StepUp Ministry

What StepUp Ministry does

StepUp Ministry, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 1701 Oberlin Road in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 1988 to deliver employment and life-skills training to adults in Wake County facing barriers such as prior justice involvement, housing instability, recovery challenges, and limited work history. Its service model is structured as a three-step pathway: the Employment Academy (resume, interview, and networking preparation), the Life Skills Academy (the 48-week "Empower 48" curriculum covering budgeting, credit restoration, goal-setting, emotional health, and relationships), and the Next Steps Academy (ongoing professional development and alumni support). Parallel programming includes the Youth & Young Adult Academy (with the Real World Program for ages 16-21) and a Children's Program serving ages 0-16, enabling simultaneous wraparound support for parents and their children.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: participants are referred through NC Works, healthcare providers, churches, social service agencies, and alumni word-of-mouth, while employers (255+ businesses) provide a downstream placement pipeline. There is no proprietary technology platform; the core "technology" is the human-service academy model itself, augmented by 307 annual volunteers and a formal 30+ organization partner ecosystem for wraparound services (housing, transportation, childcare, legal, behavioral health). All participant services are delivered free of charge.

StepUp is funded through a diversified revenue model comprising individual donations, corporate sponsorships, government grants (including a $550,000 Wake County Community Capital Grant awarded in 2025), and planned giving via the Bright Futures Planned Giving Society. The organization is currently running the Rooted & Rising capital campaign, targeting $7.5 million to construct a new 9,500-square-foot facility projected to 5x participant capacity to roughly 1,000 individuals per week. As of FY2025, participants earned an average of $16.79/hour (above the local poverty wage) and program intakes rose 55% year-over-year, with nearly 750 individuals and families engaged. CEO Colisha C. Stanford leads the organization with an executive team including a CFO, COO, CDO, and Chief Outreach Officer.

Name

StepUp Ministry

Legal name

StepUp Ministry, Inc.

Website

https://stepupministry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

StepUp Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 in Raleigh, North Carolina that provides free employment training, life-skills education, and wraparound family services to adults facing employment barriers and their children in Wake County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services and Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Workforce development programs
• Employment training services
• Life skills education
• Community nonprofit services
• Social services ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute to support StepUp's programs. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsors invest in StepUp programming through financial support, volunteerism, or in-kind donations. Sponsors are recognized on the website, social media, and at the annual Impact Luncheon.
3. Government Grants: StepUp receives government funding, including a $550,000 Wake County Community Capital Grant for the Rooted & Rising facility expansion.
4. Planned Giving: The Bright Futures Planned Giving Society accepts legacy gifts to support future generations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

StepUp Ministry operates a whole-family, wraparound model of free social service programs structured as a three-step pathway: the Employment Academy for resume building, interviewing, and job placement; the Life Skills Academy (Empower 48, a 48-week curriculum) covering budgeting, credit restoration, emotional health, and relationship skills; and the Next Steps Academy for continued alumni support. Parallel programming includes the Youth & Young Adult Academy (with the Real World Program for ages 16-21), and a Children's Program for ages 0-16 with age-specific tracks (Baby and Little Steps, Middle Ground, Teen Talk) operating while parents are in programming.

Product overview

StepUp Ministry offers a whole-family, wraparound model of social service programs structured as a three-step pathway: Employment Academy for job training and placement, Life Skills Academy (a 48-week Empower 48 program) for financial literacy and personal development, and Next Steps Academy for continued professional development and alumni support. Parallel programming includes the Youth & Young Adult Academy with the Real World Program for ages 16-21, and a Children's Program for ages 0-16 with age-specific tracks (Baby and Little Steps, Middle Ground, Teen Talk). All programs are designed to address employment, life skills, and family stability together, creating alignment between parents and children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Academy A program that helps participants improve their resume, interviewing, and networking skills to find a job they like and keep it. Part of a three-step pathway that progresses into the Life Skills Academy and Next Steps Academy. Designed for adults seeking employment who face barriers to work.
• Life Skills Academy (Empower 48) A 48-week program (also called Empower 48) that teaches budgeting, goal setting, credit restoration, emotional management, and relationship skills to help participants create stability. Children ages 0-5 attend Baby and Little Steps Programs; children ages 5-15 attend Middle Ground and Teen Talk Programs while parents are enrolled.
• Next Steps Academy A program offering continued professional development, ongoing coaching, leadership development, and community support for alumni to stay supported and connected throughout their journey after completing Employment Academy and Life Skills Academy.
• Youth & Young Adult Academy Programs for young people including the Real World Program for ages 16-21, which blends life skills training with career and educational support, focusing on financial literacy, social-emotional learning, and job skill development.
• Real World Program A free weekly program for young adults ages 16 to 21 that blends life skills training with career and educational support. Covers Money Smarts (banking, saving, taxes), Lifelong Learning, Social & Emotional Learning, and Work Smarts (resume writing, interviewing, work ethic).
• Children's Program Childcare and life skills training for children from birth to age 16 while their parents are enrolled in the Life Skills Program. Includes Baby and Little Steps Programs (ages 0-5), Middle Ground and Teen Talk Programs (ages 5-15), with opportunities for homework help, arts exposure, etiquette, and structured activities.
• Alumni Program Ongoing support and community for StepUp graduates, including leadership development, alumni events, and continued connection through the StepUp community.

