West CAP

What West CAP does

West CAP (West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency established in 1965 and headquartered in Glenwood City, Wisconsin. The organization delivers a portfolio of anti-poverty services to low-income residents across seven primary counties in west central Wisconsin (Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix), with limited services extending into three additional northern counties (Ashland, Washburn, Burnett). Its program portfolio includes Food Access & Resources (TEFAP, 39 distribution sites, 38 partner food pantries), Weatherization Assistance (a whole-house approach covering air sealing, insulation, health and safety inspections, heating system repair, and refrigerator replacement — weatherizing 235 homes and serving 2,569 individuals in FY2024), Energy Assistance (LIHEAP payments and no-heat crisis response), Housing Assistance and Stability Services, Adult Education (literacy, GED/HSED, Skills Enhancement Program), the JumpStart low-interest car loan program in partnership with WESTconsin Credit Union, the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for three counties, Rental Property Management (300+ affordable units across ten communities), Homeless Intervention case management, and the Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP) for ages 18-24. The agency also operates as a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), enabling it to develop affordable housing — most recently the Prairie Heights Residences in Eau Claire (opened July 2025), a 100+ unit geothermal-heated project co-developed with Gerrard Corporation.

West CAP's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: the majority of operating revenue comes from federal programs channeled through state agencies (Community Services Block Grant, LIHEAP, Weatherization Assistance Program, HUD housing programs, TEFAP) supplemented by individual and corporate donations, program fees from services such as the JumpStart car loan program, and rental income from affordable housing units. Services are delivered free of charge to income-qualified clients based on federal poverty guidelines or county median income thresholds; eligibility rather than price gates access. Distribution is conducted through a combination of walk-in offices in Glenwood City and Menomonie, a food distribution center in Boyceville, a weatherization operations site, phone and online intake, community-based food pantry partners, and a coordinated entry system for homeless services. Go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven — schools, healthcare providers, county social services, and word-of-mouth within low-income communities channel clients to the agency — supplemented by events, county fair outreach, a Facebook presence, and a monthly email newsletter.

Governance is mandated by federal law as a tripartite structure: a 21-member Board of Directors evenly split among low-income representatives selected democratically, county government representatives, and community business/organization representatives. Leadership consists of Executive Director Tim Mather, Associate Director Samantha Phillipps, CFO Lisa Smith, and HR Director Jessica Rudiger (who also serves as EEOC Officer). The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed revenue figures. Its 60-year tenure, Annie E. Casey Foundation Organization of Excellence recognition (2010), and certified CHDO and CAA designations constitute its principal competitive moat.

Name

West CAP

Legal name

West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc.

Website

https://westcap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

West CAP is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 that delivers food assistance, weatherization, energy assistance, housing, adult education, and rental housing services to low-income residents across ten west central Wisconsin counties, funded primarily by federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Federal Funding: West CAP receives federal funding through Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), HUD housing programs, and various state-administered federal programs. These grants fund the core anti-poverty programs and operational costs.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and businesses supporting specific programs or general operations. West CAP is a 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Rental Income: Revenue from affordable rental properties including student housing, senior housing, and family housing units across ten communities.
4. Program Revenue: Fees from services such as the JumpStart car loan program and various housing assistance programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

West CAP is a nonprofit Community Action Agency delivering anti-poverty services to low-income households across west central Wisconsin. Its core offerings include food distribution through TEFAP and food pantries, home weatherization and energy assistance, housing stability services and rental property management, adult literacy and skills-enhancement education, and the JumpStart low-interest car loan program in partnership with WESTconsin Credit Union.

