Lakeside Curative Services

What Lakeside Curative Services does

Lakeside Curative Services, Inc. (LCS) is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit founded in 1949 that delivers employment support and community engagement services to youth and adults with disabilities in the Racine and Kenosha area. Its core offerings are LCS QEST (Quality Employment Solutions Today), which places participants in community employment through Certified Employment Support Professionals working under Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation authorizations, and LCS Connect, which provides volunteerism, life-skills, and recreational programming. The organization supplements these with add-on training modules (computer/clerical instruction, forklift certification), a Business Solutions employer outreach program offering wage subsidies and tax credit assistance, and a Tech Lending Closet that loans tablets and hotspots to participants.

LCS generates revenue primarily through DVR-authorized service payments on a per-participant basis, supplemented by donations via PayPal and employer-funded activities routed through the DVR system. Neither participants nor employers are charged fees; services to employers are free and costs are recovered through DVR on-the-job training reimbursements (up to 50% of salary) and federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits. The organization does not operate a technology platform, software product, or AI system; technology use is limited to administrative tools and basic computer-skills training delivered to participants. Go-to-market is referral-driven: DVR funnels authorized participants to LCS, while employer partnerships are cultivated through direct outreach, community networking, and local business events.

The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Alison Hoffman, supported by a Director of LCS Services, Employment Specialists, Community Coaches, and an Accounting Manager. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, and LCS operates from a single headquarters at 2503 Lincolnwood Court in Racine, Wisconsin, with no subsidiaries, no parent organization, and no investment funding rounds.

Name

Lakeside Curative Services

Legal name

Lakeside Curative Services, Inc.

Website

https://lcsracine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lakeside Curative Services is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit providing employment placement, job coaching, and community engagement services to youth and adults with disabilities through its QEST and Connect programs, funded primarily through state vocational rehabilitation authorizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Racine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government-funded vocational rehabilitation services: LCS receives funding through authorizations for service from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Services are provided based on individual authorizations, with DVR covering costs for employment support, job coaching, and community integration services for participants with disabilities.
2. Donations and charitable contributions: LCS accepts donations through PayPal (hosted_button_id: N3USEAJRQEQ66) to support programs and services. Donated funds are used to purchase technology for the Tech Lending Closet program and support other organizational needs.
3. Business solutions and employer services: LCS provides free services to employers including job coaching, on-the-job training coordination, and connection to DVR-funded wage subsidies. Revenue is not directly charged to employers; instead, costs are covered through DVR arrangements and hiring incentives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lakeside Curative Services provides vocational rehabilitation, employment placement, and community engagement services for youth and adults with disabilities. Its two flagship programs are LCS QEST (Quality Employment Solutions Today), which delivers individualized job development, job coaching, and supported employment via Certified Employment Support Professionals, and LCS Connect, which builds life skills, community involvement, and recreational engagement. Supplementary offerings include Computer/Clerical Training, Forklift Training, a Business Solutions employer-partnership program, and a Tech Lending Closet for technology access.

Product overview

Lakeside Curative Services (LCS) is a nonprofit organization offering an integrated suite of community-focused services for individuals with disabilities. The core offerings consist of LCS QEST (Quality Employment Solutions Today) for employment support and placement, and LCS Connect for community engagement and life skills development. These are supplemented by skills training modules including Computer/Clerical Training and Forklift Training, Business Solutions for employer partnerships and hiring incentives, and a Tech Lending Closet program. The organization partners with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to deliver individualized support focused on community integration and employment outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LCS QEST: Quality Employment Solutions Today - helps individuals with varying disabilities find community employment matching their unique talents and employment goals.
• LCS Connect

