What NEP Services does

NEP Services (legal entity New Equity Productions, Inc.) is a Newport Beach, California-based technology company founded in 1997 by Drew Howitt that provides member engagement, communications, and digital advocacy software to labor unions, law enforcement associations, firefighter organizations, and nonprofit organizations across the United States. The company serves over 700 client organizations in 37 states, with a customer base anchored by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) locals, police benevolent associations (including NAPO affiliates), fire fighter unions (IAFF and independent locals), Sheet Metal Workers (SMART) locals, and other trade unions and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. NEP operates as a hybrid SaaS and tech-enabled services firm, executing a sales-led go-to-market through enterprise field sales targeting union leadership and first responder executives, supplemented by inside sales with toll-free numbers and a self-service mobile app download channel.

The company's core product is Connect Plus+, a unified member engagement SaaS platform combining web and mobile applications with member management, secure chat, document storage, calendar events, dues collection, payment processing, and AI-powered content tools. Connect Plus+ is supported by a suite of domain-specific modules including Help a Hero (crowdfunding), Community Petition (digital petitions), Member Fusion (alignment of members with elected officials for advocacy), Text Voters (SMS campaigns with a stated 98% open rate), Social Media Audience Builder, Event Management, custom Website Development, and Fundraising. Notable technical components include union-specific features (IBEW dispatch job boards, contractor/vendor directories), HIPAA-compliant hosting, GDPR and CCPA compliance, integrations with Stripe and other payment processors, and an authorized-user API. Documented campaign outcomes include over 50,000 text updates during IBEW 1049 contract negotiations and a 60,000-email petition campaign at 99.6% delivery success. AI capabilities are embedded at the feature layer for content drafting (NLP text suggestions), donor analytics (predictive heatmapping), and member data automation (profile completion), but no proprietary AI models or research pipeline is disclosed.

NEP's business model combines subscription, transaction, and professional services revenue. Subscription revenue comes from Connect Plus+ on multi-year contracts (36-month initial term with automatic annual renewal and a maximum 9% annual price escalation). Transaction revenue is generated from event management ($1.99 per paid attendee plus approximately 3.5% card processing and 4% retained by NEP) and nonprofit payment processing (3.2% + $0.30 per transaction, with donors able to cover fees so 100% of proceeds reach the organization). Professional services revenue comes from custom website development and digital advocacy campaign assistance. Marketing is executed through content marketing, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, conference sponsorships (especially IBEW events), partner referrals from industry associations, and earned media (Fast Company, Orange County Business Journal, TechBullion, California Business Journal). Reported 2024–2026 growth signals include 30% year-over-year software revenue growth, a 6x ARR-per-client uplift in the labor vertical versus other sectors, 111 new clients added in 2025, and recognition as Fast Company's #8 Most Innovative Company in North America in 2024.

Name

NEP Services

Legal name

New Equity Productions, Inc.

Website

https://nepservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NEP Services provides Connect Plus+, a SaaS member engagement platform, alongside digital advocacy, fundraising, and petition tools for over 700 labor unions, law enforcement associations, firefighter organizations, and nonprofits across 37 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Union Member Engagement Software

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Other Services Related to Advertising (54189), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing Automation Platforms & Services (BPAFAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community/Group Chat Platforms (BPAMACAH)

Keywords

• Member engagement software
• Union membership management
• Digital advocacy tools
• Crowdfunding platform
• Event management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Subscription (SaaS): Subscription-based pricing for Connect Plus+ platform access. Includes member management, communication tools, and mobile app access. Billed monthly or annually with multi-year contract options.
2. Event Registration Services: Transaction-based revenue from event management services. $1.99 per paid attendee plus card processing fees (~3.5%) and 4% platform fee to NEP.
3. Fundraising Platform: Crowdfunding and donation processing for Help a Hero and general fundraising campaigns. Includes PAC fund donations and recurring revenue establishment through donor base targeting.
4. Website Development: Custom website design and development services for unions and organizations. Professional websites with mobile-first design, dispatch boards, and union-specific functionality.
5. Digital Advocacy Services: Additional services including campaign assistance, social media audience building, text voters, Google Ads, and data acquisition for political and advocacy campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NEP Services sells Connect Plus+, a cloud-based SaaS member engagement platform for unions, first responder associations, and nonprofits, combining member management, secure chat, document storage, payments, and AI-powered communications. Around this core, it offers specialized modules for digital advocacy (text voters, Member Fusion, social media audience building), crowdfunding (Help a Hero), community petitions, event management, fundraising processing, and custom website development.

