Community Action Corporation of South Texas

What Community Action Corporation of South Texas does

Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Texas in 1971 and headquartered in Alice. It is one of the largest multi-service Community Action Agencies in Texas, operating across a 16-county, 18,000-square-mile service area in South Texas and serving low-income families, seniors, children, veterans, and uninsured or underinsured residents. In 2024 the organization reported serving 34,014 persons, providing health services to 15,993 individuals, and delivering 281,920 meals to seniors, with programs delivered through six physical offices (Alice, Sinton, Kingsville, McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville) and 70+ partner organizations.

The organization's core service portfolio spans five vertical categories: early childhood development (Head Start Birth to Five and ECI Project Niños for children with developmental delays), health care through Federally Qualified Health Centers offering medical, dental, behavioral, and pharmaceutical services, senior nutrition and independence services, energy and housing assistance (CEAP utility assistance and DOE Weatherization, including for veterans), and community support programs (CSBG, STTLD teen leadership, and BHOLD behavioral health). Technology integration is limited to the eClinicalWorks patient portal for FQHC patients and a YourTexasBenefits.com link for Medicaid/CHIP enrollment; no AI/ML capabilities are evident in the source data.

CACOST is funded almost exclusively through federal and state government grants and program reimbursements, including the Community Services Block Grant, LIHEAP/CEAP, DOE Weatherization, HRSA FQHC reimbursement, Head Start, Early Childhood Intervention, and foundation sub-awards such as the Hogg Foundation's support for BHOLD. The organization is governed by a county-representative Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Ann E. Awalt; revenue is not publicly disclosed and there is no parent company, private equity, or institutional investor ownership.

Name

Community Action Corporation of South Texas

Legal name

Community Action Corporation of South Texas

Website

https://cacost.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CACOST is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency incorporated in Texas in 1971 that delivers integrated health, early-childhood, senior nutrition, utility assistance, and community development services to low-income residents across a 16-county South Texas service area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services and Health Care for Low-Income Populations

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Early childhood education
• Utility assistance programs
• Senior nutrition services
• Social services nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Alice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Programs: CACOST operates as a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded through government grants and programs including Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), LIHEAP, DOE Weatherization Assistance Program, and other federal/state programs serving low-income populations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Community Action Corporation of South Texas is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency delivering integrated health, education, housing, and nutrition services to low-income families, children, seniors, veterans, and uninsured residents across 16 counties in South Texas. Core services include Federally Qualified Health Centers (medical, dental, behavioral, pharmaceutical), Head Start and Early Childhood Intervention, Senior Nutrition, CEAP Utility Assistance, Weatherization, and Community Services Block Grant programs. Services are funded primarily through federal and state government grants and provided at low or no cost based on Federal Poverty Level eligibility.

