African Center for Community Development

What African Center for Community Development does

African Center for Community Development (ACCD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 2238 S Park St, Room 115, Madison, Wisconsin, serving African immigrants and refugees across Dane County. The organization operates a portfolio of free community programs organized into four pillars: Workforce Development & Support Services (housing navigation, job search assistance, women's empowerment, financial education workshops); Community Health & Wellness (Older Adults / Baobab Senior Circle, Bantaba, Health Equity); Culture & Education (Africa Talks lectures co-sponsored with UW-Madison African Studies Program, Children's African Story Hour, Youth Programs); and Business Development (Immigrant-owned Small Business Assistance and an 8-part Business Breakfast Workshops for Vendors series). All programs are provided at no cost to participants, funded through individual and corporate donations and grants from foundations including Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, Evjue Foundation, WEDC, United Way of Dane County, and UW Health Foundation.

ACCD functions as a community hub and cultural anchor — described on its own site as a 'home away from home' — and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees led by Executive Director Ama Ptak. The organization's underlying technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-style website (africancentermadison.org), social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and standard event registration; there is no proprietary technology, mobile app, API surface, or AI/ML component disclosed.

The revenue model is donations and grants from community members, corporations, foundations, and government agencies, with services delivered free of charge to participants (excluding paid large-scale events such as Africa Fest). Go-to-market is community-led: programs and events are promoted through ethnic community associations (GHAMA, UNIMA, ASCAM, AAM, AWA, LAW, Senegambia Women's Association), word-of-mouth referrals, and institutional co-sponsors including the City of Madison, Public Health Madison and Dane County, Madison Public Library, and UW-Madison. No revenue figures, headcount disclosures, or financial scale metrics are publicly reported.

Name

African Center for Community Development

Legal name

African Center for Community Development, Inc.

Website

https://africancentermadison.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

African Center for Community Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Madison, Wisconsin, delivering free workforce, health, cultural, and small-business programs to African immigrants and refugees in Dane County, funded by donations and foundation and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Cultural Orientation & Community Integration (Local Norms, Services) (EDAAADAD), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs (EDALAHAF), Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Immigrant community services
• Workforce development programs
• Cultural community education
• Small business assistance
• Social services nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations from community members and supporters who contribute to enable community members to thrive.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations such as Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, Evjue Foundation, and government entities including WEDC to support specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACCD delivers free, culturally tailored community programs for African immigrants and refugees in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin. Its offerings span workforce development and support services (housing navigation, job search, women's empowerment, financial education), community health and wellness (Older Adults / Baobab Senior Circle, Bantaba, Health Equity), culture and education (Africa Talks lectures, Youth Summer Program, Children's African Story Hour), and business development (Immigrant-owned Small Business Assistance Program, Business Breakfast Workshops for Vendors). The organization supplements programs with periodic community events and clinics (e.g., Power of Attorney Clinic, Bikes for Kids).

