CommUnity Crisis Services

What CommUnity Crisis Services does

CommUnity Crisis Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 and headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, that delivers integrated crisis intervention, food security, and emergency financial assistance to residents of Johnson County, Iowa County, and Southeast Iowa. Its core service portfolio comprises four operational pillars: 24/7 Crisis Helplines (phone, text, and chat, including contracted answering of 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chats and texts for the state of Iowa), Mobile Crisis Response (in-person counseling dispatched within 60 minutes across Johnson and Iowa Counties and four Southeast Iowa counties), a Food Bank program operating two pantry locations plus a refrigerated Mobile Food Pantry vehicle (Meals on the Move), and Financial Support services covering rent, utilities, and basic needs. The organization supplements these pillars with the Healing Prairie Farm therapeutic agriculture program, the BE YOU youth program, the Post-Attempt Family Engagement Model (PAFEM) for youth post-crisis, the Coping with Suicide Loss Support Group, and the 1105 Project Kitchen (a commercial kitchen rental facility).

The organization is volunteer-driven, with trained crisis counselors — including staff, community volunteers, and AmeriCorps members — delivering the majority of direct service, supported by a professional staff of 101–250 employees under Executive Director Sarah Nelson (appointed May 2021). Service delivery relies on accredited protocols (International Council for Helplines re-accreditation) and a Law Enforcement Liaison model co-developed with the Iowa City Police Department and Foundation 2 to provide mental health crisis response as an alternative to arrest, achieving an 88% hospital and jail diversion rate in FY2021. Revenue is generated almost entirely through a non-commercial model: individual donations (91.61% of Food and Financial Support funding in Q1 FY23), government contracts (East Central Region funding for Mobile Crisis; Iowa 988 Lifeline contract), corporate sponsorships (Hills Bank, MidWestOneBank), ancillary rental income from the 1105 Project Kitchen ($20/hour and monthly storage subscriptions), and foundation/endowment support at Hills Bank & Trust and the Community Foundation of Johnson County. All client-facing crisis, food, and financial services are provided free of charge.

The business is geographically concentrated in eastern Iowa with no global footprint, operates without AI/ML capabilities, and has no equity funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity. Recent strategic activity has focused on geographic expansion (Southeast Iowa Mobile Crisis), service-line broadening (mobile food pantry, youth programs, kitchen rentals), and ecosystem integration (law enforcement, healthcare, and corporate partnerships), positioning the organization for continued regional scale within the human-services nonprofit sector.

Name

CommUnity Crisis Services

Legal name

CommUnity Crisis Services

Website

https://builtbycommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Community Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Suicide prevention helplines
• Mobile crisis response
• Community food bank
• Emergency financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Contracted to answer 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chats and texts in the state of Iowa. Mobile Crisis is funded by the East Central Region.
2. Individual Donations: 91.61% of funding for Food and Financial Support programs came from individual contributions in the first quarter of FY23.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsors such as Hills Bank (Strike Out Hunger) and MidWestOneBank (Giving Tuesday/Project Holiday) provide funding support.
4. Kitchen Rental Revenue: 1105 Project Kitchen generates revenue through hourly rental fees and monthly storage fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CommUnity Crisis Services provides free 24/7 crisis intervention via phone, text, and chat helplines (including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) plus in-person Mobile Crisis Response across Johnson County, Iowa County, and Southeast Iowa. The organization also runs a Food Bank with mobile distribution, emergency Financial Support for rent/utilities/prescriptions, youth programs (BE YOU, PAFEM, Healing Prairie Farm), a suicide loss support group, and a paid 1105 Project Kitchen commercial rental facility. All client-facing crisis, food, and financial services are provided at no cost; only the kitchen rental and storage carry fees.

