Council of Social Concern

What Council of Social Concern does

Council of Social Concern (legal name: Woburn Council of Social Concern, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based social services agency founded in 1969 and headquartered at 2 Merrimac Street, Woburn, Massachusetts. The organization serves residents of Woburn and Winchester, MA, plus select Middlesex County communities, providing an integrated portfolio of programs: a NAEYC-accredited Children's Center offering early childhood education and care for children from 4 weeks through 5 years, a Family Childcare System placing children aged 2 months to 5 years with licensed in-home educators on subsidized tuition, a Food Pantry Program providing emergency non-perishable food assistance, Parenting Education classes built on the Active Parenting Curriculum, and Information and Referral services connecting clients with community resources across adoption, counseling, elder services, financial assistance, housing, and healthcare.

The organization operates on a donation- and grant-funded model with no fees charged to clients. Revenue streams include government contracts from Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care, the Office of Food and Nutrition Programs/MA Department of Education, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and the City of Woburn; foundation support from United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley, Project Bread/Walk for Hunger, and the Cummings Foundation; individual donations; and proceeds from annual fundraising events including the John McElhiney Memorial Auction, Don Manzelli Memorial Telethon, and Phillip J. Casey Memorial Golf Tournament. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (FY2027 President: Jonathan Braese) and led by Executive Director Jessie Bencosme. Approximately 100-180 community volunteers supplement a small professional staff to deliver services to roughly 1,900-2,400 individuals annually, including over 8,700 cumulative beneficiaries of the Food Pantry and 138 children in licensed childcare.

Name

Council of Social Concern

Legal name

Woburn Council of Social Concern, Inc.

Website

https://socialconcern.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Council of Social Concern is a Woburn, MA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1969, providing NAEYC-accredited childcare, family childcare placements, a food pantry, parenting education, and information/referral services free of charge to low-income residents of Woburn and Winchester, funded by government grants, foundation support, and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Food pantry assistance
• Parenting education

Headquarters

HQ city

Woburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fundraising campaigns, telethons, auctions, golf tournaments, and direct monetary donations from individuals and organizations. Organization relies on community support and donations to sustain operations.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from government agencies including Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care, Office of Food and Nutrition Programs/Massachusetts Department of Education, Child Care Circuit, and City of Woburn.
3. United Way and Foundation Support: Support from United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley, Project Bread/Walk for Hunger, and other foundation grants.
4. Scholarship Program: Mary Laing Memorial Scholarship awarded annually to students demonstrating community commitment, funded through donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Council of Social Concern is a community-based nonprofit agency delivering free social services to residents of Woburn and Winchester, Massachusetts. Its core offerings include NAEYC-accredited early childhood education and childcare (Children's Center for children 4 weeks to 5 years and a Family Childcare System placing children 2 months to 5 years with licensed home-based educators), a Food Pantry Program providing emergency food assistance, Parenting Education classes, and Information and Referral services connecting residents to community resources.

Product overview

Council of Social Concern is a nonprofit community-based social services agency offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core services include the Children's Center (NAEYC-accredited childcare for children 4 weeks to 5 years) and the Family Childcare System (home-based childcare placements), which together provide early childhood education and care. The Food Pantry Program addresses food insecurity for Woburn and Winchester residents, while Parenting Education classes help families develop healthy parenting skills. Information and Referral services connect community members with resources, and the Mary Laing Memorial Scholarship supports local students. The organization funds these services through annual fundraising events including the John McElhiney Memorial Auction, Don Manzelli Memorial Telethon, and Phillip J. Casey Memorial Golf Tournament.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children's Center NAEYC-accredited early education and childcare facility providing full-time, year-round childcare and preschool education for children from 4 weeks through 5 years of age, located at 2 Merrimac Street in Woburn, Massachusetts.
• Family Childcare System Program placing children aged 2 months through 5 years in the homes of licensed Family Childcare Educators, with subsidized tuition assistance available on a sliding scale to low and moderate-income families.
• Food Pantry Program Food assistance program providing non-perishable food items to individuals and families in Woburn and Winchester who lack adequate financial resources, with appointments available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Wednesday evenings.
• Parenting Education

Quantifiable outcome

• Assists approximately 1,900-2,000 individuals per year with support from 100-180 volunteers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Child Care CircuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for childcare resource and referral services
• Children's Aid & Family Services/Seven Hills FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract support for family services
• Woburn High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub of Social Concern student volunteer program at Woburn High School, one of the school's biggest and most active clubs
• Woburn Public Media Center (WPMC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner for annual telethon events

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Horizons for Homeless Children: Massachusetts nonprofit providing early childhood education and family support services to children experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable on the NAEYC-aligned early education program line and the family stabilization support model.
• Greater Boston Food Bank: Regional food bank affiliate shown on Council of Social Concern's website. Operates emergency food distribution in the same eastern Massachusetts geography, addressing overlapping food insecurity need among similar low-income populations. Most direct peer on the food pantry program line.
• Project Bread: Massachusetts anti-hunger organization and Walk for Hunger sponsor listed as a current Council of Social Concern funder. Addresses overlapping food insecurity mission across Massachusetts with complementary program models (direct food assistance, advocacy, and grants to local pantries like Council of Social Concern).
• Boys & Girls Club of Middlesex County: Youth and family services organization serving comparable demographics in nearby Middlesex County communities. Operates after-school, summer programming, and family engagement services that overlap with Council of Social Concern's parenting education and youth-focused mission.
• Cradles to Crayons: Massachusetts-based nonprofit addressing children's basic needs (clothing, food, school supplies) for low-income families. Comparable family-and-children support mission operating in the same eastern Massachusetts service geography with overlapping donor base.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston: Multi-service faith-based social services organization operating across eastern Massachusetts. Delivers an overlapping portfolio of family support, food assistance, parenting education, and immigrant services to comparable low-income populations in the same regional footprint.
• United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley: Federated giving intermediary and current funder of Council of Social Concern. Operates in the same Massachusetts Bay / Merrimack Valley service area, funding and coordinating a portfolio of community-based human service agencies with overlapping family support missions.

Regional players

• Heading Home: Massachusetts-based housing and homelessness services organization. Comparable on the social services nonprofit model and the low-income family support mission, with overlap on Council of Social Concern's information/referral services for shelter and housing resources, but focused on a different primary service line.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Greater Boston: Multi-service community organization offering childcare, youth programming, family services, and community health across eastern Massachusetts. Overlaps with Council of Social Concern's childcare and family support programs but operates at materially larger scale with broader programmatic scope.
• Salvation Army Massachusetts Division: Large multi-service social services organization with food pantries, family support, and emergency assistance across Massachusetts. Overlaps with Council of Social Concern on food pantry and emergency assistance programs but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Council of Social Concern