Steps
STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency based in Farmville, Virginia, delivering employment, housing, Head Start education, and domestic violence services across six South Central Virginia counties, with social enterprises in document destruction and recycling.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersFarmville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Steps does
STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency headquartered in Farmville, Virginia, founded in 1976 and designated in December 2014 by Governor McAuliffe as the regional CAA for six South Central Virginia counties (Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Prince Edward). The organization delivers a multi-service social services portfolio covering employment services for individuals with disabilities, TANF recipients, and seniors (Extended Employment Services, Long-Term Employment Support Services, Workplace Supports); housing through the Virginia Homeless Solutions Program and a new 51-acre Israel Hill development with Virginia Supportive Housing; early childhood education through Head Start, Early Head Start, and Virginia's Mixed Delivery Program; and domestic violence/sexual assault support via Madeline's House, a 24/7 shelter and advocacy program. The Whole Family program coordinates wraparound case management across these service lines.
The underlying technology is operational rather than platform-based: standard industrial equipment powers the social enterprise operations (a NAID AAA-certified Secure Document Destruction service shredding over 400 tons of paper annually, and a Recycling Center processing over 800 tons of material annually), while service delivery runs on case management, direct program enrollment, and partnerships with local Departments of Social Services. The website is built on Wix, and no proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are in evidence. Certifications include CARF accreditation for employment services and NAID AAA certification for document destruction, which represent meaningful operational differentiators.
Revenue derives from three streams: federal, state, local, and private grants (Virginia DHCD, Virginia DARS, US HUD, Virginia TANF/CSBG, Central Health, plus Head Start federal funding), charitable donations (eligible for Virginia Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits), and social enterprise revenue from Secure Document Destruction and Recycling Center. GTM motion is hybrid: community-led for grant-funded human services via referrals and partner agency routing, and sales-led for commercial document destruction and recycling services via scheduled pickups, drop-offs, and purge jobs. With 51-100 employees plus 11 individuals with disabilities in EES/LTESS, STEPS operates as a regional nonprofit integrator rather than a technology company, and the principal customer base consists of low-income individuals and families across its six-county rural service area.
Steps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steps
- Legal name
- STEPS, Inc.
- Website
- https://steps-inc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency based in Farmville, Virginia, delivering employment, housing, Head Start education, and domestic violence services across six South Central Virginia counties, with social enterprises in document destruction and recycling.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Steps industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Action / Social Services
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs) (92313)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAC), Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)
Keywords
Where Steps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Farmville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Steps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Funding: STEPS supports its services through a variety of federal, state, local and private grants. Primary funders include Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Virginia TANF Community Services Block Grant, and Central Health Community Benefits Grant.
- Commercial Business Lines: Social enterprise operations including Secure Document Destruction and Recycling Center that process materials for local businesses and citizens, generating revenue while providing employment to individuals with disabilities.
- Charitable Donations: Tax-deductible donations from citizens and businesses supporting the organization's mission. Donations may qualify for State of Virginia tax credits through the Neighborhood Assistance Program.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Steps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency that delivers employment/job training, housing assistance, early childhood education, domestic violence services, and supportive programs to individuals and families across six Virginia counties. It also operates social enterprise business lines—Secure Document Destruction (NAID AAA Certified) and a Recycling Center—that employ adults with disabilities while generating revenue to support the mission.
Product overview
STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing a multi-service portfolio to South Central Virginia. The organization operates through several interconnected programs: Employment Services (featuring EES/LTESS workplace supports, Secure Document Destruction, and Recycling Center business lines), Housing Initiatives (Virginia Homeless Solutions Program and Housing at Israel Hill), Education (Head Start & Childcare with Early Head Start, Head Start, Mixed Delivery, and childcare components), and Madeline's House (domestic violence and sexual assault services). A Whole Family supportive services program coordinates wrap-around support across all service areas. The organization serves as the designated Community Action Agency for six Virginia counties and operates under a 'Moving Lives Forward' mission to foster self-sufficiency and eliminate poverty.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Madeline's House: Safe shelter and compassionate assistance for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, operated as part of STEPS' Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Program.
