Black River Area Development

What Black River Area Development does

Black River Area Development (BRAD), legally Black River Area Development Corporation, is a non-profit Community Action Agency headquartered in Pocahontas, Arkansas, delivering federally and state-funded anti-poverty services to low-income individuals, families, children, and seniors across Northeast Arkansas. Its program portfolio spans Head Start and Early Head Start delivered through 10 Child Development Centers, 4 Senior Wellness Centers, HUD-funded housing assistance and a 32-unit Low Income Housing Tax Credit property (BRAD Black River Housing Apartments), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payments, Weatherization Assistance across 14 northern Arkansas counties coordinated with the Arkansas Department of Energy, and rural public transportation operated under Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 funding. The agency also runs a group home and independent-living center. There is no proprietary technology platform; internal collaboration relies on Google Workspace and standard intake/referral processes rather than a commercial software product.

Name

Black River Area Development

Legal name

Black River Area Development Corporation

Website

https://bradcorp.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black River Area Development is a non-profit Community Action Agency in Pocahontas, Arkansas, delivering federally funded Head Start childcare, senior wellness, HUD/LIHTC housing, LIHEAP, weatherization, and rural transit services to low-income residents across Northeast Arkansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Affordable housing programs
• Home energy assistance
• Early childhood education
• Rural public transit

Headquarters

HQ city

Pocahontas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Housing Programs: BRAD manages government-subsidized rental housing including the Housing Choice Voucher Program and HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA), providing rental assistance to very low-income households. Revenue comes from HUD funding based on voucher utilization and administrative fees.
2. LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program): Federal program providing financial aid for heating and cooling costs to eligible households in Randolph, Clay, and Lawrence Counties. Provides Regular Assistance and Crisis Intervention support, with payments made directly to utility suppliers.
3. Home Weatherization Program: Free weatherization services including insulation, air sealing, and safety improvements for eligible households across 14 northern Arkansas counties. Funded through Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment programs, with annual energy savings of $200-$300 per household.
4. Child Development Programs: Early childhood education and care services through Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Operates 10 child development centers across Northeast Arkansas, providing care for children from infancy through pre-K age with comprehensive developmental services.
5. Public Transportation Services (Section 5311): Public transit services in Clay, Lawrence, and Randolph Counties funded through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 program. Provides city and county route transportation with fares of $2-$10 per trip.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Black River Area Development (BRAD) is a non-profit community action agency that delivers social services to low-income individuals, families, children, and seniors in Northeast Arkansas. Its offerings span case management, a network of ten child development centers, home energy assistance (LIHEAP), home weatherization, housing assistance programs, BRAD Black River Housing apartments, senior apartments, independent living and group home supportive housing, public transportation, and senior wellness centers.

Product overview

Black River Area Development Corp. (BRAD) is a community development organization offering a portfolio of social services to Northeast Arkansas residents. The organization operates multiple distinct service programs: Child Development Centers (10 locations providing early childhood education), Housing Assistance (voucher programs and BRAD Black River Housing Apartments), Home Energy and Weatherization Services, Public Transportation, Senior Wellness Centers, Case Management, and Senior Housing/Independent Living facilities. These services are provided through direct service delivery at physical locations across Randolph, Clay, Lawrence, and surrounding counties, rather than through a software product platform. The organization also processes donations through PayPal and maintains internal systems using Google Workspace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BRAD Child Development Programs: Early childhood education and development services operating multiple child development centers
• BRAD Public Transportation
• BRAD Senior Wellness Centers
• BRAD Black River Housing Apartments

