What Cass Community Social Services does

Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002, with operational roots tracing back to the Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church founded in 1881. The organization operates a 'sustainable pedestrian campus' delivering an integrated suite of services to people experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and poverty in Detroit. Its four programmatic pillars are Food Services (700,000 meals annually, sourced via partnerships with Gleaners, Forgotten Harvest, faith organizations, schools, corporate groups, and Northern Michigan hunters), Housing (Warming Center, Family Shelter, an interfaith Rotating Shelter through 40+ churches, Permanent Supportive Housing apartments and SROs, plus Tiny Homes Detroit — a 25-unit, 250–400 sq ft development with a 7-year rent-to-own path), Health (the Cass Free Medical Clinic staffed by Wayne State University medical students and volunteer physicians, open Saturdays year-round), and Jobs (the Green Industries vocational program producing Mud Mats and coaster sets from recycled materials, providing secure document destruction for doctors, lawyers, and accountants, and operating the Trading Spaces clean-out service). The Kim Center delivers life-skills programming for adults with developmental disabilities through referrals routed via Detroit/Wayne County's mental health system.

CCSS's revenue model is hybrid: philanthropic (individual and corporate donations, foundation grants, planned giving including stock transfers), fee-based services (document shredding priced competitively with for-profit operators, outside catering, clean-outs — collectively operated by the Green Industries workforce), and retail (Mud Mats, coaster sets, Cass Communitea tea, books via Cass Community Publishing House). Fundraising is anchored by the annual Iron Chef Detroit culinary event (now in its third iteration, 2026) and the 21st Annual Charity Golf Scramble. The organization is led by Executive Director Rev. Faith Fowler, operates with a stated $5 million annual operating budget, employs approximately 100 staff, mobilizes roughly 5,000 volunteers annually, holds CARF accreditation (since 1998, most recently renewed in 2010), and operates from multiple Detroit facilities including the World Building (11745 Rosa Parks Blvd), the Thomasson Building (1534 Webb St) housing the medical clinic, and the Tiny Homes Detroit campus.

Name

Cass Community Social Services

Legal name

Cass Community Social Services

Website

https://casscommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cass Community Social Services is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving homeless and low-income residents with integrated food, housing, healthcare, and vocational programs, alongside social enterprises such as Green Industries, Tiny Homes Detroit, and Cass Community Publishing House.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Individual and Family Services (6241), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Affordable housing
• Food assistance programs
• Vocational training services
• Community health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations through online portal, phone, mail, and stock transfers. Tax ID: 38-3429921
2. Food Services and Catering: Fees from outside catering jobs and food distribution services
3. Green Industries Products: Sale of Mud Mats, keychains, coaster sets, and other products made from recycled materials. Proceeds fund the program and employees.
4. Document Destruction Services: Secure document shredding services for doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professionals. Competitive pricing with for-profit businesses.
5. Trading Spaces Clean-Out Service: Clean-out service for people leaving homes or offices, started in 2020. Fee-based service.
6. Planned Giving: Planned giving and stock gift programs for long-term donor engagement
7. Grant Funding: Operating support through grants from foundations and government programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Cass Community Social Services delivers food, housing, health, and vocational programs to people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and other barriers in Detroit. Core services include 700,000 meals served annually, a free Saturday medical clinic, a continuum of housing (warming center, family and rotating shelters, permanent supportive housing, and rent-to-own tiny homes), and a Green Industries vocational program that produces recycled-material products and offers document destruction and clean-out services. A publishing arm (Cass Community Publishing House) supports underrepresented writers, and annual fundraisers (Iron Chef Detroit, Charity Golf Scramble) sustain the mission.