Products and services
- Employment Services
- Extended Employment Services (EES) and Long-Term Employment Support Services (LTESS)
- Workplace Supports
- Virginia Homeless Solutions Program
- Housing at Israel Hill
- Head Start & Childcare
- Madeline's House
- Whole Family
- Secure Document Destruction
- Recycling Center
Quantifiable outcome
- 298 individuals served through workforce development programs
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Steps
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Steps technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Steps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Robert Russa Moton MuseumcoreSTEPS and the Robert Russa Moton Museum are collaborating on an exciting new housing initiative on land previously attributed to the Israel Hill community in Farmville. STEPS purchased 51 acres on Layne Street for Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) to build a residential community including single family homes, senior housing, townhouses, and duplexes.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Steps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Total Action Against Poverty (TAP): Virginia-based Community Action Agency serving the Roanoke region with Head Start, workforce development, housing, and emergency services - directly comparable multi-program CAA structure under the same Virginia CSBG framework.
- Bay Aging: Virginia Area Agency on Aging and CAA serving the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula with housing, transportation, and senior/employment services - comparable scope of regional social service delivery including workforce programs.
- Skyline Community Action Network: Virginia CAA providing Head Start, housing assistance, and case management in the Shenandoah Valley, mirroring STEPS' blend of early childhood education and housing services under CSBG designation.
- People Incorporated of Virginia: Abingdon, VA-based CAA operating Head Start, housing, weatherization, and workforce programs across Southwest Virginia - structurally similar multi-county CAA service portfolio and funding mix.
- New River Community Action: Virginia CAA delivering Head Start, housing counseling, energy assistance, and workforce development in the New River Valley - comparable CAA scope and rural multi-county service footprint.
- Virginia Supportive Housing: Virginia nonprofit developer and operator of permanent supportive housing, currently partnering with STEPS on the Israel Hill 51-acre development - directly comparable homelessness/housing mission.
Emerging players
- Appalachian Sustainable Development: Southwest Virginia nonprofit operating regional employment, food access, and youth programs - comparable rural Virginia multi-county social services footprint and grant-funded revenue model.
- Center for Family & Community Development: Lynchburg-area community action oriented nonprofit providing adult workforce reentry and family services - overlaps with STEPS' TANF/Workplace Supports programs in central Virginia.
- YWCA of Central Virginia: Lynchburg-based regional nonprofit providing domestic violence shelter, advocacy, and sexual assault services - direct overlap with STEPS' Madeline's House DV/SA service line.
Broad incumbents
- Goodwill Industries of the Valleys: Roanoke-based Goodwill operating mission-driven employment services for people with disabilities and barriers to work - overlaps directly with STEPS' EES/LTESS disability employment programs and social-enterprise model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Steps social profiles
Digital presenceSteps compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Steps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Steps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steps 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 Steps
What does Steps do?
STEPS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency that delivers employment/job training, housing assistance, early childhood education, domestic violence services, and supportive programs to individuals and families across six Virginia counties. It also operates social enterprise business lines—Secure Document Destruction (NAID AAA Certified) and a Recycling Center—that employ adults with disabilities while generating revenue to support the mission.
Is Steps a public or private company?
Steps is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Steps founded?
Steps was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Steps based?
Steps is headquartered in Farmville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Steps make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Funding is the primary driver. The others are commercial Business Lines and charitable Donations.
Who are Steps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Total Action Against Poverty (TAP), Bay Aging, Skyline Community Action Network, People Incorporated of Virginia, New River Community Action and Virginia Supportive Housing. Emerging players are Appalachian Sustainable Development, Center for Family & Community Development and YWCA of Central Virginia. Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Steps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steps.
What industry is Steps in?
Steps's product category is Community Action / Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKANAM, Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers), with a secondary code of BPAIAKAC, Disability Benefits Administration. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8300.