Economic Security Corporation

What Economic Security Corporation does

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area (ESC) is a private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency founded in 1965 under the federal Economic Opportunity Act to serve low-income individuals and families across Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald counties in Southwest Missouri. The organization delivers a coordinated portfolio of social services from approximately 370 employees operating out of a central office in Joplin, seven community outreach offices, and eleven Head Start and Early Head Start early-childhood centers, with an FY2021 total budget of $19,392,746 (including in-kind donations).

ESC's core programs span early childhood education (Head Start and Early Head Start, funded capacity of 505 children ages 0-5), housing assistance (375 Housing Choice Vouchers plus Mainstream, VASH, and Continuum of Care programs administered through the wholly-owned Jasper County Public Housing Agency), energy assistance (LIHEAP-funded utility assistance serving 5,000+ families annually and DOE/Missouri DNR weatherization reducing household energy bills by 12-35%), homeless services (lead agency for the Jasper/Newton Continuum of Care, plus transitional housing and the CHANCE program), the Community Action Ride System (CARS) free transportation service, case management, the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher program, and community development services including employment workshops and health-insurance marketplace enrollment. The only fee-based offering is a $360 paid home energy audit; all other services are delivered free to income-eligible participants.

Revenue is derived almost entirely from federal and state government grants routed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Head Start Grant Numbers 07CH011435 and 07HP000471), HUD, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Missouri Department of Social Services (CSBG, LIHEAP, CARS), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the National Community Action Partnership network. The organization does not offer a technology product, SaaS platform, or API, and its only direct-to-consumer distribution channels are community outreach offices, phone/mail/email intake, home visits, and an organic social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.

Name

Economic Security Corporation

Legal name

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area

Website

https://escswa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area is a private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency founded in 1965 that delivers Head Start, housing vouchers, energy and utility assistance, weatherization, transportation, and case management to low-income individuals and families across four Southwest Missouri counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Action Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth (EDAKANAJ), State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Early childhood education
• Housing assistance vouchers
• Utility assistance programs
• Weatherization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Joplin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: Primary revenue from federal programs including HUD Housing Choice Vouchers, Head Start/Early Head Start grants, Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Department of Energy weatherization funds, and various state-administered federal programs.
2. Donations and In-Kind Contributions: Total budget of $19,392,746 which includes in-kind donations. The agency receives community support and partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area is a private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency that delivers federally-funded anti-poverty social services to low-income individuals and families across four Southwest Missouri counties. Its portfolio includes Head Start and Early Head Start early childhood education, Housing Choice Voucher and homeless services, LIHEAP utility assistance, weatherization, the volunteer-driven CARS transportation system, foster youth support, and individualized case management, all delivered through 11 Head Start centers, seven outreach offices, and home-based services.

