About
Better Men of Virginia, Inc.
A Virginia nonprofit corporation, formed August 21, 2026, for men who want to be better — whether he is home from prison, at the kitchen table, or on a job site.
What we hold to
- A man decides his own goals. The goal he chooses will outlast the one someone hands him.
- His story is his. Nothing about a man in any group is made public, and his notebook is never collected.
- One standard for everyone. One published price in every house, written rules, and clean books from day one.
- We promise only what actually runs. No results are claimed until they are real and counted.
The organization
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Better Men of Virginia, Inc. |
| Form | Virginia nonstock corporation, on record with the State Corporation Commission |
| Federal status | Exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3), effective August 21, 2026. Public charity |
| Charitable solicitation | Registered under Va. Code § 57-61.1(A), effective August 24, 2026. Request ID 16323, VDACS |
| Fiscal year | January 1 to December 31 |
| Governance | A board of three directors — a president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Every agreement with any related party is in writing, at a fair price, and approved by people with no stake in it |
| Money | One bank account in the corporation's name, two officers as signers, any payment over $2,500 approved by both, and the statements read by the board every month |
| Clinical services | None. BMV is not a clinical provider and does not hold clinical licensure |
The founder
Sho-Don Gilliam
Founder and president. He is building an organization that hands a man a second page and walks beside him while he fills it in — first groups in every room, a first house run to standard, and books that anyone could read.
Until a house manager is named, he is also the community liaison for the house, and the person who answers the phone.
Why Virginia, and why now
- The state has raised the bar. Virginia law now lets courts and state agencies send men only to certified recovery residences. Every bed BMV opens is built to that standard from day one.
- The need is not only on one side of the courthouse. Men with steady jobs and no record are rarely asked what they want either. BMV is built for both.
Contact
Referrals and questions
Sho-Don Gilliam, Founder
(804) 790-9169
[email protected]
To raise a concern about the house
Call the liaison line. Logged the same day, answered within one business day, resolved or escalated within three.
To file a grievance
BMV's posted form, or the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences at [email protected], (804) 593-1360. Nothing a resident signs limits his right to complain to BMV, to VARR, or to the state.
Featured publication
The Other Walls
Sho-Don Lamont Gilliam and Better Men of Virginia · First edition, September 2026
A workbook for men coming home from incarceration or working through recovery. It covers the unwritten rules a man carries from one place to the next, the small commitments he can keep this week, and a plan for what comes next.
- CostFree
- FormatsWeb, fillable PDF, and print
- PrivacyNo registration. Nothing written in it is collected.