy nonprofits uniting to strengthen care for vulnerable populations in Delaware. Partnership announced August 2025 to provide coordinated services to individuals facing homelessness and addiction recovery.
• Salvation Army's Restoration Now ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Partnership to serve human trafficking survivors in FH's Women's Transitional Housing program. Survivors are referred through this partnership and receive specialized, trauma-informed case management.
• Campaign to End Debtor's Prison (CEDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to address court fines and fees that can trap individuals in poverty and contribute to houselessness. FH and CEDP launched a dedicated fund to help pay down or reduce these financial burdens.
• Shoes That FitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National organization partnership to create a Shoe Bank in Delaware - the first in the state. Provides new name-brand sneakers to students to support physical activity and dignity in schools.
• Faith Communities for Code PurplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20237 host faith communities partner with FH to provide emergency shelter during Code Purple events when temperatures drop below 20 degrees. Locations are confidential for client privacy.
• University of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Provides weekly cooking and nutrition class for Transitional Housing residents, supporting life skills development and health education.
• Jewish Family ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Facilitates trauma groups for Transitional Housing residents, providing specialized mental health support for individuals who have experienced significant trauma.
• One Big HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023FH coordinates with One Big House system to ensure seamless referrals and warm handoffs across the continuum of care, reducing entry into homelessness and strengthening Delaware's coordinated response system.
• Immanuel Highlands ChurchfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988One of the founding faith community partners in 1988 that helped FH formally incorporate as Friendship House, Inc. alongside Meeting Ground and other churches.
• Westminster Presbyterian ChurchfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Founding faith community partner in 1988 that helped FH formally incorporate as Friendship House, Inc.
• First & Central Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Long-term partner hosting Saturday Morning Hospitality during winter months (November-March) at 1101 N Market St, Wilmington. Provides space for hospitality services when businesses are closed on Saturday mornings, serving 100+ people on average.
• Meeting GroundfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Original founding partner from 1986 when FH began within a Wilmington thrift store. Meeting Ground is a Maryland-based nonprofit that partnered with New Castle Presbytery to operate the thrift store and later partnered with FH to formally incorporate in 1988.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Code Purple Kent County: Kent County, Delaware coalition of faith communities providing emergency winter shelter — directly comparable to FH's Code Purple program but serving a different county within Delaware.

Direct peers

• Salvation Army Delaware: Operates Delaware emergency shelter, transitional housing, and addiction recovery programs including the Restoration Now program (which has a referral partnership with FH). Directly overlapping service portfolio in the same geography.
• Brandywine Counseling & Community Services: Delaware-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, addiction treatment, and supportive housing services. Comparable in serving vulnerable populations in Delaware with overlapping recovery and housing service lines.
• Sunday Breakfast Mission: Wilmington, Delaware-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, food, and recovery services to people experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable in geography, mission, and service mix to Friendship House.
• Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County: Delaware nonprofit providing affordable housing and homeownership support. Comparable through its housing-focused mission, volunteer-driven model, and Delaware-based operations.
• Meeting Ground: Maryland-based nonprofit that was Friendship House's founding partner in 1986. Operates emergency shelter and supportive housing in the Mid-Atlantic region with a similar faith-rooted, community-based model.
• YWCA Delaware: Delaware-based nonprofit providing housing, domestic violence services, and recovery support — directly overlapping with FH's Women's Transitional Housing program and survivor services.
• Catholic Charities of Delaware: Provides social services including housing assistance, case management, and emergency support across Delaware. Operates in the same geography with overlapping services for low-income and housing-insecure populations.

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National advocacy and policy organization focused on ending homelessness. Compares to FH through shared mission focus on homelessness, but operates as a policy/advocacy body rather than direct service provider.
• Volunteers of America (Delaware Valley): National nonprofit with Delaware Valley operations spanning housing, recovery, and behavioral health services. Comparable in core service lines but broader portfolio and larger geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCppzy3jx4EetqMlrn6ydOIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendshiphousede
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendship-house-de
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendship_house_de

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Friendship House (FH)