Mississippi Action for Community Education

What Mississippi Action for Community Education does

Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc. (MACE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization founded in 1967 in Greenville, Mississippi, by 15 civil rights leaders including Unita Blackwell, Fannie Lou Hamer, Amzie Moore, and Annie Devine. The organization was structured from inception as a federation of county-based affiliate organizations and historically grew to a network of eight affiliates with over 5,000 members at peak, serving the rural Mississippi Delta across multiple counties.

MACE delivers its services through a portfolio of community programs rather than technology products. Core programs include YouthBuild (GED preparation and construction trades training for out-of-school youth ages 16-24, serving 60 youth per two-year cycle), the Housing Program (homeownership counseling, financial literacy, Individual Development Accounts, and a portfolio of 300+ affordable rental units for low-income families, seniors, and disabled individuals), the SBA-affiliated Women's Business Center, the Family First Resource Center, Adult Education, and the Delta Arts Project, which encompasses the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival — described as the oldest existing Blues festival in the world, contributing over $1 million annually to the regional economy.

The organization's business model is that of a grant- and program-fee-funded non-profit rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is derived from federal program funding (YouthBuild, SBA Women's Business Center), state and local grants, affordable housing rental income, festival receipts, and community contributions. Governance is provided by a volunteer board chaired by Representative Robert Clark, with Mable Starks serving as President and CEO. MACE operates from a single headquarters at 119 South Theobald Street in Greenville with a reported 1-10 employees and no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.

Name

Mississippi Action for Community Education

Legal name

Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc.

Website

https://deltamace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1967 in Greenville, Mississippi, delivering community development programs — including YouthBuild, affordable housing, the SBA Women's Business Center, and the Delta Blues & Heritage Festival — to low-income residents across the rural Mississippi Delta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAC

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAIACAI

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYEDADABAJ

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

Keywords

• Community development services
• Affordable housing programs
• Youth workforce training
• Financial literacy education
• Small business development

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Services Revenue: MACE generates revenue through various program services including housing counseling, financial literacy training, pre-purchase education, YouthBuild programs, and the Women's Business Center. The organization also receives revenue through the annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MACE is a non-profit community development organization that delivers housing counseling and affordable rental housing, financial literacy and Individual Development Account programs, YouthBuild construction trades and GED training for out-of-school youth, SBA-affiliated Women's Business Center services, family support through the Family First Resource Center, adult education, and cultural programming via the Delta Arts Project and Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival. Services are provided primarily free or at low cost to low-income residents of the rural Mississippi Delta.

Product overview

Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE) is a non-profit community development organization, not a technology company. It offers a portfolio of social service and community development programs including: YouthBuild (youth GED/construction training), Housing (homeownership counseling and affordable rental units), Women's Business Center (entrepreneurship support), Delta Arts Project (Blues festival and cultural programs), Delta Dialogue (annual policy conference), Family First Resource Center (parenting resources), and Adult Education. These are community programs, not software products or technology offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YouthBuild Program An eight-month to two-year youth development program for out-of-school youth aged 16-24 that provides GED preparation, construction skills training, leadership development, and community service while building housing for low-income families.
• Housing Program Homeowner training and counseling services including pre-purchase education, post-purchase education, financial literacy, and Individual Development Accounts (IDA), along with over 300 units of affordable rental housing for low-income families, seniors, and handicapped individuals.
• Women's Business Center An SBA-affiliated center providing training, counseling and support services to would-be entrepreneurs, particularly women-owned businesses, in the Mississippi Delta region.
• Delta Arts Project Cultural programming including the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, Blues In Schools, Delta Blues Tourism Project, and Blues Kick-Off, dedicated to preserving and promoting Mississippi Delta Blues and African American cultural heritage.
• Delta Dialogue Annual policy dialogue bringing together public officials, civic leaders, and business sectors to discuss contemporary policy issues facing Mississippi Delta residents.
• Family First Resource Center Resource center partnering with Head Start centers, public schools, and social service providers to deliver educational information on abstinence, fatherhood, and effective parenting.
• Adult Education Educational programs for adults in the Mississippi Delta community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 affordable housing units developed for low-income families, seniors, and disabled individuals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Small Business Administration (SBA)coreOthersMACE operates an SBA Women's Business Center providing support to would-be entrepreneurs in the Delta region. This partnership enables the organization to deliver federal small business development resources to local entrepreneurs.
• YouthBuild (National Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACE is part of the national YouthBuild movement, a youth development organization with 165 operating programs nationwide serving approximately 5,500 young people annually. This affiliation provides access to national program standards, resources, and the broader YouthBuild network.
• Head Start CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACE's Families First Resource Center partners with Head Start centers, public schools, and social service providers to deliver educational programs on abstinence, fatherhood, and effective parenting.
• Delta FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACE made an early decision to separate its training and advocacy work from its economic development activity, locating those activities in a separate organization called the Delta Foundation. This was a strategic organizational structure decision.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Delta Regional Authority: A federal-state partnership that invests in infrastructure, workforce, and economic development across 252 counties in the Mississippi Delta and surrounding regions. Comparable to MACE in geographic focus (Mississippi Delta) and economic development mission, though operating at a much larger public-sector scale and funding umbrella.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): A national non-profit that invests in affordable housing, economic development, and community development, including rural and Mississippi initiatives. Comparable to MACE in multi-program community development model and affordable housing focus, though operating at substantially greater national scale and capital deployment.
• NCB Capital Impact (formerly National Cooperative Bank): A national non-profit providing financing and development services for affordable housing, community health, and cooperative enterprises, with significant Mississippi and rural activity. Comparable to MACE in affordable housing and community economic development mission, though operating as a capital provider rather than direct service operator.

Regional players

• Appalachian Regional Commission: A federal-state economic development partnership serving 13 states in the Appalachian region with infrastructure, workforce, and community development programs. Comparable to MACE's community development/economic development mission in distressed rural geography, though serving a different US region.

Direct peers

• YouthBuild USA: The national umbrella organization for 165 YouthBuild programs serving out-of-school youth with GED preparation, construction training, and leadership development. MACE operates an affiliated YouthBuild program; directly comparable in service model, target population (ages 16-24 disconnected youth), and curriculum.
• Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund: A non-profit cooperative development organization serving Black farmers, landowners, and rural communities across the Deep South including Mississippi. Comparable to MACE in rural Southern geography, civil rights heritage, grassroots community development approach, and focus on low-income African American populations.
• Enterprise Corporation of the Delta: A non-profit community development financial institution serving the Mississippi Delta region with affordable housing, small business lending, and community development programs. Directly comparable to MACE in geography (Mississippi Delta), target population (low-income rural communities), and integrated housing/economic development model.
• Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative: A multi-state reproductive justice and economic development initiative serving Black women in the rural South including Mississippi Delta counties. Comparable to MACE in Mississippi Delta geography, target population (Black rural women), and integrated community/economic development approach.
• Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area: An affiliate of Habitat for Humanity serving Mississippi including the Delta region with affordable housing construction and homeownership programs. Comparable to MACE's Housing Program in affordable housing production, volunteer-driven construction model, and target population of low-income families.
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership: A national non-profit network of rural community development organizations providing training, technical assistance, and capacity building to water, housing, and community facilities in rural communities. Comparable to MACE in rural community development focus and capacity-building methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mace_news
• Facebookfacebook.com/mace.delta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mississippi-action-for-community-education-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mississippi Action for Community Education