Products and services

• LCS QEST (Quality Employment Solutions Today) Employment support service that helps individuals with varying disabilities find community employment matching their unique talents and employment goals through Certified Employment Support Professionals (CESP). Services include job development, job coaching, supported employment, trial work experiences, internships, resume development, community orientation, and bus training, delivered in partnership with Wisconsin's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
• LCS Connect Community engagement service that helps individuals with disabilities lead fuller, more inclusive, and independent lives through volunteerism, recreational activities, career exploration, horticulture training, and supervised community experiences delivered by Community Coaches.
• Business Solutions Hiring incentive program for employers that connects them with qualified candidates with disabilities, providing on-the-job training coordination with up to 50% salary coverage through DVR, Work Opportunity Tax Credit assistance up to $9,000 per hire, and ongoing job coaching support at no cost or contract.
• Tech Lending Closet Technology lending program that loans tablets and hotspot devices to LCS participants who lack access to technology needed for virtual classes, trainings, and job applications. Funded through organizational donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful employment outcomes documented through participant work anniversaries (e.g., Wilson celebrated two-year anniversary at Cold Stone Creamery)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLCS works in partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to help individuals with disabilities find community employment. DVR provides authorizations for service, and LCS staff (Certified Employment Support Professionals) deliver employment support including job development, job coaching, and supported employment. This is a formal government partnership that funds and refers participants to LCS programs.
• Focus on CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLCS partners with Focus on Community for staff volunteer days. In 2022, LCS staff volunteered at Focus on Community's community garden as part of the Uptown Revitalization Project in Racine. Focus on Community is a drug-free community coalition.
• Cops N' Kids Reading CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLCS partners with Cops N' Kids Reading Center to provide volunteer opportunities for participants. LCS participants regularly volunteer at this location to sort books and engage with the community.
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD)minorOthersListed as a community partner/resource on LCS website. DWD provides workforce development resources and information relevant to LCS mission of disability employment.
• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)minorOthersReferenced in the Business Solutions section regarding Economic Development Tax Credits. WEDC provides tax incentives for businesses in Wisconsin that may affect LCS employer partnerships.
• APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First)minorOthersListed as a community partner/resource. APSE is a national organization promoting Employment First policy and competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.
• Community CareminorOthersListed as a community partner/resource on LCS website. Community Care provides programs and services relevant to the disability community in Wisconsin.
• Wisconsin Bureau of People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD)minorOthersListed as a community partner/resource. BPDD advocates for and supports people with developmental disabilities in Wisconsin.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SourceAmerica: National AbilityOne-authorized nonprofit that creates employment and contracting opportunities for people with disabilities, with substantially larger federal contracting scale than LCS's local employer network.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit network providing disability services including vocational rehabilitation, employment support, and community engagement — same mission as LCS but at multi-state scale with broader funding and program mix.
• Goodwill Industries International: Operates employment and training programs for people with disabilities and other barriers, with retail-funded cross-subsidization that LCS lacks. The most directly comparable national nonprofit VR provider.

Direct peers

• Easterseals Wisconsin: State chapter of Easterseals delivering employment, day, and community services for individuals with disabilities throughout Wisconsin — direct peer competing for DVR authorizations in the same service area.
• Aspiro: Wisconsin nonprofit providing vocational, residential, and community-based services for individuals with disabilities; competing for the same DVR-funded participant pool in the state.
• The Arc of the United States: National advocacy and direct-service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; local chapters deliver employment and community-engagement programming analogous to LCS QEST and Connect.
• St. Coletta of Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across residential, vocational, and community-engagement programs — a directly comparable Wisconsin peer.
• SAR Services Inc. Wisconsin-based provider of community-based and employment services for individuals with disabilities, competing head-to-head with LCS for DVR-funded placements in the state.

Regional players

• Opportunity Partners: Minnesota-based nonprofit providing employment and community services for people with disabilities — directly comparable service model but operating in a different geography.

Others

• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR): State agency that both funds and refers to LCS; while not a direct competitor for service delivery, DVR is the structural gatekeeper and parallels LCS's mission of placing people with disabilities in employment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lcsracine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakeside-curative-services/?trk=nav_responsive_sub_nav_companies
• Instagraminstagram.com/lcs_racine

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 Lakeside Curative Services