Midwest Special Services
Midwest Special Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1949 in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing day services, employment support, creative arts programs, and workforce solutions for adults with disabilities across seven Twin Cities locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Midwest Special Services does
Midwest Special Services (MSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1949 and headquartered at 900 Ocean Street in St. Paul, Minnesota. The organization delivers disability services to adults with disabilities in the Twin Cities metro area, operating from seven physical locations spanning St. Paul, Eagan, Apple Valley, Oakdale, Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, and Shoreview. Its program portfolio includes Day Services, Individual Employment Services, Business Workforce Solutions, the Fresh Eye Arts creative arts program, and Artist Career Support. MSS serves a diversified stakeholder base comprising individuals with disabilities, families and caregivers, employer partners, charitable donors, volunteers, and artists with disabilities represented through the Fresh Eye Gallery.
MSS's technology stack is operational rather than transformative: a Squarespace-hosted website, the Bloomerang donation platform, MailChimp for email communications, VolunteerMatch for volunteer recruitment, and eTrac, MSS's own registered online learning management system used for program delivery and outcomes tracking. The proprietary eTrac platform represents the organization's main technology investment and is positioned as a differentiated program-management tool within the Minnesota disability services sector.
Revenue mechanics blend traditional nonprofit funding streams with smaller commercial and affiliate components. Charitable contributions flow through one-time donations, planned giving/legacy gifts via the Legacy Society, and an annual "Celebrate!" gala. Fee-for-service program delivery (employment services, day services, community programs) likely draws on government funding and individual payer arrangements, though pricing is not publicly disclosed. Ancillary revenue includes an e-commerce art commission channel (with works priced at $150–$250 per piece) and the RaiseRight gift card fundraising program, which yields up to 20% commission on purchases from 750+ brands. With 51–100 employees, MSS is a mid-sized, mature service organization whose differentiation rests on regulatory credentials (11 consecutive CARF three-year accreditations), a 76-year operating history, and a community-integrated program model rather than technology or scale advantages.
Midwest Special Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Midwest Special Services
- Legal name
- Midwest Special Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://mssmn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Midwest Special Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1949 in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing day services, employment support, creative arts programs, and workforce solutions for adults with disabilities across seven Twin Cities locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Midwest Special Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Services and Vocational Rehabilitation
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)
Keywords
Where Midwest Special Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Midwest Special Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Monetary Donations: MSS receives charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support programs and services for people with disabilities. Donations are processed through Bloomerang online donation platform.
- Planned Giving/Legacy Society: MSS accepts planned gifts through wills, estate plans, and IRA beneficiary designations as part of their Legacy Society program.
- Gift Card Fundraising (RaiseRight): MSS participates in RaiseRight gift card fundraising program where supporters purchase gift cards from 750+ brands and MSS earns up to 20% commission on each purchase.
- Art Commissions and Sales: MSS sells commissioned artwork from artists with disabilities through its online shop. Artwork includes paintings, portraits, and custom commissions in various sizes at different price points.
- Program Services Revenue: MSS provides disability services including employment services, day services, and community-based programs. Revenue likely includes government funding and fee-for-service arrangements for program delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paul Macharia Commission - 9x12 size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paul Macharia Commission - 11x14 size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paul Macharia Commission - 16x20 size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dan Stallsworth Commission - 16x20 size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Soon-Wai Wong Commission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Midwest Special Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Midwest Special Services (MSS) is a nonprofit organization that delivers disability services programs—including day services, individual employment support, creative arts programming (Fresh Eye Arts), and business workforce solutions—for adults with disabilities in the Twin Cities metro area. The organization also facilitates artist career development and sells commissioned artwork by artists with disabilities through its online Fresh Eye Gallery shop.
Product overview
Midwest Special Services (MSS) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of disability services programs, including Day Services, Fresh Eye Arts (creative arts program), Artist Career Support, Individual Employment Services, and Business Workforce Solutions. The organization also sells artist commissions through its online shop, featuring commissioned artwork from three artists: Soon-Wai Wong (portrait commissions), Dan Stallsworth (colorscape paintings), and Paul Macharia (nature paintings). These products are available in various sizes with framing options. MSS is not a technology platform but rather a service provider in the disability services sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fresh Eye Arts: Creative arts program showcasing artwork by artists with disabilities
- eTrac
Products and services
- Day Services Daytime support services providing educational, social, and recreational opportunities for adults with disabilities to encourage community inclusion. Delivered Monday-Friday 9am-2pm across MSS locations.
- Fresh Eye Arts Creative Arts Program Award-winning creative arts program offering pottery, screen printing, painting, woodworking, textiles, and art facilitation for people with disabilities, including an art gallery and art commissions.
- Artist Career Support Program supporting artists with disabilities in developing their artistic careers, including commissions and sales of artwork through the Fresh Eye Gallery.
- Individual Employment Services Employment support services helping people with disabilities find and maintain meaningful employment through job placement, coaching, and retention support.
- Business Workforce Solutions Services connecting businesses with qualified candidates from the disability community to meet workforce needs, including supported employment partnerships and disability inclusion support.
