Shepherd's Center

What Shepherd's Center does

KC Shepherd's Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 in Kansas City, Missouri, that supports older adults across Jackson, Platte, Cass, and Clay Counties in Missouri and Johnson County in Kansas. The organization operates a peer-to-peer, volunteer-led service model in which older adults design and deliver programs for other older adults. Its core programs include Meals on Wheels (200,000+ meals delivered annually across 60+ zip codes with daily wellness checks), Medicare counseling under the SHIP program, A Matter of Balance fall prevention classes, Digital Literacy workshops delivered with NCOA and AT&T, Integrated Care Management, KC Rakes seasonal yard assistance, KCSC Road Trippers group outings, Phone Pal/Friendly Visitor companionship, and the online Spiritual Care Everywhere reflection tool. Roughly 70% of the 3,000+ older adults served each year receive services at no charge because they are low-income.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, corporate sponsorships, modest participant fees (e.g., $25 for Adventures in Learning, $40-$160 for Road Trippers), planned giving through the Elbert Cole Legacy Society, and in-kind volunteer hours valued at $347,900 in 2025. The go-to-market motion is community-led: services are promoted through volunteer and partner referrals, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, annual fundraising events (Guac Your World, 70 Over 70 Awards Celebration), and earned media. There is no proprietary technology platform or app; the technical stack is limited to a content-driven website and the Spiritual Care Everywhere online tool. Key corporate and institutional partners include Meals on Wheels America, NCOA, Public Library Association, Evergy, Humana, United Way, Health Forward Foundation, the City of Kansas City, KC Chiefs, Synergy HomeCare, and Oasis Senior Advisors. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Shepherd's Center

Legal name

KC Shepherd's Center

Website

https://kcshepherdscenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KC Shepherd's Center is a Kansas City-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1972, that delivers volunteer-led wraparound services including Meals on Wheels, Medicare counseling, digital literacy, and fall prevention to more than 3,000 low-income older adults annually across four counties in Missouri and Kansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior and Aging Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Community & Senior Center Lifelong Learning Programs (EDAAAMAB)

Keywords

• Senior services
• Aging in place
• Meals on wheels
• Older adult programs
• Nonprofit community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals supporting the organization's mission. One-time and monthly donation options available.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations and corporate sponsors to support specific programs and operations.
3. Participant Fees: Modest fees for certain programs such as Adventures in Learning ($25) and Road Trippers ($40-$160 depending on group size).
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for businesses to support the organization's events and programs.
5. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Elbert Cole Legacy Society allows donors to include KC Shepherd's Center in their estate planning through bequests, trusts, and beneficiary designations.
6. Volunteer Value: Volunteers provide significant in-kind contribution, with 10,000 hours donated in 2025 valued at $347,900.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KC Shepherd's Center is a Kansas City-area nonprofit that delivers an integrated suite of programs enabling older adults to age safely in their homes, including home-delivered Meals on Wheels with daily wellness checks, Medicare SHIP counseling, evidence-based fall prevention classes, lifelong learning, digital literacy workshops, social connection programs, seasonal yard maintenance, and group outings. Services are primarily volunteer-led, offered at little to no cost to low-income seniors (70% served free), and funded through donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Product overview

