PACE

What PACE does

PACE (People Acting in Community Endeavors, Inc.) is a private non-profit Community Action Agency incorporated in Massachusetts in 1982 and headquartered at 166 William Street, New Bedford. Designated by federal statute as the anti-poverty Community Action Agency for the Greater New Bedford area, PACE mobilizes public and private resources to serve low-income individuals and families across Southeastern Massachusetts, including Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Brockton, Attleboro, and Taunton. The organization employs 140-150 staff across a tripartite-governed board structure mandated for Massachusetts Community Action Agencies, with one-third representation from low-income community members, public officials, and private sector leaders. Executive Director Pam Kuechler oversees a management team that includes directors for Finance, HR, Development and Marketing, Health and Food Access, Housing Opportunity Center, and Workforce Development, plus program directors for Head Start and Child Care Works.

PACE operates more than ten interconnected programs organized around education and training, health and wellness, and financial stability. Core programs include Head Start and Early Head Start (serving 264+ income-eligible families with children birth to age 5 at Madison and Smith Street sites), Child Care Works (subsidized childcare voucher administration across nearly 40 communities), the Community Food Center (a client-choice food pantry serving 10,000+ individuals annually from a 2023-opened location), the Housing Opportunity Center (rental assistance and homelessness prevention), Health Access (insurance enrollment for MassHealth, ConnectorCare, and Medicare), HEAP (federal heating assistance), YouthBuild (workforce development for out-of-school youth ages 16-24, having served 1,000+ since 1993), VITA Tax Preparation, the Clemente Course (tuition-free college humanities), and the Lead Program (childhood lead poisoning prevention). Sub-programs under Child Care Works include ParentChild+ home visiting, CFCE playgroups, Diapers 'N Things (serving 350+ families monthly with YWCA and CEDC), and ASQ developmental screening. Technology use is limited to operational support: online application portals, CRM, and virtual meeting tools, with no proprietary technology products or AI capabilities.

The revenue model is grant-funded: PACE manages a budget of over $130 million sourced primarily from federal grants (HHS Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families), state funding (Massachusetts DHCD, Department of Early Education and Care), city allocations, and supplementary contributions from private foundations and individual donors including United Way of New Bedford. Services are delivered free or at subsidized rates to income-eligible families, with eligibility tied to Massachusetts State Median Income thresholds (e.g., 60% SMI for HEAP, household gross income limits ranging from $51,777 for one person to $155,504 for five-person households in 2025). The go-to-market motion is community-led: walk-in service centers, scheduled appointments, community outreach, home visits, and referral partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, and other social service agencies. Channels include the paceinfo.org website with online applications, active Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram presences, email newsletter, and community events. PACE holds the 2025 Candid Gold Seal for nonprofit transparency and Service Enterprise Certification (2022-2025), placing it in the top 11% of nonprofits nationally for volunteer management.

Name

PACE

Legal name

People Acting in Community Endeavors, Inc.

Website

https://paceinfo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PACE (People Acting in Community Endeavors) is a non-profit Community Action Agency founded in 1982 that delivers wraparound social services, including Head Start, food assistance, housing support, healthcare enrollment, heating aid, and workforce development, to low-income residents across Greater New Bedford and Southeastern Massachusetts, funded primarily by federal, state, and city grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Action Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Intervention Academic Readiness (Pre-K–Early Elementary) (EDAKADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC), Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Early childhood education
• Housing assistance programs
• Food bank services
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: PACE receives funding from city, state, and federal government sources including the Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Early Education and Care, Office of Head Start, and Administration for Children and Families. The organization manages a budget of over $130 million primarily funded through these government grants.
2. Private Foundations and Individual Donors: PACE receives funding from private foundations and individual donors including grant funding from organizations like United Way of New Bedford. The organization also accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals.
3. Program Services: While most programs are free to eligible families, PACE generates some revenue through program operations and administrative fees associated with childcare voucher management and other social services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PACE delivers a portfolio of free or subsidized social service programs to low-income individuals and families in the Greater New Bedford area. Core offerings include Head Start and Early Head Start early childhood education, a Community Food Center food pantry, Housing Opportunity Center rental and homelessness prevention assistance, PACE HEAP home energy assistance, Health Access insurance enrollment, Child Care Works childcare resources and vouchers, YouthBuild workforce development, the Clemente Course in the Humanities, free VITA tax preparation, and the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Services are funded primarily by government grants, supplemented by foundation grants and individual donations.

Product overview

PACE (People Acting In Community Endeavors) is a multi-program community action agency offering a portfolio of social service programs. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs addressing community needs in education, health, housing, food security, and workforce development. Core programs include Head Start (early childhood education), Health Access (insurance enrollment assistance), Housing Opportunity Center (rental assistance), Community Food Center (food pantry), HEAP (heating assistance), YouthBuild (workforce training), VITA Tax Preparation, Clemente Course (free college education), and Lead Prevention. Sub-programs under Child Care Works include CFCE (family engagement), ParentChild+ (home visiting), Diapers 'N Things (infant supplies), and ASQ developmental screening. The programs are designed to work holistically, supporting low-income individuals and families across multiple life domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PACE Head Start: Family-centered child development programming for income-eligible families with children from birth to age 5
• PACE Child Care Works
• PACE Health Access
• PACE Housing Opportunity Center
• PACE Community Food Center
• PACE HEAP
• PACE YouthBuild
• PACE Lead Program
• Clemente Course in the Humanities
• VITA Tax Preparation
• Workforce Development Center

