Focus On Community

What Focus On Community does

Focus on Community, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 (originally as the Racine Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs, renamed in 2005) and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin. It operates as Racine's Primary Substance Abuse Prevention Agency, delivering evidence-based programs to youth and families across Racine County. Core programs include the Family Advocacy Program (wrap-around case management for homeless students), Family & Schools Together (FAST), Botvin LifeSkills Training (claimed to reduce substance use by up to 80%), Opportunities Club (after-school service learning for grades 3-5), Strengthening Families (an evidence-based parenting program with multiple federal exemplary designations), and the Teen Peer Program (a youth leadership and job readiness program running since 1992). In 2021, Focus served over 8,000 individuals and families.

The organization developed the Focus Content Studio in partnership with United Way of Racine County and Microsoft, providing youth with podcast and multimedia content creation capabilities. It operates two podcast series (Teen Talks and Focus Talks) and produces youth-created public service announcements. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants through school-based delivery via Racine Unified School District and community partnerships.

The revenue model relies entirely on donations, fundraising events (golf outing, cribbage tournament, community feud), corporate sponsorships, and grants from government agencies (Wisconsin DHS, DCF, DPI) and foundations (United Way of Racine County, Racine Community Foundation). The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by Executive Director Jason Meekma, who has served since 2016 and previously worked at the agency for 14 years. During his tenure, the operating budget doubled and four new programs were launched.

Name

Focus On Community

Legal name

Focus on Community, Inc.

Website

https://focusracine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Focus on Community is a Racine, Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that delivers evidence-based substance abuse prevention, youth leadership, and family strengthening programs to over 8,000 individuals and families annually in Racine County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substance Abuse Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Substance abuse prevention
• Youth development programs
• Family support services
• Community prevention education
• Nonprofit prevention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Racine

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, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Focus accepts monetary donations through PayPal for supporting substance misuse prevention efforts throughout Racine County.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including The Joe Romano Classic Golf Outing (June 18, 2026 at Petrifying Springs), Focus Cribbage Tournament (March 21, 2026), and Focus Community Feud.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors for golf outing events provide revenue and community support.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, United Way of Racine County, and various foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Focus On Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit substance abuse prevention agency in Racine, Wisconsin, that delivers a portfolio of evidence-based youth and family programs free of charge to participants. Core offerings include Botvin LifeSkills Training, Strengthening Families, Family & Schools Together (F.A.S.T.), Opportunities Club, Teen Peers, the Family Advocacy Program (HRN), and the Focus Content Studio. The organization also operates podcast series (Teen Talks, Focus Talks) and youth-produced public service announcements as part of its community engagement work.

Product overview

Focus On Community is a nonprofit agency that offers a unified portfolio of substance abuse prevention and youth/family engagement programs. The core offerings include: the Family Advocacy Program providing wrap-around case management for families experiencing homelessness; Family & Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) for parent involvement and family strengthening; Botvin LifeSkills Training for substance abuse and violence prevention; Opportunities Club after-school service learning; Strengthening Families evidence-based parenting skills; Teen Peers youth leadership and job readiness program; and Focus Content Studio for youth content creation. These programs are designed to work synergistically—providing prevention education, family support, youth development, and community engagement to over 8,000 individuals and families annually in Racine County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Focus Content Studio: A content creation studio partnership with United Way of Racine County and Microsoft that provides opportunities for young people to create podcasts and digital content.
• Focus Talks Podcast
• Teen Talks Podcast