KC Shepherd's Center is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of integrated programs and services designed to help older adults age safely and independently in their homes. The core programs include Meals on Wheels (nutritional support with daily wellness checks), A Matter of Balance (fall prevention education), Adventures in Learning (lifelong learning), Digital Literacy (technology workshops), Integrated Care Management (wrap-around social services), Medicare Counseling (SHIP program), Phone Pal/Friendly Visitor (social connection), KC Rakes (yard maintenance), KCSC Road Trippers (group outings), and Spiritual Care Everywhere (online spiritual support). The organization also runs the biennial 70 Over 70 Awards Celebration recognizing exemplary older adults. These programs are primarily volunteer-led and provided at little to no cost, serving socially isolated and low-income older adults in the Kansas City area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meals on Wheels Home-delivered meal program providing daily nutrition and wellness checks to food-insecure, low-income, isolated and homebound older adults. Delivers over 200,000 frozen and hot meals annually across more than 60 zip codes in the Kansas City metro.
• A Matter of Balance Evidence-based fall prevention program that helps older adults reduce fear of falling through goal-setting, activity increases, home fall risk reduction, and strength and balance exercises.
• Adventures in Learning Lifelong learning program for older adults offering fun, engaging classes spanning current events, dancing, and technology, promoting learning, connection, and community. $25 per participant.
• Digital Literacy No-cost digital literacy workshops covering internet basics, email, cybersecurity, and Android mobile device usage, designed specifically to help older adults navigate technology safely. Delivered in partnership with the National Council on Aging and AT&T.
• Integrated Care Management Wrap-around social services helping older adults stay in their own homes through direct services and partnerships with other organizations, addressing the full spectrum of aging-in-place needs.
• KC Rakes Volunteer-driven seasonal yard work initiative helping older adults maintain safe, accessible homes through leaf raking, bush trimming, and walkway clearing.
• KCSC Road Trippers Group outing program offering curated cultural, historical, and recreational day trips for older adults including museum visits, farm tours, and local exploration. Pricing $40-$160 depending on group size.
• Medicare Counseling SHIP (State Health Insurance Program) counseling providing unbiased, confidential assistance to Medicare beneficiaries including prescription drug plan comparison, Extra Help applications, Medicare Advantage guidance, and Medigap information, available by phone and in person.
• Phone Pal / Friendly Visitor Volunteer-based social connection program pairing volunteers with isolated older adults for friendly phone calls or in-person visits to reduce loneliness and maintain social connections.
• Spiritual Care Everywhere Online prayer and reflection generator offering personalized spiritual support for all beliefs, backgrounds, and spiritual expressions, available anytime via the website.
• 70 Over 70 Awards Celebration Biennial awards celebration honoring 70 individuals aged 70 and better who exemplify meaningful, engaged aging through continued leadership and service, creating an alumni community of distinguished older adults (400+ alumni recognized to date).

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,141 clients served in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Council on Aging (NCOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKC Shepherd's Center partners with NCOA for digital literacy workshops, providing no-cost technology education programs for older adults through a grant from NCOA and AT&T.
• Public Library AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, for digital literacy programming.
• Meals on Wheels AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKC Shepherd's Center is the local provider that brought Meals on Wheels to Kansas City in 1972 and is affiliated with the national Meals on Wheels America organization.
• Synergy HomeCareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome care services partner supporting older adults.
• Oasis Senior AdvisorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSenior living advisory partner.
• Church of the Resurrection BrooksideminorOthersMeal delivery pickup location for volunteer drivers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City: Kansas City-based social services nonprofit offering case management, counseling, and senior support programs. Comparable as a Kansas City peer providing community-based wrap-around services to vulnerable populations including older adults.
• Swope Health: Federally qualified health center serving Kansas City's vulnerable populations including seniors, with integrated medical and social services. Comparable as a KC-based integrated care provider whose population and care-coordination philosophy overlap with KCSC's Integrated Care Management offering.
• Aging Ahead: Missouri-based nonprofit providing senior services including meals, transportation, and care coordination in the St. Louis region. Directly comparable mission and service mix to KC Shepherd's Center, operating in a different but adjacent Missouri market.
• reStart Inc: Kansas City-based nonprofit addressing homelessness and housing instability with wrap-around services. Comparable as a Kansas City community-based social services organization serving vulnerable populations with integrated program models.
• Shepherd's Centers of America: National network of community-based senior centers founded on the same peer-to-peer model as KC Shepherd's Center. Most directly comparable organization — same mission, similar volunteer-driven service portfolio, and historical organizational lineage.

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Aging: National nonprofit advocating for older adults and providing program partnerships including the digital literacy initiative with AT&T that KCSC participates in. Comparable as an established aging services organization with national scope and similar program categories.
• Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization for the Meals on Wheels network; KCSC is an affiliate member. Comparable because Meals on Wheels America sets program standards, coordinates funding, and represents the broader senior nutrition category KCSC operates within.

Others

• United Way of Greater Kansas City: Major regional funder and convener of Kansas City area social services, including KCSC as a grantee. Comparable as ecosystem participant and funding partner rather than direct service competitor; provides context on KCSC's place in the regional funding architecture.

Regional players

• Hillcrest Ministries of Kansas City: Kansas City nonprofit providing transitional housing and support services to families and seniors. Comparable as a regional faith-rooted social services organization with similar volunteer-driven model and similar geographic service area.
• Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living (MERIL): Missouri-based center for independent living serving seniors and people with disabilities in the greater Kansas City region. Comparable as a regional aging-and-disability services provider with overlapping case management and daily living support offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=kc+shepherd%27s+center
• Facebookfacebook.com/KCShepherdsCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kc-shepherds-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/kcshepherdscenter
• Xx.com/sccentralkc

Compliance1 record

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 Shepherd's Center