Community Teamwork
Community Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 in Lowell, Massachusetts, serving 50,000-60,000+ low-income individuals annually across 70+ cities and towns with housing, child care, energy, employment, financial education, and behavioral health programs under a $150M+ operating budget.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersLowell, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Community Teamwork does
Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 in Lowell, Massachusetts, originally chartered under President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The agency serves more than 50,000-60,000 low-income individuals annually across 70+ cities and towns in Middlesex and Essex Counties, Massachusetts, through a federated portfolio of program lines including housing supports, child care and early education, energy and weatherization, employment and training, financial education, food and nutrition (including a WIC program serving 5,600+ participants), entrepreneurship and small business support, youth services, fair housing, and behavioral health. CTI is one of only two organizations in Massachusetts to hold all three designations — Community Action Agency, Regional Non-Profit Housing Agency, and Community Development Corporation — and one of only eight Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) administering federal rental vouchers, MRVP, RAFT, and SNO Mass subsidies across 43 cities and towns.
The agency's revenue model is non-traditional for a commercial entity: services are delivered at no cost to eligible low-income clients, while the organization is funded through a diversified mix of federal and state grants (including a $10M Energy and Community Resources sub-budget under HHS Office of Community Services), rental subsidy administration contracts, CITC-qualified donations (minimum $1,000 to qualify for a 50% Massachusetts state tax credit), SBA Microloan Program lending through its Entrepreneurship Center, fundraising events including the annual Spring Celebration gala, and capital campaigns such as the 2026 Mother's Day women's shelter initiative. Common Ground Development Corporation (CGDC), a wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary, has produced over 200 affordable housing units across the Merrimack Valley and North Shore. The current operating budget exceeds $150 million and the workforce has expanded from 500 to 700 employees under CHRO Lisa Wholey.
The underlying technology stack is a standard nonprofit operational footprint — Cognito Forms for client intake, Zoom Telephony, an integrated helpdesk, firewall and site-to-site communications under CTO Bob Seymour, with OneCause for donations and Constant Contact for newsletters — none of which constitutes a proprietary technology platform. The competitive moat rests on rare state-administered designations, deep multi-stakeholder partnerships (Lowell Public Schools, Lowell Community Health Center, Enterprise Bank, AmeriCorps Seniors), multilingual capacity in 11 languages, and 60 years of continuous operation. Carl W. Howell serves as Chief Executive Officer, having succeeded Karen N. Frederick, who led the agency since 2003.
Community Teamwork firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Community Teamwork
- Legal name
- Community Teamwork, Inc.
- Website
- https://commteam.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Community Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 in Lowell, Massachusetts, serving 50,000-60,000+ low-income individuals annually across 70+ cities and towns with housing, child care, energy, employment, financial education, and behavioral health programs under a $150M+ operating budget.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Community Teamwork industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Action Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)
Keywords
Where Community Teamwork is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lowell
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Community Teamwork business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Grants (Federal/State): Federal, state and private program funding; budget includes $10 million of federal, state and private programming funds for Energy and Community Resources. Also receives funding from Office of Community Services within HHS Administration for Children and Families. Senior Vice President Connie Martin oversees a $10M budget of federal, state and private programming funds.
- Individual & Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible contributions to Community Teamwork programs and services. Donations of $1,000+ qualify for the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program, providing 50% MA state tax credit. CTI has received more than $1 million in tax credits since inception.
- SBA Microloan Lending: Approved SBA lender offering Microloan Program loans through the Entrepreneurship Center to support small business development; entrepreneur intake form required prior to engagement.
- Fundraising Events: Annual Spring Celebration gala and other special events raise significant funds; other campaigns include Mother's Day 'A Safe Place to Begin Again' for Women's Shelter, Toys for Tots, Coats for Kids.
- Government Rental Subsidy Administration: Acts as one of eight Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) managing subsidized housing assistance (including Federal Rental Vouchers/Section 8, State Rental Vouchers/MRVP, RAFT, SNO Mass) across 43 cities and towns in Massachusetts under the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | CITC Donation Tier |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Entrepreneurship Center Intake |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
Community Teamwork product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Community Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 that delivers a federated portfolio of social services to low-income individuals and families in Greater Lowell, Massachusetts. Its core offerings span affordable housing assistance, early childhood education (Head Start/Child Care), energy and weatherization programs, employment and training, financial education, small business support through the Entrepreneurship Center, food and nutrition programs (including WIC), youth development, and behavioral health services. The agency is one of only two organizations in Massachusetts holding all three designations of Community Action Agency, Regional Housing Agency, and Community Development Corporation.
Product overview
Community Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency delivering social services through a federated portfolio of named program lines rather than a single unified technology product. The portfolio spans Child Care & Early Education, School Age programs, Youth Programs, Food & Nutrition, Energy & Utilities, Employment & Training, Financial Education, the Entrepreneurship Center, Housing Supports (which includes Common Ground Development, family emergency shelter, and the Avenue at Greenmont senior housing), Fair Housing Program, Volunteer Opportunities, and The Rita O'Brien-Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development. Each program operates as a distinct service line under one organizational umbrella, with no consolidated software platform binding them together.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Common Ground Development Corporation (CGDC): Nonprofit subsidiary of Community Teamwork producing affordable housing through rehabilitation, new construction, and acquisition/preservation of apartments, working cooperatively with cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore.
