Community Action Agency of Somerville

What Community Action Agency of Somerville does

Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 and headquartered at 66-70 Union Square, Suite 104, Somerville, Massachusetts. It is the federally designated Community Action Agency for the City of Somerville and operates four core programs: a free Head Start preschool serving 296 children across Somerville and Cambridge, a Housing Advocacy Program that prevented 95 evictions in its most recent reporting year, a Community Organizing & Advocacy program focused on tenant empowerment and anti-displacement work, and a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that has returned over $730,000 in refunds since 2019. Annual reach is approximately 600 families across all programs.

CAAS is funded through a multi-source nonprofit revenue model with no fees charged to clients. Primary inflows are federal grants from the Office of Head Start (Grant 01CH012946-01-00) and the Office of Community Services (Grant SCOCD42002560BG04000) within HHS/ACF, City of Somerville appropriations (including a $1 million ARPA allocation for the Somerville Cares Fund 2.0 and administration of the MBTA Pass Pilot Program distributing 500 free transit passes), individual donations (including the Neighbors Helping Neighbors recurring giving campaign launched August 2024), and annual fundraising events. Supplemental programs include the Leadership Development Institute, the Somerville Renters Committee, and the Good Food For All SNAP-doubling partnership with Union Square Main Streets.

The organization is governed by a community board (currently presided over by Jordan Harris, succeeding Kate Byrne and Kristin Haas) and led by Executive Director David Gibbs (seven-year tenure). The go-to-market motion is community-led: services are accessed through partner-agency referrals, grassroots outreach, multilingual staff (English, Spanish, Portuguese), and direct delivery at the Union Square office and distributed Head Start sites. CAAS employs 51–100 staff and received The Somerville Times Best Non-Profit Agency 2024 reader's-choice award.

Name

Community Action Agency of Somerville

Legal name

Community Action Agency of Somerville Inc

Website

https://caasomerville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Community Action Agency of Somerville is a federally designated 501(c)(3) anti-poverty nonprofit founded in 1981 that provides free Head Start preschool, housing advocacy, community organizing, and tax-preparation services to roughly 600 low-income families annually in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Action and Social Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Therapy (ABA/ESDM/Positive Behavior Support) (EDACAFAE), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Anti-poverty services
• Early childhood education
• Housing advocacy
• Community organizing
• Free tax preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants: CAAS receives federal funding from Office of Head Start and Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Individual Donations: Donations from individual community members supporting anti-poverty work, including the Neighbors Helping Neighbors recurring donation campaign.
3. City of Somerville Funding: Funding from the City of Somerville for programs including MBTA Pass Pilot Program, Somerville Cares Fund 2.0, and affordable housing initiatives.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including dinner fundraisers, danceathons, and the 40th anniversary celebration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAAS is the federally designated anti-poverty agency for Somerville, providing free social services to approximately 600 low-income families annually across Somerville and Cambridge. Its core offerings are four programs: Head Start free preschool for children ages three to five, a Housing Advocacy Program that prevents evictions through landlord and district court advocacy, a Community Organizing & Advocacy program that trains tenants and pushes for policy change, and a free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax preparation program.

