Community Action Council of Howard County

What Community Action Council of Howard County does

Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit anti-poverty organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. Designated as Howard County's sole anti-poverty organization and Head Start grantee since 1979, CAC operates as part of the nationwide network of 1,000+ Community Action Agencies. The organization delivers services using a Two-Generation (2Gen) model that layers five core programs — Early Childhood Education, Energy Assistance, Food Assistance, Housing Assistance, and Weatherization Assistance — to move families from crisis to stability to self-sufficiency.

Service delivery is multi-channel: eight physical locations across Howard County (corporate office, Howard County Food Bank, five early childhood education centers, and the Howard County MultiService Center) plus an online client portal (portal.cac-hc.org) implementing a universal two-step application process. Early childhood education comprises Head Start, Early Head Start, and MSDE-funded Pre-K. The Howard County Food Bank serves an average of 120 shoppers per day, up 57% since 2020. Weatherization services — including insulation, air sealing, HVAC, hot water heater, bathroom fan, electrification, rooftop solar, and community solar upgrades — extend across 18 Maryland counties plus Baltimore City under EmPOWER Maryland, Department of Energy, and Maryland Energy Administration funding.

CAC's revenue model is non-fee-based: services are provided at no cost to income-eligible households, funded primarily by federal, state, and county government grants (Head Start, MSDE Pre-K, DOE, Maryland Energy Administration, EmPOWER Maryland utility partners BGE/Delmarva Power/FirstEnergy/Pepco/SMECO/Washington Gas) supplemented by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and food donations through United Way, Combined Charities Campaign, and Maryland Charities Campaign. Customers are low-to-moderate income residents of Howard County, with weatherization services extending statewide. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Reverend Dr. Robert Turner and led by President Tracy Broccolino. A $15M Cornerstone of Opportunity Capital Campaign is underway (53% committed) to fund the new Opportunity Campus, including a 14,000 sq ft purpose-built Howard County Food Bank.

Name

Community Action Council of Howard County

Legal name

Community Action Council of Howard County, Maryland, Inc.

Website

https://cac-hc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Community Action Council of Howard County is a non-profit anti-poverty organization delivering five integrated services — early childhood education, food, energy, housing, and weatherization assistance — to low-income Howard County residents through eight physical locations and an online portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA)

Keywords

• Anti-poverty services
• Early childhood education
• Food assistance programs
• Weatherization assistance
• Energy bill assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: CAC receives federal, state, and county government grants from Department of Energy, EmPOWER Maryland utility partners (BGE, Delmarva Power, FirstEnergy, Pepco, SMECO, Washington Gas), and Maryland Energy Administration to fund weatherization and energy assistance programs.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and food donations from the community support CAC operations. The organization has various giving programs including United Way, Combined Charities Campaign, and Maryland Charities Campaign.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAC delivers no-cost anti-poverty services to low-to-moderate income residents of Howard County through five integrated programs: Early Childhood Education (Head Start, Early Head Start, MSDE Pre-K), Food Assistance via the Howard County Food Bank, Energy Assistance for utility bill support, Housing Assistance for homelessness prevention, and Weatherization Assistance for home energy efficiency upgrades. Services are funded by federal/state/county grants, EmPOWER Maryland utility partners, and community donations, and delivered through physical centers, a food bank facility, walk-in offices, an online client portal, and a contractor network.

Product overview

Community Action Council of Howard County is a non-profit anti-poverty organization offering a portfolio of social services through five core programs: Early Childhood Education (including Early Head Start, Head Start, and MSDE Pre-K), Food Assistance (via the Howard County Food Bank), Energy Assistance, Housing Assistance, and Weatherization Assistance. These services are delivered through both direct service delivery and a digital client portal. Weatherization services include specialized sub-programs for rooftop solar, community solar, electrification upgrades, bathroom fan upgrades, heating and cooling upgrades, hot water heater upgrades, and insulation and air sealing. The organization also supports households with HUD Housing Choice Vouchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education Program Provides early childhood education services including Early Head Start, Head Start, and MSDE-funded Pre-K for infants, toddlers, and prekindergarten children (ages 0–5) from low-income families in Howard County. Programs are NAEYC-accredited and delivered across five CAC early childhood centers.
• Howard County Food Bank

Quantifiable outcome

• Average annual savings of $283 for households receiving weatherization assistance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered partner, minor and core.

