Carver Community Center

What Carver Community Center does

Carver Community Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center founded in 1947 in Kokomo, Indiana by Reverend Henry A. Perry, Sr. and named after Dr. George Washington Carver. It operates a single physical facility at 1030 N. Purdum Street delivering education, sports, fine arts, camp, and adult-recreation programming to youth, families, and adults in Howard County and (per one grant) Vanderburgh County. Core products include an After School Program for K-5 students, a LEGO League Robotics Club, the Bridges Outreach Partnership (serving 500+ students annually through Kokomo Schools), Closing The Gap (a licensed-teacher-led summer academic program), tutoring in Math/Science/Reading, 4-H via Purdue Cooperative Extension, year-round seasonal camps, K-12 and adult basketball leagues plus pickleball and adult kickball, the Carver Training Lab (subscription basketball training), UnderTone Music and Fine Arts (an instrument, vocal, and dance program in partnership with H.A.R.T. To Heart), and ancillary offerings such as chess club, video gaming, line dance, youth art, and facility rentals (New Gym, Old Historical Gym, Historical Room, Auditorium, Game Room, Art Room). Membership is free for kids and adults; revenue is earned through program participation fees, facility rentals, the Carver Training Lab subscription, and Annual Campaign fundraising (anchored by the Juneteenth Jubilee and Annual Gala signature events) supplemented by grants including United Way's Empowering Employment Pathway initiative. Operationally the center uses third-party SaaS (Wix for web content, Daxko for online registration and donations) and has no proprietary technology platform. Strategic positioning centers on entrenched local partnerships — Kokomo Schools, IU Kokomo, Bridges Outreach, 4-H/Purdue Extension, Howard County Health Department, H.A.R.T. To Heart, and United Way — and a 75+ year community brand rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Carver Community Center

Legal name

Carver Community Center, Inc.

Website

https://kokomocarver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carver Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center in Kokomo, Indiana, founded in 1947, offering free-membership educational, athletic, fine arts, and camp programs for youth, families, and adults through a single physical facility and a network of local school, university, and community-partner programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Center Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Community center programs
• Youth education services
• Recreational sports leagues
• Fine arts instruction
• Nonprofit community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kokomo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Program Participation Fees: Some programs have participation fees. Program fees are clearly outlined on the Programs page and vary by activity.
2. Membership Fees: Carver now offers FREE membership for kids and adults, but historically collected membership fees. Membership can be supported through monetary donations or volunteering.
3. Facility Rentals: Spaces available for rent include the New Gym, Old Historical Gym, Historical Room, Auditorium, Game Room, and Art Room. Rental fees vary based on space and purpose. Cancellations must be submitted in writing at least 5 business days prior; deposits are non-refundable.
4. Donations and Annual Campaign: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Carver accepts one-time or recurring donations. The Annual Campaign runs from beginning of year through October, featuring the Juneteenth Jubilee and Annual Gala signature events.
5. Sports Training: Carver Training Lab offers basketball training at $40/month in office or $10 per session online (includes 1 class per week).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carver Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center in Kokomo, Indiana that provides educational, recreational, and cultural programs for youth and families. Founded in 1947, it offers after-school programs, tutoring, robotics/STEM, sports leagues (basketball, pickleball, boxing), fine arts instruction, seasonal camps, and community events through a free membership model with select program and facility rental fees.

Product overview

Carver Community Center operates as a nonprofit community center in Kokomo, Indiana offering a unified portfolio of educational, recreational, and cultural programs. The center provides youth basketball leagues (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall Girls), pickleball, the Carver Training Lab, After School Program, Robotics Club (LEGO League), Bridges Outreach Partnership, Closing The Gap summer program, Tutoring, 4-H Programs, UnderTone Music and Fine Arts, video gaming, youth art, line dance, chess club, and seasonal camps (Spring, Summer, Fall). The facility also offers adult recreational programs, facility rentals, and annual events including the Juneteenth Jubilee and Annual Gala. Membership is free for kids and adults, providing access to programs and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UnderTone Music and Fine Arts: A partnership program between Carver Center and H.A.R.T. To Heart (Helping Achieve Reality Together), offering weekly lessons in drawing, creative dance, vocals, keyboard, drums, guitar, and woodwind instruments.
• Bridges Outreach

