Community Action

What Community Action does

Community Action of South Central Michigan (CAASCM, "Community Action") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization established May 9, 1966 under the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as part of America's War on Poverty. Headquartered at The Depot, 175 Main St., Battle Creek, Michigan, the agency serves income-eligible residents across five counties in South Central Michigan — Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph — through a wraparound portfolio of basic-needs, education, housing, food, transportation, and senior programs. The organization operates with 251-500 employees under tripartite board governance (public, private, consumer sectors) and is led by CEO Courtney Iobe with a senior team including a COO, CFO, and program directors across Education, Housing & Weatherization, Development, and Operations.

The program portfolio spans Education (Head Start/Early Head Start/GSRP for ages 0-5, GED Preparation, Career Pathway workforce development), Food Assistance (USDA Food Program distributed across at least seven locations in Barry, Calhoun, Jackson, and Hillsdale counties), Housing (Weatherization, Lead Safe, Senior Minor Home Repair, and the differentiated First Home First Teacher rent-free housing program for early childhood educators — reported to increase participating teacher income by an average of $12,800 per year without raising tuition), Support Services (Emergency Services, Transportation, Foster Grandparent senior volunteer program), and an annual fundraising event (Whack Fore Warmth Golf Outing, $400 per four-person team). Service delivery occurs through physical service locations, mobile food distribution sites, Head Start centers, and home visits, with beneficiary acquisition driven by community partnerships, government referrals, and direct outreach rather than commercial marketing.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through government grants and philanthropic contributions rather than commercial sales. Primary funding streams include federal grants (USDA, HHS/ACF Head Start, Department of Energy weatherization, Department of Education, Department of Transportation, Community Services Block Grant), Michigan state agency funding (MDHHS, Michigan Department of Education/GSRP, MDOT), county and city government support (Calhoun County Senior Millage, City of Battle Creek, City of Kalamazoo), and foundation and private donations (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek and Branch community foundations, United Way of South Central Michigan, individual donors). Services are provided at no cost to income-eligible households; the only priced offering identified is the golf fundraiser. The organization is privately held as a nonprofit with no parent company, no funding rounds, no disclosed revenue figure, no M&A activity, and no patents, and operates with an active website, career postings, and ongoing board and committee meetings through 2026.

Name

Community Action

Legal name

Community Action of South Central Michigan

Website

https://caascm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Community Action of South Central Michigan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services agency providing basic needs assistance, early childhood education, food distribution, housing support, and emergency services to income-eligible residents across five counties in South Central Michigan, founded in 1966.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Emergency Shelter, Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM) (BPADADAB)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Early childhood education
• Food assistance programs
• Housing weatherization services
• Senior support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Battle Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants & Funding: Primary funding comes from federal and state government grants including USDA, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and Michigan state agencies. Funding also includes Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and Head Start/Early Head Start federal funding.
2. Foundation & Private Donations: Funding from foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, community foundations (Battle Creek, Branch), and individual private donations. The Whack Fore Warmth Golf Outing fundraiser generates additional private contributions.
3. County Senior Millage: Calhoun County Senior Millage provides dedicated funding for senior services programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Community Action of South Central Michigan (CAASCM) is a non-profit community action agency that delivers wraparound social services to income-eligible households across five counties in South Central Michigan. Its portfolio includes Head Start/Early Head Start/GSRP early childhood education, GED Preparation, Career Pathway workforce development, USDA food distribution, Emergency Services, weatherization and Lead Safe housing programs, Senior Minor Home Repair, transportation services, and senior volunteer (Foster Grandparent) programs, along with the First Home First Teacher rent-free housing benefit for early childhood educators.

Product overview

Community Action of South Central Michigan is a non-profit community action agency that operates as a coordinated portfolio of social service programs rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers early childhood education (Head Start/Early Head Start/GSRP, GED Preparation, Career Pathway), food assistance (USDA Food Program), housing services (Weatherization, Lead Safe, Senior Minor Home Repair, First Home First Teacher), transportation, emergency services, and senior volunteer opportunities. Programs are organized by service category—Education, Food Assistance, Housing, Senior Services, and Support Services—and serve residents across Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties. The agency also conducts fundraising events like the annual Whack Fore Warmth Golf Outing to support its Emergency Assistance Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whack Fore Warmth Golf Outing: An annual golf fundraiser event presented by Community Action, with proceeds supporting the Emergency Assistance Program that assists income-eligible households with heating costs and critical housing needs.
• First Home First Teacher

Products and services

• Head Start/Early Head Start/GSRP Early childhood education programs providing comprehensive services for children from birth to age 5, including preschool education, health, nutrition, and family engagement services, for income-eligible families.
• GED Preparation

Quantifiable outcome

• First Home First Teacher program increases teacher income by an average of $12,800 per year without raising tuition costs for families or taxes for the community

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Calhoun County Senior MillagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level funding mechanism providing resources for senior services programs including senior volunteer opportunities and senior minor home repair programs.
• Michigan Community Action (MCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level association of Community Action agencies providing advocacy, resources, and network connections for Community Action agencies across Michigan.
• United Way of South Central MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and collaborative partner supporting community health and human service programs in the five-county service area.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing funding and referrals for social services, SNAP benefits administration, and family support services.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational community service program providing volunteers and resources for community improvement initiatives.
• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState transportation agency providing funding for transportation services to underserved populations.
• City of Battle CreekmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner providing funding and resources for community services in Battle Creek.
• City of KalamazoomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner providing funding and resources for community services in Kalamazoo County.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capital Area Community Action Agency: Another Michigan CAA serving Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, and Shiawassee counties with comparable Head Start, energy services, food, and emergency programming — directly comparable in mission, funding mix, and operating model.
• Feeding America West Michigan: Regional food bank distributing USDA and donated food to partner agencies and directly to households across West Michigan — directly comparable to CAASCM's USDA Food Program in mission and operational scope.
• Disability Network Southwest Michigan: Regional center for independent living serving persons with disabilities across Southwest Michigan — comparable in serving one of CAASCM's stated target populations (individuals with disabilities) through case management and supportive services.
• United Way of South Central Michigan: Regional United Way affiliate covering Calhoun and surrounding counties, providing funding and coordinating community human service partnerships — directly comparable as a regional social services coordinator and partner.
• Community Action Agency of Allegan County: A neighboring Michigan Community Action Agency serving Allegan County with the same federal CAA mandate, similar Head Start, food distribution, weatherization, and emergency services portfolio — the closest functional peer in Southwest Michigan.
• Michigan Works! Southwest: Workforce-development system operator for Southwest Michigan covering similar counties — directly comparable to CAASCM's Career Pathway and GED programs as a regional workforce intermediary.
• Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan: Regional workforce-development and human services provider serving Kalamazoo and Battle Creek area, operating career pathway and supportive services that overlap directly with CAASCM's Career Pathway program and serves a similar low-income population.

Others

• Community Action Partnership (National): National membership and advocacy body for the CAA network — not a direct operating peer, but the umbrella to which CAASCM belongs and which shapes federal CAA funding and policy environment.

Regional players

• Calhoun County Department of Health & Human Services: County-level public human services administrator covering one of CAASCM's core service counties — comparable in mission area (low-income support) but operates as a government funder/referrer rather than direct service agency.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army Battle Creek: National human services organization with a Battle Creek presence delivering emergency assistance, food, housing, and holiday support — broader national footprint but overlapping service portfolio to CAASCM's emergency services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityActionSCM
• Xx.com/tweetcaascm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-action_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Community Action