United Methodist Children's Services

What United Methodist Children's Services does

United Methodist Children's Services is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization, founded in 1962 and operating under the community-facing brand "Rooted & Rising Washington Park." The organization delivers an integrated stack of human services to residents of the Washington Park neighborhood, a catchment area characterized by over 15% unemployment and approximately 50% of the population living below the poverty line. Its four program lines are: a Housing Program providing housing assistance and stability services; Growing Tree Children's Center offering early childhood education and childcare; a Community Food Center addressing food insecurity; and a Neighborhood Engagement Hub coordinating community outreach and engagement activities. All programs are delivered from a single community center at 3940 West Lisbon Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53208.

The business model is nonprofit grant- and donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Confirmed funding includes a grant from the Zilber Family Foundation (announced February 2, 2023). The organization augments direct funding with volunteer engagement, exemplified by a partnership with Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church, and conducts donor/volunteer recruitment through a Squarespace-hosted website, blog (with posts dated through August 2025), and email newsletter. There is no disclosed pricing model, no fee-for-service revenue, and no technology product offering; the entity does not publish revenue figures, audited financials, or headcount specifics beyond an 11-50 employee band.

Operationally, the organization runs as a small community-services nonprofit (11-50 employees, single site, single geographic segment) with no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity disclosed. Distribution is exclusively direct/in-person at the Washington Park community center. Marketing is community-outreach-led via website, newsletter, and on-site events. No AI/ML, API, or proprietary technology platforms are present; the technology footprint is limited to standard website and email infrastructure.

Name

United Methodist Children's Services

Website

https://umcs-wi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Methodist Children's Services (Rooted & Rising Washington Park) is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit founded in 1962 that delivers integrated housing, early childhood education, food assistance, and community engagement services to residents of the Washington Park neighborhood from a single community center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (6244), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Affordable housing assistance
• Early childhood education
• Food assistance programs
• Neighborhood outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

United Methodist Children's Services (operating as Rooted & Rising Washington Park) is a nonprofit community services organization that provides integrated programs in housing assistance, early childhood education and childcare, food assistance, and neighborhood engagement for residents of the Washington Park neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Services are delivered primarily through a community center located at 3940 West Lisbon Ave, with the goal of helping individuals and families meet basic needs, establish stable foundations, and build a thriving community.

Product overview

The organization provides community services through four interconnected programs: Housing Program offers housing assistance for stability; Growing Tree Children's Center provides early childhood education and childcare; Community Food Center addresses food insecurity; and Neighborhood Engagement Hub facilitates community outreach and engagement. These programs work together to help individuals and families meet basic needs, establish stable foundations, and build a nurturing, thriving community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Program
• Growing Tree Children's Center Early childhood education and childcare program providing childcare services for children in the Washington Park community of Milwaukee.
• Community Food Center Food center providing food programs and resources to address food insecurity in the Washington Park neighborhood of Milwaukee.
• Neighborhood Engagement Hub Neighborhood engagement activities and community outreach programs connecting Washington Park residents to resources and fostering community involvement.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Emmanuel Community United Methodist ChurchminorOthersChurch volunteers engage with Rooted & Rising through community service activities. Testimonial quotes highlight positive volunteer experiences working alongside staff and witnessing community impact.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• COA Youth & Family Centers: Milwaukee-based non-profit delivering integrated youth, family, and community services including early childhood education, food support, and family stabilization—directly comparable multi-service community model in the same metro.
• Hunger Task Force: Milwaukee-based non-profit dedicated to alleviating hunger via food centers and distribution—directly comparable to UMCS's Community Food Center program in both mission and geography.
• Social Development Commission: Wisconsin's largest Community Action Agency providing housing, energy, food, and early childhood services to low-income residents—overlapping program mix and target population in the same region.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee: Non-profit providing youth development, education, and basic-needs programming to children and families in Milwaukee, including early childhood and community engagement—closely comparable mission and beneficiary base.
• Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity: Local affiliate providing housing assistance, stability support, and neighborhood revitalization in Milwaukee—directly comparable to UMCS's Housing Program for target population and geography.

Regional players

• Hope House of Milwaukee: Milwaukee non-profit providing shelter, food, and basic-needs services to families and individuals facing hardship—comparable service portfolio for a similar low-income target population.
• YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin: Regional non-profit offering housing, childcare, advocacy, and family services in the Milwaukee area, sharing both the service portfolio and the low-income family target population.

Others

• Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council: Regional advocacy and service organization focused on housing access and stability for low-income residents, complementing UMCS's housing program and sharing the Washington Park/Milwaukee service area.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County: Regional funder and convener of health and human services non-profits in the Milwaukee area, sharing the same beneficiary population and frequently serving as a grant-making channel for organizations like UMCS.
• Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin: Large regional non-profit providing workforce, housing, and community services to disadvantaged populations, operating at significantly greater scale but with overlapping program categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/umcswi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-methodist-children-s-services-of-wi-umcs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 United Methodist Children's Services