- The Rita O'Brien-Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development (Embrace)
- Entrepreneurship Center / E-Center
Products and services
- Child Care & Early Education Center-based early childhood education and child care programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start, delivered to low-income families in Lowell.
- School Age Program Before- and after-school care and out-of-school-time services for school-age children operated at six Lowell public school sites licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care.
- Housing Supports Comprehensive housing assistance including administration of Section 8 Federal Rental Vouchers, State Rental Vouchers (MRVP), RAFT, and SNO Mass across 43 cities and towns in Massachusetts as a Regional Administering Agency.
- Common Ground Development Corporation Affordable housing development, rehabilitation of distressed buildings, new construction, and preservation of existing apartments at affordable rent levels through the nonprofit Community Development Corporation subsidiary.
- Energy & Utilities Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,296 households retained housing through rental subsidies
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Community Teamwork
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Community Teamwork technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Community Teamwork partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators19 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Community Teamwork competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP): State-level membership association representing Massachusetts' 23 Community Action Agencies. CTI is a member; MASSCAP provides training, advocacy, and coordination relevant to CTI's operating context.
- National Community Action Partnership (NCAP): National membership association for the nationwide network of Community Action Agencies. Provides federal advocacy, training, and ROMA performance standards that govern CTI's CSBG-funded operations.
Emerging players
- Heading Home: Greater Boston nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. Comparable to CTI's Housing Supports and Leased Housing programs at a smaller regional scale.
- Pine Street Inn: Boston-area nonprofit focused on homelessness services and supportive housing. Comparable in its housing-first orientation and emergency-shelter service line, though narrower in scope than CTI's full CAA portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH): National nonprofit that acquires, preserves, and operates affordable rental housing across multiple states. Comparable to Common Ground's acquisition-and-preservation strategy and federal LIHTC financing approach.
- The Community Builders: Major national nonprofit affordable-housing developer and property manager. Comparable to CTI's Common Ground Development subsidiary in the affordable-housing production mission, though operating at significantly larger geographic and asset scale.
Direct peers
- Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC): GLCAC serves the Lawrence-area Merrimack Valley — directly adjacent to CTI's service territory — with comparable Head Start, fuel assistance, weatherization, and youth programs. Direct geographic peer with overlapping service areas.
- Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): ABCD is the largest Community Action Agency in New England, serving Boston and surrounding cities with a comparable portfolio of Head Start, housing, energy assistance, and workforce programs. Directly comparable as a fellow Massachusetts CAA with overlapping program lines and federal funding base.
- South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC): SMOC is a Framingham-based CAA serving the south Middlesex region of Massachusetts with a similarly broad portfolio of housing, early education, behavioral health, and workforce programs. Closely comparable scale and service mix; both are among the largest CAAs in the state.
- Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC): WCAC is the Community Action Agency for central Massachusetts, administering Head Start, fuel assistance, weatherization, and rental assistance across Worcester County. Direct peer operating under the same federal CAA framework with overlapping program lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Community Teamwork social profiles
Digital presenceCommunity Teamwork financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Community Teamwork leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Community Teamwork subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Community Teamwork funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Community Teamwork M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Community Teamwork
What does Community Teamwork do?
Community Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) Community Action Agency founded in 1965 that delivers a federated portfolio of social services to low-income individuals and families in Greater Lowell, Massachusetts. Its core offerings span affordable housing assistance, early childhood education (Head Start/Child Care), energy and weatherization programs, employment and training, financial education, small business support through the Entrepreneurship Center, food and nutrition programs (including WIC), youth development, and behavioral health services. The agency is one of only two organizations in Massachusetts holding all three designations of Community Action Agency, Regional Housing Agency, and Community Development Corporation.
Is Community Teamwork a public or private company?
Community Teamwork is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Community Teamwork founded?
Community Teamwork was founded in 1965. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Community Teamwork based?
Community Teamwork is headquartered in Lowell, United States, in the North America region.
How does Community Teamwork make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government Grants (Federal/State) is the primary driver. The others are individual & Corporate Donations, SBA Microloan Lending, fundraising Events and government Rental Subsidy Administration.
Who are Community Teamwork's main competitors?
Others on record are Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) and National Community Action Partnership (NCAP). Emerging players are Heading Home and Pine Street Inn. Broad incumbents are Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and The Community Builders. Direct peers are Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC), Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) and Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC).
Does Community Teamwork have an API?
No public API is recorded for Community Teamwork.
What industry is Community Teamwork in?
Community Teamwork's product category is Community Action Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of BPAGAEAL, Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services. Its NAICS code is 81341 and its SIC code is 8300.