UETHDA

What UETHDA does

UETHDA (Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency) is a private nonprofit Community Action Agency founded in 1965 and consolidated through a 1973 merger. It delivers federal and state antipoverty programs to low-income children, families, and individuals across an eight-county service area in Upper East Tennessee, operating nine Neighborhood Service Centers as its primary service delivery infrastructure. Its annual operating budget is approximately $26 million, supported by a workforce of 251–500 employees.

The agency's core programs span early childhood education (Head Start, serving 1,209 children across 61 classrooms), energy assistance (LIHEAP), housing support, weatherization, income management, career resources, self-sufficiency coaching, and community outreach. Funding flows primarily through federal pass-through grants from the Office of Head Start, the Department of Health and Human Services (CSBG), and the Department of Energy (Weatherization Assistance Program), supplemented by state appropriations such as the First Steps program. Administrative and program-management technology is limited to standard nonprofit-sector platforms, notably ChildPlus for Head Start data management.

UETHDA's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: there is no fee-for-service pricing model or product revenue. The agency is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Henry Reyes, with Johnnie Mae Swagerty as Vice Chairman and Rev. James Whiteside as Secretary/Treasurer. Operational reach is extended through partnerships with organizations such as the Community Action Partnership, Eastman Credit Union, and Banzai for financial literacy curriculum delivery.

Name

UETHDA

Legal name

Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency, Inc.

Website

https://uethda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

UETHDA is a nonprofit Community Action Agency founded in 1965 that delivers federally and state-funded antipoverty programs — including Head Start, LIHEAP, weatherization, and housing — to low-income residents of eight counties in Upper East Tennessee through nine neighborhood service centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Community Action Agency

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC), Adult Learner Support Services (Advising, Case Management, Wraparound Supports) (EDAAABAJ)

Keywords

• Community action agency
• Social services nonprofit
• Early childhood education
• Energy assistance program
• Housing assistance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants: Primary revenue source from federal grants including Head Start (Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), Community Services Block Grant, Weatherization Assistance Program, and LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program). These grants fund specific social service programs delivered to eligible community members.
2. State Grants: State-level funding including the First Steps Program supporting early childhood development services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UETHDA (Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency) is a nonprofit Community Action Agency delivering a coordinated suite of federally and state-funded social services to low-income individuals and families across 8 counties in Upper East Tennessee. Core offerings include Head Start preschool for children ages 3-5, LIHEAP energy bill assistance, housing support, self-sufficiency planning, career resources, weatherization, and financial literacy/income management. Services are delivered at no cost to eligible clients through nine Neighborhood Service Centers and a mobile outreach unit.

Product overview

UETHDA is a Community Action Agency providing a coordinated suite of social services programs to relieve poverty and promote self-sufficiency in Upper East Tennessee. The organization operates nine Neighborhood Service Centers offering direct client services. Core programs include Head Start (federal preschool for 3-4 year olds), LIHEAP energy assistance, housing support, the Self-Sufficiency Program, Career Resources, Weatherization Assistance, and Income Management services. These programs work together under the mission to provide education, direction, and support to individuals and families to strengthen and stabilize the community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start Federal preschool program promoting school readiness for children ages 3-5 from low-income families, including foster children, homeless children, and those with disabilities, through cognitive, social, and emotional development. Serves 1,209 children across 61 classrooms with family engagement support.
• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) Energy cost assistance program for low-income households covering electric, wood, coal, oil, gas/LP gas, and kerosene expenses to prevent utility shutoffs and ease heating/cooling cost burdens.
• Housing Program Rental and mortgage assistance program providing temporary relief during economic transitions such as job changes for low-income households facing housing instability.
• Self-Sufficiency Program Program assisting families in developing and implementing individualized goals to achieve greater self-sufficiency through comprehensive assessments addressing education, employment, housing, mental health, and other barriers to stability.
• Career Resources Employment assistance services providing clothing, equipment, training certifications, gas stipends, and dental/vision support for individuals facing employment barriers.
• Weatherization Assistance Program Energy cost reduction program helping low-income households reduce heat loss and conserve energy through weatherization improvements to their dwellings.
• Income Management / Budgeting Assistance Financial literacy services including self-paced classes and the Banzai interactive online money management tool to help clients manage budgets and build financial skills, offered at no cost through partnership with Eastman Credit Union and Banzai.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Eastman Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Eastman Credit Union to provide financial literacy and money management resources to community members. Jointly offers the Banzai interactive online money management tool at no cost to users.
• BanzaicoreTechnology or IntegrationBanzai financial wellness platform partnered with Eastman Credit Union and UETHDA to provide interactive online money management tools to help community members with budgeting and financial planning.
• Community Action PartnershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUETHDA is a member of the Community Action Partnership network, which covers 99% of U.S. counties. The national association provides resources, advocacy, and connection to state and regional Community Action associations. CAAs collectively serve over 15.8 million individuals per year.
• ChildPluscoreTechnology or IntegrationChildPlus provides the enrollment portal used for Head Start applications, allowing families to apply online in English or Spanish for early childhood education services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Goodwill Industries of the Tennessee Valley: Regional Goodwill affiliate providing workforce development, career services, and employment-related supports across the same geography as UETHDA. Overlaps with UETHDA's Career Resources program on employment barriers and self-sufficiency services for low-income populations.
• United Way of East Tennessee Highlands: Regional United Way serving overlapping Northeast Tennessee counties with similar mission of funding and coordinating anti-poverty services. Comparable as a community resource aggregator and referral hub, but operates as a fundraiser rather than direct service provider.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee: Regional food insecurity nonprofit serving the same East Tennessee geography as UETHDA. Comparable mission of addressing basic needs for low-income residents and overlapping client base, though specialized in food distribution rather than full multi-program service mix.

Direct peers

• Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council: Tennessee regional Community Action Agency serving northwest counties with matching service portfolio of Head Start, energy assistance, housing, and workforce programs. Comparable multi-county, multi-program structure under CAA designation.
• Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee: Community Action Agency serving Knox County in East Tennessee with parallel anti-poverty service mix including Head Start, weatherization, and housing assistance. Geographic neighbor within East Tennessee with overlapping referral networks and shared service area characteristics.
• East Tennessee Human Resource Agency: Tennessee Community Action Agency operating across a multi-county service area with comparable federal grant funding structure (Head Start, LIHEAP, CSBG) and similar mission of serving low-income residents. Direct competitor for federal funding expansions and comparable in scale.
• Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency: Tennessee CAA serving the southeast region of the state with parallel programs including Head Start, LIHEAP, weatherization, and senior services. Operates as a designated county-recognized agency with similar federal-state revenue mix and service center distribution model.
• Mid-East Tennessee Human Resource Agency: Regional Community Action Agency serving multiple Tennessee counties with a similar portfolio of Head Start, LIHEAP, weatherization, housing, and self-sufficiency services. Directly comparable as a designated CAA with county-level franchise model and federal grant funding mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uethda.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/uethda
• Xx.com/UpperEast_TN

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 UETHDA