Product overview

Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1971 that operates as a multi-service Community Action Agency providing high-quality services to South Texans across a 16-county service area. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected community programs organized around five core service categories: (1) Early Childhood Development programs including Head Start Birth to Five and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI Project Niños) that support child development and school readiness; (2) Health Care services through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) providing medical, dental, behavioral, and pharmaceutical services; (3) Senior Services including Senior Nutrition programs that provide daily meals and independence support; (4) Energy and Housing Assistance programs including CEAP Utility Assistance and Weatherization Assistance that help families manage utility costs and improve energy efficiency; and (5) Community Support programs including Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), South Texas Teen Leadership & Development (STTLD), and Behavioral Health Outreach & Leadership Development (BHOLD) that address broader community needs including youth development, behavioral health, and poverty reduction. The Healthy Kids program serves as a cross-cutting service helping families access Medicaid and CHIP benefits through YourTexasBenefits.com integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Birth to Five Center-based child development program providing school readiness services for children from birth to age five and their families in South Texas.
• Early Childhood Intervention (ECI Project Niños) Program serving children birth to three years with developmental delays and supporting their families through developmental and supportive services delivered in natural environments.
• Senior Nutrition Services Nutrition programs that provide seniors with a daily meal while helping them maintain their independence, relieving food insecurity among the senior population.
• Healthy Kids Program that assists families with applying for or re-enrolling in Medicaid, CHIP, and other benefits available through YourTexasBenefits.com.
• Health Care (Federally Qualified Health Centers) Federally Qualified Health Centers providing affordable and accessible medical, dental, behavioral, and pharmaceutical health care services to both uninsured and insured local residents, with patient portal access via eClinicalWorks.
• CEAP Utility Assistance Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program that helps low-income households manage utility costs by providing financial assistance for electricity, gas, and propane, including crisis coverage for heating/cooling system repairs or replacements.
• Weatherization Assistance Program Program that assists families meet their immediate utility needs while providing longer-term energy conservation education and assistance, including attic/wall insulation installation and heating/cooling system replacements.
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, designed to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and empower low-income families to become self-sufficient through direct service assistance and referrals.
• South Texas Teen Leadership & Development (STTLD) Program providing positive youth development, abstinence and contraception education through evidence-based programming in schools and clinics to reduce teen pregnancy rates and associated behavioral risks.
• Behavioral Health Outreach & Leadership Development (BHOLD) Program funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health's Collaborative Approaches to Well-Being in Rural Communities project, working to create a healthier community in Brooks County that supports resilience, mental health, and well-being through community collaborative and stakeholder advisory group development.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2024: 16 counties served, 34,014 persons served, 15,993 persons receiving health services, 281,920 meals served to seniors

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hogg Foundation for Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHOLD (Behavioral Health Outreach and Leadership Development) project funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health's Collaborative Approaches to Well-Being in Rural Communities project, working to create a healthier community in Brooks County supporting resilience, mental health and well-being.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Su Clinica Familiar: FQHC serving the Rio Grande Valley with medical, dental, and behavioral health services for low-income populations. Directly comparable FQHC service model, target demographic, and South Texas operating geography overlapping CACOST's Cameron/Willacy counties.
• Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley: Regional food bank distributing meals across the same South Texas counties CACOST serves. Comparable senior nutrition and food insecurity mission, federal/state funding mix, and beneficiary demographic.
• Gateway Community Health Center: FQHC based in Laredo serving Webb and surrounding counties with primary care, dental, and behavioral health. Comparable FQHC scope and South Texas border-region patient demographic overlapping CACOST's northernmost counties.
• Nuestra Clinica del Valle: FQHC network across Hidalgo and Starr counties providing primary medical, dental, and pharmacy services to uninsured/underinsured residents. Comparable mission, FQHC funding mechanism, and Rio Grande Valley service area overlapping CACOST's footprint.
• South Texas Rural Health Services: Federally Qualified Health Center network operating across rural South Texas counties with overlapping service area. Comparable FQHC patient population, sliding-fee model, and HRSA-funded scope of services for uninsured and underinsured residents.
• Community Action Inc. of Central Texas: Texas-based community action agency administering CSBG, Head Start, weatherization, and energy assistance across multiple counties. Directly comparable multi-service CAA model, federal funding mix, and low-income target population, differing only in geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Bexar County Community Action Agency: San Antonio-area community action agency operating CSBG, weatherization, and self-sufficiency programs. Comparable CAA operating model and federal funding structure, but serves a different (urban Bexar County) geography rather than rural South Texas.
• United Way of South Texas: Regional United Way affiliate funding and coordinating nonprofit services across South Texas. Comparable regional poverty-reduction mission and donor/government funding model, but operates as a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.

Others

• National Community Action Partnership: National membership and advocacy organization for the Community Action Agency network, of which CACOST is an affiliate. Comparable CAA framing, policy advocacy role, and federal funding relationship but serves an umbrella/coordination function rather than direct service delivery.

Emerging players

• Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley: Faith-based social services provider operating in the same Rio Grande Valley geography with overlapping client base (low-income families, immigrants, refugees). Comparable direct-service social assistance mission but smaller breadth of federal program participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CACOSTX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-action-corporation-of-south-texas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 Corporation of South Texas