What EP!C does

EP!C is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1950 and headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, that provides a comprehensive portfolio of human services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across 15 counties in Central and Southern Illinois. Its service architecture spans four integrated domains: residential services (Host Homes, group homes, supported living), health care (two licensed Behavioral Health Clinics and Applied Behavior Analysis delivered by Board Certified Behavioral Analysts), employment services (Job Placement, EP!C Career Center using the PAES Lab for career assessment, Community Day Services), and education (Transition Services, Post-Secondary courses at Illinois Central College, and the EP!Casso art program). Direct Support Professionals comprise 56% of the 251–500 person workforce, and EP!C holds CQL Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation and HFS licensure for its behavioral health operations.

EP!C's revenue model is dominated by government funding, with approximately 90% of operating budget tied to Medicaid waivers, DHS funding, and other state and federal programs; the remaining ~10% is composed of individual donations, monthly giving, planned giving, third-party fundraisers, and a strategically invested EP!C Foundation endowment with named funds requiring $25,000+ gifts. Signature fundraising events such as Bon Appétit (over $2M raised in 14 years, 500+ attendees), the EP!C Golf Outing, the UTSAV Diwali Gala, and EP!C Night at the Ballpark supplement recurring grants. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: individuals connect with Independent Service Coordinators who submit referral packets, and the EP!C admissions team guides them through service selection. Customer segments include adults with I/DD (primary), their families and guardians, Illinois employers seeking inclusive workers (95+ inclusive employment partners including Hy-Vee, Walgreens, FedEx, and CarleHealth), and school districts referring students for transition services.

The technology stack is operational rather than product-led: ADP Workforce Now for HR, Square for the EP!Casso online art shop, OneCause for event ticketing, and the third-party PAES Lab for career assessment at the Career Center. EP!C operates from a Peoria headquarters on Townline Road, a secondary Pioneer Parkway office housing the second BHC and Job Placement team, and a Springfield office. Leadership is headed by President & CEO Kim Cornwell, with a C-suite including a CFO, CHRO, CSO, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Program Officer. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and a separate EP!C Foundation Board of Trustees, and there is no private equity, venture capital, or external ownership interest.

Name

EP!C

Legal name

EP!C

Website

https://epicci.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

EP!C is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1950 in Peoria, Illinois, providing residential, behavioral health, employment, and education services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across 15 Illinois counties, with ~90% of its operating budget from state and federal funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Human Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs (EDAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Developmental disability services
• Residential support services
• Behavioral health services
• Inclusive employment programs
• Community living support

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (State/Federal): Approximately 90% of operating budget is tied directly to state and federal funding. This includes Medicaid waiver services, DHS funding, and other government programs for developmental disability services.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, monthly giving programs, planned giving, and third-party fundraisers support EP!C programs.
3. EP!C Foundation Endowment: Strategically invested funds held in perpetuity with prescribed distributions supporting EP!C operations. Includes named endowment funds requiring $25,000+ gifts.
4. Event Revenue (Bon Appétit, Golf Outing, Night at the Ballpark): Signature fundraising events including the annual Bon Appétit culinary event (15 years running, 500+ guests) and golf outings generate program funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EP!C is a nonprofit human services organization that delivers integrated programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across 15 Illinois counties. Core offerings span residential living (Host Homes, Community Living, Supported Living), behavioral health and ABA services through licensed clinics, employment services (Job Placement and Career Center), day programs, post-secondary transition education, and the EP!Casso art program. Funding is approximately 90% state/federal with supplemental donations, grants, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

EP!C is a nonprofit organization (not a traditional tech company) providing a comprehensive portfolio of human services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The organization operates as a unified service provider rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core programs span four integrated domains: (1) Residential Services including Host Homes, Community Living (group homes, apartments), and Supported Living; (2) Health Care including Behavioral Health Clinics and ABA services; (3) Employment Services including Job Placement, EP!C Career Center, and Community Day Services; and (4) Education including Transition Services, Post Secondary courses, and EP!Casso art program. Additional programs include the Harvest agriculture program and Special Olympics Bulldogs basketball team. EP!C serves individuals across 15 counties in Illinois from headquarters in Peoria and additional locations in Springfield and Swansea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EP!Casso: EP!C's art program offering opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore art in its diverse forms. It is the only program in the area offering extensive arts education to adults with I/DD.
• Bon Appétit
• Wellness Center