Products and services

• Family Advocacy Program (HRN) Wrap-around services and case management program for students and families in Racine Unified School District who are experiencing homelessness, connecting them to local resources and referrals. Delivered in collaboration with Wisconsin DPI, the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, and Racine Unified School District.
• Family & Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) Innovative, collaborative prevention and parent-involvement program where families gather for 8-10 weekly research-based activities (2.5 hours each, held at the school) aimed at strengthening family cohesion, developing positive predictors of school success, and increasing knowledge of alcohol and other drug abuse facts. Includes an evening meal, childcare, parent discussion time, and family lottery.
• LifeSkills (Botvin LifeSkills Training) Evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program (Botvin LifeSkills Training / LST) proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, opioid, and illicit drug use by up to 80%. Designed for youth in school settings.
• Opportunities Club After-school program for students in grades 3-5 providing service learning activities, teamwork skills, healthy snacking education, community engagement, and money management experience through earning and budgeting with OC bucks.
• Strengthening Families Free, evidence-based parenting and family skills program teaching strategies for balancing love and limits, house rules, encouraging good behavior, using consequences, and family communication skills through 10 sessions that include separate parent and youth groups plus joint family activities.
• Teen Peers Leadership and job readiness program for youth in 8th-12th grade in Racine County providing skill development training, conference opportunities, volunteer opportunities, leadership development, and education about substance use dangers.
• Focus Content Studio Content creation studio developed in partnership with United Way of Racine County and Microsoft, providing youth with opportunities to create podcasts, record music, share their voice, and develop technical and soft skills through podcast production (Teen Talks, Focus Talks) and public service announcements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 8,000 individuals and families in 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• United Way of Racine CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with United Way of Racine County and Microsoft to develop and launch the Focus Content Studio, a content creation facility providing opportunities for young people to create podcasts, PSAs, and other content while learning valuable skills.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with United Way of Racine County and Microsoft to develop and launch the Focus Content Studio, providing technology and support for youth content creation programs.
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with DPI, Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, and Racine Unified School District to provide wrap-around services and case management for students and families experiencing homelessness.
• Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (Prevention Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with Prevention Board, DPI, and Racine Unified School District to provide Family Advocacy Program wrap-around services for homeless students and families.
• Racine Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partnership for hosting programs including FAST, LifeSkills, Opportunities Club, and Family Advocacy Program. Schools serve as venues for weekly sessions and after-school programming.
• Drug-Free Communities (DFC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFC/Racine Cares coalition creating innovative solutions through community collaborations to meet unmet mental health, addiction, prevention, and early intervention needs of Racine County children and families.
• Community Advocates, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization funder and partner.
• NAMI Racine CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness providing education, advocacy, and support for families affected by mental illness.
• Racine County Behavioral Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty behavioral health services providing mental health and substance abuse services including outpatient evaluations, psychotherapy, and counseling.
• Racine County UW-ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing the Racine County Family Resource Directory to help families access community resources.
• FACT Movement (Youth Tobacco Prevention)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisconsin teen-driven movement spreading truth about tobacco. Teen Peers actively participate in FACT initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA): National membership organization supporting community drug-prevention coalitions. Focus on Community's Drug-Free Communities/Racine Cares coalition and Racine-County-focused prevention work map closely to CADCA's coalition model and training resources.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI Racine County is a listed Focus partner. NAMI's local affiliates deliver mental health/substance use education, advocacy, and family support programs with overlapping content and funder universe.
• Partnership to End Addiction: National nonprofit focused on substance use prevention, early intervention, and family support. Overlaps with Focus's Botvin LifeSkills, Strengthening Families, and Teen Peers work in delivering youth and parent education on substance abuse.
• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD): Has recognized Focus on Community's Teen Peer Program with its Prevention and Education Award. Operates a national network of affiliates delivering alcohol and drug prevention education paralleling Focus's mission.

Others

• United Way Worldwide: United Way of Racine County is a core Focus strategic and funding partner for the Content Studio and AFA Program. Comparable as a community-impact intermediary funneling corporate and donor dollars to local prevention and family-strengthening services.
• Botvin LifeSkills Training: Provider of the evidence-based LifeSkills curriculum Focus delivers. Functions as upstream curriculum supplier/partner rather than competitor; defines the prevention content Focus brings into Racine County schools.
• Strengthening Families Program (national): National home of the Strengthening Families evidence-based parenting curriculum that Focus delivers. Defines the content/licensing backbone for one of Focus's core programs and partner ecosystem across states.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth-mentoring nonprofit serving school-age youth. Comparable on outcomes targeted (life skills, positive role modeling) and on grant/corporate funding sources, though anchored in 1:1 mentoring rather than cohort-based prevention curricula.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization running after-school programs, mentorship, and life-skills curricula similar to Focus's Opportunities Club and Teen Peers offerings, but at vastly broader scale and across more domains.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): 4-H has formally designated Focus's Strengthening Families Program a Program of Distinction. 4-H's youth development network shares target audience (school-age youth) and evidence-based programming approach with Focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Focus On Community