DARTS

What DARTS does

DARTS is a 501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit organization founded in 1974 and headquartered at 1645 Marthaler Lane, West St. Paul, Minnesota. It serves older adults aged 55+ and their family caregivers across the southeast metro Twin Cities area, primarily Dakota County and southern Washington County. The organization delivers a coordinated portfolio of aging-in-place services, including transportation (LOOP buses and door-to-door rides), home repair, home cleaning, seasonal cleanups, caregiver respite (The Breathing Space), technology assistance (Tech Buddies), and culturally tailored social programs such as Café y Conversaciones, Café Pan y Conexión, and Memory Cafés. Healthy Aging Specialists are embedded on-site at more than 20 senior apartment buildings across South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Eagan, Apple Valley, Hastings, and Rosemount to provide personalized resource navigation and emotional support.

The underlying operating model is service-based rather than technology-based: there is no proprietary software platform, mobile application, or API surface. Service delivery occurs through four physical channels — home visits, building-based specialists, church-hosted programs, and the West St. Paul office — with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or data flywheel. Programs such as Tech Buddies and Home Wellness Exploration reflect operational extension rather than technology development.

Revenue is generated through a blended nonprofit model combining donations and fundraising (including the annual Party It Forward gala, which raised over $80,000 in 2023, and the Annual Fundraising Breakfast), government grants (Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Live Well at Home Grant), corporate sponsorships (3M, FHR, Spire Credit Union, Waterous & Co., Point North Bank), healthcare-system funding (Allina Health for The Breathing Space), and limited fee-for-service home repair at market-competitive pricing. Most direct services are provided free of charge to eligible seniors; go-to-market is community-led, driven by on-site relationships, word-of-mouth referrals, partnerships with culturally specific organizations such as Friends & Co, and community events.

Name

DARTS

Legal name

DARTS

Website

https://dartsconnects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DARTS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers aging-in-place services, including transportation, home repair, home cleaning, caregiver respite, and community programs, to older adults and caregivers in the Twin Cities southeast metro of Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior and Aging-In-Place Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Adult Day Care (Non-Medical Supervision & Activities) (HSABANAA), Companionship & Social Engagement Visits (HSABAAAA), Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK), Dementia Companion & Engagement Care (HSABAEAA)

Keywords

• Aging in place services
• Senior transportation services
• Caregiver support programs
• Home repair for seniors
• Nonprofit senior services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Saint Paul

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: DARTS generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and community members. The Annual Fundraising Breakfast and Party It Forward events are key fundraising activities. The 2023 Party It Forward event raised over $80,000.
2. Government Grants: DARTS receives funding from government sources including Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Live Well at Home Grant to support service delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DARTS is a community-based nonprofit that provides Healthy Aging Solutions to seniors aged 55+ and their caregivers in the Twin Cities southeast metro. Core offerings include door-to-door and LOOP bus transportation, home repair and home cleaning services, caregiver respite through The Breathing Space program, and Healthy Aging Guidance delivered by on-site specialists in senior apartment buildings. Most services are offered free of charge to eligible Dakota County residents, with home repair services provided at market-competitive rates.