Products and services

• Host Homes Program Matches adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to contracted host families in community settings, providing residential support in the least restrictive environment. One of the largest host home programs in Illinois, serving 15 counties for over 40 years. Providers receive per diem rates averaging approximately $25,000 annually.
• Community Living Services Residential options including group homes with 24-hour care, apartment living for those needing less support, host home placements, and supportive living services providing up to 15 hours per week of in-home support for adults with I/DD.
• Behavioral Health Clinic Operates two licensed Behavioral Health Clinics providing outpatient mental health treatment, counseling, therapy, case management, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for individuals with I/DD and mental health needs. Delivered under LCSW/LPHA clinical leadership.
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services Specialized ABA services delivered by Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) using scientific behavior analysis principles to improve daily living activities, workforce skills, and communication for individuals with I/DD.
• Job Placement Services Matches individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to local businesses for employment. Provides pre-employment training, job matching, and ongoing job coaching support. Partners with 95+ inclusive employers including Hy-Vee, Walgreens, Anytime Fitness, FedEx, CarleHealth, Maui Jim, and others. Over 100 individuals placed in jobs.
• EP!C Career Center Workforce preparation center offering career coaching, skills assessments using the PAES Lab (Practical Assessment Exploration System), job readiness workshops, resume building, interview preparation, and job search support for individuals with cognitive differences. Supports 145 employees at 95 inclusive employment partners.
• Community Day Services Day programming including life skills education, vocational/work skills training, health and wellness education, community engagement activities, and EP!Casso art classes for adults with I/DD.
• Transition Services Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving individuals across 15 counties in Illinois for over 75 years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Heart of Illinois United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1955EP!C became a United Way partner in 1955 and has been working with United Way to help people in Central Illinois. United Way provides funding support and volunteer referrals. EP!C posts volunteer opportunities with United Way's platform.
• Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCQL has been a leader in raising the bar for human service organizations for over 40 years. EP!C was awarded the four-year CQL Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation in June 2014, recognizing the shared vision to improve quality of services using person-centered solutions.
• iSTEAM Studio / Jyoti PatelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide coding and programming classes for EP!C individuals through the Career Center. Eight participants attend twice weekly to learn video game design, robotics, and programming languages.
• Peoria Punjabi AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated $1,100 from Bhangra Night event to support weekly tuition for the EP!C/iSTEAM coding program for individuals supported by EP!C.
• EnterpriseminorOthersEnterprise provides van leasing with maintenance agreements for EP!C's fleet of 10 new 7-passenger vans, enabling transportation for individuals to appointments, volunteer opportunities, and social activities.
• Heart of Illinois United Way (Volunteer Platform)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEP!C posts volunteer opportunities through United Way's volunteer matching platform, enabling community members to find and sign up for volunteer roles at EP!C.
• Illinois Central CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver post-secondary education courses for EP!C transition students on ICC's Peoria and Pekin campuses. EP!C instructors teach vocational courses including culinary arts, construction, floral design, customer service, and healthcare.
• Apostolic Christian LifePointsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative healthcare partnership providing disability-focused elective for medical students in partnership with University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria.
• University of Illinois College of Medicine PeoriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide disability-focused elective for medical students, helping future practitioners become more well-rounded in supporting patients with disabilities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clearbrook: Illinois-based nonprofit serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, day, employment, and behavioral health services — a closely comparable integrated I/DD services model to EP!C.
• Aspire (Illinois): Illinois-based nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities across residential, employment, and day programs. Directly comparable in geography and integrated service portfolio.
• The MENTOR Network: National I/DD services provider; EP!C acquired a portion of its Illinois MENTOR operations in 2019, evidencing direct service-line overlap and competitive market positioning.
• Mosaic: National nonprofit providing residential, employment, behavioral health, and day services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities — directly comparable integrated model to EP!C.
• Penn-Mar Human Services: Regional nonprofit providing integrated I/DD services (residential, vocational, day programs, behavioral supports) with a similar multi-program, mission-driven operating model.
• Ray Graham Association: Illinois-based nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, employment, and community-based programs — a directly comparable regional peer.
• UCP Seguin of Illinois: Illinois-based nonprofit providing services to people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, including residential, employment, and day programs — a comparable Illinois I/DD service provider.
• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois: Large Illinois human services nonprofit offering disability services, behavioral health, and community-based programs — overlapping service lines and geographic footprint with EP!C.

Broad incumbents

• BrightSpring Health Services: Large diversified publicly traded home and community-based services provider with substantial I/DD and behavioral health service lines — a much larger scaled incumbent operating in adjacent service categories.

Others

• The Arc of Illinois: Statewide advocacy organization advancing rights and services for the I/DD population — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EPICcentralIL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EPICci
• Facebookfacebook.com/epiccentralillinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ep-c
• Instagraminstagram.com/epiccentralillinois

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 EP!C