Product overview

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area (ESC) is a private, not-for-profit community action agency established in 1965 to eliminate poverty in Southwest Missouri. It operates as a multi-service organization delivering a coordinated portfolio of social services across Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald counties through approximately 370 employees and a network of outreach offices and centers. The core offering consists of early childhood education programs (Head Start and Early Head Start), housing assistance through the Jasper County Public Housing Agency (Housing Choice Vouchers, Mainstream, VASH, and Continuum of Care), utility and energy assistance (LIHEAP/EA/ECIP), weatherization, transportation (CARS), case management, foster youth support, and community development. Services are primarily funded through federal grants (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HUD, DOE, Missouri DSS) and operate under the Community Action Partnership network. The organization does not offer a technology product, SaaS platform, or API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Free, federally-funded preschool program for children ages 3–5 from qualifying low-income families, delivered across 11 centers in McDonald, Newton, Jasper, and Barton counties in Southwest Missouri, funded to serve up to 505 children.
• Early Head Start Free program for children from birth to age three and expecting parents, offering home-based educational services, prenatal education, and full-day center-based child development for families working 30+ hours per week or attending school full-time.
• Case Management Individualized service pairing families with a case manager for weekly meetings to help reach housing, employment, and educational goals, including referrals to community resources and programs across Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald counties.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) Income-based rental assistance administered by the Jasper County Public Housing Agency, offering Housing Choice Voucher, Mainstream, VASH, and Continuum of Care Voucher programs for low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities in Barton, Jasper, McDonald, and Newton counties.
• Utility Assistance Year-round utility cost assistance programs including Energy Assistance (EA) and Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP), helping more than 5,000 Southwest Missouri families annually restore or maintain utilities, funded through LIHEAP.
• Weatherization Federal energy conservation program making homes safer and more energy efficient for eligible low-to-moderate income households, reducing heating and cooling bills by 12% to 35%, funded by the Department of Energy, Missouri DNR, LIHEAP, Spire, and Liberty Utilities.
• Community Action Ride System (CARS) Free transportation service for residents of Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald counties using volunteer drivers, providing rides for non-emergency medical appointments, employment, school, groceries, banking, and other destinations.
• Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Voucher Program Housing assistance and support services for young adults aged 18–24 transitioning out of foster care, including life skills, healthcare access, education, career counseling, and job preparation.
• Homeless Services / Housing Connect Lead agency for Jasper and Newton Counties' coordinated entry system providing standardized access, assessment, referral, and housing placement for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk, covering the Missouri Balance of State Continuum of Care in Barton and McDonald counties.
• Community Development Family services including employment soft skills workshops, health insurance marketplace enrollment, Missouri Property Tax Credit and Rent Rebate assistance, and community programs such as REALL and Community Action Poverty Simulation.
• Home Energy Audit Paid home energy assessment for residential dwellings up to 2,500 square feet, costing $360, including a thorough home inspection, written home report, and one-on-one consultation to review results and efficiency improvements.
• Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) / GOALS Program Program helping families on Mainstream, VASH, or Housing Choice Vouchers achieve self-sufficiency through goal-setting, case management, and coordinated access to housing, career, and education resources.
• CHANCE Program Transitional housing and rehousing program helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Low-income households typically spend 16% of their annual income on energy costs. Weatherization services make homes more energy efficient, saving families money.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Community Action PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESC is part of America's Poverty Fighting Network affiliated with the National Community Action Partnership, which connects over 1000 agencies across the United States with the common goal of eliminating poverty conditions and helping people achieve self-sufficiency.
• Jasper Newton County Continuum of CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESC serves as the lead agency for the Jasper and Newton Counties Continuum of Care, coordinating housing and services for homeless individuals and families in the region. Also partners with the Homeless Coalition.
• Spire and Liberty UtilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy utilities that co-fund weatherization services for low-income households in their service territories.
• Salvation Army of Midland MissouriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partnership for emergency assistance. ESC Newton and McDonald County outreach offices can assist with rent, healthcare, senior dietary needs, school supplies referrals.
• Ozarks Area Community Action CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that developed the REALL (Reality Enrichment and Life Lessons) simulation program, which ESC uses for youth education on poverty and decision-making.
• Private Housing DevelopersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESC partners with private housing developers for housing development, rehabilitation, and new housing projects including Historic Frisco Station, Historic Drake Hotel, Lamar Divine Estates, Historic Zahn/Ridgway Apartments, Forest Park North, and The Joplin Bunglows.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Lorain County Community Action Agency: Regional peer — full-service CAA running Head Start, housing, weatherization, energy and case management programs with an integrated one-stop-service model closely resembling ESC's structure.
• Community Action of Northeast Iowa (CAA of NEIA): Regional peer — multi-county CAA operating Head Start, energy assistance, weatherization and housing programs in a small-town/rural setting comparable in scale and mission to ESC.
• Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation: Regional peer — multi-county Community Action Agency in Southeast Missouri providing Head Start, LIHEAP, weatherization, and housing services with a delivery model structurally identical to ESC.

Others

• National Community Action Partnership (NCAP): Industry backbone — the national network of 1,000+ CAAs to which ESC belongs, and which provides training, federal advocacy, and CSBG oversight relevant to ESC's operating model and funding streams.
• Missouri Community Action Network (MOCAN): State-level coordinating association for Missouri's Community Action Agencies including ESC, providing shared services, training, and legislative representation similar in role to ESC's NCAP membership.

Direct peers

• Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC): Direct peer — fellow Missouri Community Action Agency operating Head Start, LIHEAP, housing and weatherization programs across a comparable rural multi-county service area in Southwest Missouri.
• Community Action Partnership of Kansas City: Direct peer — Community Action Agency administering Head Start, housing assistance, LIHEAP, weatherization and case management for low-income households in the Kansas City metro, with a comparable multi-service operational model.
• Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation: Direct peer — Missouri CAA delivering Head Start, housing, utility assistance, and community services across Jefferson and Franklin counties with a similar small-city/rural footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/escswa
• Instagraminstagram.com/eschelp4u
• Xx.com/eschelps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-security-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Economic Security Corporation