• Bridgeway Community ChurchpartnerOthersAdvocate-level sponsor supporting CAC's mission and programs.
• Christ Episcopal ChurchpartnerOthersAdvocate-level sponsor supporting CAC's mission and programs.
• Key Commercial Real EstatepartnerOthersAdvocate-level sponsor supporting CAC's mission and programs.
• BrightWorks Wealth ManagementpartnerOthersPartner-level sponsor supporting CAC's programs.
• Columbia AssociationpartnerOthersPartner-level sponsor supporting CAC's programs.
• TriBridge PartnerspartnerOthersPartner-level sponsor supporting CAC's programs.
• First Presbyterian Church of Howard CountypartnerOthersPartner-level sponsor supporting CAC's programs.
• WellpointpartnerOthersPartner-level sponsor supporting CAC's programs.
• Apple Ford LincolnminorOthersFriend-level sponsor listed among CAC supporters.
• WegmansminorOthersFriend-level sponsor listed among CAC supporters.
• Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical CenterminorOthersFriend-level sponsor listed among CAC supporters.
• Solar Contractors (Rooftop Solar)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCAC seeks qualified contractors to provide Rooftop Solar services for low-income households under multiple grant-funded programs. Contract period: August 1, 2026 - November 1, 2027.
• Weatherization ContractorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCAC Weatherization Department seeks qualified contractors for weatherization, HVAC services, energy audits, quality control inspections, and electrification services. Contract period: February 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Maryland Community Action Partnership: Statewide association of Maryland's Community Action Agencies, including CAC. While not a direct service competitor, MdCAP provides the network, training, and advocacy infrastructure that CAC depends on, and its other member agencies are the closest direct peers to CAC at the service-delivery level.

Direct peers

• Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency: Adjacent-county Community Action Agency providing a similar portfolio of anti-poverty programs (Head Start, energy assistance, food, housing, weatherization). Operates in the same Maryland service region under the same state and federal funding frameworks as CAC, making it the closest geographic peer.
• Baltimore County Community Action Agency (Community Resource Centers): Another Maryland CAA offering Head Start, food, energy, and housing assistance programs in Baltimore County. Directly comparable as a regional Community Action Agency with multi-service delivery and similar funding sources.
• Montgomery County Community Action Agency: Montgomery County's designated CAA providing Head Start, energy assistance, and weatherization to low-income residents. Highly comparable in scope, funding structure, and Maryland regulatory environment.
• Prince George's County Department of Social Services / Community Action Agency: Prince George's County's anti-poverty arm offering Head Start and emergency services. Comparable in being a Maryland CAA serving a suburban county adjacent to Howard County.

Emerging players

• Maryland Food Bank: Statewide food bank serving as a wholesale food supplier and partner to CAC's Howard County Food Bank. While not a direct competitor for retail food distribution, it is a critical upstream/downstream peer in CAC's food assistance program.
• Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake: Affiliate providing affordable housing and critical home repair (including weatherization-adjacent services) to low-income households in the Baltimore/Howard County region. Overlaps with CAC's housing and weatherization programs in target population and home-improvement delivery model.

Regional players

• Capital Area Food Bank: Large regional food bank serving the DC metro area, including parts of Maryland. Competes for corporate food donations and provides complementary/overlapping food distribution services in counties neighboring Howard County.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Central Maryland: Major regional nonprofit funder and convening organization supporting anti-poverty programs across central Maryland. Functions partly as a CAC funding partner and partly as a peer organization addressing overlapping community needs.
• Catholic Charities of Baltimore: Large multi-service social services nonprofit in Maryland providing food, housing, and family support programs with overlapping clientele. Operates a broader portfolio across the state, including Head Start-like early childhood programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpW1tJ4EvvHRhsm9I3jj70g
• Facebookfacebook.com/communityactionhc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-action-council-of-howard-county/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Xx.com/HoCoCAC

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Action Council of Howard County