South Side Help Center
South Side Help Center is a Chicago nonprofit, founded in 1987, that delivers free HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, PrEP, and youth development services to residents of Chicago's South Side, supported by grants, donations, and community partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What South Side Help Center does
South Side Help Center (SSHC) is a private nonprofit community health organization founded in 1987 and headquartered at 10420 S. Halsted St. in Chicago. Its mission is to help people of all ages embrace a lifestyle of prevention against mental, physical, and social ills by providing positive, healthy alternatives to residents of Chicago's South Side. The organization serves a primarily geographic segment—South Side community residents—along with persona-based segments including youth and young adults, and use-case segments such as the MSM (men who have sex with men) community.
The organization's core "products" are community health and social service programs rather than software: Risk Reduction Education, Mobile Testing Unit (HIV counseling/testing at festivals, parades, parks, and other community events), PrEP access and support, Youth Program (holistic wellness and academic achievement), the MSM Project, Direct Services (counseling, referrals, healthcare navigation), Advocacy, Grow With Google digital literacy, and the Parent Mentor and EngagEd Parent Education Programs delivered across four Chicago elementary schools. The underlying technology is operationally lightweight—a Wix-hosted public website, Constant Contact for email, Formstack for survey collection, and standard social media channels—with no proprietary software or platform layer identified.
Revenue mechanics are grant-, donation-, and partnership-driven rather than fee-based; services are provided at no cost to community members. SSHC maintains a diversified funding and partnership stack including Grow With Google, WVON Radio, Amazon Smile, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Palenque LSNA, the Southwest Organizing Project, and four Chicago public elementary schools. Headcount is in the 51–100 range, consistent with a mid-sized community-based nonprofit operating multiple program lines with a single headquarters and a mobile testing field unit.
South Side Help Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- South Side Help Center
- Legal name
- South Side Help Center
- Website
- https://southsidehelp.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- South Side Help Center is a Chicago nonprofit, founded in 1987, that delivers free HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, PrEP, and youth development services to residents of Chicago's South Side, supported by grants, donations, and community partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
South Side Help Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Services
- NAICS
- Social Assistance (624), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)
Keywords
Where South Side Help Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
South Side Help Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
South Side Help Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
South Side Help Center is a nonprofit community health organization that delivers HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and education services, PrEP access programs, youth development programming, parent engagement services, and targeted outreach (including the MSM Project) to Chicago's South Side residents. Services are delivered at no cost through a main facility, a mobile testing unit that brings counseling and testing to community events, and through partnerships with local schools and community organizations.
Product overview
South Side Help Center offers a portfolio of community health and social services rather than a unified software product. The organization provides HIV/AIDS prevention and testing services including Risk Reduction Education, a Mobile Testing Unit, and PrEP access programs. Youth development is supported through the Youth Program focusing on holistic wellness and the Grow With Google digital literacy initiative. The organization also operates advocacy programs, the MSM Project for targeted outreach, and Direct Services for comprehensive support. Education-focused offerings include the Parent Mentor Program and EngagEd Parent Education Program. These programs operate as distinct service offerings within the organization's mission to provide positive healthy alternatives for Chicago's South Side communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Risk Reduction Education HIV/AIDS education and risk reduction information with an emphasis on promoting and reinforcing safer behavior through enhanced decision-making skills, offered to community members on Chicago's South Side.
- Youth Program Holistic wellness and academic achievement program designed to foster leaders through the development of positive self-image, conflict resolution, and support for youth and young adults in Chicago's South Side communities.
- Mobile Testing Unit Confidential expert counseling and HIV testing services delivered via a mobile unit at festivals, parades, parks, parties, and other indoor and outdoor events across Chicago's South Side where community members gather.
- PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) HIV prevention medication program providing access to PrEP and related support services for community members on Chicago's South Side seeking protection from HIV.
- Advocacy Community advocacy services focused on health policy and access to care for underserved populations on Chicago's South Side.
- MSM Project Targeted outreach and HIV prevention services designed for men who have sex with men (MSM) community on Chicago's South Side, including stigma reduction and access to MSM-specific resources.
- Direct Services Comprehensive direct support services for community members including counseling, referrals, and assistance accessing healthcare and other resources.
- Grow With Google Digital Literacy Program Digital literacy and technology skills training program delivered in partnership with Google to South Side Chicago community members.
- Parent Mentor Program Volunteer-based program where Parent Mentors fill equity gaps by volunteering in classrooms for 2 hours per day for at least 100 hours, with weekly training on classroom instructional practices and leadership. South Side Help Center serves as the lead organization for Marcus Garvey Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, Metcalfe Elementary, and Esmond Elementary.
- EngagEd Parent Education Program Program dedicated to empowering parents with knowledge and skills to actively engage in their child's educational journey through informative workshops, community support, child-centered learning, navigating the education system guidance, and interactive discussions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mobile testing services at community events
Companies that use South Side Help Center
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
South Side Help Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
South Side Help Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Grow With GooglecorePartnership providing digital literacy and technology training programs to South Side Chicago community members through the Grow With Google initiative.
