Heritage Area Agency On Aging

What Heritage Area Agency On Aging does

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1971 and headquartered at 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, operating as the designated Area Agency on Aging under the Older Americans Act for seven east-central Iowa counties (Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Washington). The organization delivers a coordinated portfolio of aging services organized around five pillars: Information Services (information, referral & assistance; options counseling; case management), Caregiver Support (counseling, educational sessions, wellness events), Nutrition & Wellness (the award-winning Encore Café program, nearly 20 congregate meal sites, home-delivered meals, the Encore Express voucher program at Hy-Vee, nutrition counseling, and evidence-based classes such as Tai Chi), Elder Rights (abuse/exploitation prevention and victim support), and Additional Resources (transportation, legal assistance, emergency response, respite care). Service delivery is human-led through certified specialists, options counselors, and case managers, supported by an information directory containing more than 9,000 services; no proprietary technology platform or API is offered.

Heritage operates on a contribution-based revenue model for adults 60+, with services funded primarily through the Older Americans Act, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and the Older Iowans Fund endowment, supplemented by donations (tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3)) and discretionary grants such as a $25,000 Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation grant in 2025 and a $19,500 Mercy Medical Center grant in 2024. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is multi-channel: direct service delivery (in-person, phone, electronic), an approximately 20-site congregate meal network across the service region, the Encore Café/Encore Express retail-grocery channel via Hy-Vee, and digital outreach via website, Facebook, and YouTube. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees under Executive Director Barbara Werning, with senior leadership including Integrated Services Director Kellie Elliott-Kapparos, Fiscal Director Jenn Knudtson, and Community Advancement Director Jill Sindt. Strategic positioning emphasizes 50+ years of community trust, lived-experience empathy from staff who are themselves caregivers and aging adults, and partnerships with UnityPoint Health-Aging Services, HACAP, Iowa Legal Aid, USAging, Home Instead, MethWick, and the DeWolf Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia.

Name

Heritage Area Agency On Aging

Legal name

Heritage Area Agency on Aging

Website

https://heritageaaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1971 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that delivers information, caregiver, nutrition, and elder rights services to older adults aged 60+ and family caregivers across seven east-central Iowa counties, funded primarily through the Older Americans Act and state sources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Aging Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Community & Senior Center Lifelong Learning Programs (EDAAAMAB)

Keywords

• Aging services
• Senior nutrition
• Caregiver support
• Case management
• Elder rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Entitlements: Funded primarily through the Older Americans Act, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and Older Iowans Fund endowment. These federal and state sources provide the core funding for aging services programs.
2. Donations and Contributions: Accepts donations from individuals, businesses, and community partners. Heritage is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, making all donations tax-deductible.
3. Program Contributions: Services are offered on a voluntary contribution basis. For Encore Café, suggested contributions are $5 per meal for those 60+, with $10 per meal for those under 60.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Area Agency on Aging serving older adults (aged 60 and over) and their caregivers across seven counties in east-central Iowa. It delivers aging-related programs including information and referral, options counseling, case management, caregiver support, congregate and home-delivered meals, the Encore Café nutrition program, elder rights advocacy, and evidence-based wellness classes.

Product overview

Heritage Area Agency on Aging is a non-profit social services organization that provides a comprehensive suite of aging-related services in eastern Iowa. Rather than a unified software product, it offers interconnected programs organized around five main service areas: Information Services (resource directory, referral assistance, options counseling, case management), Caregiver Support (counseling, case management, education), Nutrition & Wellness (Encore Café, congregate meals, home-delivered meals, farmers market program, nutrition counseling, evidence-based fitness classes), Elder Rights (abuse prevention, consultation, training), and Additional Resources (transportation, legal assistance, emergency response, respite care). The flagship Encore Café and Encore Express programs are award-winning senior dining initiatives that combine nutritious meals with social connection and wellness activities. Services are funded primarily through the Older Americans Act, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and donations, with all eligible adults age 60+ receiving services regardless of ability to contribute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Encore Café: Award-winning senior dining program offering nutritious meals, social activities, and wellness programs in Marion and Cedar Rapids locations. Also includes Encore Express voucher program for Hy-Vee stores in Washington County and Cedar Rapids.
• Encore Express

