Empowerment Opportunity Center

What Empowerment Opportunity Center does

Empowerment Opportunity Center (EOC) is a federally designated private non-profit Community Action Agency headquartered at 360 E Marietta St, Decatur, Illinois, serving low-income individuals, families, seniors, and children across Decatur and Macon County. Founded in 1965 as the Decatur-Macon County Opportunities Corporation (DMCOC) and rebranded in 2021, the agency delivers an integrated portfolio of poverty-reduction programs: the Anna Waters Head Start program (children ages 3-5); LIHEAP and the Emergency Furnace Program for energy assistance; Senior Nutrition, Senior Transportation, and Senior Activities under Neti's Place; Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter; Employment Services including CDL certification, resume development, and transportation-to-work support; the Empower Pantry for personal and household supplies; and a CSBG-funded scholarship program. Service delivery occurs primarily through walk-in intake at the Community Care Campus, scheduled appointments (including online LIHEAP booking), and community outreach across Macon County.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform beyond a WordPress website, online appointment scheduling, and basic social media presence. It operates without a software product, app, API, or engineering function. Its underlying "technology" is the operational delivery system - classroom facilities for Head Start, a congregate meal site at Neti's Place, a fleet providing senior transportation, and case-managed housing units - supported by approximately 90 full and part-time staff. Revenue is generated almost entirely through federal and state grants (Office of Community Services, Office of Head Start, Illinois Department of Human Services, HUD) plus donations, with de minimis program fee revenue ($7 per senior meal for under-55 participants and a suggested $5 transportation donation). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer walk-in and referral-based, with no commercial marketing; beneficiary acquisition occurs through community partner referrals, word-of-mouth, and government agency partnerships rather than paid channels.

Name

Empowerment Opportunity Center

Legal name

Empowerment Opportunity Center

Website

https://empowerdecatur.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (6244), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Inclusive / Special-Needs Childcare Centers (EDACAAAH)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Early childhood education
• Energy assistance programs
• Senior nutrition services
• Housing and employment support

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from federal grants including LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program), CSBG (Community Services Block Grant), HUD funding for housing programs, and Head Start grants through the Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Donations: Monetary donations from community members to support programs and services.
3. Program Revenue: Minor revenue from senior nutrition meals ($7 per meal for participants under 55) and suggested transportation donations ($5 per ride).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empowerment Opportunity Center provides integrated anti-poverty social services to residents of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois through programs including Head Start early childhood education, LIHEAP energy assistance and emergency furnace repair, senior nutrition and transportation at Neti's Place, the Empower Pantry for personal and household supplies, transitional housing and emergency shelter, and employment services such as CDL certification and job skills training. Services are delivered free of charge to eligible low-income participants through walk-in intake, scheduled appointments, and community outreach.

Product overview

Empowerment Opportunity Center offers a multi-service social services portfolio organized into four main categories: Early Childhood Services (Anna Waters Head Start), Energy Services (LIHEAP and Emergency Furnace Program), Community Services (Senior Nutrition, Senior Transportation, Senior Activities, Empower Pantry), and Housing/Employment Services (Transitional Housing, Emergency Shelter, Job Skills Development, CDL Certification, Transportation to Employment, Scholarships). These programs work together to address poverty and support self-sufficiency for individuals and families in the Decatur-Macon County area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Anna Waters Head Start: A comprehensive child development program providing services to children ages 3-5 and their families in the Decatur-Macon County area. Federally funded through the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Neti's Place Senior Center
• Empower Pantry

Products and services

• Anna Waters Head Start Comprehensive federally-funded child development program for children ages 3-5 in the Decatur-Macon County area, providing developmental screenings, education, disability services, transportation, health/nutrition services, and family engagement activities.
• LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) Federal program providing heating assistance to eligible low-income households, including direct financial assistance, energy counseling, outreach, and education to help offset home energy costs.
• Emergency Furnace Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped families achieve warm homes through furnace assistance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Crossing HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970Originally helped establish CHIC (Community Health Improvement Center, now Crossing Healthcare) to improve healthcare services for low-income persons. Provided $20,000 in initial start-up funds.
• Workforce Investment Solutions - Macon & Dewitt CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1965Partner with Workforce Investment Solutions for Macon and Dewitt County to provide employment services, job training assistance, and workforce development programs. Coordinates with Illinois Worknet system.
• Head Start (Department of Health and Human Services)coreOthers · 1 January 1965Federally funded comprehensive child development program through Department of Health and Human Services. Has provided services to children and families in Decatur-Macon County for over 50 years.
• United WaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing support for social services and community programs.
• Decatur Regional Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting local business and community development initiatives.
• Macon County Health Dept.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for health-related services and coordination.
• University of Illinois ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for community outreach and development programs.
• IACAA - Illinois Association of Community Action AgenciesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association membership providing connection to Illinois' poverty fighting network.
• Community Action PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership organization for America's Community Action Agencies.
• Richland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDL certification training provided through Richland Community College. Program covers tuition and permit testing for eligible low-income participants.
• Illinois WorknetcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner providing online job search and training resources through the Illinois Worknet website system.
• The Good Samaritan InnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for homeless services and assistance.
• Dove Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for social services.
• Homework HangoutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for youth educational support.
• Baby TALKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for early childhood and family support programs.
• Project READminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for adult literacy and educational programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella network of local United Way chapters funding and coordinating social services for low-income populations, directly paralleling EOC's mix of community-funded anti-poverty programming at scale.
• Catholic Charities USA: Federation of diocesan social service agencies delivering housing, employment, senior, and family services; its Illinois affiliates (e.g., Catholic Charities of Springfield) overlap directly with EOC's service portfolio.
• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-headquartered anti-poverty nonprofit operating housing, refugee, employment, and senior services across Illinois; portfolio breadth and Illinois geography make it a relevant scaled incumbent peer.
• National Head Start Association: Membership organization for Head Start grantees; Empowerment Opportunity Center's Anna Waters Head Start program operates under the same federal framework and faces comparable regulatory and funding dynamics.
• Feeding America: National network of community food banks addressing hunger through pantry and meal programs, comparable to EOC's Empower Pantry and senior nutrition services.
• The Salvation Army: Large multi-service nonprofit operating emergency shelter, food, senior, and workforce programs nationally, closely mirroring EOC's wraparound low-income service delivery model at vastly greater scale.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit delivering housing, workforce development, senior services, and family support, providing a scaled comparable operating model to EOC's mix of federally funded programs.

Direct peers

• Brightpoint: Illinois-based nonprofit operating Head Start, family services, workforce, and housing programs with a similar wraparound anti-poverty model; a directly comparable mid-sized Illinois social services peer to EOC.
• Homeward Bound (Decatur): Decatur-area housing/homeless services organization referenced in EOC's history as its predecessor transitional-shelter lead; a direct local peer in chronic-homelessness programming for Macon County.

Others

• National Community Action Partnership: National membership association of CAA-equivalent agencies through which Empowerment Opportunity Center coordinates on policy, training, and funding advocacy—its peer agencies nationwide operate the same Community Services Block Grant model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dmco.corp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Empowerment Opportunity Center