Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara

Name

Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara

Legal name

Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara

Website

https://alphasb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Intellectual disability programs
• Adult day services
• Supported employment services
• Social recreation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thrift Store Sales: Alpha Thrift Stores (Santa Barbara and Goleta locations) generate revenue through retail sales of donated goods. Stores have operated for over 40 years and are regularly voted 'Best Thrift Store' in Santa Barbara Independent reader polls.
2. Venue Rental: Imagine Park and Serenity Garden venues are rented for weddings, galas, and corporate events. Weekend events command higher rates ($5,000 and $4,000 respectively) than weekday events ($4,000 and $3,000).
3. Donations and Fundraising: Donations are collected through igivetoalpha.org. Annual gala (Harvest of Hope Gala) includes sponsorships and auction items. Major donor cultivation through Director of Development.
4. Membership Dues: Individual memberships at $35/year provide one vote; Family memberships at $50/year provide two votes. Members elect board of directors and guide organizational policy.
5. Social Recreation Programs: Katie's FUNd provides youth (Teen Extreme, ages 13-18) and adult (EXPO, 18+) social recreation programs. Programs are free-of-charge with participants covering only activity costs like movie tickets or meals.
6. Employment Services: Individual Supported Employment (ISE) funded by DOR for first year and TCRC thereafter. Group Supported Employment (GSE) funded by TCRC. Provides job coaching and placement services to individuals with disabilities.
7. Lifespan Support Services: Family Resource Center provides system navigation, advocacy, and support services. Funded through regional center and entitlement-based services. Programs include IEP training, transition workshops, and family-to-family support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara provides lifespan support, adult day, employment, social recreation, and creative arts programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supplemented by family advocacy, system navigation, and IEP training. Programs are delivered across Santa Barbara County and are funded through state programs (DOR, Tri-Counties Regional Center) and donor support. Two social enterprises - Alpha Thrift Stores and Imagine Park / Serenity Garden venue rental - generate revenue that funds the nonprofit mission.

Product overview

Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The organization operates multiple interconnected services including Lifespan Support Services (family navigation, advocacy, IEP training), Adult Day Services (CatOaks Day Program), Employment Services (ISE/GSE job placement), Social Recreation through Katie's FUNd (Teen Extreme and EXPO programs), and Slingshot Art Studio gallery. The organization generates revenue through social enterprises including Alpha Thrift Stores and venue rental at Imagine Park and Serenity Garden. Services span from birth through end of life, supporting individuals and families throughout Santa Barbara County since 1953.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Slingshot Art Studio and Gallery: An art studio and gallery for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities providing space, materials, and facilitation for each artist to develop an independent and meaningful art practice. Over 30 artists create and sell art at Slingshot.