Product overview

CommUnity Crisis Services is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected crisis intervention and basic needs programs. The core services include Crisis Helplines (24/7 phone/text/chat support), Mobile Crisis Response (in-person mental health crisis counseling), Food Bank services (food pantry and mobile food distribution), and Financial Support (emergency assistance for rent, utilities, and basic needs). Additional programs include the Healing Prairie Farm, BE YOU Youth Program, and the 1105 Project Kitchen commercial rental facility. The organization operates the Let's Talk About It summer learning series through its PAFEM program and hosts a Coping with Suicide Loss Support Group. Together, these services provide immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals and families facing emotional, food, or financial crises in Johnson County, Iowa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1105 Project Kitchen: A commercial kitchen rental facility available to local bakers, chefs, and home cooks for culinary operations
• Healing Prairie Farm
• BE YOU Program
• PAFEM (Post-Attempt Family Engagement Model)
• Mobile Crisis Response
• CommUnity Food Bank
• Strike Out Hunger
• Legacy Society

Products and services

• Crisis Helplines

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of mental health crises result in diversion from hospitals and jails
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Council for HelplinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICH provides independent accreditation for helpline programs, evaluating CommUnity for compliance in governance, leadership, training, program management, and suicide prevention standards. CommUnity earned re-accreditation demonstrating commitment to high quality service and best practice standards.
• Iowa City Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership implementing the Law Enforcement Liaison model to provide alternative response for mental health crises, reduce unnecessary arrests, decrease repeat 911 calls, and connect community members to resources.
• Foundation 2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Law Enforcement Liaison model with Iowa City Police Department for mental health crisis response alternatives.
• Table to TableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue and distribution partnership in Johnson County.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on community initiatives and volunteer coordination.
• Johnson County SEATSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for transportation and community coordination.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline / 988 LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommUnity operates as part of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network, providing 24/7 crisis support and connecting to national resources during overnight hours.
• Your Life IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource system for help with mental health; CommUnity's Mobile Crisis is dispatched through Your Life Iowa line at 1-855-581-8111.
• GuideLink CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommUnity partners with GuideLink Center for crisis stabilization, sober assistance, and detoxification. Hosts the Coping with Suicide Loss Support Group at GuideLink Conference Room.
• NAMI Johnson CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal affiliate providing mental health education, support, and advocacy; CommUnity references as community resource.
• ChompminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonating $1 to CommUnity for every food order placed on Giving Tuesday 2020.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boys Town National Hotline: Long-standing national crisis helpline serving youth and families with phone, text, and chat services; highly comparable in service modality and youth focus to CommUnity's crisis helplines and PAFEM program.
• Crisis Text Line: National non-profit providing24/7 text-based crisis support, directly overlapping CommUnity's chat/text crisis intervention services and operating as part of the 988 ecosystem.
• The Trevor Project: Non-profit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth via phone, text, and chat. Comparable as a mission-driven, volunteer-supported national crisis helpline with youth specialization similar to CommUnity's BE YOU and PAFEM programs.
• Foundation 2: Iowa-based non-profit providing crisis intervention, mobile crisis response, and mental health services across the same region. Explicitly named as a partner on the Law Enforcement Liaison model, making it both a collaborator and the closest comparable peer in terms of service mix and geography.

Broad incumbents

• United Way: National non-profit funding and coordinating a portfolio of health and human services at the community level; comparable as a diversified, multi-program community support intermediary.
• Vibrant Emotional Health: Administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and longstanding operator of the prior National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Comparable as the national backbone operator of the network CommUnity plugs into for Iowa chats and texts.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief organization with a network of regional food banks; CommUnity's Food Bank program is comparable in mission and operating model to Feeding America affiliates.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): National non-profit providing mental health education, support groups, and advocacy; CommUnity directly references local NAMI Johnson County as a community resource, indicating parallel community-based mental health programming.
• Catholic Charities: National network of non-profit social service agencies offering crisis assistance, food, financial, and housing support — directly comparable in portfolio breadth to CommUnity's crisis, food, and financial support programs.

Regional players

• Your Life Iowa: Iowa-specific mental health and substance use resource hotline that dispatches CommUnity's Mobile Crisis Response; directly comparable in mental health crisis routing at the same geographic level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/builtxcommunity
• Facebookfacebook.com/builtbycommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/builtbycommunity
• Instagraminstagram.com/builtbycommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 CommUnity Crisis Services