iris kirby house

What iris kirby house does

Iris Kirby House is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1981 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, that operates the first women's shelter in the province. It provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and a coordinated suite of clinical and support programs for women and children affected by intimate partner violence. The organization operates two shelter locations — the main Iris Kirby House in St. John's (32 beds) and the sister shelter O'Shaughnessy House in Carbonear (15 beds), opened September 2010 — totaling 47 emergency beds, supplemented by 13 second stage housing units across St. John's, Mount Pearl, and Carbonear, plus 4 supportive housing units attached to the main shelter.

The service portfolio includes a 24/7 crisis and distress phone line, mental health counseling using trauma-informed modalities (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy), child and family services, life skills training, an empowerment group series, youth programming, healthy living programming, out-of-shelter advocacy, and outreach services to ex-residents. Specialized programs such as Seeds of Hope (horticultural therapy at O'Shaughnessy House) and safety planning resources (Covering Your Tracks, Your Emergency Plan) round out the offering. Capacity expansion is documented: emergency beds have grown to 47 over the past five years, and second stage housing has been funded in part through a 100% forgivable mortgage from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of government funding and charitable philanthropy. Federal and provincial government funding covers daily operations and shelter maintenance for core services, which are provided free of charge to residents and ex-residents. The Iris Kirby House Foundation, a separate charitable entity governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, provides supplementary funding for the empowerment series, youth program, second stage housing, and the Up and Out project. Go-to-market is community-led: 24/7 crisis lines, partner referrals (police, community agencies), public awareness presentations, and the website are the main access channels. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

iris kirby house

Legal name

Iris Kirby House Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://iriskirbyhouse.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Iris Kirby House is a non-profit charitable organization operating the first women's shelter in Newfoundland and Labrador, providing 47 emergency shelter beds, transitional housing, and trauma-informed support programs for women and children fleeing intimate partner violence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Shelter & Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Crisis Stabilization Units & Psychiatric Emergency Services (HLAFACAH), General Assisted Living Facilities (HLADABAA)

Keywords

• Domestic violence shelter
• Transitional housing services
• Women's support services
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Crisis intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

St. John's

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Government funding from federal and provincial sources covers daily operations and shelter maintenance. This is the primary revenue source for core shelter operations.
2. Charitable Donations: The organization relies heavily on charitable donations from the community to provide comforts and additional supports beyond government-funded basic operations. Monetary donations are accepted via cheque, money order, and online. Donors receive official tax-deductible receipts for financial contributions.
3. Iris Kirby House Foundation Support: The IKH Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization governed by a voluntary Board of Directors that provides financial support for specific programs including the empowerment series, youth program, second stage housing program, and the Up and Out project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Iris Kirby House operates two emergency shelters (32 beds in St. John's and 15 beds in Carbonear) plus 13 second stage housing units and 4 supportive housing units for women and children fleeing intimate partner violence. It complements its residential services with a coordinated suite of programs including mental health counseling, child and family services, life skills training, empowerment groups, youth services, outreach advocacy, and 24/7 crisis line support. All services are provided free of charge to residents and ex-residents.

Product overview

Iris Kirby House is a domestic violence shelter organization offering a coordinated suite of residential and outreach programs for women and children experiencing intimate partner violence. The core offering includes Emergency Shelter (47 beds across two facilities: Iris Kirby House in St. John's with 32 beds and O'Shaughnessy House in Carbonear with 15 beds), followed by transitional housing through Second Stage Housing (13 units) and Supportive Housing Units (4 units). These residential services are complemented by clinical and support programs including Mental Health Program (offering CBT, DBT, and ART therapies), Child and Family Services Program, Life Skills Program, and the Empowerment Group Series (10-week educational program). Outreach Services and Out of Shelter Advocacy extend support to women who do not require shelter. Additional specialized programs include Youth Group, Healthy Living Program, Seeds of Hope Program, and safety-focused resources like Covering Your Tracks and Your Emergency Plan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Provides 24-hour emergency shelter beds and crisis support for women and children fleeing intimate partner violence. Iris Kirby House has 32 beds in St. John's and O'Shaughnessy House has 15 beds in Carbonear, totaling 47 emergency shelter beds.
• Second Stage Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of women and children provided shelter and support services annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2010IKH works in strong partnership with NLHC under their victims of family violence initiative to provide second stage housing. This provincial partnership is critical for sustaining affordable housing options for shelter residents transitioning to independence.
• Local Hotels (COVID-19 Partnership)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnerships with local hotels that confirmed ability to actively support IKH/OSH with self-isolation spaces during COVID-19 pandemic response. Hotels provided additional capacity for quarantine protocols.
• Iris Kirby House FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IKH Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. Their mandate is to support the work of Iris Kirby House by providing financial support for programs including the empowerment series, youth program, second stage housing, and the Up and Out project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Interval House (Toronto): Long-standing Toronto women's shelter and counselling centre serving women and children fleeing IPV. Directly comparable emergency shelter + counselling + transitional housing model.
• O'Shaughnessy House: IKH's own sister shelter in Carbonear, NL — operated by the same organization but materially comparable as a standalone women's emergency shelter serving IPV survivors. Listed for completeness as an internal peer.
• Native Women's Healing Centre (Toronto): Emergency shelter and healing program for Indigenous women and children fleeing violence in Toronto. Directly comparable residential and trauma-informed care model for an underserved IPV population.
• Transition House Association of Newfoundland and Labrador: Provincial umbrella for women's shelters and transition houses in NL, directly coordinating IKH and sister shelters across the province. It is the closest sector-level peer to Iris Kirby House's mission and operating model.
• Atira Women's Resource Society: British Columbia non-profit operating women's shelters, transition houses, and second-stage housing for women and children fleeing violence. Closely comparable operating model — emergency shelter + supportive housing + outreach — at much larger scale.
• YWCA St. John's: Nearby St. John's women's services organization offering shelter/housing and supports to women and families experiencing crisis, including IPV survivors — closely comparable mission and regional service area.
• Willow Place (Winnipeg): Manitoba women's shelter offering emergency shelter, counselling, and outreach for women and children experiencing intimate partner violence. Strong operational parallel to IKH's service mix.

Emerging players

• Avalon Sexual Assault Centre: NL-based crisis and counselling organization for survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence. Overlapping client base with IKH but specialized in sexual violence rather than IPV shelter.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women's Foundation: National funder and convener for the women's shelter and anti-violence sector in Canada. Comparable in mission, not in service delivery; serves as the macro peer for sector funding and policy.

Regional players

• Nova House (Prince Edward Island): PEI women's shelter providing emergency shelter and second-stage housing for women and children fleeing abuse. Comparable model in another small Atlantic Canadian province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iris-kirby-house

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 iris kirby house