Helping Services for Youth & Families

What Helping Services for Youth & Families does

Helping Services for Youth & Families is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization headquartered in Decorah, Iowa, founded in 1973 as a community crisis line and now operating across eight counties in northeast Iowa: Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek. The organization delivers four core programs: a Youth Mentoring program matching caring adults with youth ages 6-17 across six counties; a Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) operating a 24/7 crisis hotline (800-383-2988), online chat, and text-based advocacy for survivors of intimate partner and teen dating violence; a Family Education and Support program using the Parents As Teachers evidence-based home visiting model to serve families with children from prenatal through age three; and Substance Use Prevention services delivered through six county-level community coalitions. A Transitional Housing Program for domestic violence survivors was added in 2024-2025 with $500,000 in Office of Violence Against Women funding.

The organization's underlying technology and operational infrastructure is standard for a community-based nonprofit of its size: a Technology Coordinator manages equipment, software, and online platforms; the organization maintains a website (helpingservices.org), active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and uses donor management and case management systems. No proprietary technology platforms, AI systems, mobile applications, or public APIs are documented. The organization holds the Iowa Family Support Credential, validating adherence to Iowa Family Support Standards for its family education programs.

The revenue model is a mix of federal grants (Drug Free Communities Federal Grant, Office of Violence Against Women, State Opioid Response), state grants, individual donations and planned estate gifts, corporate and business sponsorships, and community fundraising events. The signature Holiday Lights drive-through Christmas display at Pulpit Rock Campground, running annually since 2005, is described as the organization's most important fundraiser and attracted 3,563 cars in its 18th season (2022) with 50+ corporate sponsors. The 2025 Mentoring Bowl-a-thon raised $7,620 from 78 bowlers. All client-facing services are provided free of charge. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors (President Renae Wedeking) with Carson Eggland as Executive Director, and operates with no parent company, holding entity, or private equity involvement.

Name

Helping Services for Youth & Families

Legal name

Helping Services for Youth & Families, Inc.

Website

https://helpingservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Domestic abuse advocacy
• Youth mentoring services
• Family education programs
• Substance use prevention
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Decorah

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute cash gifts, stock gifts, personal property, and planned estate gifts. Donations support the organization's general operations and specific programs. The organization emphasizes that donation dollars stay in northeast Iowa.
2. Government Grants: Federal and state grants provide partial funding. Notable grants include $500,000 from Office of Violence Against Women for Transitional Housing program, Drug Free Communities Federal Grant, and State Opioid Response grants.
3. Holiday Lights Fundraiser: Annual drive-through Christmas light display at Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah, Iowa. This is described as the organization's most important fundraiser. The event has run annually since 2005, generating sponsorship revenue and visitor donations.
4. Community Fundraisers: Annual events including Bowl-a-thon for Youth Mentoring, holiday giving programs, and other community-driven fundraising activities. The 2025 Mentoring Bowl-a-thon raised $7,620 from 78 bowlers.
5. Corporate and Business Sponsorships: Local businesses and organizations sponsor the Holiday Lights event at various levels (Display, Electrical, Operations, Snowflake, Tree, Candy Cane, Media, Other categories). Premier sponsors include Decorah/Cresco Bank & Trust, Gemini, Olson Explosives, and Stanley Engineered Fastening.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Helping Services for Youth & Families is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services agency providing four pillar programs in northeast Iowa: Youth Mentoring (matching caring adults with youth ages 6-17), Domestic Abuse Resource Center (24/7 crisis hotline and advocacy for survivors), Family Education and Support (Parents As Teachers home visits for families with children birth to age 3), and Substance Use Prevention (community coalitions and education on drug, alcohol, tobacco, and gambling issues). All services are provided free of charge to clients across eight counties.

