African American Community Service Agency

What African American Community Service Agency does

African American Community Service Agency (AACSA), also known as SJAACSA, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 and headquartered at 304 N. 6th Street in San Jose, California. The organization serves the African American community of Santa Clara County through 60+ programs organized around three pillars: Education, Advocacy, and Community Building. Its signature offerings include the AACSA Leadership Academy (a multi-cohort youth leadership pipeline for high school and college students), the Senior Citizens Connected Program (an eight-week technology and wellness program for seniors), STEAM on Saturday (STEM/arts education for children ages 6-14), Food on the Table (bi-weekly food distribution), the annual Juneteenth in the Streets Festival (45th edition in 2026), and the MLK Luncheon. AACSA also operates the Family Resource Center and offers mental health programs (Therapy Matters with Dr. Glenna, Fathers Resiliency Group), economic empowerment initiatives (Financial Friday, Career Fair), and policy advocacy including reparations work.

AACSA's revenue model is community-led and diversified across donations and contributions, corporate sponsorships (Kaiser Permanente, Comerica Bank, Wells Fargo, Cisco Systems, Knight Foundation, Stanford Children's Hospital, Anthem Blue Cross), recurring membership fees, and event ticket revenue (e.g., $45 Juneteenth Freedom Ball entries). Most programs and services are delivered free of charge to community members. Under Executive Director Milan R. Balinton (since 2011), the organization has grown from two employees to 26, with a projected $3 million budget and 24,679 cumulative clients served, including 25,000+ during the COVID-19 pandemic response via the AACSA CARES initiative.

AACSA does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Its technology footprint consists of standard digital tools (a Webflow-hosted website at sjaacsa.org, social channels on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, and Zoom for virtual programming) used for event management, member engagement, and program delivery rather than as a productized offering. Service delivery is primarily in-person at the San Jose headquarters with select virtual supplements, and the organization relies on a broad partnership network including the City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara, First 5, BCDI-SCC, 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley, Tiger Woods Foundation, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity to extend programmatic reach.

Name

African American Community Service Agency

Legal name

African American Community Service Agency

Website

https://sjaacsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 in San Jose, California, serving the African American community of Santa Clara County through 60+ educational, social service, and cultural programs organized around education, advocacy, and community building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on donations, sponsorships, and fundraising activities to support community programs and services.
2. Membership Fees: Membership program offering contributing member status with benefits and engagement opportunities.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from event ticket sales such as the Juneteenth Freedom Ball at $45 per attendee.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from companies like Comerica Bank, Knight Foundation, Kaiser Permanente supporting specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AACSA provides culturally specific educational, social, health, and economic empowerment programming for the African American community in Santa Clara County. Offerings include youth leadership development (AACSA Leadership Academy), STEAM education, senior technology and wellness programs, bi-weekly food distribution, family resource services, signature cultural events (Juneteenth Festival, MLK Luncheon), and policy advocacy initiatives.