- Parent Engagement Institute (Palenque LSNA and Southwest Organizing Project)corePartnership managing the Parent Engagement Institute. South Side Help Center serves as the lead organization for Marcus Garvey Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, Metcalfe Elementary, and Esmond Elementary. The program includes Parent Mentors volunteering in classrooms and the EngagEd Parent Education Program.
- Marcus Garvey Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, Metcalfe Elementary, Esmond ElementarycoreLocal Chicago schools where South Side Help Center delivers the Parent Mentor Program and EngagEd Parent Education Program, supporting parent engagement and student success.
- WVON RadiominorMedia partnership for community outreach events including the 2019 WVON MLK Activation, helping spread awareness about SSHC programs to the broader Chicago community.
- Amazon SmileminorAmazon Smile program allows donors to support South Side Help Center by designating the organization as their charitable recipient when shopping on Amazon.
- AIDS Healthcare FoundationcorePublic health partner referenced in privacy policy. As a community health organization committed to prevention, SSHC may partner with healthcare foundations for HIV/AIDS services, testing, and prevention programs.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
South Side Help Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chicago House & Social Service Agency: Chicago nonprofit serving individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS through supportive housing, case management, and prevention services. Comparable as another long-standing Chicago HIV/AIDS community organization with overlapping prevention and support programming.
- The Night Ministry: Chicago nonprofit providing outreach, housing, and health services to people affected by poverty, homelessness, and HIV through mobile and street-based programs. Comparable to SSHC in combining mobile outreach with HIV prevention and youth/family support in Chicago.
- Center on Halsted: Chicago's LGBTQ community center offering HIV testing, youth programming, behavioral health, and parent/family services. Directly comparable to SSHC as a Chicago community hub that combines HIV prevention with youth development and family engagement programming.
- Howard Brown Health: Chicago-based community health organization providing LGBTQ+-affirming primary care, HIV/STI prevention, youth services, and behavioral health. Direct peer because it serves overlapping Chicago populations, runs mobile/community-based HIV testing, PrEP, and youth programming in the same metro as SSHC.
- Affinity Community Services: Chicago-based Black-led LGBTQ+ organization providing HIV prevention, youth development, and community education on the South Side. Direct peer given similar geography, racial-equity focus, and overlap of HIV prevention and youth programming.
- Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN): Chicago-based nonprofit delivering HIV prevention, care, and support services including testing, PrEP navigation, and peer-led programs for people living with and affected by HIV. Closely mirrors SSHC's HIV/AIDS service orientation in the same city.
Broad incumbents
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation: Largest global AIDS service organization, providing HIV/AIDS medical care, prevention, testing, and advocacy across the U.S. and internationally. Directly comparable because it is even referenced as an SSHC partner and operates overlapping HIV prevention, testing, and PrEP service lines at much larger scale.
Others
- National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC): National advocacy organization representing minority-serving HIV/AIDS community-based organizations. Comparable ecosystem player because SSHC's MSM Project, advocacy services, and community mobilization align with NMAC's constituency of community-based HIV organizations.
Emerging players
- Brothers Health Collective: Chicago-based community organization delivering HIV/STI prevention, testing, and wellness services to Black same-gender-loving men. Emerging peer with narrower geographic focus but highly overlapping MSM Project-style services for SSHC's target population.
Regional players
- Harlem United: New York-based community health organization serving Black, Latino, and LGBTQ communities with HIV prevention, housing, and behavioral health. Comparable to SSHC as a community-based HIV/AIDS services provider targeting similar underserved populations, but operating in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
South Side Help Center social profiles
Digital presenceSouth Side Help Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
South Side Help Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
South Side Help Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
South Side Help Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about South Side Help Center
What does South Side Help Center do?
South Side Help Center is a nonprofit community health organization that delivers HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and education services, PrEP access programs, youth development programming, parent engagement services, and targeted outreach (including the MSM Project) to Chicago's South Side residents. Services are delivered at no cost through a main facility, a mobile testing unit that brings counseling and testing to community events, and through partnerships with local schools and community organizations.
Is South Side Help Center a public or private company?
South Side Help Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was South Side Help Center founded?
South Side Help Center was founded in 1987. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is South Side Help Center based?
South Side Help Center is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
Who are South Side Help Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chicago House & Social Service Agency, The Night Ministry, Center on Halsted, Howard Brown Health, Affinity Community Services and Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN). AIDS Healthcare Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) is listed as an others. Brothers Health Collective is listed as an emerging player. Harlem United is listed as a regional player.
Does South Side Help Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for South Side Help Center.
What industry is South Side Help Center in?
South Side Help Center's product category is Community Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAL, Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services. Its NAICS code is 624 and its SIC code is 8300.