Empowerment Opportunity Center
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersDecatur, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Empowerment Opportunity Center firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Empowerment Opportunity Center industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Empowerment Opportunity Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Decatur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Empowerment Opportunity Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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.
- Donations: Monetary donations from community members to support programs and services.
- Program Revenue: Minor revenue from senior nutrition meals ($7 per meal for participants under 55) and suggested transportation donations ($5 per ride).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Senior Nutrition - Free for 55+, $7 for others |
| Donation/ grant-funded | Pay-as-you-go | Senior Transportation - Suggested $5 donation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | General Services - Free |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Empowerment Opportunity Center product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Empowerment Opportunity Center
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Empowerment Opportunity Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Empowerment Opportunity Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Crossing HealthcarecoreOriginally 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 CountiescorePartner 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)coreFederally 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 WaymajorCommunity partner providing support for social services and community programs.
- Decatur Regional Chamber of CommerceminorCommunity partner supporting local business and community development initiatives.
- Macon County Health Dept.coreCommunity partner for health-related services and coordination.
- University of Illinois ExtensionminorEducational partnership for community outreach and development programs.
- IACAA - Illinois Association of Community Action AgenciesmajorState association membership providing connection to Illinois' poverty fighting network.
- Community Action PartnershipmajorNational membership organization for America's Community Action Agencies.
- Richland Community CollegecoreCDL certification training provided through Richland Community College. Program covers tuition and permit testing for eligible low-income participants.
- Illinois WorknetcorePartner providing online job search and training resources through the Illinois Worknet website system.
- The Good Samaritan InnminorCommunity partner for homeless services and assistance.
- Dove Inc.minorCommunity partner for social services.
- Homework HangoutminorCommunity partner for youth educational support.
- Baby TALKminorCommunity partner for early childhood and family support programs.
- Project READminorCommunity partner for adult literacy and educational programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Empowerment Opportunity Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Empowerment Opportunity Center social profiles
Digital presenceEmpowerment Opportunity Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Empowerment Opportunity Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Empowerment Opportunity Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Empowerment Opportunity 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 Empowerment Opportunity Center
What does Empowerment Opportunity Center do?
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.
Is Empowerment Opportunity Center a public or private company?
Empowerment Opportunity Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Empowerment Opportunity Center founded?
Empowerment Opportunity Center was founded in 1965. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Empowerment Opportunity Center based?
Empowerment Opportunity Center is headquartered in Decatur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Empowerment Opportunity Center make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are donations and program Revenue.
Who are Empowerment Opportunity Center's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are United Way Worldwide, Catholic Charities USA, Heartland Alliance, National Head Start Association, Feeding America, The Salvation Army and Volunteers of America. Direct peers are Brightpoint and Homeward Bound (Decatur). National Community Action Partnership is listed as an others.
Does Empowerment Opportunity Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Empowerment Opportunity Center.
What industry is Empowerment Opportunity Center in?
Empowerment Opportunity Center's product category is Community Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAJ, Employment & Job Readiness Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAB, Housing Assistance & Homeless Services. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.