Product overview

Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) is a federally designated anti-poverty agency offering a portfolio of social service programs rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include: Head Start (free comprehensive preschool program), Housing Advocacy Program (eviction prevention and housing assistance), Community Organizing & Advocacy Program (tenant empowerment and social change organizing), and Free Tax Preparation through the VITA program. Additional programs include the MBTA Pass Pilot Program (free transit passes), Somerville Cares Fund 2.0 (emergency financial assistance), Leadership Development Institute (tenant advocacy training), and the Somerville Renters Committee (tenant advocacy coalition). Programs are funded through federal grants, city partnerships, and private donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Free comprehensive preschool and childcare program promoting children's education and development through early learning, health, and family well-being services for children ages three to five in classrooms located throughout Somerville and Cambridge.
• Housing Advocacy Program (HAP) Provides a wide range of services to low-income individuals at risk of homelessness, including preventing evictions through advocacy with landlords and in district court, and maximizing income by improving access to public benefits.
• Community Organizing & Advocacy Program Works to eliminate root causes of economic injustice by engaging low-income residents in collectively pushing for social change, providing support, resources, and education on tenant empowerment.
• Free Tax Preparation (VITA Program) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program providing free tax preparation assistance to help reduce tax burden and help families get back refunds to build savings or pay off debts. Since inception in 2019, has returned over $730,000 in refunds.
• MBTA Pass Pilot Program Partnership with the City of Somerville distributing 500 free year-long transit passes to low-income residents to improve transportation access for economic opportunity.
• Somerville Cares Fund 2.0 Emergency financial assistance providing up to $2,000 to low-income households for food, clothing, utilities, childcare, healthcare costs, and other necessities.
• Leadership Development Institute Tri-lingual workshop series preparing Somerville tenants to become strong advocates in the community, having helped prepare two cohorts of tenant leaders.
• Somerville Renters Committee Multiracial and multilingual group of tenant leaders organized by CAAS to build collective power and lead calls for local policy transformation on housing justice.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Union Square Main StreetscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2024Partnership with Union Square Main Streets on the Good Food For All program, which doubles SNAP buying power at Somerville Farmers Markets up to $15/week, helping families access fresh, healthy, affordable food.
• City of SomervillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Close partnership with the City of Somerville including administration of MBTA Pass Pilot Program (500 free transit passes), Somerville Cares Fund 2.0 ($1 million in ARPA funding), and coordination on housing stability initiatives through the Office of Housing Stability.
• Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)coreOthersMIRA provides Know Your Rights materials and resources for immigrant and refugee communities in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
• Massachusetts Office for Refugees and ImmigrantsminorOthersState agency providing resources and information for immigrant and refugee communities.
• Office of Head StartcoreOthersFederal funding source for Head Start program through Grant Number 01CH012946-01-00 from the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Office of Community ServicescoreOthersFederal funding through Grant Number SCOCD42002560BG04000 from the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families.
• Union UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partner in anti-displacement work and housing justice organizing, co-sponsored the GLX press conference.
• Somerville Stands TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partner in housing justice initiatives.
• City Life / Vida UrbanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partner in housing justice and anti-displacement work.
• Boston Liberation CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partner in housing justice organizing.
• Union Square Neighborhood CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolidarity partner in anti-displacement and housing justice work.
• Somerville Homeless CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for housing stability and homelessness prevention, collaborated on tenant advocacy cases.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): ABCD is the largest community action agency in New England, operating Head Start, housing, workforce, and anti-poverty programs across Greater Boston. Directly comparable to CAAS in service mix, federal-grant funding model, and community action designation.
• Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC): CEOC is the anti-poverty community action agency for Cambridge, MA, providing case management, housing stability, and food assistance. Operates CAAS's geographic neighbor with a nearly identical program portfolio and target population.
• Community Action Programs Inter-City (CAPIC): CAPIC is a community action agency serving Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, MA with Head Start, fuel assistance, and emergency services. Closely mirrors CAAS in funding sources (federal CSBG/Head Start) and core service mix.
• Somerville Homeless Coalition: Somerville Homeless Coalition provides housing stabilization, shelter, and homelessness prevention services in CAAS's primary service area. An existing CAAS partner and direct peer in the housing advocacy vertical.
• Heading Home: Heading Home provides housing and homelessness services across Greater Boston, including prevention and rapid re-housing. Directly comparable to CAAS's Housing Advocacy Program in mission and target population.
• City Life / Vida Urbana: City Life/Vida Urbana is a Greater Boston tenant organizing and housing justice organization. Directly comparable to CAAS's Community Organizing program, with which CAAS is already a solidarity partner.

Broad incumbents

• Metro Housing|Boston: Metro Housing|Boston is a larger regional housing organization operating rental assistance, housing search, and homelessness prevention across Greater Boston. Comparable to CAAS's Housing Advocacy Program but with broader geographic scope and federal housing voucher administration.
• United Way of Massachusetts Bay: United Way of Massachusetts Bay is a large regional funder and convener of social services across Greater Boston. A broader funder/incumbent in the same anti-poverty space that CAAS occupies, often supporting CAAS-adjacent programs.

Regional players

• Project Bread: Project Bread is the leading Massachusetts anti-hunger organization, operating food access and SNAP outreach statewide. Adjacent to CAAS's family services and benefits enrollment work, with a broader statewide mission.

Emerging players

• MIRA Coalition: Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition provides state-wide advocacy and resources for immigrants. Already a CAAS partner supplying Know Your Rights materials; comparable in immigrant-services mission though broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caasomerville
• Xx.com/caasomerville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-action-agency-of-somerville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Action Agency of Somerville