- Artist Commissions (Paul Macharia) Fine art paintings by Paul Macharia featuring masterful lighting and sharp detail capturing natural world subjects. Available in 9x12 ($150), 11x14 ($200), and 16x20 ($250) sizes, framed in black or white wooden frames.
- Artist Commissions (Dan Stallsworth) Custom colorscape paintings by Dan Stallsworth, created by painting with an adapted paintbrush worn on the head. Available in 16x20 size at $250, with custom color requests or photo references accepted.
- Artist Commissions (Soon-Wai Wong) Custom artwork commissions by Soon-Wai Wong featuring portraits of places, vacation photos, landscapes, and buildings rendered in energetic gestural paintings or drawings. Works come framed in black or white wooden frames, with custom pricing based on size and complexity.
Companies that use Midwest Special Services
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Midwest Special Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Midwest Special Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RaiseRightcoreRaiseRight gift card fundraising partnership allows MSS supporters to purchase gift cards from 750+ brands and earn up to 20% commission for the organization. Orders processed first Friday of each month with pickup available at St. Paul office or home delivery. MSS enrollment code: 8F2648B466373.
- VolunteerMatchcoreOnline volunteer recruitment platform used by MSS to post volunteer opportunities including Art in the Community, Bingo and Board Games, Social Butterfly, and Adaptive Fitness/Movement at Brooklyn Park and other locations.
- Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)coreInternational accrediting body for rehabilitation facilities. Awarded MSS its 11th consecutive Three-Year Accreditation in 2014 with multiple exemplary ratings for Creative Arts, Autism, and eTrac programs.
- Candid (GuideStar)minorNonprofit transparency platform providing Gold Seal certification for MSS.
- Charities Review CouncilminorCharities Review Council standards certification indicating MSS meets accountability standards.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Midwest Special Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dungarvin: Minnesota-founded nationwide provider of residential, day, and employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Operates a similar CARF-aligned compliance model and overlapping Twin Cities footprint, making it the closest analog to MSS.
- Living Well Disability Services: Twin Cities nonprofit serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, day, and in-home support. Overlaps with MSS on day services and community-inclusion outcomes.
- Rise, Inc. Minnesota-headquartered nonprofit offering employment, community, and housing supports for people with disabilities, including vocational rehabilitation programs that directly overlap with MSS's service lines.
- Opportunity Partners: Minnesota-based nonprofit offering employment, day, and community services for people with disabilities. Closely mirrors MSS's portfolio across vocational training, supported employment, and creative arts programming.
- ProAct: Minnesota-based nonprofit that supports people with disabilities through employment, training, and community programs — directly comparable employment-services model to MSS's Individual Employment Services.
- Merrick, Inc. Minnesota nonprofit providing vocational, day, and community-based services for adults with disabilities. Competes for the same funding streams and employer partnerships in the Twin Cities.
- Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network / REM Minnesota): One of the largest U.S. providers of home- and community-based disability services, including REM Minnesota, which delivers day services and supported employment in the same Twin Cities market as MSS.
Broad incumbents
- BrightSpring Health Services: Large diversified national provider of home- and community-based health and human services, including disability support. Operates at a vastly greater scale than MSS but competes for similar state contracts and employer relationships.
- The Arc: National disability advocacy and direct-service network operating local chapters that deliver day, employment, and family-support programs comparable to MSS's portfolio.
Regional players
- Imagine!: Colorado-based nonprofit providing adult day, employment, and residential supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — a useful non-MN benchmark for service mix and CARF-aligned delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Midwest Special Services social profiles
Digital presenceMidwest Special Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Midwest Special Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Midwest Special Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Midwest Special Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Midwest Special Services 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 Midwest Special Services
What does Midwest Special Services do?
Midwest Special Services (MSS) is a nonprofit organization that delivers disability services programs—including day services, individual employment support, creative arts programming (Fresh Eye Arts), and business workforce solutions—for adults with disabilities in the Twin Cities metro area. The organization also facilitates artist career development and sells commissioned artwork by artists with disabilities through its online Fresh Eye Gallery shop.
Is Midwest Special Services a public or private company?
Midwest Special Services is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Midwest Special Services founded?
Midwest Special Services was founded in 1949. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Midwest Special Services based?
Midwest Special Services is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Midwest Special Services make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Monetary Donations are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving/Legacy Society, gift Card Fundraising (RaiseRight), art Commissions and Sales and program Services Revenue.
Who are Midwest Special Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dungarvin, Living Well Disability Services, Rise, Inc., Opportunity Partners, ProAct, Merrick, Inc. and Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network / REM Minnesota). Broad incumbents are BrightSpring Health Services and The Arc. Imagine! is listed as a regional player.
Does Midwest Special Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Midwest Special Services.
What industry is Midwest Special Services in?
Midwest Special Services's product category is Disability Services and Vocational Rehabilitation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support, with a secondary code of HLADAIAI, Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors). Its NAICS code is 62431 and its SIC code is 8300.