Products and services

• After School Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Bridges Outreach Partnership serves over 500 students annually in Kokomo Schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• H.A.R.T. To Heart (Helping Achieve Reality Together)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnderTone Music and Fine Arts program is a partnership between Carver Center and the nonprofit organization H.A.R.T. To Heart (Helping Achieve Reality Together). Founded by Pastor Wendell Brown, UnderTone was born out of a deep love for the arts and a desire to honor the legacy of local musicians throughout Kokomo's history. UnderTone offers weekly lessons in drawing, creative dance, vocals, keyboard, drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, woodwind instruments and more.
• Bridges OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridges Outreach is an educational and character-building program serving over 500 students annually in Kokomo Schools. Bridges leads its own programming at Carver on Tuesdays and Thursdays, focusing on academic improvement, behavior development, and positive life lessons. Students with good attendance and performance can attend special events on Fridays or Saturdays, some of which take place off-site with provided transportation.
• 4-H Youth Development/Purdue Cooperative ExtensionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarver is partnering with 4-H Youth Development/Purdue Cooperative Extension to bring engaging, hands-on educational programs to the community, including Learn, Grow, Eat, & Go (K-2) designed to introduce young learners to gardening, nutrition, and healthy living.
• Kokomo SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kokomo Schools to serve students through after-school programs, tutoring, and the Bridges Outreach Partnership serving over 500 students annually. Students have access to robotics, chess club, video gaming, instrument lessons, and other enrichment activities.
• IU KokomosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIU Kokomo partners with Carver for student engagement and community outreach. IU Kokomo Professor JR Pico has led school supply donations to Carver. Carver Kids have visited the IU Kokomo campus to experience theater through Kokomo Curtain Call performances.
• Howard County Health DepartmentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarver Center and Howard County Health Department formed a partnership for community health initiatives. The partnership was highlighted in April 2025 Carver Articles coverage.
• Kokomo Library / BrainfuseminorOthersStudents can access Brainfuse, an online tutoring service through the Kokomo Library, for additional academic support alongside Carver's tutoring programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Largest children's museum in the world and a major Indiana youth-education nonprofit. A broad incumbent in the Indiana youth-education and family-engagement space, with adjacent programming (STEM, arts) rather than community-center operations.

Others

• KIPP Indiana Public Schools: Indiana charter network focused on college-prep education for underserved students, including after-school and enrichment programming. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but a relevant peer in the Indiana youth-development and education nonprofit landscape.

Emerging players

• 4-H Youth Development / Purdue Cooperative Extension: Indiana's 4-H program — already an active Carver partner — runs K-12 STEM, agriculture, and life-skill programs through school and community channels. Functions as a partial peer and partial collaborator; compete for the same after-school and summer enrichment hours.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana: Central Indiana affiliate running one-to-one youth mentorship programs with similar Bridges Outreach-style outcomes. Comparable in mission and youth-empowerment focus, though delivery model (mentorship matching) differs from Carver's in-house facility-based model.
• Indiana Black Expo: Indiana nonprofit operating the annual Indiana Black Expo and year-round youth and cultural programs. Strong cultural-identity overlap with Carver's Juneteenth Jubilee and heritage-based programming; serves overlapping African-American community audiences in Indiana.
• Urban League of Indianapolis: Indiana affiliate of the National Urban League delivering workforce development, youth programs, and civic engagement for African-American families. Closely aligned with Carver's civil rights-era founding mission and current workforce/employment pathway work, including shared United Way grant pool.

Direct peers

• Kokomo Family YMCA: The local YMCA chapter in Kokomo, Indiana, offering the most directly comparable mix of youth sports leagues, after-school care, swim/aquatics, and family membership programs in the same geographic market. Operates the same membership-and-program community center model that Carver uses.
• Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis: Regional affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America serving Central Indiana youth with after-school programs, sports leagues, STEM/robotics, and character development. Closest direct peer in mission, programming mix (sports + education + arts), and nonprofit community-center operating model.
• Girl Scouts of Central Indiana: Central Indiana council offering troop-based youth programming, STEM badges, leadership development, and outdoor/camp experiences. Comparable to Carver in targeting youth development through structured activities, community partnerships, and camp offerings.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Club of Grant County: Nearby Boys & Girls Club affiliate serving the Kokomo/Grant County area with after-school programming, sports, and youth development. Overlaps with Carver in the same regional youth-development niche, representing the most direct competitive peer in market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kokomocarvercenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carver-community-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Carver Community Center