Recreation Council Of Greater St. Louis

What Recreation Council Of Greater St. Louis does

Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated in January 1983, that operates as an information-and-referral hub plus voucher-funding administrator for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across three counties in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. Its core products are seven voucher programs (CARE, Personal Care Recreation Supports, Overnight Camp, Adult Adventure, Extended Day, Summer Voucher, and Summer Socialization) that provide financial assistance so beneficiaries can participate in community-based recreation such as day camps, overnight camps, sports, arts, martial arts, social groups, travel, and therapeutic programs. The Council also maintains an online program directory listing 300+ partner programs, publishes seasonal guides (Summer Opportunities Guide, Guide to Leisure Services, quarterly newsletters), and operates the Ride to Unite adapted-cycling program.

The underlying technology is light: a conventional searchable website (activities.recreationcouncil.org), an online voucher application with email-signature verification, and no proprietary platform, AI/ML systems, or APIs. Day-to-day operations run on five full-time staff distributed across two offices (St. Louis and St. Peters), supplemented by 100+ partner organizations and 18+ municipal parks-and-recreation departments that host Coordinators of Inclusive Services.

The revenue model is grant- and donation-funded rather than fee-based. Primary inflows come from three county-level government disability boards — the Productive Living Board (St. Louis County), the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources (City), and the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board of St. Charles County — with supplemental funding from private donations and fundraising. No fees are charged to participating individuals or families; the fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30. The go-to-market is relationship-led, with coordinators personally matching individuals to programs, reinforced by a website, email newsletters, social media, and partner referrals.

Name

Recreation Council Of Greater St. Louis

Legal name

Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis

Website

https://recreationcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nonprofit information-and-referral hub that connects individuals with developmental disabilities in Greater St. Louis to recreation programs and administers voucher funding across St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Community Recreation Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Recreational Outings, Community Participation & Mobility Support (Non-Clinical) (HSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Disability recreation programs
• Recreation voucher funding
• Community inclusion services
• Adaptive recreation programs
• Special needs recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from three government sources: the Productive Living Board (PLB) funds St. Louis County programs, the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources funds St. Louis City programs, and the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board (DDRB) of St. Charles County funds St. Charles County programs.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization also receives funding through fundraising efforts, contributions, and donations from private individuals and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis is a nonprofit information and referral organization that connects individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to community recreation programs across St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. It provides financial assistance through multiple voucher funding programs (CARE, Personal Care Recreation Supports, Overnight Camp, Adult Adventure, Extended Day, Summer, and Summer Socialization) and operates an online program directory covering 300+ partner programs. Services are provided at no charge to eligible participants and funded primarily by county developmental disability resource boards and charitable donations.

Product overview

The Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis is a nonprofit organization that operates as a unified service platform connecting individuals with developmental disabilities to recreation opportunities. The core offerings center around voucher funding programs (CARE Vouchers, Personal Care Recreation Supports, Overnight Camp, Adult Adventure, Extended Day, Summer Voucher, and Summer Socialization) that provide financial assistance for inclusive and specialized recreation programs. Additional services include an online searchable program directory featuring over 300 partner programs across the St. Louis and St. Charles areas, seasonal publications (Guides to Leisure Services, Summer Opportunities Guides, Quarterly Newsletters), the Ride to Unite adapted cycling program, and an online voucher application system. The organization serves as an information and referral hub rather than a direct recreation provider, facilitating connections between individuals with disabilities and community recreation resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ride to Unite (formerly Cycle St. Louis): A program of the Recreation Council that creates cycling opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in the St. Louis Metro area. Formerly known as Cycle St. Louis, it was rebranded to better reflect its goals and activities.