Products and services

• Information, Referral & Assistance A free service connecting older adults and caregivers in east-central Iowa with a network of more than 9,000 community resources, agencies, and service providers.
• Options Counseling Short-term, person-centered decision support that helps older adults and families evaluate long-term care, housing, and service options.
• Case Management Ongoing coordination of care and services for older adults with complex needs, including assessment, care planning, and monitoring.
• Caregiver Support Program Resources, education, respite, and supplemental services for family caregivers of older adults, including grandparents raising grandchildren.
• Encore Café A community dining program offering affordable, restaurant-style meals at multiple sites across the seven-county service area.
• Congregate Meals Group dining meals served at senior centers and meal sites throughout the service area to support nutrition and social engagement.
• Home-Delivered Meals Meals delivered to homebound older adults unable to prepare their own food, supporting nutrition and independent living.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Coupon-based program that provides eligible older adults with access to fresh produce at local farmers markets.
• Nutrition Counseling Registered dietitian-led nutrition counseling for older adults to support chronic disease management and healthy aging.
• Evidence-Based Health & Wellness Classes Programmes such as Chronic Disease Self-Management, Diabetes Self-Management, and Matter of Balance that help older adults manage chronic conditions and reduce fall risk.
• Encore Express A community engagement and outreach initiative that connects isolated older adults with social and educational activities.
• Elder Rights Program Advocacy, education, and protection services for older adults including assistance with suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• Community Resources Directory A searchable directory of more than 9,000 service providers and resources available to older adults and caregivers in the region.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USAgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage AAA is a proud member of USAging, a non-profit organization representing more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI Native American Aging Programs nationwide. This membership provides networking, advocacy, and resources for aging services delivery.
• Iowa Department of Health and Human ServicescoreOthersState government agency providing funding and oversight for aging services programs in Iowa under the Older Americans Act and state initiatives.
• Hy-VeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHy-Vee serves as a partner for the Encore Express program, providing meals available for pickup at participating Hy-Vee stores in Washington County and Cedar Rapids neighborhoods.
• Aging Services (UnityPoint Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing aging-related healthcare services and coordination with Heritage's programs.
• Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Action Program partner serving low-income individuals and families in the region.
• Iowa Legal AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal assistance provider for older adults, referenced as a community partner for elder rights and legal assistance services.
• DeWolf Innovation Center for Aging & DementiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion sponsor of Caregiver Wellness Day 2025, supporting caregiver education and resources.
• Home InsteadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion sponsor of Caregiver Wellness Day 2025, supporting caregiver support initiatives.
• MethWickminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion sponsor of Caregiver Wellness Day 2025, supporting caregiver wellness programs.
• Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological ExcellenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion sponsor of Caregiver Wellness Day 2025, supporting excellence in gerontological care.
• St. Andrew Presbyterian ChurchminorOthersIowa City church hosting the 2025 Caregiver Wellness Day event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AARP: National nonprofit serving older adults with caregiver support, advocacy, and resource navigation at scale; comparable mission and overlapping caregiver/aging services portfolio.
• Eldercare Locator (U.S. Administration on Aging): Federal public directory connecting older adults to local aging services; overlaps directly with Heritage's Information, Referral & Assistance function and resource directory.
• USAging: National membership organization representing 600+ Area Agencies on Aging and Title VI programs. Heritage AAA is a member; USAging provides the federal policy, advocacy, and training umbrella directly comparable to Heritage's network role.
• Meals on Wheels America: National organization supporting local home-delivered and congregate meal programs for seniors; Heritage operates congregate meals and home-delivered meals as core services within this network.

Others

• Iowa Department of Health and Human Services - Aging Division: State-level funder and oversight body for aging services in Iowa; provides funding and policy direction to Heritage and comparable area agencies throughout the state.
• Home Instead Senior Care: National franchised provider of in-home personal care, companionship, and respite services; a Caregiver Wellness Day sponsor and complementary (rather than competitive) operator of personal-care services Heritage helps families navigate.

Regional players

• Iowa Legal Aid: Heritage's named community partner providing legal assistance to older adults in Iowa; comparable regional elder-rights and legal-aid service model that complements Heritage's Elder Rights Program.
• Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA): Network of nonprofit visiting nurse associations providing in-home personal care, case management, and aging services; comparable service mix and nonprofit operating model for Heritage's case management and caregiver support lines.

Direct peers

• Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) / National Center on Caregiving: National nonprofit providing caregiver counseling, education, case management, and resource navigation; directly comparable to Heritage's Caregiver Support Program offerings.
• Elderbridge Agency on Aging: Another Iowa-based Area Agency on Aging offering a directly comparable mix of case management, caregiver support, nutrition, and elder rights services; serves a different region of Iowa but operates under the same OAA framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLesMOWTYO6HmAt7_5hVLr-NZknWMXCrlj
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeritageAAA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 Heritage Area Agency On Aging