Services To Enhance Potential
Services To Enhance Potential is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, that delivers supported employment, transition, programming, and community engagement services to nearly 1,300-1,400 individuals with disabilities and mental health needs annually across Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw Counties through four Resource Centers, three thrift stores, and employer partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersDearborn, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Services To Enhance Potential does
Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, providing supported employment, transition, programming/supports coordination, and community engagement services to nearly 1,300-1,400 individuals with disabilities and mental health needs annually across Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw Counties in Southeast Michigan. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including Supported Employment Services (job placement, benefits planning, job coaching), Transition Services (Pre-Employment Training, Project SEARCH at Corewell Health, Summer Earn & Learn), Programming/Supports Coordination (person-centered planning), STEP in the Kitchen (culinary arts training using the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Ready curriculum), and Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC, an art and design studio and gallery program). It also operates three STEP Thrift Store and Donation Centers that double as employment training sites and earned-revenue streams.
STEP does not operate a proprietary technology platform; it is fundamentally a human services delivery organization. Its core "technology" consists of CARF-accredited service methodologies, person-centered planning frameworks, and physical infrastructure (four Resource Centers in Detroit, Dearborn x2, and Westland; three thrift stores; employer worksites). The organization generates revenue through government contracts with Wayne County Managed Care Networks (Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network/DWIHN and Community Living Services), Michigan Rehabilitation Services, corporate partner staffing and subcontracting fees (industrial subcontracting, contracted work groups), retail revenue from thrift stores (including an eBay channel), individual and corporate donations, and program-specific foundation grants (Kessler Foundation, Jacques Pépin Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, Flagstar Bank). Notable employer partners include Ford, IBM, Kroger, McDonald's, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Meijer, and Corewell Health. As of the Crain's 2022 Best-Managed Nonprofits listing, the organization operated with a current budget of approximately $13.5 million and 155 employees, and was recognized for CARF accreditation and the Incompass Michigan Apex Award for Transformational Leadership. Recent strategic activity includes the October 2025 wind-down of Transportation Services, June 2025 CFO appointment, February 2026 board expansion (three new directors), and the May 2026 rebranding of the culinary program.
Services To Enhance Potential firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Services To Enhance Potential
- Legal name
- Services To Enhance Potential
- Website
- https://stepcentral.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Services To Enhance Potential is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, that delivers supported employment, transition, programming, and community engagement services to nearly 1,300-1,400 individuals with disabilities and mental health needs annually across Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw Counties through four Resource Centers, three thrift stores, and employer partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Services To Enhance Potential industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability and Supported Employment Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)
Keywords
Where Services To Enhance Potential is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dearborn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Services To Enhance Potential business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Contracts & Funding: STEP receives funding through Wayne County Managed Care Networks including DWIHN (Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network) and Community Living Services for providing supports coordination and mental health services.
- STEP Thrift Store Operations: STEP Thrift Store and Donation Centers generate revenue through resale of donated goods. All proceeds support STEP programs and services. Three locations operate in Dearborn Heights, Wayne, and Southgate.
- Donations & Charitable Contributions: STEP accepts monetary donations and gently used goods. Donation-based proceeds fund programs and services for individuals with disabilities.
- Corporate Partner Services: STEP provides staffing solutions to employers including individual hires, industrial subcontracting, and contracted work groups. Companies may receive tax benefits through WOTC (Work Opportunity Tax Credits) when hiring individuals with disabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | STEP Cookbook |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | STEP 2021 Calendar |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Services To Enhance Potential product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) is a nonprofit human services organization delivering supported employment placement, school-to-work transition programs, person-centered supports coordination, and community-integration services to individuals with disabilities and mental health needs in Southeast Michigan. Service delivery is supplemented by retail training through three STEP Thrift Stores and Donation Centers and by arts- and culinary-based training pathways through PASC and STEP in the Kitchen.
