EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH

What EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH does

East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, originally established by Monsignor James A. Carter in response to Hurricane Hugo. Headquartered at 1145 Six Mile Road, the organization delivers a multi-service human services platform organized around three pillars—Assistance, Guidance, and Resources—targeting financially qualifying residents (at or below 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines) living or working East of the Cooper River, with selected medical, dental, and asset-building services extended to the broader Tri-County area (Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties).

ECCO's core service portfolio includes a client-choice Wellness Pantry (powered by SmartChoice digital ordering across web, tablet, and phone), Kat's Closet clothing distribution, a free Dental Clinic operated in partnership with MUSC College of Dental Medicine and Trident Technical College, two medical clinics (Partners in Healthcare and MUSC C.A.R.E.S.), Prescription Assistance, Financial Assistance for rent/utilities, and the Asset Development Program (ADP), a 3-to-1 matched savings program unique to the Lowcountry. Seasonal programs (Adopt-A-Family, Holiday Meals, Fresh & Free Farmer's Market with Lowcountry Food Bank, Heaters & Fans) round out the offering. The organization delivered over $532,000 in dental care to nearly 700 neighbors, served 1,500+ families annually, and logged 31,336 volunteer hours valued at approximately $1.24 million.

ECCO generates no client fees; revenue is sourced from individual donations, planned giving/bequests, foundation grants (e.g., Daniel Island Community Fund, Delta Dental of South Carolina), corporate sponsorships (notably Nucor Steel Berkeley for the $120K+ golf tournament), church partnerships (30+ participating in Grocery Bag Sunday), retail food donations, and federal pass-through funding (CDBG via Charleston County). Eighty-six percent of every dollar goes directly to programs. The organization recently completed a $5.6 million "Beyond Our Walls" capital campaign for facility expansion and is undergoing a leadership transition in 2026 as it searches for a CEO to succeed departing Executive Director Stephanie Kelley.

Name

EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Legal name

East Cooper Community Outreach

Website

https://eccocharleston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Cooper Community Outreach is a Mount Pleasant, SC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering food, clothing, dental, medical, financial, and asset-building services to income-qualified residents East of the Cooper River and across the Tri-County area, serving 1,500+ families annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Human Services Nonprofit

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Food pantry services
• Community assistance programs
• Free dental clinic
• Financial assistance services
• Nonprofit human services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Pleasant

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Annual Fund: ECCO receives unrestricted gifts to its Annual Fund which provide a crucial bridge between client needs and actual costs of purchasing food, providing financial assistance, and offering dental care. Monthly recurring donations are encouraged.
2. Planned Giving and Bequests: Donors can include ECCO in their estate plans through wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations. The organization offers planned giving options including bequests, retirement plan designations, and life insurance beneficiary gifts.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: ECCO receives grants from foundations such as Delta Dental of South Carolina ($21,540 for dental clinic upgrades) and Daniel Island Community Fund ($75,000 for direct assistance programs).
4. Community Events and Sponsorships: Annual fundraising events including a Charity Golf Tournament that raised $120,000+ and an Oyster Roast provide sponsorship opportunities and fundraising revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) operates a multi-service nonprofit hub delivering food assistance through a client-choice Wellness Pantry, clothing distribution via Kat's Closet, free dental and medical clinics, prescription assistance, emergency financial aid for rent/mortgage/utilities, and an Asset Development Program with 3-to-1 matched savings. Services are organized around three pillars — Assistance, Guidance, and Resources — and are provided free of charge to income-qualified (250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines) residents living or working east of the Cooper River, with extended Tri-County availability for medical, dental, and ADP programs.

Product overview

East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) operates as a multi-service nonprofit hub offering a comprehensive portfolio of assistance programs organized around three pillars: Assistance (emergency services), Guidance (case management), and Resources (community referrals). The core service delivery includes a Wellness Pantry with digital SmartChoice ordering, Kat's Closet clothing distribution, a free Dental Clinic in partnership with MUSC and Trident Technical College, two medical clinics (Partners in Healthcare daytime clinic and MUSC C.A.R.E.S. evening clinic), Prescription Assistance, Financial Assistance for rent/utilities, and the Asset Development Program with 3-to-1 savings matching. ECCO also provides seasonal initiatives including Adopt-A-Family holiday assistance, the Fresh & Free Farmer's Market, and holiday meals. The organization uses SmartChoice Pantry software as its internal client-facing ordering platform and partners with FreeWill for planned giving services. Services target residents east of the Cooper River in specified zip codes, with extended Tri-County (Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester) availability for medical, dental, and ADP programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellness Pantry Client-choice food pantry allowing qualifying neighbors to select their own food items digitally or via phone ordering, with drive-thru pickup available.
• Kat's Closet (Clothing Closet) Clothing distribution program providing new and gently used clothing, shoes, bedding, and towels for adults and children in ECCO client households.
• Dental Clinic Free dental clinic offering preventative and restorative care, cleanings, fillings, and extractions for uninsured adults in the Tri-County area, operated in partnership with MUSC College of Dental Medicine and Trident Technical College.
• Partners in Healthcare Clinic Daytime medical clinic providing primary care, patient education, women's health services, and laboratory testing for uninsured adults, staffed by MUSC nurse practitioners.
• MUSC C.A.R.E.S. Clinic Evening medical clinic offering primary care, immunizations, women's health, and specialty nights including Spanish, Orthopedic, OB-GYN, Dermatology, Cardiovascular, and Integrated Care services for uninsured adults.
• Prescription Assistance Program Program helping uninsured individuals obtain prescription medications at reduced or no cost, including assistance with applications to annual prescription assistance programs.
• Financial Assistance Program Emergency financial assistance for mortgage, rent, or utilities for qualified ECCO clients facing sudden financial hardship, with eligibility limited to once every 24 months.
• Asset Development Program (ADP) Matched savings program offering 3-to-1 savings matching (up to $1,000 saved, $3,000 matched) for first-time home purchase, post-secondary education, or small business establishment.
• Fresh & Free Farmer's Market Monthly fresh produce distribution event held on the third Wednesday of each month, open to the community and ECCO clients, in partnership with the Lowcountry Food Bank.
• Client Assessment and Navigation Intake and case management service that assesses client eligibility based on income (250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines), residency, and insurance status, then connects clients with appropriate programs and provides ongoing support.
• Adopt-A-Family Program Holiday assistance program providing clothing, shoes, and wish-list items for children 18 years and younger living in ECCO client households during the holiday season.
• Heaters & Fans Program Seasonal heating and cooling assistance providing space heaters in winter and fans in summer to qualified ECCO clients, available once every two years.
• Holiday Meals Program Annual Thanksgiving meal distribution providing full holiday meals including turkey and sides to ECCO clients.
• Education & Career Readiness Programs connecting clients with vocational rehabilitation services, Palmetto Goodwill Career Opportunity Center resources, computer skills training, job readiness workshops, and educational support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of donations go directly to programs and clients served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MUSC College of Dental MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECCO partners with MUSC College of Dental Medicine to provide preventative and restorative dental care through the free dental clinic. MUSC dental students and faculty provide professional dental services to uninsured adults.
• Trident Technical College of Dental HygienecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides dental hygiene services and education as part of ECCO's comprehensive dental care offerings.
• Lowcountry Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly Fresh & Free Farmer's Market held at ECCO in partnership with Lowcountry Food Bank, providing fresh produce to local families.
• MUSC James M. Edwin School of Dental MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing dental services at ECCO's clinic.
• MUSC College of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing nursing and medical services through ECCO's medical clinics.
• Roper St. Francis HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner supporting ECCO's medical services and patient referrals.
• Access Health Tri-CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare coordination partner connecting uninsured residents to medical homes.
• Palmetto ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner helping individuals navigate healthcare coverage options including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.
• SC ThrivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing access to healthcare coverage, SNAP benefits, and other support services.
• WelvistacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing prescription assistance and medication access programs.
• East Cooper Faith NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of churches providing volunteer support, donations, and community outreach for ECCO programs.
• Grocery Bag Sunday Partner Churches (30+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating churches collect food donations weekly through the Grocery Bag Sunday program, including All Saints Lutheran, Christ Episcopal Church, First Baptist of Mount Pleasant, and many others.
• Retail Food Donors (Costco, Harris Teeter, Publix, Walmart, Aldi, Lowe's Food)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partners providing food donations through retail pickup programs that support ECCO's Wellness Pantry.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Welvista: South Carolina nonprofit providing prescription assistance and medication access programs to uninsured and underinsured residents. Direct overlap with ECCO's Prescription Assistance Program for similar target populations.
• Lowcountry Food Bank: Regional food bank in the Charleston/Lowcountry area that partners with ECCO on the Fresh & Free Farmer's Market. Operates overlapping food distribution programming targeting food-insecure residents in the same Tri-County geography.
• SC Thrive: South Carolina nonprofit providing access to healthcare coverage, SNAP benefits, and other support services. Comparable benefits-enrollment and social service navigation model serving overlapping low-income populations.
• Palmetto Project: South Carolina nonprofit connecting residents to healthcare coverage (Medicaid, Medicare, marketplace). Listed as an active ECCO partner but operates comparable health-navigation and benefits-enrollment services directly to similar low-income populations.
• Meals on Wheels of Charleston: Charleston-area nonprofit delivering meals and supportive services to seniors and other vulnerable residents. Overlaps with ECCO's food and wellness programs for elderly and disabled populations in the same geography.
• One80 Place (formerly Crisis Ministries): Charleston-based nonprofit providing emergency assistance, meals, and case management to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. Overlaps directly with ECCO's Financial Assistance, food, and client navigation services in the same regional service area.

Broad incumbents

• Trident United Way: Regional United Way affiliate serving the Charleston Tri-County area. Administers the CharityTracker assistance network used by ECCO and funds many of the same human-service programs, operating more broadly as a backbone funder.
• Harvest Hope Food Bank: Large South Carolina food bank serving multiple counties with food distribution and partner-network programming. Operates adjacent food-insecurity relief services at a broader regional scale than ECCO.

Regional players

• Carolina Youth Development Center: Charleston nonprofit serving at-risk youth and families with shelter, education, and family support services. Comparable community-based social-service model targeting vulnerable families in the Charleston region.
• Community Action Agency (SC Association): South Carolina's network of community action agencies providing similar anti-poverty services (emergency assistance, food, case management) under federal Community Services Block Grant funding in geographically distinct territories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ECCOCharleston
• Xx.com/eccocharleston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-cooper-community-outreach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 EAST COOPER COMMUNITY OUTREACH