Product overview

NEP Services offers a unified member engagement platform for unions and nonprofits, combining a core SaaS product (Connect Plus+) with specialized modules. Connect Plus+ serves as the central hub providing member management, communications, chat, document storage, payment processing, and AI-powered tools. Supporting modules include Help a Hero (crowdfunding), Community Petition (digital organizing), Website Development, Digital Advocacy suite (text voters, social media builder, Member Fusion), Event Management, and Fundraising tools. The platform serves law enforcement, fire, IBEW, and trade unions across industries including non-profit, business, and education sectors. The company operates as a hybrid technology and tech-enabled services company combining scalable software with experienced organizing teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Connect Plus+ All-in-one membership engagement SaaS platform combining web and mobile app capabilities for unions and nonprofits. Provides member management, secure chat, push notifications, email, document storage, calendar events, dues collection, and payment processing, with AI-powered communication features.
• Help a Hero Step-by-step crowdfunding platform for emergency fundraising to support community heroes such as first responders. Features immediate response capabilities, donor data protection, social media sharing, and integration with Stripe so that donors can cover processing fees and 100% of the donation reaches the cause.
• Community Petition Petition software for changemakers that creates petitions and mobilizes community support. Enables signature collection at scale, tracks supporter data, and demonstrates public backing for legislative or policy initiatives.
• Website Development Custom website development service for unions with mobile-first design, dispatch job boards for IBEWs and trade unions, contractor and vendor directories, event management, donation collection, and social media integration.
• Event Management Event planning and management software with online registration, payment portal setup, custom branded registration pages, social media integration, and tagging features. Priced at $1.99 per paid attendee plus card processing fees.
• Fundraising Integrated fundraising processing system with recurring revenue optimization, donor tracking, PAC fund donations, data protection, LODD/Member Support, and charity event registration. Includes gift fulfillment service and a dedicated Client Success Manager.
• Digital Advocacy Full suite of digital advocacy resources including text voter campaigns, social media audience building, Google Ads, Member Fusion software, data acquisition, campaign assistance, and community petition tools.
• The National 9-99 Police & Sheriff Foundation Charitable foundation supporting law enforcement officers with K-9 support, injured officer relief, post-traumatic stress resources, and mental health services. Has raised nearly $1M since its inception in 2016.
• NEP Fire Fighter Foundation Charitable foundation supporting firefighters with behavioral health resources, tools, and support. Has raised over $500,000 since establishment in 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 text updates sent during IBEW 1049 contract negotiations, contributing to contract settlement hours before planned strike
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)coreOthersFeatured partner organization for firefighter services. NEP provides technology solutions including websites, member engagement, and fundraising tools for IAFF affiliates and local unions.
• National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)coreOthersFeatured partner for law enforcement services. NEP builds websites and provides member engagement solutions for NAPO and its member organizations.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary strategic partner serving IBEW locals nationwide. NEP sponsors IBEW conferences, invests in technology development for IBEW needs, and provides comprehensive member engagement and advocacy tools. Strong co-development relationship with IBEW leadership to build union-specific functionality.
• Sheet Metal Workers (SMART)coreOthersStrategic partner serving SMART locals including Local 38 and Local 28. NEP provides legislative advocacy tools, member engagement, and custom website development.
• Communication Workers of America (CWA)minorOthersFeatured partner organization. NEP provides member engagement and organizing tools for CWA locals.
• National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)minorOthersFeatured partner organization. NEP provides technology solutions for NALC branches including websites and member communications.
• Fire Fighter Cancer Support NetworkminorOthersNon-profit partner organization. NEP supports firefighter cancer awareness and support initiatives.
• United Association (UA) Local 9minorOthersFeatured union partner. NEP provides website development and member engagement tools.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mobilize: Mobilize is an event management and volunteer mobilization platform used heavily by advocacy organizations and campaigns. It overlaps with NEP's Event Management and Digital Advocacy capabilities, particularly for community organizing use cases.
• ActionKit: ActionKit is a digital advocacy and fundraising CRM used by progressive nonprofits and labor organizations for email campaigns, petitions, and donations. It overlaps with NEP's Digital Advocacy and Fundraising modules for advocacy-driven use cases.

Direct peers

• MemberPlanet: MemberPlanet is a membership engagement and dues management platform serving unions, associations, and HOAs. It directly competes with NEP's Connect Plus+ on member management, communication tools, and event features for similar member-based customer segments.
• Wild Apricot: Wild Apricot (part of Personify Group) is a membership management SaaS platform for small associations and nonprofits, offering member databases, event registration, and payment processing. It overlaps with NEP's core membership and event functionality for association customers.
• MemberClicks (Community Brands): MemberClicks, part of the Community Brands/Personify suite, provides association management software for member-based organizations including membership databases, events, and communications. It is a direct peer in the association and member-organization SaaS category.
• Action Network: Action Network is a digital advocacy, email, and fundraising platform used by nonprofits, labor unions, and progressive organizations. Its petition, email blast, and event features directly parallel NEP's Community Petition, Email, and Event Management modules.
• NationBuilder: NationBuilder is a community organizing and political campaign platform offering outreach, fundraising, and member engagement tools. It is comparable to NEP's Digital Advocacy suite and Connect Plus+ for nonprofit advocacy and organizing use cases.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot for Nonprofits: HubSpot offers a discounted suite of marketing automation, CRM, and email tools to nonprofits and associations. It is comparable to NEP on the marketing automation and email communication layers, though it lacks union-specific workflows.
• Bonterra: Bonterra (formerly Network for Good, CyberGrants, and others) is a broad nonprofit SaaS suite spanning fundraising, grant management, and employee giving. It competes with NEP at the higher end of the nonprofit market with a wider but less union-specialized portfolio.
• Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud: Salesforce's Nonprofit Cloud offers CRM, donor management, and engagement workflows for nonprofit and advocacy organizations. It is a broader incumbent competing with NEP on member management, communications, and integrations for larger nonprofits.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nepconnects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nepservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/nepconnects
• Xx.com/nepconnects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 NEP Services