Douglass Community Services

What Douglass Community Services does

Douglass Community Services, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit human services agency headquartered at 711 Grand Avenue, Hannibal, Missouri. Founded in 1969 as Douglass Community Center under the Second Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the organization was established to address prejudice and poverty in Northeast Missouri and has since expanded its service area to eight counties: Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Lewis, Pike, Shelby, Macon, and Randolph. The agency is led by CEO Stephanie Cooper, CFO Alan Wilkerson, and CHRO Kellie Dietrich, with a board of directors chaired by Mary Gibbons and employs approximately 140 staff.

The organization delivers a portfolio of community programs operated as a unified wraparound services platform. Core programs include Head Start/Early Head Start (early childhood education for children ages 0–5 and pregnant women/teens), CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for foster children in the 10th Judicial Circuit), Kids In Motion (pre-employment summer program for grades 5–6), Emergency Food Pantry, USDA TEFAP commodities, USDA Senior Food boxes (in partnership with Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri), Care Closet, the Nifty Thrifty thrift store, Foster Grandparents (AmeriCorps Seniors program), Housing Services, and Emergency Utility Assistance. Programs are delivered through center-based locations, home visits, community partnerships, and a brick-and-mortar retail storefront at 302 Broadway. Key operational partnerships include the Marine Corps Foundation (Toys for Tots, serving 1,300+ children annually) and the Hannibal Board of Public Works Project Share-NCare program.

Revenue is derived primarily from federal and state grants (Head Start, USDA TEFAP, State and Federal housing/utility assistance), supplemented by individual and business donations and modest retail sales from the Nifty Thrifty store. The organization administers over $10 million annually in combined funds, with payroll exceeding $3.3 million plus benefits over $1.128 million. The technology stack is non-proprietary — service delivery relies on people-intensive operations supported by a website (douglassonline.org) and a third-party Head Start enrollment portal (ChildPlus.net). There are no proprietary technology platforms, apps, APIs, patents, or AI/ML systems; the organization's competitive position rests on grant eligibility, community trust, and 55+ years of operational continuity rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Douglass Community Services

Legal name

Douglass Community Services, Inc.

Website

https://douglassonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Douglass Community Services is a private nonprofit human services agency founded in 1969 in Hannibal, Missouri, administering over $10M annually across Head Start, CASA, food, housing, and senior volunteer programs for low-income families and individuals across eight Northeast Missouri counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Human Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Community human services
• Food assistance programs
• Housing stability services
• Child advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hannibal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Douglass Community Services operates primarily as a grant-funded nonprofit organization receiving federal and state funding to administer programs including Head Start, housing assistance, and community outreach services. The organization administers over $10 million annually in combined funds.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts financial donations from individuals and businesses to support program operations, including capital campaigns for facility improvements and general program funding.
3. Retail Sales (Nifty Thrifty Store): The Nifty Thrifty clothing store generates modest revenue through sales of donated clothing and household items at reasonable prices. The store also provides free items to clients in need.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Douglass Community Services operates Head Start and Early Head Start early childhood education programs, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for foster children, emergency food assistance and USDA commodity distributions, the Nifty Thrifty affordable clothing store, Housing and Utility Assistance programs, the Kids In Motion youth development program, and the Foster Grandparents senior volunteer program. Services are delivered across eight counties in Northeast Missouri through center-based locations, home visits, and partner sites, administered through more than $10 million in combined annual funds.

Product overview

Douglass Community Services is a private, not-for-profit human services agency offering a portfolio of community support programs. The organization operates as a unified social services provider with multiple interconnected programs including Head Start/Early Head Start (early childhood education), CASA (child advocacy), Kids In Motion (youth development), food assistance programs (Emergency Food Pantry, USDA Commodities, USDA Senior Food, Care Closet), clothing assistance (Nifty Thrifty Store), Foster Grandparents (senior volunteer program), Housing Services, and emergency utility assistance. These programs work together to address community needs ranging from early childhood education to food security to housing stability, with the mission to build 'strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start / Early Head Start The nation's premier early childhood education program working with whole families to break the cycle of poverty, providing educational experiences for children ages 0-5 and support for pregnant women and teens who are income-eligible. Services are provided at no cost.
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program that trains adult volunteers to advocate for children in foster care, speaking to the court for the best needs of the child and providing mentorship until the child is reunited with family or receives permanent placement. Serves Marion, Monroe, and Ralls Counties.
• Kids In Motion

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,300 children served annually through Toys for Tots partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Food Bank of Central and Northeast MissouricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to distribute USDA Senior Food boxes monthly to persons over age 60 who are income eligible in Marion and Ralls County. The Food Bank provides the food supply while Douglass Community Services handles local distribution to seniors.
• Marine Corps FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring Toys for Tots program to Northeast Missouri, providing Christmas gifts to over 1,300 children annually. Douglass Community Services coordinates local toy distribution while the Marine Corps Foundation provides the toy inventory.
• Hannibal Board of Public Works (HBPW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HBPW Project Share-NCare program to provide assistance with housing and utility expenses for households at-risk of homelessness in Marion and Ralls counties.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Northeast Community Action Corporation (NECAC): NECAC is a multi-county Community Action Agency serving Northeast Missouri with Head Start, weatherization, housing, and emergency services. Directly comparable multi-program nonprofit operating in the same rural Missouri geography.
• Green Hills Community Action Agency: Missouri-based community action agency providing Head Start, food assistance, housing, and community services across north-central counties. Closely comparable mission, funding model, and service portfolio.
• East Missouri Action Agency: Community Action Agency serving southeast Missouri with CSBG, Head Start, weatherization, and emergency assistance programs. Comparable multi-county wraparound service delivery model.
• Missouri Valley Community Action Agency: Missouri-headquartered community action agency administering Head Start, weatherization, housing, and family development programs across multiple counties. Directly comparable service mix and funding model.
• Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri: Child-focused nonprofit serving the same Northeast Missouri region with abuse prevention and child advocacy services. Directly comparable CASA-adjacent mission and geographic footprint.

Regional players

• United Way of Northeast Missouri: Regional United Way serving several of the same counties as Douglass. Comparable community fundraising-and-allocation model and donor base in shared territory.
• YMCA of Hannibal, MO: Community-serving nonprofit operating youth programs, childcare, and family services in the same Hannibal market. Comparable local community anchor role with overlapping youth/family services.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of Missouri: Statewide faith-based social services organization providing housing, food, refugee, and family support across Missouri. Comparable service categories but broader geographic and programmatic scope.
• Salvation Army: National nonprofit providing emergency assistance, food, housing, and case management. Comparable emergency aid and family stability programs but at national scale with different operating model.

Others

• National Head Start Association: Membership and advocacy organization for Head Start programs nationwide. Indirect peer via shared program model, useful as a sector context and policy advocacy channel rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Douglass Community Services