What Massachusetts Head Start Association does

Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA) is a nonprofit membership association headquartered in Lynn, Massachusetts. It supports Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through advocacy, professional development, networking, and resource sharing. The organization serves program directors, senior leaders, educators, staff, and families associated with Massachusetts Head Start programs.

MHSA's product portfolio is a calendar of events and programs rather than a technology platform. Offerings include an annual conference, a Fall Conference for Leadership and Managers, a Fall Conference for All Staff, the MHSA Summit (with the Head Start Heals Virtual Program on trauma-informed practices), the New Leaders Institute (four-part virtual management training), a Monitoring Cohort Discussion Series led by a former federal monitoring reviewer, the Succession Planning Cohort, the MHSA Workforce Summit, the Head Start Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House, and the Power of Attention Workshop. The association also publishes a 2026 Professional Development Calendar and convenes twice-monthly Directors' Meetings for member programs. The underlying infrastructure is Squarespace-hosted web content plus email newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X), and in-person/virtual event delivery.

MHSA's revenue model combines recurring membership fees (program and affiliate memberships), tax-deductible donations via PayPal or mailed checks, tiered corporate sponsorships (e.g., Gold Sponsors Pariva Health and Insights by MYO), and modest professional development participation fees (e.g., $350 for the Succession Planning Cohort, with majority subsidized by MHSA). The organization is led by Executive Director Michelle Haimowitz, operates with 1–10 employees, and is governed by a Board of Directors. Geographic scope is exclusively Massachusetts, with advocacy directed at federal, state, and local levels.

Name

Massachusetts Head Start Association

Legal name

Massachusetts Head Start Association

Website

https://massheadstart.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Massachusetts Head Start Association is a nonprofit membership association in Lynn, MA that supports Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the Commonwealth through conferences, professional development, advocacy, and direct member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Association Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education (BPADAKAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head start programs
• Nonprofit association
• Professional development
• Advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: MHSA derives revenue from program membership fees and affiliate membership fees from organizations that support the Head Start community.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations collected via PayPal or mailed checks to support the mission and priorities of the Association and Head Start community.
3. Sponsorships: Sponsors (including Gold Sponsors like Pariva Health and Insights by MYO) provide financial support at various sponsorship levels.
4. Professional Development Fees: Some professional development programs charge participation fees (e.g., Succession Planning Cohort at $350 per program), with majority of costs subsidized by MHSA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Massachusetts Head Start Association is a nonprofit membership association that supports Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It delivers this support through advocacy at federal, state, and local levels, professional development programs and institutes, an annual conference and summit series, workforce development initiatives, and regular convenings of program directors. The organization also provides resources and referrals for Head Start families and educators.

Product overview

Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA) is a non-profit association serving the Head Start and Early Head Start community throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Rather than a unified technology product, MHSA offers a portfolio of programs and services including annual conferences (MHSA Annual Conference, Fall Conference for Leadership and All Staff, Spring Summit), professional development institutes (New Leaders Institute, Monitoring Cohort Discussion Series, Succession Planning Cohort), advocacy events (Head Start Advocacy Day, Workforce Summit), and workshops (The Power of Attention). The organization also publishes a 2026 Professional Development Calendar aggregating PD opportunities and facilitates regular MHSA Directors' Meetings for member programs. MHSA supports Head Start programs through advocacy, professional development, resources for families, and community-building events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MHSA Annual Conference Annual conference for MHSA Head Start program members and affiliate members to convene, network, and receive professional development.
• MHSA Fall Conference Annual fall conference for Head Start leaders, managers, staff, and parents, providing professional development and networking opportunities at enVision Hotel and Conference Center Mansfield-Foxboro.
• MHSA Summit In-person summit held at the New England Botanic Garden for MHSA members and the Head Start community, including the Head Start Heals Virtual Program component.
• Head Start Heals Virtual Program Virtual program focused on trauma-informed practices and healing for the Head Start community, offered as a component of the MHSA Summit.
• New Leaders Institute Four-part virtual institute covering Head Start program management and operations, including landscape and structure, fiscal operations, management and leadership responsibilities, and monitoring, data, and storytelling.
• Monitoring Cohort Discussion Series Discussion series with Mal Hughes, federal monitoring reviewer consultant and former Massachusetts Director and MHSA Chair, for programs that have recently completed a federal review to share experiences.
• Succession Planning Cohort Cohort series for succession planning with a $350 program participation fee (majority of program costs subsidized by MHSA), including homework assignments and document preparation guidance.
• MHSA Workforce Summit Summit for all Head Start staff focused on workforce development and training opportunities.
• Head Start Advocacy Day Annual advocacy event at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, providing an opportunity to advocate for Head Start programs, workforce, families, and communities.
• MHSA Directors' Meetings Regular meetings held twice monthly (extended format for the first meeting of each month) for Head Start directors and senior leaders from MHSA member programs, typically held virtually.
• The Power of Attention Workshop Workshop with Rebecca Brigham and Liz Guerrant from The Baker Center for Children on evidence-based strategies for behavior change using planned positive interactions and differential attention.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered gold sponsor and core.

• Pariva Healthgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of Massachusetts Head Start Association. Pariva Health supports the Head Start community through sponsorship.
• Insights by MYOgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of Massachusetts Head Start Association. Insights by MYO supports the Head Start community through sponsorship.
• HeadStart.Gov (formerly ECLKC)coreOthersFederal resource center for Head Start programs. MHSA directs members to HeadStart.Gov for resources previously available on ECLKC.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Head Start Association: Statewide association supporting California's Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Comparable to MHSA as a peer state association; also provides a useful benchmark for scaled programming given California's larger operator base.
• New York State Head Start Association: Statewide membership association supporting Head Start and Early Head Start programs in New York. Directly comparable to MHSA in mission, structure, revenue model, and programming cadence.
• Connecticut Head Start Association: A state-level Head Start membership association serving Connecticut. Directly comparable to MHSA as a peer state-level body performing the same advocacy, convening, and professional development function for Head Start operators in a single state.
• Pennsylvania Head Start Association: State-level membership association representing Pennsylvania's Head Start programs. Highly comparable to MHSA in scope, advocacy role, and PD programming for directors and staff.

Broad incumbents

• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): The largest national professional association focused on early childhood education quality. Comparable to MHSA as a peer professional membership body serving early childhood educators, with overlapping PD and advocacy activity at broader scope.
• National Head Start Association: The national membership and advocacy association for the Head Start community. Directly comparable as the parent-tier counterpart to MHSA, serving the same member base at the federal level and providing a benchmark for MHSA's programming, advocacy, and PD offerings.

Others

• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care: The Massachusetts state agency that administers early childhood funding and licensing. Comparable as a Massachusetts-scope peer whose policy and funding decisions directly shape MHSA's member programs and advocacy agenda.

Emerging players

• Region I Head Start Association: Multi-state association serving Head Start programs in the federal Region I footprint, which includes Massachusetts. Comparable to MHSA as a parallel convening and PD body whose scope partially overlaps MHSA's geography and member base.

Regional players

• Head Start of Greater Dallas: A large regional Head Start grantee operating programs in Texas. Comparable as a Head Start operator — the type of organization MHSA serves — though it is a direct service provider rather than a membership association.
• Strategies for Children: Massachusetts-based advocacy nonprofit focused on early childhood education policy. Directly comparable as a Massachusetts-scope peer doing state-level early childhood advocacy, overlapping with MHSA's State House activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/massheadstart
• Facebookfacebook.com/massheadstart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massachusetts-head-start-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/massheadstartassn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Head Start Association