What Semcac does

Semcac Inc. is a nonprofit Community Action Agency incorporated in Minnesota and headquartered in Rushford, founded in 1966 under the Economic Opportunity Act to combat poverty in southeastern Minnesota. It delivers a horizontal portfolio of social services — including Head Start and Early Head Start early childhood education, food shelves, Senior Dining and Meals on Wheels, energy assistance (Energy Assistance Program, Weatherization, Community Solar), housing and homelessness prevention, Semcac Clinic reproductive and sexual health services, and Rolling Hills Transit public transportation — across seven core counties (Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Steele, Winona) with limited presence in five additional counties.

The operating model is funded primarily through federal and state government grants (CSBG, Office of Head Start / Administration for Children and Families with grant numbers CRK#9534 and 05CH012559, MnDOT for transportation, Minnesota Department of Commerce for weatherization) supplemented by individual/corporate donations, matching gift programs, and nominal program fees such as $4 per Senior Dining meal. Services are delivered at no cost or reduced cost to income-eligible households (typically at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines). The organization operates 70+ service locations across the region through wholly owned operating units including Rolling Hills Transit, Semcac Food Shelves, and Semcac Clinic.

The agency is governed by a 21-member tripartite board (one-third consumer, one-third public officials, one-third private community organizations) and has a stated agency budget of approximately $14 million with a $6 million annual payroll as of the most recent disclosure. As of late 2023 leadership rests with Executive Director Jennifer Hengel. The technology layer is described as a social services delivery platform with no proprietary AI, patents, or technology products; competitive position rests on 58+ years of operating history, regulated funding designations, Parent Aware 4-Star rating for Head Start, and a Candid Platinum Transparency Seal.

Name

Semcac

Legal name

Semcac Inc.

Website

https://semcac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Semcac is a Minnesota nonprofit Community Action Agency delivering Head Start, food assistance, energy/weatherization, housing, senior services, clinic care, and transit to income-eligible households across seven core southeastern Minnesota counties, funded primarily by federal and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rushford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from federal and state government programs including Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Office of Head Start, Energy Assistance Program, and weatherization assistance programs.
2. Donations: Individual donations, corporate donations, and matching gift programs. The organization receives donations from community members and businesses like Bell Lumber & Pole for specific county assistance.
3. Program Fees: Some services charge nominal fees. Senior Dining participants who can pay are charged $4 per meal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Semcac is a nonprofit community action agency that provides comprehensive social services to income-eligible individuals and families across southeastern Minnesota. Its core offerings include food security programs (Food Shelves, Senior Dining, Meals on Wheels), energy assistance (Energy Assistance Program, Weatherization, Community Solar), housing assistance (homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, rental property, home repair loans), public transportation (Rolling Hills Transit, volunteer driver program), early childhood education (Head Start, Early Head Start), a reproductive health clinic, and senior advocacy and caregiver support services.

Product overview

Semcac is a nonprofit community action agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of social services to southeastern Minnesota. Rather than a unified technology product, it operates as a coordinated service organization providing distinct programs including: food security services (Food Shelves, Senior Dining, Meals on Wheels), energy assistance (Energy Assistance Program, Community Solar Program, Weatherization Program), housing services (Housing & Shelter, Home Repair Loan Programs), transportation (Rolling Hills Transit, Rolling Hills Mobility, Volunteer Driver Program), early childhood education (Head Start, Early Head Start), healthcare (Semcac Clinic), and advocacy programs. These programs are administered through multiple county offices and are designed to serve low-income individuals, seniors, children, and families across Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Steele, and Winona counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rolling Hills Transit: Transportation program providing bus services, volunteer driver programs, and medical transportation across southeastern Minnesota.
• Rolling Hills Volunteers

Products and services

• Food Shelves

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 1,284 households with 355,412 pounds of food through food shelves
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hiawatha Valley Mental Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Semcac Clinic and Winona County office relocated to Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center building to support growing partnership. Co-location enables integrated service delivery.
• Hunger Solutions MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSemcac is a member of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, eligible for grant funds through the Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless challenge.
• United Way of Freeborn CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Connect events and collaborative efforts to address poverty and homelessness.
• Freeborn County Homeless Response TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on housing assistance and homeless prevention initiatives in Freeborn County.
• Xcel EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationXcel Energy is the utility provider for Community Solar Garden Program, allowing participants to receive bill credits through utility-combined billing.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mahube-Otwa Community Action Partnership: Central Minnesota CAA offering Head Start, energy, housing, food, and transportation services across rural counties. Direct programmatic peer with overlapping state and federal funding streams and a similar county-based service model.
• Tri-County Community Action Partnership: Minnesota CAA delivering a comparable portfolio of Head Start, energy assistance, food shelves, and senior services in rural counties. Shares the tripartite governance and Community Services Block Grant funding model.
• Rolling Hills Transit (subsidiary peer): Semcac's own transportation subsidiary, comparable in scale and rural operating model to other MnDOT-funded small public transit operators in greater Minnesota (e.g., River Bend Transit, Hiawathaland Transit).
• Three Rivers Community Action: Minnesota Community Action Agency serving a comparable rural region with the same mix of Head Start, energy assistance, food, housing, and transportation programs. Operates under the same federal CSBG framework and tripartite board structure, making it Semcac's closest functional peer.
• Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties: Twin Cities-area CAA providing Head Start, energy assistance, weatherization, food, and housing services. Same CAA designation and federal funding streams; larger urban-scale operations offer a useful comparator on growth potential.
• Lakes & Pines Community Action Council: Minnesota CAA serving east-central counties with comparable Head Start, energy assistance, weatherization, food shelf, and senior services. Same funding sources (CSBG, Head Start, EAP) and same rural service-delivery model as Semcac.

Broad incumbents

• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota: Large statewide social services nonprofit offering Head Start, food, housing, and senior programs across Minnesota. Larger scale and broader portfolio but overlapping service categories and similar funding sources.
• People Incorporated Behavioral Health Services: Minnesota-based nonprofit providing social services to people with disabilities and seniors, including housing and case management. Overlaps with Semcac on senior support and housing programs but operates at broader geographic scale.

Others

• Hunger Solutions Minnesota: Statewide anti-hunger nonprofit that channels grant funds to member food shelves including Semcac's. Functions as an ecosystem/funder rather than direct service competitor, but operates in the same food-security value chain.
• Channel One Food Bank: Regional food bank that supplies Semcac's food shelves (Rushford, Preston, Caledonia, Kasson). Upstream supplier/partner in the food security ecosystem rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/semcac-family-planning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Semcac