Product overview

Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected social service programs. Core services include Food Services (serving 700,000 meals annually), Health (Cass Free Medical Clinic), Housing (Warming Center, Family Shelter, Rotating Shelter, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Tiny Homes Detroit), and Jobs through Green Industries. Vocational programs include Life Skills at Kim Center, Document Destruction, Trading Spaces, and product lines (Mud Mats, Coaster Sets). The organization also runs fundraising events including Iron Chef Detroit and the CCSS Charity Golf Scramble. A publishing arm, Cass Community Publishing House, supports underrepresented writers. Products and services work together to address poverty, housing instability, unemployment, and food insecurity in Detroit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Green Industries: Vocational training and employment program linking employment with sustainability, producing mud mats, coasters, and providing document destruction services
• Tiny Homes Detroit
• Cass Community Publishing House
• Iron Chef Detroit
• Trading Spaces
• Cass Communitea

Products and services

• Food Services Prepares and serves 700,000 meals annually (over 13,000 meals each week) to people experiencing homelessness and/or poverty in Detroit, sourcing food from community gardens, food rescuers (Gleaners, Forgotten Harvest), faith-based organizations, schools, corporate groups, and hunters from Northern Michigan; also offers outside catering.
• Cass Free Medical Clinic Free medical clinic operating Saturdays 9am-11:30am year-round at the Thomasson Building, offering health screenings, no-cost medications, pro bono procedures, and links to other resources for uninsured and underinsured community members.
• Housing Services Continuum of emergency and permanent housing including Warming Center (24/7 November 15 to March 31), Family Shelter (year-round), Rotating Shelter (November-April hosted by approximately 40 partner churches), and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) apartments and SROs indefinitely.
• Tiny Homes Detroit Program constructing 25 tiny homes (250-400 square feet) on Cass's Detroit campus; residents rent for one year at a time with a 7-year rent-to-own pathway to homeownership. Serves formerly homeless, formerly incarcerated, foster care alumni, seniors, and low-income individuals.
• Green Industries Job creation program started during the 2007 recession for people with barriers to employment; employees produce Mud Mats and keychains from illegally dumped tires, coaster sets from repurposed wood and glass, and handle document destruction and recycling operations.
• Document Destruction Secure document destruction service providing paper shredding, recycling, and media/x-ray film destruction operated by Green Industries employees. Features 5/16 inch shred width (stricter than industry standard), background checks, 24/7 surveillance, and IRS-compliant procedures, with locking containers or purge and scheduled or on-demand pickups for doctors, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals.
• Trading Spaces Clean-out service for people leaving homes or offices; the Cass team arrives to load unwanted items and sorts materials at the World Building, with roughly 80% of materials reused or recycled.
• Mud Mats and Coaster Sets (Green Industries Products) Physical products made by Green Industries employees from recycled materials: Mud Mats stamped with the classic Old English D from rubber of illegally dumped tires, and coaster sets from repurposed wood and glass scraps.
• Life Skills (Kim Center) Activity center for adults with developmental disabilities at the World Building (Monday-Friday) where program members set personal social, educational, vocational, and recreational goals; some members own businesses, work in the community, or work in Cass's Document Destruction program.
• Iron Chef Detroit Annual culinary fundraising event featuring a cooking competition between Detroit's best chefs, a tasting menu from local caterers, bars, and restaurants, with tickets at $60 and corporate sponsorships; benefits Cass Community Social Services.
• CCSS Charity Golf Scramble Annual Golf Outing fundraiser with golfer registration and sponsorship tiers supporting Cass Community Social Services' programs including meal service, Tiny Homes Detroit, and Green Industries job creation.
• Cass Community Publishing House Founded in 2014, the Cass Community Publishing House publishes history, biography, photography, novels, and poetry to give a voice to writers from groups under-represented by major publishing companies and to spotlight religious and urban issues.
• Outside Catering Services Catering services for outside events staffed by Cass's Food Services team and planned via the Deputy Director; bookings made by contacting the organization directly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 Tiny Homes built with path to homeownership for low-income residents
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• WXYZ Detroit (ABC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 December 2025Detroit ABC affiliate covered Mitzvah Day Jewish volunteers serving at Cass Community.
• Detroit Free PressminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 June 2025Major Detroit newspaper covered Iron Chef Detroit II event, providing media exposure for the fundraising event.
• WDET (NPR)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2025Detroit public radio station covered Iron Chef Detroit II event with multiple stories.