Product overview
Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) is a nonprofit organization providing a portfolio of social service programs focused on supported employment and community integration for individuals with disabilities and mental health needs. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: Supported Employment Services (job placement and coaching), Transition Services (school-to-work programs including Project SEARCH and Summer Earn & Learn), Programming/Supports Coordination (person-centered planning), STEP in the Kitchen (culinary arts training using National Restaurant Association curriculum), Progressive Art Studio Collective/PASC (art studio and gallery program), STEP Thrift Store and Donation Centers (retail training), and Community Engagement activities. These programs work together to help individuals achieve employment, independence, and community inclusion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC): An art and design studio and gallery program dedicated to supporting adults with developmental disabilities and mental health concerns to advance individual career paths in art and design fields
- STEP in the Kitchen
- STEP Thrift Stores & Donation Centers
Products and services
- Supported Employment Services Job placement and employment support for individuals with disabilities, including job coaching, benefits planning, and ongoing employment support connecting participants with employer partners.
- Transition Services School-to-work transition programs delivered in partnership with state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and public school districts, including Pre-Employment Training Services, Project SEARCH, and Summer Earn & Learn.
- Programming / Supports Coordination Full array of supports coordination services and person-centered planning for individuals with a wide range of disabilities across varied work and residential settings.
- STEP in the Kitchen (Culinary Arts Program) Culinary arts program providing hands-on cooking instruction, food service training, and kitchen skills development using the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Ready curriculum to prepare individuals with disabilities for community employment in food service.
- Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC) Art and design studio and gallery program dedicated to supporting adults with developmental disabilities and mental health concerns to advance individual career paths in art and design fields, with professional exhibitions and online gallery sales.
- STEP Thrift Store and Donation Centers Community-based business enterprise operating three thrift store locations in Dearborn Heights, Wayne, and Southgate, MI, generating revenue through resale of donated goods while providing retail employment training to individuals with developmental and mental disabilities.
- Community Engagement / Volunteer Sites Community integration through volunteer activities at sites including Full Gospel Temple/Lighthouse Mission, Meals on Wheels, Plymouth Library, Harvest Bible Church, and Capuchin Kitchen.
- Benefits-2-Work Coaching Coaching service helping individuals understand how employment impacts their benefits, providing guidance on work incentives and benefit planning.
- Corporate Partner Staffing Solutions Staffing solutions for employers including individual hires, industrial subcontracting, and contracted work groups, plus Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) facilitation, delivered through STEP's network of 50+ corporate partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 80% job placement rate for Project SEARCH participants
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Services To Enhance Potential
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Services To Enhance Potential technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Services To Enhance Potential partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Corewell HealthcoreHost site for Project SEARCH program where students with disabilities spend their final year of high school in a hybrid classroom and worksite environment, gaining job experience in healthcare settings.
- Michigan Rehabilitation Services / Bureau of Services for Blind PersonscoreState vocational rehabilitation agencies partnering with STEP for Summer Earn & Learn program providing six weeks of paid work experience and classroom training for students with disabilities.
- DWIHN (Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network)coreFunding partner providing mental health services funding through Wayne County Managed Care Networks for services to individuals with disabilities and mental health needs.
- Community Living ServicescoreFunding partner for services to individuals in Wayne County through managed care networks.
- National Restaurant Association Educational FoundationminorSTEP in the Kitchen culinary arts program utilizes the Restaurant Ready curriculum to prepare participants for success in the food service industry.
- CH Enterprise (Cathole)minorSTEP serves as production partner for Cathole cat litter door products. STEP Packaging Crews fill retail orders for Chewy.com, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and Pet Smart.
- BundledminorLocal gifting company partnership where approximately 6 individuals with disabilities work weekly assembling gift boxes with Michigan products.
- FEAST DetroitminorRestaurant partner providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, featured in WXYZ Channel 7 coverage.
- Various Corporate PartnerscoreOver 50 corporate partners including Ford, IBM, Kroger, McDonald's, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Meijer, and others who hire individuals with disabilities placed through STEP.
- Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA)minorSTEP in the Kitchen program is a member of MRLA, supporting culinary arts training and career pathways.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Services To Enhance Potential competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Melwood: Melwood is a Maryland-based nonprofit providing supported employment, job coaching, and vocational services to people with disabilities, including AbilityOne contracts and community employment placement. Closely matches STEP's supported-employment-plus-social-enterprise model and similar contract-driven revenue mix.
- Easter Seals MORC: Macomb Oakland Regional Center is a Southeast Michigan nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities through supports coordination, employment services, and community living — overlapping STEP's Wayne/Macomb service territory and similar payer base (Michigan Medicaid, managed care, vocational rehabilitation).
- The Arc Michigan: The Arc Michigan advocates for and provides services to people with developmental disabilities, including employment support and case management. Operates within the same Wayne County service area and competes for the same DWIHN and managed-care funding pools.
- Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit: Goodwill's Detroit affiliate provides supported employment, job training, and vocational rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities and barriers to employment in the same Southeast Michigan region. Operates thrift stores to fund programs — directly comparable to STEP's model of combining retail revenue with employment services.
- UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Michigan: UCP Michigan supports people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities through employment services, community living, and case management across Michigan. Competes with STEP for similar Medicaid waiver and state vocational rehabilitation funding.
Broad incumbents
- SourceAmerica: SourceAmerica is the national AbilityOne-designated nonprofit agency that contracts with STEP for custodial work at Detroit Metro Airport. As the federal AbilityOne program administrator, it controls access to large government contracts that complement STEP's employment placement work.
- Best Buddies International: Best Buddies runs integrated employment and transition programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities nationwide. Its employment and school-to-work programs target a similar population to STEP's Project SEARCH and Benefits-2-Work Coaching offerings.
Others
- Michigan Rehabilitation Services: Michigan Rehabilitation Services is the state vocational rehabilitation agency that partners with STEP for the Summer Earn & Learn program and transition referrals. Acts as a referral source and contracted payer for STEP's employment services rather than a direct competitor.
- Community Living Services (CLS): CLS is one of STEP's key Wayne County managed-care funding partners, providing case management and supports coordination. As a contracted payer rather than a peer provider, it represents both a customer relationship and a strategic counterparty for STEP's programming services.
Regional players
- Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC): DESC provides workforce development and employment services in Detroit, including programs for individuals with barriers to employment. Operates in the same geographic market as STEP and shares employer-partner relationships, though focused more broadly on low-income populations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Services To Enhance Potential social profiles
Digital presenceServices To Enhance Potential financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Services To Enhance Potential leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Services To Enhance Potential subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Services To Enhance Potential funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Services To Enhance Potential M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Services To Enhance Potential
What does Services To Enhance Potential do?
Services To Enhance Potential (STEP) is a nonprofit human services organization delivering supported employment placement, school-to-work transition programs, person-centered supports coordination, and community-integration services to individuals with disabilities and mental health needs in Southeast Michigan. Service delivery is supplemented by retail training through three STEP Thrift Stores and Donation Centers and by arts- and culinary-based training pathways through PASC and STEP in the Kitchen.
Is Services To Enhance Potential a public or private company?
Services To Enhance Potential is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Services To Enhance Potential founded?
Services To Enhance Potential was founded in 1972. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Services To Enhance Potential based?
Services To Enhance Potential is headquartered in Dearborn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Services To Enhance Potential make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Contracts & Funding is the primary driver. The others are STEP Thrift Store Operations, donations & Charitable Contributions and corporate Partner Services.
Who are Services To Enhance Potential's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Melwood, Easter Seals MORC, The Arc Michigan, Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit and UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Michigan. Broad incumbents are SourceAmerica and Best Buddies International. Others are Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Community Living Services (CLS). Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) is listed as a regional player.
Does Services To Enhance Potential have an API?
No public API is recorded for Services To Enhance Potential.
What industry is Services To Enhance Potential in?
Services To Enhance Potential's product category is Disability and Supported Employment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAJ, Employment & Job Readiness Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAKANAA, Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination. Its NAICS code is 6243 and its SIC code is 7361.