Piedmont Community Action

What Piedmont Community Action does

Piedmont Community Action (PCA), legally Piedmont Community Actions, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency incorporated on February 25, 1966 as part of the federal War on Poverty, originally evolved from the Spartanburg Economic Opportunity Commission (1965). Headquartered at 300 S Daniel Morgan Avenue in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a satellite office at 1004 Cherokee Avenue in Gaffney, PCA operates as the largest independent private 501(c)(3) in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties, serving more than 50,000 low-income individuals and families annually. Governance rests with a 15–18 member Board of Directors structured into thirds (elected officials/designees, low-income representatives, and business/labor/religious community representatives), with Cynthia Lounds serving as Executive Director and a staff of approximately 60 across Administration, CSBG, Head Start, Senior Housing, and Fiscal departments.

PCA delivers a portfolio of nine interconnected programs across three service lines: Community Services (the umbrella CSBG program, the General Emergency Assistance Program for medical, food, rental, and utility aid, the L.I.I.F.T. employment self-sufficiency project, the Youth Leadership Program for ages 16–18 in partnership with the Youth Learning Institute, and the Housing Trust Fund for forgivable home repair loans up to $75,000); Early Childhood Education (Head Start serving ~570 children ages 3–4, Early Head Start for pregnant women and children up to age 3, and the Child Development Center for children 9 months to age 5); and Senior Housing (three HUD 202 properties — Georgia Manor, Pleasant Meadows, and Poinsett House — totaling 141 units for residents aged 62+, with Section 8 assistance for lower-income seniors). All programs operate under the ROMA (Results Oriented Management & Accountability) framework for outcome measurement.

The business model is grant-funded: PCA does not charge client fees (services are free or subsidized by income eligibility) and revenue is derived from federal sources — primarily Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Head Start/Early Head Start funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, and HUD 202 program funding for senior housing — supplemented by state and local pass-throughs. Service delivery combines in-person case management at physical office locations with web/mobile intake via third-party portals LITT (CSBG) and ChildPlus (Head Start). PCA uses no proprietary technology platform; technology stack consists of standard nonprofit management systems and third-party online application software. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no patents, no equity funding, and no parent company.

Name

Piedmont Community Action

Legal name

Piedmont Community Actions, Inc.

Website

https://pcasp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Piedmont Community Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency serving more than 50,000 low-income individuals and families annually across Spartanburg and Cherokee counties, South Carolina, through federally funded Head Start, CSBG emergency assistance, employment training, housing trust, and HUD 202 senior housing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Child and Youth Services (62411), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

Keywords

• Community assistance programs
• Emergency financial assistance
• Early childhood education
• Affordable senior housing
• Employment support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Spartanburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1966 as part of the War on Poverty, Piedmont Community Action operates primarily through federal and state government grants including Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and Head Start/Early Head Start funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. HUD 202 program funding supports senior housing operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Piedmont Community Action is a private 501(c) nonprofit that provides community assistance services for low-income individuals and families in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. Its programs cover emergency aid, case management, employment and self-sufficiency support, early childhood education, youth leadership, housing repair assistance, and HUD-supported senior housing.

Product overview

Piedmont Community Action is a comprehensive social services organization offering multiple interconnected programs to assist low-income individuals and families in Cherokee and Spartanburg counties. The organization provides a portfolio of nine core programs organized into three service areas: Community Services (CSBG encompassing employment training, emergency assistance through GEAP, youth leadership, and the L.I.I.F.T. employment support project, plus Housing Trust Fund assistance), Early Childhood Education (Head Start serving approximately 570 children ages 3-4, Early Head Start for infants and toddlers up to age 3, and Child Development Center for children 9 months to age 5), and Senior Housing (three HUD 202 properties providing affordable housing for seniors 62+). These programs work together to address holistic community needs, from early childhood development through senior housing, with the goal of helping families achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG)
• General Emergency Assistance Program (GEAP)
• Youth Leadership Program
• L.I.I.F.T. Project
• Housing Trust Fund Program
• Head Start Program
• Early Head Start
• Child Development Center Program
• Senior Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• Assists more than 50,000 low-income individuals and families annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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.

• Youth Learning InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Youth Leadership Program for income-eligible students ages 16-18. The program offers educational opportunities focusing on academic, behavioral, and social interaction skills, plus character counts training and leadership development. Youth also receive paid internship opportunities during summer months.
• HUD (Housing and Urban Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUD 202 program sponsor for senior housing. Three properties (Georgia Manor, Pleasant Meadows, Poinsett House) operate under HUD 202 program for elderly residents 62+, with Section 8 assistance available for lower income seniors. HUD provides funding and regulatory framework for affordable senior housing.
• ROMA (Results Oriented Management & Accountability)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBG program operates under ROMA National Goals framework for management, evaluation, and outcome reporting. Uses Results Oriented Management & Accountability structure to measure and report outcomes on community action initiatives and client self-sufficiency achievements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Community Action Partnership (national network): National membership organization representing 1,000+ Community Action Agencies nationwide, including PCA. Relevant as the overarching trade body under which CSBG funds flow, sets ROMA performance standards, and provides peer benchmarking for PCA.
• Children's Trust of South Carolina: Statewide child welfare and early childhood advocacy and grantmaking organization. Adjacent to PCA's Head Start/Early Head Start programs and relevant for state-level early childhood funding ecosystem navigation.

Regional players

• Lowcountry Community Action Agency: South Carolina Community Action agency serving the Lowcountry with CSBG, Head Start, weatherization, and emergency assistance. Shares the same federal program framework as PCA and operates with a comparable multi-program service delivery model.
• United Way of the Piedmont: Regional United Way chapter covering the same Spartanburg/Cherokee footprint as PCA. Adjacent funder and referral ecosystem partner that competes for and channels dollars to similar emergency assistance and human services work in the same community.
• Spartanburg Housing Authority: Public housing authority operating Section 8 and affordable housing units in Spartanburg County. Comparable affordable housing delivery mission and HUD funding relationship, though operating as a public authority rather than private nonprofit.
• Midlands Community Development Corporation: South Carolina-based community action nonprofit delivering CSBG, Head Start, and emergency assistance in the Midlands region. Directly comparable federal program mix and operating model, providing an in-state benchmark for PCA's scale and program breadth.

Broad incumbents

• National Church Residences: Large national nonprofit operating HUD 202 senior housing properties across multiple states. Directly comparable HUD 202 program participation; relevant peer for PCA's three-property senior housing portfolio across Woodruff, Inman, and Greenville.

Direct peers

• Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM): Upstate South Carolina community services organization delivering emergency assistance, housing support, and case management to low-income residents. Similar service mix in an adjacent service territory and comparable reliance on federal/state grant funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pg/PCAUpstate/photos/?ref=page_internal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/piedmont-community-actions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Piedmont Community Action