Products and services

• CARE (Community Access Recreation Experience) Voucher Program Voucher program assisting individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in inclusive and specialized community-based recreation programs, including day camps and school break camps.
• Personal Care Recreation Supports Voucher Program Voucher program assisting individuals with developmental disabilities who need one-on-one personal assistance (physical or behavioral) to participate in community recreation programs; families find, screen, and hire support persons and may request partial reimbursement.
• Overnight Camp Voucher Program Voucher program allowing children and adults with developmental disabilities to apply for funding for one week of overnight camp, with alternative options of two mini-camps of 3-4 days.
• Adult Adventure Voucher Program Voucher program serving adults ages 18 and older with developmental disabilities to access funding for adventure programs such as out-of-town trips or multi-day high adventure activities.
• Extended Day Voucher Program Voucher program enabling working families to obtain before-school or after-school services for individuals with developmental disabilities to meet unique family care needs.
• Summer Voucher Program Program funding 50% of summer recreation fees up to $500 maximum per fiscal year for St. Louis County residents with developmental disabilities ages 3-20.
• Summer Socialization Program Program helping working parents offset costs of hiring caregivers to support young people ages 13-20 in community activities during summer months, with maximum 308 service hours at $9.00 per hour reimbursement.
• Online Program Directory Searchable database of recreation programs across the Greater St. Louis area, filterable by location (Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis City/County), program type, season, and ages served; includes over 300 partner programs.
• Ride to Unite (adapted cycling program) Cycling program creating opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in the St. Louis Metro area by providing access to adapted cycles, cycling resources, and organized ride events; rebranded from Cycle St. Louis in 2023 to better reflect mission.
• Online Voucher Application System Two-step online application process for voucher funding requests, requiring email signature verification; available only for returning applicants and their legal guardians.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Municipal Partners for Inclusive RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local parks and recreation departments across multiple municipalities including Ballwin, Brentwood, Des Peres, Ellisville, Kirkwood, Sunset Hills, St. Peters, O'Fallon, Richmond Heights, Maryland Heights, Clayton, Webster Groves, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Ferguson, Florissant, St. Ann, Bridgeton, and Hazelwood. Each municipality has a Coordinator of Inclusive Services on staff.
• Cycle St. Louis / Ride to UnitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA program of the Recreation Council, Cycle St. Louis (now Ride to Unite) is a group of nonprofit organizations and individuals who come together to create cycling opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. Provides adapted cycles, cycling resources, and organized ride opportunities.
• 100+ Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 100 organizations across the region providing recreation programs and activities for people with developmental disabilities, including camps, sports programs, arts programs, social groups, and therapeutic services.
• Missouri Department of ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering to provide outdoor nature programs for people with disabilities, including a scavenger hunt and nature day event at Tower Grove Park.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Keshet: Midwest-based nonprofit dedicated to inclusion of individuals with disabilities in education, employment, recreation, and community life. Comparable mid-sized nonprofit model serving IDD participants in multiple states.
• Shane's Inspiration: Nonprofit building inclusive playgrounds, recreation programs, and social inclusion initiatives for children with disabilities. Comparable disability-focused inclusive recreation programming.
• Paraquad: St. Louis-based nonprofit serving people with disabilities through independent living, employment, and community recreation services. Direct local peer with overlapping geography and a former employer of Recreation Council staff.
• National Ability Center: Park City, Utah-based nonprofit providing adaptive recreation and outdoor adventure programs for individuals with disabilities. Closest direct peer in mission: inclusive outdoor recreation and cycling/adaptive sports for IDD community.
• Camp Barnabas: Missouri-based nonprofit providing summer camp and recreation programs specifically for individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Directly comparable as a special-needs recreation provider in the same regional geography.
• Friendship Circle: International nonprofit creating programs and friendship for individuals with special needs through recreational, social, and camp experiences. Comparable voucher-free recreation access model focused on IDD populations.

Regional players

• Ability360: Arizona-based Center for Independent Living providing advocacy, recreation, and community participation services for people with disabilities. Comparable regional IDD services + recreation integration model.
• The Arc of Missouri: State chapter of The Arc of the United States, advocating for and providing community-based services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable regional advocacy-plus-services model.
• Special Olympics Missouri: State-level chapter of Special Olympics delivering sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Comparable regional mission and IDD-focused recreation/sports programming.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing disability and autism services including recreation, therapy, and camp programs. Broader service portfolio than the Recreation Council but directly comparable in mission and voucher/camp funding mechanisms.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RecCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/Recreation-Council-of-Greater-St-Louis-172639836085527
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recreation-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Recreation Council Of Greater St. Louis