WACOSA

What WACOSA does

WACOSA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1963 and headquartered in Waite Park, Minnesota, serving adults with cognitive and/or physical disabilities across Central Minnesota. The organization delivers a portfolio of vocational rehabilitation and community integration programs — including Employment Development Services, Planning Services, Community Employment Services, Organization Employment Services, School-to-Work Transition, Autism Spectrum Disorder services, and Day Support/CADI/Brain Injury Waiver services — across five program locations in Waite Park, St. Cloud, and Sauk Centre. WACOSA operates two core social enterprises that double as training environments: ThriftWorks!, a retail thrift store selling donated clothing, accessories, household goods, and furniture; and DocuShred, an NAID AAA-certified document destruction service offering pickup and drop-off shredding to businesses and individuals. Business solutions include contract staffing, assembly, packaging, kitting, and labeling services, with over 100 area businesses working with WACOSA annually. Connect Academy, a virtual class program for adaptive activities (yoga, dance, theater, gaming, music), extends service delivery beyond physical sites.

The organization is funded through a mix of revenue streams: government waivers and reimbursements (Minnesota DHS, DEED, Vocational Rehabilitation, county contracts), social enterprise revenue from ThriftWorks! and DocuShred, business outsourcing and staffing service contracts, charitable donations (online, planned giving, matching gifts), and foundation grants (including the Shavlik Family Foundation). WACOSA holds CARF accreditation, Minnesota Department of Human Services licensing, DEED certification, and DocuShred holds NAID AAA certification. Pricing is quote-based for business outsourcing, per-pound for DocuShred ($0.45/lb drop-off, $1.08/lb for pull-tabs), and most program services are funded through waivers/insurance rather than direct client fees.

The organization is led by Executive Director Nancy Betts and Director of Finance Traci McKinnon, with a Board of Directors chaired by Sandie Westergren. Marketing is community-led, leveraging chamber memberships across four local chambers, advocacy group partnerships, school district referrals, and direct employer outreach. There is no proprietary technology platform; the service model depends on in-person job coaching, supported employment, and social enterprise training environments. WACOSA is not an equity-eligible entity — it is a private nonprofit with no parent company, no venture capital backing, and no disclosed annual revenue.

Name

WACOSA

Legal name

WACOSA

Website

https://wacosa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WACOSA is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1963 that delivers vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and social enterprise programs (ThriftWorks!, DocuShred) to over 650 adults with disabilities across Central Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Vocational rehabilitation programs
• Social enterprise services
• Document destruction services
• Supported employment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Waite Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ThriftWorks! Retail Store: Social enterprise retail operation selling donated clothing, household goods, furniture and accessories. All proceeds benefit WACOSA programs serving adults with disabilities. The store also serves as a job training environment for program participants.
2. DocuShred Document Destruction Services: AAA-certified document destruction service offering secure shredding to businesses and individuals. Provides pickup and drop-off services. Revenue generated per pound for shredding services.
3. Business Outsourcing and Staffing Solutions: Provides contract labor, assembly, packaging, kitting, labeling, and staffing services to area businesses. Over 100 businesses work with WACOSA annually. Revenue generated through service contracts with business customers.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Accepts monetary donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Offers multiple giving options including online donations, planned giving, estate gifts, matching gifts, and recurring monthly giving. Funded in part by Shavlik Family Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WACOSA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1963 in Central Minnesota that provides vocational rehabilitation, employment, and life-enrichment services to adults with disabilities. It operates social enterprises — a thrift store (ThriftWorks!) and a document-shredding service (DocuShred) — that create integrated job-training opportunities for program participants while generating revenue to support the mission.

Product overview

WACOSA is a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive services for adults with disabilities across central Minnesota, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core service offering includes vocational rehabilitation programs (Employment Development Services, Planning Services, Community Employment Services, Organization Employment Services), specialized services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and brain injuries, and day support services. WACOSA operates social enterprises including DocuShred (document destruction), ThriftWorks! (thrift store retail training), and Connect Academy (virtual classes via Zoom). Business solutions include staffing assistance and outsourcing contract services. Programs are delivered through five locations in Waite Park, St. Cloud, and Sauk Centre, MN, with services licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and accredited by CARF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThriftWorks!: Local nonprofit thrift store that works with adults with disabilities to teach social/emotional skills and transferable employment skills in a retail environment.
• DocuShred
• Connect Academy