Product overview

West CAP operates as a multi-service community action agency offering a portfolio of social services organized around poverty alleviation. The core programs include Food Access & Resources (TEFAP), Weatherization Assistance, Energy Assistance, Housing Assistance & Stability Services, Adult Education Programs (Literacy and Skills Enhancement), JumpStart Car Loans, Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Rental Property Management, Homeless Intervention, and Community Housing Development. These programs work together to address the interconnected needs of low-income families in west central Wisconsin, with services spanning food security, energy costs, housing stability, employment skills, transportation, and affordable housing development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Access & Resources (TEFAP) Provides food support across 39 distribution sites and manages The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) distribution to 38 community-based food outlets across west central Wisconsin for income-eligible households.
• Weatherization Assistance Program Improves the energy efficiency, comfort, and safety of housing stock for low- and moderate-income Wisconsinites enrolled in the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program using a whole-house approach including energy audits, air-leakage reduction, insulation, and heating-system repair.
• Energy Assistance Provides one-time heat and/or electric payment during the regular heating season (October 1-May 15) and crisis assistance for no-heat situations to income-eligible households.
• Housing Assistance & Stability Services Assists with housing stability through eviction prevention, budgeting assistance, connections to resources, and one-on-one planning and coaching for low-income households.
• Adult Education Programs Offers adult literacy tutoring, GED/HSED preparation, and Skills Enhancement training for job-focused post-secondary education for adult learners.
• JumpStart Car Loan Program Provides support through a low-interest car loan program delivered with WESTconsin Credit Union and includes $1,000 toward the purchase price for eligible low-income buyers.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) Federally-funded housing assistance program providing long-term rent assistance for low-income residents of Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties.
• Rental Property Management Manages affordable rental housing units across ten Wisconsin communities, including student housing such as the 96-bed Glenwood Commons in Rice Lake, town homes, and apartments.
• Homeless Intervention Program Helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk find safe, stable housing through the Coordinated Entry Pre-screen system and case management across west central Wisconsin.
• Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Certified nonprofit development organization that plans, finances, and builds affordable, energy-efficient housing in partnership with private and nonprofit groups, including the Prairie Heights Residences geothermal affordable housing project in Eau Claire.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average wage increase of $6.14/hour ($17,407/year) for Skills Enhancement Program participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Gerrard CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025Collaborative development of Prairie Heights Residences in Eau Claire - a 100+ unit affordable housing project featuring geothermal heating and cooling, the first of its kind for affordable housing in Wisconsin.
• Western DairylandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnered with neighboring CAP agency Western Dairyland for a 2-part Leadership Development training offered to staff from both agencies. Collaboration culminated with a panel discussion featuring past and current Executive Directors.
• Community Action PartnershipcoreOthersWest CAP is affiliated with Community Action Partnership, the national membership organization for Community Action Agencies. CAP provides advocacy, resources, and represents the network of 1,100+ CAAs.
• 38 Community Food PantriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWest CAP provides staff support and food distribution assistance to 38 community-based food outlets across west central Wisconsin through TEFAP. Partner pantries provide direct emergency food assistance to low-income families.
• County Governments (7 counties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard representation from Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties. Government representatives selected by county boards; low-income representatives selected through democratic process.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity Wisconsin: Statewide affordable housing developer and homeowner-builder with local affiliates operating across Wisconsin including West CAP's service region. Comparable in affordable housing production and CHDO-adjacent mission, but focused on for-sale homeownership rather than rental portfolio management.
• Hunger Task Force: Milwaukee-based food bank and anti-hunger nonprofit; recent content partner covering West CAP's Connecting Farms to Families program. Comparable in food-distribution mission but operates a much larger, more urban-scale operation; represents the kind of mission-specific nonprofit increasingly competing for food-assistance funding.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution funding affordable housing and economic development. Active in Wisconsin rural communities and provides comparable LIHTC, CHDO, and predevelopment financing that West CAP accesses for projects like Prairie Heights Residences.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP): Wisconsin statewide association representing 16 Community Action Agencies including West CAP. Coordinates state-level advocacy, training, and federal grant pass-through — provides the structural framework within which West CAP operates and competes for state-administered federal dollars.
• Community Action Partnership: National membership and advocacy organization for the 1,100+ U.S. Community Action Agencies. West CAP is a member; provides the network framework, training, federal advocacy, and peer benchmarks against which West CAP's performance is measured.

Direct peers

• CAP Services: Wisconsin Community Action Agency serving Marquette, Waushara, Waupaca, Outagamie, and Green Lake counties. Operates the same CSBG/LIHEAP/WAP/TEFAP program mix and is one of the larger CAPs in Wisconsin, competing for both state formula funding and individual donor dollars.
• Couleecap: Wisconsin Community Action Agency serving La Crosse, Monroe, Juneau, Vernon, Crawford, and Richland counties. Offers directly comparable programs (energy assistance, weatherization, food pantries, housing, adult education) and competes for the same state-administered federal allocations as West CAP.
• Western Dairyland Community Action Agency: Neighboring Wisconsin Community Action Agency headquartered in Independence, WI; recently partnered with West CAP for leadership development training. Provides overlapping anti-poverty services (housing, weatherization, food access) in adjacent counties with structurally similar federal-grant revenue model and tripartite governance.
• Dunn County Housing Authority: Local housing authority operating from West CAP's Menomonie office. West CAP administers HUD housing programs including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers on behalf of this and adjacent county housing authorities — a direct operational peer in public-housing administration.
• Northwoods CAP: Wisconsin Community Action Agency serving Ashland, Bayfield, Forest, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Vilas counties. Directly comparable CHDO-credentialed multi-service nonprofit; West CAP even lists Ashland in its extended service area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/West-CAP-170908399635087
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-cap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West CAP