Quantifiable outcome

• FY2025 participants earned an average of $16.79 per hour, above local poverty wage
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and minor.

• Alliance Medical MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health partner providing services to StepUp participants and families.
• NC WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner that refers individuals to StepUp and provides employment services.
• Wake Technical Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing pathways to college degrees and vocational training for StepUp participants.
• Wheels4HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation partner providing vehicles to those in need, helping participants overcome transportation barriers to employment.
• SouthLight HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner that refers individuals to StepUp and provides behavioral health services.
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services partner addressing housing, food security, and emergency assistance needs.
• Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal services partner helping participants with expungement and legal barriers to employment.
• White Memorial Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding congregational partner and active supporter through volunteerism, donations, and referrals.
• Junior League of RaleighimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's volunteer organization providing volunteers, board members, and community support.
• InterActcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomestic violence and family violence services provider that refers clients to StepUp.
• Designed for JoyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit partner providing employment and support services.
• York PropertiesimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member George York is President/CEO. Provides real estate expertise and community connections.
• State Employees Credit Union (SECU)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial partner providing banking services, financial education, and board representation.
• Parker PoeimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm providing legal services, board leadership (Katherine Ross), and sponsor support.
• K&L Gates LLPimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm providing legal services and board leadership (Stanford Baird).
• Ogletree DeakinsimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment law firm providing legal expertise and board leadership (Michael McKnight).
• Cisco SystemsimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology company with board representation (Jacob Swanger, Operations Manager).
• InsperityimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerHR services company providing expertise and board leadership (Jeff Minor).
• Russell Reynolds AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive search firm with board representation (JJ Manning).

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC: Regional Goodwill affiliate operating workforce development, job placement, and life-skills programs for people facing employment barriers across eastern North Carolina. Directly comparable mission, target population, and free-service model, with employer placement pipelines similar to StepUp's.
• Dress for Success Raleigh: Workforce-readiness nonprofit focused on interview preparation, professional clothing, and job placement support for adults re-entering the workforce. Comparable target population and employment-barrier focus, though narrower in scope than StepUp's whole-family model.
• NCWorks Career Centers: North Carolina's publicly funded workforce development network — a core referral partner for StepUp. Provides overlapping employment training and placement services for adults with employment barriers, making it the closest state-funded analog to StepUp's Employment Academy.
• Salvation Army of Wake County: A StepUp partner organization that also delivers social services addressing housing, food insecurity, and emergency assistance. Comparable wraparound-services model for vulnerable populations in the same Wake County geography.
• Alliance Medical Ministry: Raleigh-based nonprofit providing healthcare access to uninsured working adults. StepUp partner and one of the closest comparables on the wraparound-services model — addressing a specific barrier (healthcare) to stable employment, similar to StepUp's barrier-resolution approach.
• Wake Technical Community College: StepUp's educational partner providing pathways to college degrees and vocational training for participants. Comparable as a workforce credentialing provider in the same geography, with overlapping target population of adults needing accessible, low-cost career training.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults (18–24) facing employment barriers through training, mentorship, and corporate placement. Overlaps with StepUp's Real World Program on population (youth/young adults) and curriculum (life + job skills), but operates nationally and at much larger scale.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology and professional skills training with employer placement. Comparable on the employment-barrier and free-service model, though focused on tech-sector placements versus StepUp's broader entry-level pathways.
• United Way of the Greater Triangle: Regional umbrella funder for many of StepUp's partner nonprofits, including those addressing housing, food insecurity, and workforce development. Comparable on the Wake County wraparound-services ecosystem and as a likely co-funder for many of StepUp's community partners.

Emerging players

• Junior League of Raleigh: Women's volunteer organization supporting StepUp with volunteers, board members, and community awareness. Indirect comparator as a civic nonprofit infrastructure organization that supports the broader social-services ecosystem in which StepUp operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 StepUp Ministry