Products and services

• Lifespan Support Services Family support services for children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, including system navigation, advocacy, IEP training, and transition workshops.
• Adult Day Services (CatOaks Day Program) Day program for adults 22+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities offering community access, fitness, creative arts, work opportunities, and social activities.
• Employment Services Job development, placement assistance, and employment support for individuals with disabilities, including Individual Supported Employment (ISE) and Group Supported Employment (GSE) programs.
• Social Recreation (Katie's FUNd) Youth (Teen Extreme, ages 13-18) and adult (EXPO, 18+) social recreation programs providing community integration and self-advocacy training in natural settings; free of charge with participants covering only activity costs such as movie tickets or meals.
• Slingshot Art Studio and Gallery Art studio and gallery for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities, providing space, materials, and facilitation for independent art practice; over 30 artists create and sell art at Slingshot.
• Alpha Thrift Stores Retail thrift stores in Santa Barbara (700 N. Milpas, 3845 State Street La Cumbre Plaza) and Goleta (5624 Hollister Avenue) operated by Alpha Resource Center to generate essential income supporting services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Venue Rental (Imagine Park & Serenity Garden) Event venue rental services at the Cathedral Oaks campus featuring Imagine Park and Serenity Garden outdoor spaces for weddings, galas, and corporate events; capacity up to 100 guests weekday and 200 guests weekend, with bridal/VIP room, on-site parking, and on-site staff.
• Advocacy Services Technical assistance and crisis support for families navigating regional center, special education, and other service systems to secure life-supporting services.
• Membership Program Organizational membership program allowing members to elect the board of directors and participate in guiding the organization's mission, with Individual ($35/year, one vote) and Family ($50/year, two votes) tiers.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Janeway Family / Katie's FUNdflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2003Katie's FUNd was established in July 2003 in partnership with the Janeway Family. The program honors Katie Janeway, a 14-year-old with developmental disabilities who died tragically in 2002. The Janeway family's ongoing partnership supports youth and adult social recreation programs (Teen Extreme for ages 13-18 and EXPO for adults).
• The Arc CaliforniacoreOthersAlpha Resource Center is a member of The Arc California, a statewide organization advocating for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through this membership, Alpha participates in lobbying efforts and benefits from collective advocacy at the state level. The membership allows Alpha's voice to be amplified in policy discussions affecting I/DD services.
• The Arc UScoreOthersAlpha Resource Center is a member of The Arc US, the national organization advocating for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through this membership, Alpha participates in federal lobbying efforts and connects to a nationwide network of I/DD organizations.
• SlingshotArt.orgminorOthersSlingshot Art Studio and Gallery operates as a program of Alpha Resource Center with its own website (slingshotart.org) for showcasing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities and promoting art sales.
• AlphaThriftStore.comminorOthersAlpha Thrift Stores have their own website for promoting store locations, hours, and community impact. The stores are owned and operated by Alpha Resource Center.
• AlphaLifespan.orgminorOthersAlpha Lifespan website serves the Children, Family, and Advocacy team, providing information on lifespan support services for families navigating I/DD services.
• Signature Aviation SBAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the Harvest of Hope Gala, demonstrating corporate community support for Alpha's mission.
• Montecito Bank & TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the Harvest of Hope Gala, demonstrating local banking sector support for Alpha's mission.
• Tri-Counties Regional CentercoreOthersRegional center providing funding for Individual Supported Employment (ISE) and Group Supported Employment (GSE) programs. Alpha serves individuals funded through this regional center for developmental disabilities services.
• Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)coreOthersState agency providing funding for Individual Supported Employment (ISE) services during the first year of placement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hope Services: A Bay Area-based nonprofit offering supported employment, day programs, and housing for people with developmental disabilities; delivers the same supported-employment and adult-day service mix as Alpha across California.
• PathPoint: A California nonprofit providing employment, education, and community living supports to individuals with disabilities - directly comparable to Alpha's Employment Services and Adult Day programs.
• Easterseals Southern California: A regional I/DD and disability services provider offering employment support, adult day services, and lifespan programs - overlapping almost entirely with Alpha's core program mix in the same California market.
• Life Services Alternatives: A California nonprofit providing community-based services for adults with developmental disabilities, including supported living, day services, and employment - a close functional analogue to Alpha.
• The Arc of the United States: The national Arc organization providing I/DD advocacy and a network of affiliates. Alpha participates in federal lobbying and resources through this membership, making it directly comparable as a peer Arc affiliate.
• The Arc California: The state-level Arc chapter of which Alpha is a member. Both coordinate I/DD advocacy, lifespan services, employment and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, anchored by the same legislative and regional-center funding ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Best Buddies California: A nonprofit creating friendship, employment, and leadership opportunities for individuals with I/DD. Adjacent to Alpha's social recreation and employment programs but narrower in scope.

Regional players

• AbilityFirst: A California nonprofit providing residential, day, and employment services for individuals with developmental disabilities - structurally similar to Alpha's lifespan support model in a different California region.
• Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties: A regional Goodwill affiliate operating thrift retail and workforce services, overlapping Alpha's thrift-store social enterprise and supported-employment programs in the same Santa Barbara/Ventura market.

Broad incumbents

• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of California: A large national disability nonprofit that delivers I/DD services across California through affiliates. Comparable in mission and service mix, but operating at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint than Alpha.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/alphasb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara