Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County

What Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County does

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc. (CAB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency founded in 1964 and headquartered in Watsonville, California, that provides a portfolio of social services across Santa Cruz County and the Pájaro Valley. With 70 full-time employees and 565 active volunteers contributing 5,102 hours annually, CAB serves more than 11,000 participants per year through eight operational programs: ALCANCE (youth and re-entry adult employment/mentoring), Day Worker Center of Santa Cruz County, Davenport Resource Service Center (North Coast), Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP), Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Services Department (including Rental Assistance Program, Youth Homeless Response Team, Transitional Age Youth Housing Navigation, and Watsonville Works & Roaming Assessor), CalWORKs Emergency Payment Program, Special Projects (Bank-On-California financial literacy), and Luna y Sol Familia Center.

CAB delivers services through a low-technology operating model. The technology stack is utility-grade rather than proprietary: a WordPress website (cabinc.org) with bilingual English/Spanish content, PayPal for online donations, Constant Contact for email newsletters, and Google Forms for rental-assistance applications. There is no public API, no proprietary platform, and no AI/ML capability referenced in the source materials. Service delivery is anchored to three physical office hubs (Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Davenport) plus off-site outreach at Cabrillo College, Monterey Peninsula College, and Pájaro.

The revenue model is grant-dependent rather than transactional. Primary funding flows from federal grants via the Office of Community Services (HHS/ACF) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DOJ), state funding from the California Department of Social Services and USDA, county contracts (CalWORKs, housing assistance), and city partnerships (City of Watsonville, City of Santa Cruz). Secondary revenue comes from individual and foundation donations under tax ID 94-2523780, plus a small fee-based component within immigration legal services. Participants are acquired almost entirely through government referrals (CalWORKs), community partner referrals, and direct outreach — there is no commercial sales motion. The customer base is exclusively low-income households, at-risk youth, immigrants, day laborers, and unhoused residents of Santa Cruz County; services are free or low-cost at point of delivery.

Name

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County

Legal name

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.

Website

https://cabinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Action Agency founded in 1964 that delivers wrap-around social services — including immigration legal aid, youth employment, housing assistance, and emergency payments — to more than 11,000 low-income participants annually across Santa Cruz County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Immigration legal assistance
• Homelessness prevention programs
• Workforce development services
• Youth development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Watsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding source from federal, state, and local government grants including Office of Community Services (Administration for Children and Families), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, California Department of Social Services, and various county/city housing assistance programs.
2. Donations and Fundraising: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Tax ID: 94-2523780.
3. Immigration Legal Services: Free immigration legal services to eligible low-income clients. Some fee-based services available for those who can pay.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County provides free or low-cost social services to low-income households, immigrants, at-risk youth, day laborers, and unhoused individuals across Santa Cruz County and the Pájaro Valley. Service lines include immigration legal assistance, youth and re-entry workforce development, day laborer employment matching, homelessness prevention and rental assistance, CalWORKs emergency payments, and community resource centers, delivered through offices in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and Davenport with bilingual English/Spanish staffing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALCANCE: Program providing under-resourced, at promise, or re-entry youth and adults with economic opportunities and mentoring services, including skills development, community engagement, job readiness preparation, and youth leadership development.
• Day Worker Center of Santa Cruz County (DWC)
• Davenport Resource Service Center (DRSC)
• Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP)
• Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Services (HPIS) Department
• CalWORKs Emergency Payment Program (CEPP)
• Special Projects
• Luna y Sol Familia Center

Products and services

• ALCANCE Youth and adult workforce development program providing under-resourced, at-promise, or re-entry individuals with economic opportunities, mentoring, skills development, job readiness preparation, community engagement, and youth leadership development.
• Day Worker Center of Santa Cruz County (DWC) Program that facilitates the hiring of day laborers in Santa Cruz County, providing a safe hiring hall, dignified employment process, job skills development, and wage improvement support.
• Davenport Resource Service Center (DRSC) Community resource center providing emergency and prevention services to the rural north coast, including food programs, youth services, senior services, immigration services, and general support resources.
• Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Services (HPIS) Department Department offering multiple sub-programs focused on preventing homelessness and assisting those experiencing housing instability, including the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), Youth Homeless Response Team (YHRT), Transitional Age Youth Housing Navigation (TAY NAV), and Watsonville Works & Roaming Assessor programs.
• Rental Assistance Program (RAP) Short-term rental assistance for eligible Santa Cruz County residents at risk of eviction due to past-due rent, serving low-income households, families with children under 18, individuals with disabilities, and seniors 60 and older.
• Youth Homeless Response Team (YHRT) Collaborative program between CAB and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education serving unaccompanied youth ages 15-24 experiencing housing instability, offering housing search assistance, individualized plans, case management, and connections to education and employment resources.
• Transitional Age Youth Housing Navigation (TAY NAV) Housing navigation and housing-focused case management services for young adults ages 18-25 in Foster Care, assisting with completion of Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers.
• Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP) Immigration legal services for Santa Cruz County and the Pájaro Valley, including consultations, naturalization assistance, DACA renewals, family-based petitions, and other legal services; most services free for eligible low-income individuals, with fee-based services for those who can pay.
• CalWORKs Emergency Payment Program (CEPP) Emergency payments, information, and referrals to support continuation of employment and educational goals for participants referred by the county's CalWORKs program, including advocacy, referrals, guidance, and emergency supportive service payments.
• Luna y Sol Familia Center One-stop community center for youth ages 12-17 and their families in South County, providing access to essential resources, wellness programs, education and academic support, and community engagement and leadership opportunities to reduce risk of justice system involvement.
• Special Projects (including Bank-On-California) Community-focused special projects including the Bank-On-California program, which provides access to banking services and financial empowerment resources for the community.
• Watsonville Works & Roaming Assessor (WWKs) Program serving Watsonville residents, funded in part by USDA, that provides roaming assessment and employment-related services to the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 11,000+ participants annually with 70 employees and 565 volunteers contributing 5,102 volunteer hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Cruz County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Cruz County Government is a key partner supporting CAB's work through funding, referrals, and collaborative programs. CAB works with the County on housing assistance, CalWORKs programs, and community services. The County Board of Supervisors has one-third representation on CAB's tripartite board.
• Workforce Santa Cruz CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce Santa Cruz County is a key community partner providing employment services, job training coordination, and workforce development support. Collaborates on employment programs and job placement services.
• HelpSCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity social services organization partnering with CAB on referrals and resource sharing for community members in need.
• Digital NESTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization focused on digital skills and workforce development for youth. Jacob Martinez, Executive Director of Digital NEST, is quoted as a community supporter of CAB's mission.
• Monarch ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization represented on CAB's board of directors. Alma Mendoza serves as the Non-Profit Representative on CAB's board.
• Families In Transition (F.I.T.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the County of Santa Cruz and CAB on the CARES Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide housing stabilization assistance during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Pajaro Valley Federation of TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support PVUSD families through emergency response efforts, particularly during COVID-19 and fire emergencies.
• Grey BearsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior services organization providing Healthy Food Program at DRSC for senior community members in the North Coast area.
• Santa Cruz County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with the Youth Homeless Response Team (YHRT) program, a joint effort between CAB and the County Office of Education to serve unaccompanied youth ages 15-24.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO): Neighboring Community Action Agency on California's Central Coast with a similar multi-program wraparound model including immigration services, housing, and youth development. Directly comparable as a CAA serving a comparable coastal California county population.
• Sacred Heart Community Service: San Jose-based nonprofit providing wraparound services including immigration legal aid, rental assistance, workforce development, and youth programs. Operates a comparable multi-program CAA-adjacent model serving low-income Silicon Valley residents.
• United Way of Santa Cruz County: Local United Way affiliate funding and convening social services in Santa Cruz County. Comparable as a community impact organization with overlapping grantees, county-level funding relationships, and poverty-focused mission.
• Catholic Charities of Santa Cruz County: Faith-based social services nonprofit operating in the same Santa Cruz County geography, providing immigration legal services, rental assistance, food programs, and case management. Directly overlaps with CAB's service portfolio and target populations.
• La Raza Centro Legal: San Francisco-based legal aid organization serving Latino immigrants with immigration legal services, workers' rights, and community education. Closely comparable to SCCIP in scope and target population.
• Community Action Partnership of Orange County: Orange County CAA operating a comparable multi-program wraparound model including immigration, housing, energy assistance, and youth services. Directly comparable as a California CAA of similar scale and program breadth.
• Monarch Services: Santa Cruz County-based social services nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Already a CAB board partner; comparable as a county-anchored community services organization with overlapping target populations.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Regional legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income Bay Area residents, including immigration assistance. Comparable to SCCIP's immigration legal services and CAB's broader wraparound legal support model.
• Centro Legal de la Raza: Bay Area-based legal aid and immigrant rights organization providing immigration legal services, anti-poverty advocacy, and community education. Directly comparable to SCCIP's immigration legal services and community education model.
• CARECEN (Central American Resource Center): Los Angeles-based immigrant rights organization providing immigration legal services, education, and civic engagement. Comparable to SCCIP's immigration legal services and community education program serving Central American populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityActionBoardSC
• Xx.com/cabsantacruzcty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County