• WDIV Local 4 (NBC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 June 2025Detroit NBC affiliate covered Iron Chef Detroit II competition, providing local TV media coverage for the fundraiser.
• KrogermajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024National grocery retailer partnering with Detroit Pistons for Season of Giving food giveaway benefiting Cass Community.
• United Way of Southeastern MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Named Cass to 2024 Volunteer Honor Roll, indicating strong partnership in volunteer engagement and community service.
• Detroit PistonsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024NBA team partnering with Kroger for annual 'Season of Giving' food giveaway, supporting Cass Community Social Services.
• GleanerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescuer partner providing food sourcing for Cass's meal programs. Gleaners supplies produce and food items that are prepared and distributed to those experiencing food insecurity.
• Forgotten HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue organization partnering with Cass to source food for community meals and distribution programs.
• Faith-based organizations, schools, corporate groups, and fraternities/sororitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partners providing canned food donations and volunteer support for Cass's food programs.
• Hunters from Northern MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides several hundred pounds of meat each fall for Cass's meal programs.
• Wayne State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical students from Wayne State University staff the Cass Free Medical Clinic, providing healthcare services alongside volunteer doctors.
• 40+ churches (Rotating Shelter network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproximately 40 churches host Cass clients for a week of overnights at a time during the rotating shelter season (November-April). Churches provide dinner, sleeping space, breakfast, and bagged lunch.
• CAM (Coordinated Assessment Model)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Detroit system handling intake for all emergency housing programs in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck. Referrals to Cass programs must come through CAM.
• The Whitney RestaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFine dining restaurant that provided Carl Agnott, who now serves as Cass Food Services Director.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan: Regional Catholic nonprofit providing a broad portfolio of social services (food, housing, refugee services, counseling) in Metro Detroit. Direct peer: multi-service nonprofit serving overlapping low-income populations in the same geography.
• Forgotten Harvest: Detroit-area food rescue organization partnering with Cass to source food for community meal programs. Direct peer: shared hunger-relief mission; one of Cass's named food suppliers.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan: Regional food bank distributing food to a network of partner agencies including Cass Community. Direct peer and active food-rescue supplier: shared hunger-relief mission and donor base in Detroit.
• Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit: Detroit-area nonprofit providing social services including case management, counseling, food/financial assistance, and services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Direct peer: multi-service social services for vulnerable populations in Detroit.
• Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries: Detroit nonprofit delivering emergency shelter, food service, recovery programs, and vocational support to homeless and low-income populations. Direct peer: identical service mix (shelter, food, recovery) and Detroit-only geography.
• Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS): Detroit-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, supportive housing, and meals to homeless individuals and families. Direct peer: same primary customer segment (Detroit homeless), overlapping services (shelter, food, housing navigation).
• Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit: Detroit-area nonprofit providing vocational training, document destruction services, and employment for people with barriers to work. Direct peer: overlapping Green Industries functions (document destruction, recycled-product retail) and shared employment mission.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity Detroit: Detroit affiliate of Habitat for Humanity building affordable housing for low-income families. Emerging player with adjacent focus: affordable housing and homeownership pathway similar in spirit to Tiny Homes Detroit's rent-to-own model.

Regional players

• Starfish Family Services: Michigan-based human services agency serving children, youth, and families with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. Adjacent peer: developmental disability programming comparable to Cass's Kim Center for adults with developmental disabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army (Eastern Michigan / Detroit): National faith-based social services organization offering emergency shelter, food service, recovery, and holiday programming across the U.S. including Detroit. Broad incumbent: overlapping core services but at much larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/casscommunity
• Facebookfacebook.com/CassDetroit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cass-community-social-services-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/casscommunity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Cass Community Social Services