Product overview

Helping Services for Youth & Families is a nonprofit organization offering four interconnected community service programs: Youth Mentoring connects youth with caring adult mentors; Domestic Abuse Resource Center provides 24/7 crisis support and advocacy for violence survivors; Family Education and Support delivers parenting education using the Parents As Teachers model; and Substance Use Prevention coordinates community coalitions and education on drug/alcohol/gambling issues. The organization also operates an annual Holiday Lights fundraiser. Services are delivered across eight counties in Northeast Iowa through dedicated staff, volunteer mentors, and community coalitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Mentoring Program Matches caring adult volunteers with youth ages 6-17 to provide positive role models and support through community-based or school-based mentoring relationships. Available in Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Southern Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties, with recent expansion to Oelwein.
• Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) 24/7 crisis hotline, safety planning, legal advocacy, housing resources, support groups, and in-person advocacy for survivors of domestic and dating violence. Free and confidential services across Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Howard, Fayette, and Winneshiek Counties.
• Family Education and Support Program In-home visits using the Parents As Teachers evidence-based curriculum for families with children from prenatal through age three. Includes developmental assessments, parenting education, breastfeeding support, child passenger safety, vision/hearing screenings, and parent-child playgroups.
• Substance Use Prevention Services Community coalition coordination and prevention education targeting alcohol, tobacco, drug misuse, and problem gambling. Includes youth leadership groups, curriculum-based support groups, workplace policy assistance, retailer beverage server training, and prescription drug disposal programs.
• Transitional Housing Program Helps survivors of domestic violence achieve independence and self-reliance by assisting with housing stability following crisis intervention. Funded by a $500,000 federal grant from the Office of Violence Against Women.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2025 Mentoring Bowl-a-thon raised $7,620 from 78 bowlers to support youth mentoring programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allamakee Prevention AdvisorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024County-level coalition focused on advocating, educating, and providing awareness to positively impact health and wellness. Coalition formed in late 2021 to address substance misuse, problem gambling, teen pregnancy, and related concerns.
• Healthy Delaware County CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Drug Abuse Coalition serving Delaware County. Started in 2000 during meth epidemic. Serves under Drug Free Communities Federal Grant. Focus on alcohol, methamphetamine, and marijuana misuse prevention.
• Healthy Fayette CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024County-level coalition working to address substance misuse and promote community health in Fayette County.
• Howard County Prevention Five Substance Abuse CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024County-level coalition focused on substance abuse prevention in Howard County, working with communities to adopt nicotine-free parks and trails.
• Winneshiek ERASE Substance Abuse CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Coalition focused on substance abuse prevention in Winneshiek County, part of regional network working to reduce drug and alcohol misuse.
• 5C – Clayton County Community Collaboration CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024County-level coalition in Clayton County bringing together community members, law enforcement, social service agencies, and healthcare to address local concerns.
• Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (ICADV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024State-level coalition hosting the annual 'What is Love?' Art Contest for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Transition of sexual assault responsibilities from Iowa CASA to ICADV announced in 2026.
• Iowa Coalition Against Sexual AssaultcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024State coalition whose sexual assault responsibilities transitioned to ICADV at state level in 2026.
• Pulpit Rock Campground / City of DecorahcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Decorah city government for use of Pulpit Rock Campground as the location for Holiday Lights event since 2005. Long-standing mutual relationship benefiting both parties.
• Luther CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with local college for hosting Green Dot bystander intervention trainings, mentoring intern programs, and student volunteers.
• Parents As TeacherscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024National nonprofit organization providing the evidence-based home visiting curriculum used by Family Educators for families with children birth to age three.
• Upper Iowa University SAACminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Student-athlete advisory committee at Upper Iowa University that partnered with DARC for food donations and community awareness events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque: Provides counseling, family services, and emergency assistance across the same northeast Iowa region; competes for some of the same client base in counseling and family support, though with a faith-based framing.
• Four Oaks Family & Children's Services: Iowa-based nonprofit delivering family preservation, foster care, behavioral health, and youth services across the state; comparable in mission scope (children and families) but operates at larger scale and broader geography than Helping Services.
• Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. Community Action Agency serving north-central Iowa with family support, Head Start, and emergency assistance; operates similar wraparound services for low-income families in an adjacent but overlapping rural Iowa geography, including substance misuse prevention programming.

Direct peers

• Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (ICADV): Statewide coalition of domestic violence service providers with which Helping Services' DARC is already partnered; provides crisis line, advocacy, and shelter services comparable to DARC and absorbed sexual assault responsibilities in 2026. Directly aligned mission and overlapping service delivery framework.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa: Operates the same community-based youth mentoring model (matching caring adults with youth ages 6-17) in overlapping northeast Iowa counties, directly competing for mentor volunteers, donor dollars, and school partnerships. Most directly comparable peer given the shared mentoring program structure.
• YWCA Northeast Iowa: Provides domestic violence services, sexual assault advocacy, and family support programs across a similar northeast Iowa geography, overlapping directly with DARC and DARC's prevention/education mandate. Most comparable multi-program regional peer with similar service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Parents As Teachers: National nonprofit whose evidence-based home visiting curriculum Helping Services' Family Education program uses; sets program standards, trains affiliates, and influences funding eligibility for family support services. Comparable as the parent framework rather than a competitor.
• Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire USA): National youth development nonprofit offering mentoring and youth programs nationwide; overlaps with Helping Services' Youth Mentoring pillar but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint. Comparable as a category peer rather than a regional competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYu_CAQmyQs5NWu0jH0fnXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/helpingservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/helping_services
• Xx.com/helpingservices

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Helping Services for Youth & Families