What digs with dignity does

Digs with Dignity is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in September 2019 by Kim Hannay, Beth Wangman, and Jan Claibourne. The organization furnishes homes for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, including veterans, domestic violence survivors, families rebuilding after crisis, and individuals in recovery, by collecting, refurbishing, and custom-curating donated furniture into personalized living spaces. Its core operating process, branded Relate-Renew-Rebuild, combines one-on-one client discovery meetings, professional interior design informed by each family's preferences and cultural context, furniture upcycling (painting, staining, reupholstering, hardware replacement), and same-day installation that transforms an empty apartment into a furnished home in approximately six hours. The organization operates from a 24,000+ square foot warehouse at 2700 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago, runs a monthly pickup service within city limits, and applies a Relate-Renew-Rebuild methodology that has furnished 275+ families since founding while diverting 300,000+ pounds of furniture from landfills.

The business model is donation-driven rather than transactional. Revenue is composed of four streams: voluntary individual monetary donations; tax-deductible furniture pickup contributions of $50–$500 to offset truck operations; tiered corporate sponsorships (Bronze $5K, Silver $10K, Gold $15K, Pillar $50K+); and foundation grants, with the first being $33,321 from Flowers for Dreams in January 2021. Customer acquisition for the nonprofit's social service is routed through referral partnerships with agencies such as Heartland Alliance, Catholic Charities, and DuPagePads. On the supply side, furniture is sourced via warehouse drop-offs, monthly pickups, and community furniture drives, with volunteers and corporate teams (5–50 people) handling sorting, restoration, design, and move-day installation. Fundraising is anchored by the annual Welcome Home Gala and supplemented by the Adopt-A-Family holiday program, the Earth Day Celebration, and peer-to-peer campaigns.

The organization is governed by a 12–13 member Board of Directors (including two previously furnished clients added in May 2023), with a small executive team including an Executive Director, Head of Internal Operations, Head of External Affairs, Designer, Repair & Restoration Manager, and Client Liaison. Strategic corporate relationships span Chicago White Sox (first corporate sponsor, December 2021), Chicago Bulls, Wayfair, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Grant Thornton's Purple Paladin program, and Dion's Chicago Dream, alongside earned media coverage across Fox 32, WGN9, ABC7, CBS, WTTW, and Block Club Chicago.

Name

digs with dignity

Legal name

Digs with Dignity Corporation

Website

https://digswithdignity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Digs with Dignity is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furnishes homes for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness using donated, upcycled furniture through its Relate-Renew-Rebuild process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Reupholstery and Furniture Repair (81142), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Packing & Unpacking Services (HSAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Punch-List & Move-In/Move-Out Repairs (HSAGAAAO), Estate Cleanout & Sorting (HSAFAFAE)

Keywords

• Furniture donation program
• Home furnishing services
• Homelessness support services
• Corporate sponsorship programs
• Volunteer engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Individual donors contribute funds through the organization's donation form. Monthly giving program is available. Funds support operational costs (truck maintenance, mover compensation) and organizational growth including warehouse expansion and reaching more families.
2. Furniture Pickup Service Donations: For larger furniture donations, the organization requests a tax-deductible contribution of $50–$500 based on the size and volume of the donation to offset truck operations, fuel, and pickup crew expenses.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Pillar $50,000+, Gold $15,000+, Silver $10,000+, Bronze $5,000+) that includes home sponsorship, team participation in home transformations, warehouse workshops, logo features, and social media promotion.
4. Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations. The first grant received was $33,321 from Flowers for Dreams in January 2021.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Digs with Dignity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects donated furniture and household goods, upcycles them through repair, refinishing, reupholstering, and hardware replacement, and installs them as fully furnished, custom-designed homes for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness in Chicago. The service follows a three-pillar Relate-Renew-Rebuild process in which social workers refer clients, designers curate a personalized space based on each family's vision, and volunteers install everything in approximately six hours on move-in day.