Products and services

• PACE HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) Helps eligible households pay a portion of winter heating bills; serves residents of New Bedford and surrounding communities with income eligibility set at no more than 60% of Massachusetts State Median Income (e.g., 1 person $51,777; 4 people $99,573 in 2025).
• Head Start and Early Head Start Family-centered child development programming for income-eligible families with children from birth to age 5, providing free early education services at part-day, dose-and-duration, and full-day options across two New Bedford center locations.
• Health Access Provides outreach and health insurance application assistance for MassHealth, ConnectorCare plans, Medicare supplemental programs, and Medicaid, helping eligible residents enroll and navigate coverage.
• Child Care Works Assists families in accessing high-quality childcare through resources, referrals, vouchers, and provider support, serving nearly 40 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts including New Bedford, Brockton, Fall River, Attleboro, and Taunton.
• Housing Opportunity Center Provides rental assistance, housing counseling, ESG (Emergency Solutions Grant) program coordination, HomeBASE stabilization case management, and resources to prevent homelessness and promote housing stability in Massachusetts.
• Community Food Center (Food Bank) Client-choice food pantry providing nutritious food staples to residents of Greater New Bedford; serves over 10,000 individuals annually and was recognized as a 2025 Healthy Pantry by the Greater Boston Food Bank.
• VITA Tax Preparation Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offering free tax preparation for residents earning $69,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers, available seasonally January through mid-April.
• YouthBuild New Bedford Workforce development program for out-of-school youth ages 16-24 combining academic instruction (HiSET/GED preparation) with vocational training in construction skills and employment readiness.
• Clemente Course in the Humanities Tuition-free, for-credit college humanities program for adults facing economic hardship, offering courses in literature, art history, philosophy, and history.
• Lead Program Works with the Massachusetts Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program to provide educational resources, cleaning kits, and home visits to prevent lead exposure in homes built before 1978.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ individuals served annually through Food Center
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Boston Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PACE Community Food Center receives food donations distributed through the Greater Boston Food Bank network. PACE was recognized as a 2025 Healthy Pantry by Greater Boston Food Bank for providing nutritious food and creating a welcoming, client-centered pantry experience.
• Massachusetts Association for Community ActioncoreOthersPACE is a member of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, part of the national Community Action network that includes over 1,000 agencies across the country.
• One SouthCoast ChamberminorOthersPACE is a proud member of One SouthCoast Chamber representing the business community in the SouthCoast region of Massachusetts.
• YWCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYWCA partners with PACE Child Care Works in the Diapers 'N Things program that provides diapers, menstrual products, and infant items to over 350 families monthly.
• Community Economic Development Center (CEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDC partners with PACE in the Diapers 'N Things program, hosting distribution sites at their north end location to ensure families in both parts of the city are served.
• Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentcoreOthersPACE partners with the MA Department of Housing and Community Development to administer HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) and other housing programs including HomeBASE.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Head StartcoreOthersHead Start program is supported by Grant Number 01CH011836 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• MA Department of Early Education and CarecoreOthersChild Care Works and CFCE programs receive funding from the MA Department of Early Education and Care to provide childcare resources, referrals, and family support services.
• MASSCAP HEAP DirectoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACE participates in the MASSCAP HEAP Directory connecting Massachusetts residents with fuel assistance programs across the state.
• Posh, Inc OrgminorOthersPosh, Inc Org donated grocery bags for the Food Center to support food distribution operations.
• Massachusetts Head Start AssociationcoreOthersPACE Head Start Program Director Jill Fox serves on the Massachusetts Head Start Association Board of Directors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities USA is a national multi-service social services network operating housing, food, family, and refugee programs. Overlaps with PACE's wraparound model at a much larger scale and broader footprint, serving as a broad incumbent in adjacent service categories.

Direct peers

• YouthBuild USA: YouthBuild USA is the national umbrella for the YouthBuild program that PACE's Workforce Development Center operates locally. Direct peer on the youth workforce development side of PACE's portfolio.
• Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): ABCD is another designated Massachusetts Community Action Agency providing wraparound anti-poverty services across housing, education, workforce, and youth programs. It is the most direct structural comparable to PACE within the same state CAA network.
• South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC): SMOC is a Framingham-based Massachusetts anti-poverty agency operating housing, education, workforce, and family support programs under a similar multi-program community action model. Comparable in mission, scale, and funding mix to PACE.

Others

• National Community Action Partnership: National industry association representing the 1,000+ Community Action Agencies across the U.S. PACE sits within this network via MASSCAP. Relevant as the industry body setting standards and advocacy that shape PACE's operating environment.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: The Greater Boston Food Bank is PACE's primary food sourcing partner for the Community Food Center and the awarding body of PACE's 2025 Healthy Pantry recognition. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP): State-level association of Massachusetts Community Action Agencies of which PACE is a member. Adjacent ecosystem participant that convenes and advocates on behalf of PACE and its peer CAAs.

Regional players

• Brockton Area Multi-Services Inc. (BAMSI): BAMSI is a Southeastern Massachusetts human services organization providing behavioral health, early education, and family support across the same SouthCoast region as PACE. Comparable as a regional multi-service nonprofit serving overlapping geographies and populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pacenewbedford
• Facebookfacebook.com/pacenewbedford
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacenewbedford

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 PACE