Products and services

• Case Management Coordinating intake and referral service that links low-income individuals and families to the appropriate mix of BRAD programs (housing, energy, childcare, transit, senior services).
• Child Development Centers Early childhood education and care delivered through a network of ten (10) center locations serving children from infant through pre-K age, primarily for income-qualifying families.
• Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) administration that helps eligible households pay home heating and cooling bills.
• Home Weatherization Energy-efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services delivered to eligible low-income homes to reduce energy burden and improve safety.
• Housing Assistance Programs Housing assistance offerings (vouchers, referrals, and related housing stability support) for income-eligible households in the service area.
• BRAD Black River Housing Apartments Subsidized multi-family affordable rental housing operated by BRAD in the Black River service area for income-eligible households.
• Senior Apartments Subsidized rental housing properties targeted at senior (typically 62+ / 55+) residents.
• Independent Living and Group Home Supportive housing for adults needing assistance with daily living, provided in independent living and small group-home settings.
• Public Transportation Rural public transit services (fixed route and demand-response) operated for the general public across the Black River service area, including transportation access for seniors and low-income riders.
• Senior Wellness Centers Facility-based wellness, social, and congregate programming for senior residents in the service area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual energy savings of $200-$300 per household through weatherization services
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Arkansas Department of Energy and EnvironmentcoreOthersBRAD partners with the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment to administer the Weatherization Assistance Program, providing free home energy efficiency improvements to eligible households across 14 northern Arkansas counties. Benefits include attic/wall/floor insulation, weatherstripping, air sealing, and health/safety improvements.
• HUD (Housing and Urban Development)coreOthersBRAD administers HUD-funded housing programs including the Housing Choice Voucher Program and HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program, providing rental subsidies to very low-income households in the region.
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)coreOthersBRAD's public transportation services are funded through FTA Section 5311 program, which provides rural transit funding. Drivers are subject to FTA drug and alcohol testing rules and pre-employment screening requirements.
• USDA/CACFPcoreOthersBRAD Child Development programs participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which provides reimbursement for nutritious, CACFP-compliant meals. Meals must meet USDA guidelines and are prepared according to pre-planned menus.
• Elderchoices ProgramsecondaryOthersBRAD Senior Wellness Centers participate in the Elderchoices program, which provides support to elderly individuals to help them remain in their homes or with relatives as an alternative to nursing home placement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National network of diocesan agencies providing housing assistance, energy/utility assistance, transportation, senior services, and case management — closely mirrors BRAD's anti-poverty service portfolio and community-action orientation.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit working on affordable housing development, community development financial services, and place-based community revitalization. Comparable in scope to BRAD's affordable housing LIHTC operations and community development mission.
• Goodwill Industries International: Federated nonprofit delivering workforce, housing, and community services through local Goodwill chapters — comparable in mixing workforce/economic self-sufficiency with community-based service delivery and federal funding.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI and community development intermediary investing in affordable housing, economic development, and community capacity building. Comparable to BRAD's affordable housing and rural community development focus, though operating primarily as a funder rather than direct service provider.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit operating affordable housing, senior living, child development, and community services through local affiliates — overlapping BRAD's service lines (HUD-subsidized housing, senior wellness, early childhood care) across a much larger geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Easterseals: National multi-service nonprofit operating child development, disability services, and senior programs through a network of affiliated local centers. Mirrors BRAD's combination of Head Start-style programming, independent living/group home services, and place-based service delivery across regions.
• Habitat for Humanity International: International nonprofit developing and rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income households using public funding streams. Comparable to BRAD's BRAD Black River Housing Apartments and Housing Choice Voucher administration.
• Area Agency on Aging (state/regional AAAs): USAging's member network of Area Agencies on Aging deliver congregate meals, transportation, case management, and in-home services to seniors — closely matching BRAD Senior Wellness Centers' Elderchoices and wellness offerings.

Others

• National Community Action Partnership: National membership association for the ~1,000 Community Action Agencies in the U.S., including CAAs that mirror BRAD's structure. Not a service-delivery peer but the institutional counterpart that channels CSBG/CSBG-related training and policy support to BRAD and its sister agencies.

Emerging players

• Meals on Wheels America: National nonprofit network delivering congregate and home-delivered meals to seniors, with affiliated local programs. Comparable to BRAD's Senior Wellness Center meal services and the Central Kitchen at 1302 Pace Road that supplies four locations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BRADarkansas
• Instagraminstagram.com/bradcorpar
• TikToktiktok.com/@bradcorpar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Black River Area Development