Product overview

African Center for Community Development (ACCD) is a nonprofit community organization offering a portfolio of social service programs rather than a technology product. The organization operates as a single unified service offering with multiple program areas including Workforce Development and Support Services (Housing Navigation, Job Search Assistance, Women's Empowerment, Financial Education Workshops), Community Health and Wellness (Baobab Senior Circle for older adults, Bantaba, Health Equity programs), Culture and Education (Children's African Story Hour, Africa Talks lectures, Youth Summer Program), and Business Development (Small Business Assistance Program, Business Breakfast Workshops for Vendors). Programs serve African immigrants and refugees in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Navigation Support services helping African immigrant and refugee community members navigate housing resources and find stable housing in the Madison and Dane County area.
• Job Search Assistance Workforce development support helping African immigrant and refugee community members with employment search, job applications, and career advancement.
• Women's Empowerment Workforce development and empowerment program focused on supporting and uplifting African women through education, service, entrepreneurship, and empowerment initiatives.
• Financial Education Workshops Educational workshops providing financial literacy training to help African community members build sustainable economic stability.
• Baobab Senior Circle (Older Adults Program) A program promoting wellbeing of African elders by reducing loneliness and isolation, providing culturally relevant activities and events, and connecting elders to trusted community resources that improve health and livelihoods.
• Bantaba Community health and wellness initiative providing culturally relevant programming for the African community in Dane County.
• Health Equity Health equity programs providing public health resources and culturally tailored support to African community members in partnership with Public Health Madison and Dane County.
• Africa Talks Community Lectures A monthly lecture series bringing together scholars, community leaders, and neighbors to explore African cultures and diaspora experiences, co-sponsored with the UW-Madison African Studies Program.
• Youth Summer Program A 2-month summer program for youth rising 7th to 12th grade of African heritage, featuring summer reading book club, arts activities including East African Music symposium and cyanotypes, intergenerational activities with Baobab Senior Circle, youth summit on identities, and planning a Back to Our Roots cultural festival.
• Children's African Story Hour (CASH) A free story hour program bringing diverse art, culture, food, and language from across Africa to families through award-winning children's stories, hands-on activities, and cultural discovery, delivered in partnership with Madison Public Library.
• Small Business Assistance Program The Immigrant-owned Small Business Assistance Program aims to increase financial stability and long-term success for small, immigrant-owned businesses in Dane County through training, workshops, and support services.
• Business Breakfast Workshops for Vendors An 8-part online learning series covering business fundamentals including how to build a successful business, licensing and insurance, obtaining an EIN, budgeting, sales and accounting, health inspection, energy efficiency, and marketing for current and future food and arts/craft vendors.
• Power of Attorney Clinic Free one-on-one sessions to complete Parental Power of Attorney and Financial Power of Attorney documents with attorney and notary assistance, providing document completion and notarization at no cost.
• Bikes for Kids Program A youth empowerment initiative distributing bikes and helmets to children in the community, including age-appropriate sizing, safety helmets, bike safety tips, and community celebration, in collaboration with Bikes for Kids Wisconsin.

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting community development initiatives for African immigrants in Madison.
• Public Health Madison and Dane CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth equity partnership providing public health resources and programs to African community members.
• UW-Madison African Studies ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner co-sponsoring the Africa Talks lecture series and providing programmatic collaboration. ACTM is housed at UW-Madison.
• UW South Madison PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysical host location at 2238 S Park St providing space for programs and services. Also a sponsor for youth programs.
• Madison Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Children's African Story Hour (CASH) program bringing storytelling to library locations.
• Bikes for Kids WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for the Bikes for Kids program, providing bikes and helmets to youth in the community.
• Ghana Association of Madison (GHAMA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthnic community association co-hosting Ghanaian Community Picnic and other cultural events.
• Union of Nigerians in Madison Area (UNIMA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthnic community association co-hosting Nigerian Community Picnic events.
• Association of Cameroonians in Madison (ASCAM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthnic community association co-hosting Cameroonian Community Picnic.
• African Association of Madison (AAM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUmbrella African community organization co-hosting African Community Picnic.
• African Women Association (AWA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWomen's community organization co-hosting African Community Picnic.
• Liberian Association of Madison (LAW)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthnic community association hosting Liberian Independence Celebration.
• Senegambia Women's AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWomen's organization hosting annual International Women's Day Celebration, promoted through ACCD.
• SSBL (Swallowing and Bioscience Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for health-related senior programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: National Jewish-American refugee resettlement agency providing refugee reception, immigration legal services, and integration support nationwide. Compares as a national-scale incumbent offering overlapping refugee resettlement and integration services.
• International Rescue Committee: Large national refugee resettlement and humanitarian organization with refugee resettlement programming across the U.S., including Wisconsin. Overlaps on refugee resettlement, employment, and integration services but operates at much broader scale across many populations.

Direct peers

• Catholic Multicultural Center: Madison-based faith-affiliated nonprofit offering food, ESL, immigration legal services, and community programs to immigrants and refugees. Directly comparable geography and overlapping service lines (language, basic needs, community integration).
• International Institute of Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based refugee resettlement and immigrant services nonprofit operating in the same Madison/Dane County market. Directly comparable mission (refugee resettlement, employment, ESL, citizenship) and similar funding model (grants, donations, government contracts).
• Jewish Social Services of Madison: Madison-based social services agency providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and senior programming. Comparable service mix (resettlement, seniors, case management) within the same local market.
• Centro Hispano of Dane County: Madison-based nonprofit serving Hispanic/Latino immigrants in Dane County with workforce, education, health, and youth programming. Same geography, same multi-vertical service model, same community-driven approach targeting a different diaspora.

Others

• Catholic Charities USA:

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/africancentermadison
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africancentermadison
• Instagraminstagram.com/africancentermadison1
• Xx.com/AfricanCenterWI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African Center for Community Development