2-1-1 San Diego

What 2-1-1 San Diego does

2-1-1 San Diego (legal name: INFO LINE of San Diego County) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Diego, California, operating a free, 24/7/365 confidential phone service reachable by dialing 2-1-1, a searchable online resource database of more than 6,000 community services, and live-chat and TTY/accessibility channels in over 200 languages. The organization, founded in the 1980s as INFO LINE and incorporated as a standalone nonprofit in 2003 (taking its first call on July 1, 2005), serves residents of San Diego County and Imperial County who need connections to food assistance (CalFresh/SNAP), health coverage (Medi-Cal), housing, employment, veteran, and disaster services. It does not administer government programs or determine eligibility; instead, it provides information, screening, application assistance, and referral navigation, including end-to-end CalFresh phone-based enrollment.

The core technology backbone is the Community Information Exchange (CIE®), a registered trademark of 211 San Diego: a multi-disciplinary partner network and integrated platform that aggregates individual data from multiple partner systems into a single longitudinal person record, enables bi-directional closed-loop referrals, and triggers care coordination alerts. Built on cloud-based contact center infrastructure with multilingual support, the platform is the operational layer used by partner nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare providers, and Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (notably for California's CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports programs). Supporting products include the WorkReady Hub for employment and benefit-compliance navigation, Kick-It for tobacco cessation, a public Data Dashboard on regional social determinants of health, and a resource database curated to Inform USA standards.

211 San Diego's revenue model combines government contracts and grants (federal, state, county, and city), foundation and corporate philanthropy (e.g., Schultz Family Foundation, San Diego Foundation, SDG&E), and partnership services; all services to the public are provided free of charge. The organization employs 101-250 staff and is governed by a cross-sector board (Kaiser Permanente, SDG&E, U.S. Bank, Neighborhood Healthcare, San Diego State University, and others), with William York serving as President & CEO.

Name

2-1-1 San Diego

Legal name

INFO LINE of San Diego County

Website

https://211sandiego.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

2-1-1 San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a free, 24/7 multilingual helpline, a searchable database of 6,000+ community services, and the Community Information Exchange (CIE®) platform, serving residents of San Diego and Imperial counties seeking health, social, and disaster resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Information and Referral Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Care Management & Coordination Platforms (case/disease management workflows) (HLACAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Care Navigation, Referral & Digital Front Door Platforms (HLALABAH), Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK)

Keywords

• Community information referral
• Social services navigation
• Coordinated care network
• Disaster response coordination
• Health social services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Funding from federal, state, and local government sources to support information and referral services, disaster response coordination, and public benefit enrollment assistance. Federal SNAP administrative funding noted as currently at 50%, with changes pending.
2. Foundation and Nonprofit Funding: Support from foundations including Schultz Family Foundation (for CIE toolkit development) and San Diego Foundation (for data dashboard). The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dependent on charitable contributions.
3. Partnership Services: Partner organizations maintain listings in the 211 database and participate in CIE network, with 211 providing pre-screening, promotion of programs, and administrative support to affiliated organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

2-1-1 San Diego operates a free, confidential, 24/7 multilingual helpline (dial 2-1-1) and a searchable online resource database of more than 6,000 health, social, and disaster services available in over 200 languages for residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties. The organization also operates the Community Information Exchange (CIE), an integrated technology platform and multi-disciplinary partner network that enables bi-directional closed-loop referrals, shared longitudinal person records, and coordinated care planning across nonprofit, government, and healthcare partners.