Product overview

The African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) operates as a community service organization offering a portfolio of programs and services organized around three core pillars: Education, Advocacy, and Community Building. The organization's product portfolio includes signature programs such as the AACSA Leadership Academy (ALA) for youth development, the Senior Citizens Connected Program for seniors, STEAM on Saturday for children's STEM education, Food on the Table for food security, and the annual Juneteenth in the Streets Festival. Additional offerings include mental health and wellness programs (Therapy Matters with Dr. Glenna, Fathers Resiliency Group), economic empowerment initiatives (Financial Friday, Career Fair), the Family Resource Center, and various community events including MLK Luncheons and dance classes. The agency serves the Santa Clara County community with over 60 programs and has reached more than 24,000 clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AACSA Leadership Academy (ALA) A leadership development program for high school and college students, building a pipeline of leaders rooted in purpose, advocacy, and innovation. Has graduated multiple cohorts.
• Senior Citizens Connected Program An eight-week program for seniors fostering community connections, enhancing technology skills, providing wholesome meals, engaging in interactive games, and promoting health, wellness, and meaningful engagement.
• Food on the Table A bi-weekly food distribution program providing food resources to community members in need.
• STEAM on Saturday (SOS) A hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics program for children ages 6-14, aligned with the National Black Child Development Institute's Eight Essential Outcomes framework.
• Family Resource Center (FRC) Family support services and resources, including diaper drives and community assistance programs for families with children up to 5 years old, aligned with NBCDI's framework for Black child development.
• Juneteenth in the Streets Festival The agency's signature annual festival celebrating Juneteenth, featuring multiple days of programming including youth town halls, educational panels, wellness events, and entertainment.
• MLK Luncheon Annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration luncheon.
• Therapy Matters with Dr. Glenna Mental health and wellness program providing virtual therapy sessions and community healing spaces, led by Dr. Glenna.
• Fathers Resiliency Group (FRG) A monthly wellness and support group creating a safe space for fathers to share, bond, and connect through the shared experience of fatherhood.
• Financial Friday Financial education and Black economic empowerment program featuring local financial leaders sharing information for the development of individual and family generational wealth.
• AACSA Career Fair Annual career fair providing onsite mock interviews, job placement assistance, resume support, coaching, therapy, and children's activities.
• AACSA Dance Class A dance class program focused on health, wellness, and community building, including Diabetes and Obesity Awareness components.
• Denim and Pearls Mother's Day Brunch An annual Mother's Day celebration event supporting the community.
• Open Library Saturday library program featuring community readers and authors, including children's entertainment.
• AACSA CARES COVID-19 relief initiative providing food distribution, mental health services, housing assistance, and economic empowerment workshops to the community during the pandemic.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24,679 clients served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• First 5majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood development initiative sponsor supporting family resource programs
• Wells FargomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting community programs and events
• Kaiser PermanentemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Senior Citizens Connected Program and health/wellness initiatives
• Knight FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of 45th Annual Juneteenth in the Streets festival
• Comerica BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Senior Citizens Connected Program and Juneteenth Freedom Ball
• City of San JosemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for community services and voter access programs
• County of Santa ClaramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty partner for public health initiatives and community services
• BCDI-SCC (Black Child Development Institute)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Senior Citizens Connected Program; aligned on NBCDI's Eight Essential Outcomes framework
• Destination: HomemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing assistance collaboration with Hyatt House and Cisco Systems
• Hyatt HousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing assistance collaboration with Destination: Home and Cisco Systems
• Roots Community ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth services partner in the community
• Stanford Children's HospitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Food on the Table program
• Anthem Blue CrossminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Food on the Table program
• 100 Black Men of Silicon ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth mentorship and development partner
• Tiger Woods FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development programming partner
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilan Balinton serves as Local Chapter Advisor of Delta Rho Chapter at SJSU; fraternity partnership for community outreach

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza): A national Latino civil rights and community service organization that mirrors AACSA's model of culturally-specific community services, education, and advocacy. Operates as a comparable ethnic-focused community intermediary at a much larger scale.
• Destination: Home: Santa Clara County-focused nonprofit addressing homelessness and housing instability. AACSA explicitly partners with Destination: Home (alongside Cisco and Hyatt House) on housing assistance, indicating overlapping beneficiary populations and funder relationships.
• Hispanic Federation: A national Latino nonprofit providing direct services, education, and advocacy. Closely comparable in structure, mission, and operating model to AACSA as a culturally-rooted community service intermediary, though serving a different ethnic community.
• 100 Black Men of America: National organization focused on mentoring, education, and economic empowerment for African American youth and families. AACSA explicitly partners with the Silicon Valley chapter (100 Black Men of Silicon Valley) and shares overlapping programming in youth leadership development.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: A national affiliation serving Asian American communities through civil rights advocacy, education, and community services. Comparable to AACSA as an ethnic-community-focused service and advocacy organization with a similar nonprofit/membership model.
• National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI): National organization dedicated to improving the lives of Black children through education, advocacy, and research. AACSA aligns its programs (including STEAM on Saturday and the Family Resource Center) with NBCDI's Eight Essential Outcomes framework and partners with the local affiliate BCDI-SCC.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: A large national civil rights organization providing community services, education, workforce development, and advocacy for African American communities. Comparable to AACSA in mission and service areas but operates at a national scale with a significantly larger budget and broader geographic reach.
• NAACP: The nation's largest and most prominent civil rights organization, focusing on advocacy, education, and community mobilization for African Americans. Operates at national scale and competes with AACSA for the same donor base on overlapping advocacy priorities.

Regional players

• Kapor Center: Oakland-based nonprofit working to increase diversity in tech and close racial gaps. Operates in the same Bay Area region with overlapping racial-equity focus and corporate partners (similar to AACSA's Cisco partnership), though oriented toward tech-sector workforce inclusion.
• United Way Silicon Valley: The local United Way affiliate serving Santa Clara County. Competes for some of the same corporate donors (Wells Fargo, Cisco, Kaiser) and operates in the same geographic territory, though with a broader community-services mandate rather than a culturally-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SJAACSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SJAACSA1978
• Facebookfacebook.com/sjaacsa
• Instagraminstagram.com/sj_aacsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-american-community-services-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African American Community Service Agency