Product overview

DARTS is a community-based nonprofit organization established in 1974 that provides Healthy Aging Solutions for caregivers, older adults (ages 55+), and their families in the southeast metro area of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. The organization operates as a service-focused nonprofit rather than a technology platform, offering a coordinated portfolio of aging-in-place services including transportation (LOOP buses), home repairs, home cleaning, caregiver support, and community programs. Key programs include The Breathing Space (group respite for memory care), Tech Buddies (technology assistance), Café y Conversaciones (Spanish-language social events), Memory Café, and Healthy Aging Guidance through on-site specialists in senior apartment buildings. Services are funded in part by Dakota County and Minnesota Department of Human Services Live Well at Home grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Services
• Home Repair Services Handyman services for older adults including safety improvements (grab bars, handrails), kitchen and bath fixes, energy-saving repairs, and miscellaneous household fixes, offered at market-competitive rates with discount opportunities. Does not include licensed plumber or electrician work or projects requiring permitting.
• Home Cleaning Services Ongoing light house cleaning services provided by individual home helpers and home helper teams, including vacuuming, dusting, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, laundry, and light meal preparation, with companionship to combat isolation.
• Seasonal Cleanups Volunteer-assisted spring and fall cleanup services that help seniors with outdoor chores such as raking leaves and yard cleanup.
• Healthy Aging Guidance Free resource guidance for Dakota County residents aged 60 and older, offering personalized one-on-one support through Healthy Aging Specialists to identify assistance needs, connect to community resources, provide emotional support, and assist with applications for services.
• The Breathing Space Group respite program that provides caregivers a break by offering supervision, companionship, and social engagement for care receivers with early- to mid-stage memory loss or conditions requiring supervision. Offered free of charge with pre-registration at multiple locations including West St. Paul, Eagan, and Apple Valley.
• Let's Do Lunch Free social hour program for Spanish-speakers age 60 and older providing social interaction, educational programs, and a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ community members.
• Café, Pan y Conexión Bilingual social hour for Spanish-speaking adults age 60+ featuring coffee, bread, friendship, and community connection at the DARTS office.
• Café y Conversaciones Free social hour for Spanish-speakers age 60 and older, held the 2nd and 4th Mondays at the DARTS office in West St. Paul, co-organized with Friends & Co.
• Hastings Memory Café Monthly free event providing a safe space for those with memory challenges such as Alzheimer's or related dementia to gather with loved ones to socialize and connect. Held on the second Thursday of each month at Hastings Senior Center.
• Tech Buddies Program that pairs tech-savvy volunteers with older adults who need help with smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, and other technology. Free support service funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
• Home Wellness Exploration Consultation service where a Home Repairs Specialist and Healthy Aging Specialist work with homeowners to explore ways to make homes more accessible and safe.
• Caregiver Services Resources and support for caregivers of older adults, including caregiver resources, resource connection, and respite services through The Breathing Space program.
• Service Navigation Assistance helping older adults navigate community resources and services, including support delivered on-site in senior apartment buildings by Healthy Aging Specialists.
• Home Helper Services Staff of individual home helpers and home helper teams providing ongoing home services to maintain clean homes and provide companionship to older adults facing isolation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $80,000 raised at 2023 Party It Forward event, demonstrating community support and engagement

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 partner and program partner.

• Friends & Cocore partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2023Friends & Co co-organizes the Café y Conversaciones program, a free social hour for Spanish-speaking seniors aged 60+. DARTS serves as fiscal agent for the partnership. The program runs 2nd and 4th Mondays at the DARTS office.
• Rainbow Healthprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainbow Health partnered with DARTS to provide the 'Working with LGBTQ+ Older Adults' training session. Rainbow Health advocates for LGBTQ+ community health and provided educational content for the training.
• Family Tree Clinicprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Tree Clinic collaborated with DARTS to provide Gender & Sexuality 101 courses for the community, covering topics on gender identity, pronoun use, and sexual orientation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Aging (NCOA):
• Cassia (formerly Augustana Care): Minnesota-based nonprofit providing a continuum of senior services including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and home care. Comparable in mission and Minnesota footprint, but operates primarily through residential and campus-based settings rather than the community-based home services model DARTS emphasizes.
• AARP Minnesota: National nonprofit with a strong Minnesota state presence providing resources, advocacy, and community programs for adults 50+. Operates in the same aging services space as DARTS, though focused on information, advocacy, and member benefits rather than direct in-home service delivery.
• Catholic Charities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Large regional social services nonprofit providing senior services, caregiver support, case management, and resource navigation across the Twin Cities. Comparable service mix for seniors but much larger in scale and broader in mission across populations and geographies.
• Meals on Wheels America (Twin Cities affiliates): National nonprofit network providing home-delivered meals and welfare checks to seniors, with Twin Cities affiliates. Broad incumbent in aging services; overlaps with DARTS in the aging-in-place/home-based service model but specializes in nutrition delivery.

Direct peers

• Trellis (formerly Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging): Minnesota area agency on aging delivering caregiver support, resource navigation, and healthy aging programs funded through Older Americans Act and state grants. Comparable mission, funding structure, and senior services portfolio, though with broader regional scope.
• Senior Community Services: Minnesota-based nonprofit providing aging-in-place services including home-delivered meals, transportation, chore services, and case management to seniors in the metro. Directly comparable service portfolio and nonprofit funding model, serving overlapping Twin Cities geography.
• Jewish Family Service of St. Paul: St. Paul-based social services nonprofit offering caregiver support, case management, and aging-in-place services to older adults. Comparable mission of helping seniors and caregivers navigate resources, though it serves a broader demographic beyond age 55+.
• Lyngblomsten: St. Paul-based nonprofit providing a continuum of senior services including housing, caregiver support, wellness programs, and community engagement. Comparable faith-rooted nonprofit model serving Twin Cities seniors with similar care coordination and community programming.
• Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly (Twin Cities): National nonprofit with a Twin Cities chapter providing companionship, social engagement, and practical support to isolated elderly individuals. Comparable focus on combating senior isolation and providing non-medical in-home/social support, with a volunteer-driven model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DARTS_MN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dartsconnects8973
• Facebookfacebook.com/DARTS.connection
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darts
• Instagraminstagram.com/dartsconnects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 DARTS