Products and services

• Employment Development Services (EDS) Person-centered vocational rehabilitation program that assesses strengths, develops job skills, and prepares adults with disabilities for integrated community employment.
• Employment Planning Services (EPS) Individualized planning and discovery services that identify employment goals, supports, and pathways for adults with disabilities seeking community-based work.
• Community Employment Services (CES) Job coaching and on-site supports that place and maintain adults with disabilities in community-based integrated employment positions with local employers.
• Organization Employment Services (OES) Enclave and crew-based work crews of program participants deployed to local businesses to perform contracted labor, supervised by WACOSA staff.
• School-to-Work Transition Bridge program supporting high-school-age students with disabilities as they transition from school into adult employment and community life.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services Specialized employment and day supports tailored for adults on the autism spectrum, with individualized strategies to build vocational and social skills.
• Day Support Services (CADI / BI / EW) Day-program services for adults with disabilities funded through the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), Brain Injury (BI), and Elderly Waiver (EW) programs, focused on community participation and skill-building.
• Opening Doors Employment Training Program Vocational training program that develops employability skills and provides paid work experience for adults with disabilities.
• Connect Academy Continuing-education and life-skills program that builds independence, soft skills, and community connections for adults with disabilities.
• WIOA Services Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-funded employment and training services that connect job seekers with disabilities to employers in Central Minnesota.
• DocuShred Secure on-site and drop-off document destruction service staffed by WACOSA program participants that provides fee-based shredding to local businesses and individuals.
• ThriftWorks! WACOSA-operated thrift store that generates revenue and creates vocational training and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.
• Staffing Your Business Staffing service that places WACOSA program participants and other job seekers with disabilities into jobs at area businesses.
• Outsourcing Solutions Contracted labor and outsourcing service in which WACOSA program participants perform work such as packaging, assembly, and cleaning for local businesses.
• WACOSA Wear Custom apparel and branded-merchandise program that produces and sells screen-printed and embroidered clothing to businesses and individuals.
• Senior Program Day and engagement services tailored to senior participants with disabilities, providing socialization, recreation, and community activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 650 adults with disabilities served annually
• +2 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Opportunity Partners: Opportunity Partners is a Minnesota-based nonprofit providing employment, day services, and residential support for people with disabilities. It operates social enterprises and community employment programs in close geographic proximity to WACOSA, sharing CARF accreditation, Minnesota DHS licensing, and a virtually identical employment services portfolio.
• Easterseals: Easterseals is a national nonprofit federation providing employment services, vocational rehabilitation, and community integration for adults with disabilities. The organization's service categories (employment development, community employment, autism services) overlap directly with WACOSA's program portfolio, delivered across a similar regional affiliate structure.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill is the largest nonprofit operating thrift stores, document shredding, and vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities and other barriers. WACOSA's ThriftWorks!, DocuShred, and Employment Services mirror Goodwill's social enterprise model almost exactly, with WACOSA operating the same integrated revenue-and-mission structure at a regional scale.
• ServiceSource: ServiceSource is a nonprofit providing employment, training, and community integration services for people with disabilities, operating across multiple states. Its business lines (staffing/outsourcing, vocational rehabilitation, community-based services) map directly to WACOSA's service portfolio, with comparable funding mix of Medicaid waivers and government contracts.
• The Arc of the United States: The Arc is a national disability advocacy and services organization providing employment support, case management, and community integration. The Arc affiliates deliver vocational and community-based services similar to WACOSA's program mix, and share a CARF-style accreditations model.
• SourceAmerica: SourceAmerica operates the AbilityOne program, a federal employment initiative for people with disabilities focused on staffing and contract services. Its model of placing workers with disabilities into business contracts (similar to WACOSA's business outsourcing) makes it a direct functional peer despite its national scale.

Regional players

• Maryhurst: Maryhurst is a Kentucky-based nonprofit serving children and adults with developmental disabilities through residential, vocational, and community programs. Its social enterprise operations (including janitorial and packaging services) follow the same integrated social enterprise model as WACOSA, in a different region.
• Bridgewell: Bridgewell is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing vocational, residential, and day services for individuals with disabilities and other challenges. Its Community Employment and Career Development programs closely mirror WACOSA's service offerings, though Bridgewell also includes behavioral health and addiction services not offered by WACOSA.

Emerging players

• Best Buddies International: Best Buddies operates employment programs placing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in competitive jobs, plus one-to-one friendship and leadership programs. While younger and more focused on mentoring, its employment pillar overlaps with WACOSA's Community Employment Services model and similar employer partnership strategy.

Broad incumbents

• AbilityOne Program: AbilityOne is a federal employment program for people with significant disabilities, contracting through SourceAmerica and National Industries for the Blind. While operating at much larger scale and with federal mandate, AbilityOne places workers with disabilities at federal and commercial sites, competing for the same employer relationships WACOSA cultivates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WACOSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/WACOSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wacosa
• Instagraminstagram.com/wacosamn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 WACOSA