Product overview

Digs With Dignity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a suite of home furnishing services for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness in Chicago. The core offering is a comprehensive home furnishing service that follows a three-pillar process: Relate (understanding client vision through one-on-one consultations), Renew (sustainably upcycling donated furniture), and Rebuild (transforming empty spaces into fully furnished homes in approximately 6 hours). Supporting services include a Furniture Donation Program accepting gently used items at their warehouse or via scheduled pickup, a Volunteer Program engaging individuals and corporate teams in warehouse work and home transformations, a Family Sponsorship program at various contribution levels, and a Sustainability and Upcycling Program that refurbishes donated pieces. The organization partners with local social service agencies and the Chicago community to serve veterans, domestic violence survivors, families rebuilding after crisis, and individuals in recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Furnishing Services End-to-end home furnishing for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, including veterans, domestic violence survivors, families rebuilding after crisis, and individuals in recovery. Each engagement includes a one-on-one discovery meeting, custom interior design using upcycled donated furniture, and a full home installation completed by volunteers in approximately six hours.
• Furniture Donation Program Accepts gently used furniture and household items from individual donors via warehouse drop-off, monthly pickup service within Chicago city limits, or community furniture drives. Pickup donations include a suggested tax-deductible contribution of $50–$500 based on size and volume to offset truck and crew costs.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer engagement opportunities for individuals and groups in warehouse organization, furniture sorting, home design assistance, move-in day installation support, and furniture drive coordination. Open sign-ups via the website and form-based applications.
• Family Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Bronze $5,000+, Silver $10,000+, Gold $15,000+, Pillar $50,000+) where sponsoring organizations fund specific numbers of home transformations for DIGS families and receive benefits such as branded logo placement, team volunteer participation, gala sponsorship, and social media promotion.
• Corporate Volunteer Events Customized team-building volunteer experiences for corporate groups of 5 to 50 people, including warehouse repair and restoration workshops, move-in day home preparation, and company-wide furniture drives that serve as employee engagement and team-building activities.
• Sustainability and Furniture Upcycling Program Furniture restoration and upcycling operation that refinishes donated pieces through painting, staining, reupholstering, and hardware replacement. Diverts an average of 1,100 pounds of furniture from landfills per home transformation and repurposes overworn items through partnerships with PAWS, Animal Care and Control, and Junior League of Chicago.
• Community Furniture Drive Program Community-organized furniture collection drives hosted by workplaces, neighborhoods, and groups, with Digs with Dignity providing pickup, planning, promotion, and coordination support for each drive.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 275 families furnished into homes since 2019
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dion's Chicago DreamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Official partnership launched in February 2023 to address two critical needs: homelessness and food insecurity. Dion's Chicago Dream provides fresh produce to furnished DIGS families, supporting family health and nutrition alongside housing stability.
• Junior League Club of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting green initiatives through upcycling efforts. Volunteers assist with refurbishing furniture and donating overworn items. A key partner in DIGS' sustainability mission.
• PAWSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to donate overworn towels, sheets, and blankets that cannot be used in client homes but are suitable for animal care organizations.
• Animal Care and Control – City of ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to repurpose unusable fabric and scraps from furniture donations into floor poufs for children's bedrooms and donate suitable items to the animal shelter.
• The Honeycomb ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting green and sustainability initiatives, helping give new life to furniture that needs sanding or fresh paint.
• Grant ThorntoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed as Grant Thornton's 14th Purple Paladin in November 2022, recognizing CSR impact. Grant Thornton has featured DIGS in their CSR communications and Purple Paladin program, providing visibility and credibility to the organization.
• Chicago BullscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and collaboration partner. Featured in joint initiative with Wayfair to surprise a US Army veteran with a brand new furnished home. Provides brand visibility through logo placement on sponsor page.
• WayfaircoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated with Chicago Bulls and DIGS on initiative to surprise a US Army veteran with a brand new home, providing furniture and home goods for the furnished home.
• Chicago White SoxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst corporate sponsor as of December 2021. Listed as Bronze sponsor and featured in news coverage of collaboration. White Sox Charities also listed as a Bronze sponsor.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold level sponsor supporting DIGS' mission and home furnishing programs for families transitioning out of homelessness.
• Verde SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and co-host of the first annual Earth Day Celebration in April 2024. Supports sustainability-focused initiatives and community engagement.
• Chicago Non Profit ConnectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIGS is part of a new network aimed at boosting collaboration among nonprofits, featured in WTTW news coverage addressing how stretched-thin nonprofits can better work together.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Furniture Bank Network: A coalition of regional furniture bank nonprofits across the U.S., supporting organizations that collect and distribute donated furniture to families in need. Directly comparable as a meta-organization of peers and as an indicator of the broader category Digs with Dignity operates within.

Broad incumbents

• HomeAid America: A national nonprofit that builds and renovates housing for homeless families, working with builder industry partners. Comparable mission (housing stability for those exiting homelessness) and donor/corporate base, but focused on the housing shell rather than furnishings.
• Family Promise: A national nonprofit addressing family homelessness through shelter, prevention, and stabilization programs. Comparable client population (families exiting homelessness) and referral-partner ecosystem, but focused on housing/services rather than furnishing.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: The retail arm of Habitat for Humanity that resells donated furniture, appliances, and home goods to fund affordable housing construction. Indirectly comparable as a furniture donation ecosystem serving housing-related missions, though operationally a thrift retailer rather than a direct home-furnishing service.

Direct peers

• The Loading Dock: A Baltimore-based nonprofit that distributes donated and lightly used building materials and home goods to families in need, including those transitioning into housing. Comparable as a donation-sourcing intermediary for housing stability, though with a broader home-goods scope.
• Furnishings of Hope (formerly Rooms of Hope): A St. Louis area nonprofit that furnishes homes for families transitioning out of homelessness using donated furniture. Operates a similar warehouse-based donation collection and home-furnishing model, making it a close peer in geography-independent terms.
• Furniture Bank of North Carolina: A North Carolina-based nonprofit that collects donated furniture and household items and distributes them to families and individuals transitioning out of crisis situations, including homelessness, domestic violence, and displacement. Directly comparable to Digs with Dignity in mission, donation-based sourcing model, and client-population focus.

Others

• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella for Catholic Charities agencies, including referral partners like Catholic Charities of Chicago that refer families to DIGS. Listed as a peer because it is both a referral source and an adjacent service provider, not a direct competitor.
• Goodwill Industries International: A large nonprofit retailer of donated goods that supports workforce development and community programs. Comparable only in donation-driven operational structure, not in direct service delivery to families exiting homelessness.

Regional players

• St. Vincent de Paul Furniture & Household Program: A multi-region Catholic-affiliated nonprofit network with furniture and household goods assistance programs serving families in need across many U.S. cities. Comparable mission and client base, with broader geographic reach but typically less customization than DIGS.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/digswithdignity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digs-with-dignity
• Instagraminstagram.com/digswithdignity
• TikToktiktok.com/@digswithdignity2023

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 digs with dignity