Product overview

211 San Diego operates as a single unified service combining a 24/7 multilingual helpline (dial 2-1-1) with a searchable online Resource Database of more than 6,000 services. The core infrastructure is anchored by the Community Information Exchange (CIE), a multi-disciplinary partner network and integrated technology platform that enables bi-directional closed-loop referrals, shared longitudinal person records, and coordinated care planning. Supporting this core are specialized modules including the WorkReady Hub (employment and benefit compliance), Kick-It (tobacco cessation), CalAIM enrollment navigation (with Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports sub-modules), CalFresh phone-based enrollment assistance, and a public Data Dashboard for community health insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 211 San Diego Helpline & Resource Database Free, confidential 24/7 phone service (dial 2-1-1) and searchable online database of more than 6,000 health, social, and disaster services, available in more than 200 languages, connecting San Diego and Imperial County residents to community resources.
• Community Information Exchange (CIE) Multi-disciplinary partner network and integrated technology platform that creates a shared longitudinal person record, enables bi-directional closed-loop referrals, and facilitates coordinated community care planning across health and social service providers.
• WorkReady Hub Curated employment and benefit-support portal connecting individuals to job search assistance, workforce training, volunteer opportunities, and education programs to help meet CalFresh and Medi-Cal work requirements.
• CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) Navigation Information, eligibility guidance, and connection services for CalAIM, a California state initiative offering Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports for select Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan members.
• Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Intensive, whole-person care management for select high-need populations enrolled in Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, delivered as part of the CalAIM initiative.
• Community Supports CalAIM component offering services such as housing navigation, food assistance, and other social needs supports as alternatives to higher-cost medical interventions for eligible Medi-Cal members.
• CalFresh Enrollment Assistance 211 San Diego staff complete CalFresh (SNAP) applications over the phone on behalf of callers and submit them to the County, providing end-to-end assistance through the enrollment process.
• Kick-It (Tobacco Cessation) Free tobacco and vaping cessation support program connecting residents to specialized coaches, clinical programs, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and support groups, available via text and online tools.
• Data Dashboard Public-facing analytics portal providing insights into regional community needs, resource accessibility, social determinants of health, housing, nutrition, and other social indicators drawn from 211 San Diego's call and service data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450,000 calls received in 10 days during 2007 firestorm
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and legacy.

• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner211 San Diego and SDG&E have worked hand in hand for more than 15 years to leverage innovative approaches and partnerships to keep the San Diego region safe. The partnership involves building awareness and supporting the community during potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, with 211 serving as a critical communication channel for outage updates, evacuation information, and community resource centers.
• San Diego County Office of Emergency ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the 2007 firestorm, the County of San Diego recognized the importance of 211 during disasters. The County OES and media encouraged people to call 2-1-1 for non-emergency disaster-related information, and 211 has worked with the County to provide an efficient system of care for individuals and families throughout the region.
• Inform USAcoreTechnology or Integration211 San Diego maintains the structure of its resource database by applying the Standards of Inform USA, the national membership organization for information and referral providers.
• United Way of San Diego CountylegacyStrategic or Co-development Partner211 San Diego's predecessor INFO LINE later became a division of United Way of San Diego County, in partnership with the County and City of San Diego. The organization became a standalone 501(c)(3) in 2003 and has continued operating independently.
• County and City of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner211 San Diego operates in partnership with the County and City of San Diego, providing information and referral services as essential civic infrastructure and working collaboratively on disaster response coordination.
• CIE Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-disciplinary partner network using shared language and integrated technology platform to deliver enhanced community care planning. Partners commit to collective approach considering how care fits into broader delivery system, share deeper levels of information, and contribute to single care plans.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): National searchable network connecting users to social services programs. Directly competes with 211 San Diego's resource database functionality and increasingly the CIE-style closed-loop referral layer used by health plans and governments.
• 211 LA County: Peer 211 organization serving Los Angeles County via a free 24/7 helpline and resource database. Closest comparable to 211 San Diego in mission, helpline model, and county-level geographic focus, and a likely CIE toolkit adopter.
• 211 Bay Area: Regional 211 covering the San Francisco Bay Area with multilingual helpline, resource database, and disaster response roles. Directly comparable operating model in an adjacent California market.
• Healthify (a WellSky company): Social determinants of health infrastructure used by managed care plans. Direct competitor for the same CalAIM and Medicaid managed care contracts that 211 San Diego pursues via CIE.
• NowPow (a WellSky company): Community resource referral and social determinants platform acquired by WellSky. Competes head-to-head with CIE on closed-loop referrals and resource directories for health systems and payers.
• Unite Us: Technology vendor offering coordinated care networks and bi-directional referrals across health and social service partners. Closest venture-backed analog to 211 San Diego's CIE platform, serving similar Medi-Cal and managed care customers.

Others

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network with a San Diego affiliate referenced in 211's food assistance referrals. Ecosystem partner providing services that 211 connects users to, and a comparable nonprofit in funding model and constituency.
• Inform USA: National membership and standards body for information and referral providers such as 211 San Diego. Sets the database taxonomy applied across the 211 network and thus shapes how 211 San Diego structures its resource directory.

Broad incumbents

• Bonterra (formerly Social Solutions): Established case management and outcomes-tracking software for nonprofits and human services agencies. Adjacent competitor for the partner portal and case management workflows behind 211's resource database.

Regional players

• United Way of San Diego County: Legacy parent of 211 San Diego before its 2003 standalone spin-off and a regional funder. Operates related donor-advised funds and community care initiatives in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SanDiegoCounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciesandiego

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 2-1-1 San Diego