Shawnee Development Council Inc

What Shawnee Development Council Inc does

Shawnee Development Council Inc is a private, nonprofit Community Action Agency (CAA) headquartered in Karnak, Illinois, that administers federal and state antipoverty programs across seven Southern Illinois counties: Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union. Founded in 1965, the organization operates five field offices plus mobile outreach and is staffed by approximately 20 employees, serving 9,631 program participants and 5,020 households annually. Its core programs include Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Department of Energy Weatherization, Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) job training, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, and a network of food pantries.

The agency's service model is built on direct human delivery rather than proprietary technology. Its digital presence is limited to a Wix-hosted website that has recently added an online LIHEAP appointment-booking form to streamline applicant intake; there is no disclosed platform, mobile application, or proprietary software product. Service delivery relies on in-person case management, contractor networks (for weatherization), and partnerships with community colleges (Shawnee Community College) and other regional bodies (DAEOC).

Revenue is generated almost entirely through grants administered from federal sources (LIHEAP, DOE Weatherization, CSBG, WIOA) and the State of Illinois (DHS, DCEO, IHWAP), with additional in-kind and volunteer-supported activity through partners such as the U.S. Department of Defense, Toys for Tots, and Ameren Illinois. The most recent disclosed annual inflow is $6,462,856 in funding resources administered. There are no fee-for-service products, no subscription pricing, and no commercial customers; the unit economics are grant dollars per household served, with pass-through to participants accounting for the majority of flow.

Name

Shawnee Development Council Inc

Legal name

Shawnee Development Council, Inc.

Website

https://shawneedevelopmentcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shawnee Development Council Inc is a Southern Illinois Community Action Agency, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Karnak, that administers federal and state antipoverty programs — including LIHEAP, weatherization, WIOA workforce training, and food assistance — across seven counties for roughly 9,600 low-income participants annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Action and Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Child Benefits Administration (Child Allowance, Parental Leave) (BPAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Energy assistance programs
• Workforce development training
• Food pantry distribution
• Weatherization assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Karnak

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Program Funding: Primary funding from federal and state government programs including LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), CSBG (Community Services Block Grant), and IHWAP (Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program). The organization administers approximately $6.5 million in funding resources.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Accepts donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations to support food pantry operations, community outreach events, and emergency assistance programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shawnee Development Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency that delivers federal and state-funded social service programs to low-income individuals and families in seven Southern Illinois counties. Core offerings include energy bill assistance (LIHEAP), home weatherization and furnace repair/replacement, workforce training under WIOA, community food pantries and senior commodity boxes, and emergency financial assistance through CSBG and Homeless Prevention programs.

Product overview

Shawnee Development Council, Inc. is a non-profit Community Action Agency that has been serving Southernmost Illinois since 1965, offering a portfolio of social service programs designed to help individuals, families, and communities achieve self-sufficiency. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including energy assistance (LIHEAP, Furnace Program, Weatherization, Gas Discount Rate), workforce development (WIOA, Work Experience, Dislocated Worker programs), food security (Food Pantry, Community Food Distribution, Union County Gardens), and emergency assistance (CSBG, Homeless Prevention, Emergency Assistance, Employment Barrier Reduction). These programs work together to address the multi-faceted needs of low-income residents across seven counties in Southern Illinois, providing both immediate crisis support and long-term pathways to self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Provides energy conservation counseling and assistance with fuel and energy bills to eligible low-income households. Emergency assistance may be available for households disconnected from an energy source or denied delivery of fuel.
• Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) Provides permanent solutions to reduce the energy burden on low-income families by installing insulation, furnaces, and other cost-effective energy-efficient materials and services. Does not assist with roofs or window replacement.
• Furnace Program Emergency furnace assistance available to income-eligible homeowners to restore the heating system to safe and effective operation through repair or replacement of the unit.
• Illinois Low-Income Discount Rate for Natural Gas Discount program for residential natural gas customers of Ameren Illinois, automatically approved for LIHEAP recipients or available by application based on household size and income.
• WIOA Program Assists low-income individuals with funding for occupational skills training, covering tuition, fees, books, supportive supplies, travel costs, and childcare reimbursement.
• Work Experience Program Provides career counseling, job training, placement assistance, and supportive services for eligible youth and adults.
• Dislocated Worker Program Assists displaced homemakers or those who have lost jobs due to plant closure or workforce reduction with re-training in an occupational area of greater stability.
• Community Food Distribution Food pantries operated in Union, Hardin, and Pope counties, with Commodity Supplemental Food Program distributing senior boxes monthly to eligible individuals 60 years of age or older who meet specific residency and income criteria.
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Provides services to assist low-income individuals attain skills, knowledge, and motivation for self-sufficiency, including assistance with food, shelter, medicine, and emergency appliance replacements.
• Homeless Prevention Program Illinois Department of Human Services program providing financial assistance to eligible clients experiencing needs for rental or utility assistance, shelter, food, and supportive services.
• Employment Barrier Reduction Program Provides supportive service funding for individuals receiving TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid benefits who face barriers to gaining employment, including assistance with rent, utilities, transportation, and work-related uniforms.
• Emergency Assistance Program Provides financial assistance to eligible low-income clients in meeting emergency needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medical, and utilities.
• Scholarship Program $1,000 scholarships available to low-income disadvantaged persons seeking higher academic attainment, with applications available each spring for awards used in summer or fall semesters.
• Union County Gardens Community garden initiative producing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh produce annually for the food pantry, serving up to 75 people per week.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,631 total program participants served
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership since 2018 with DAEOC of Sikeston, MO to bring Operation Healthy Delta Innovative Readiness Training health and medical services to Southern Illinois communities.
• Department of DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership with Department of Defense to offer Operation Healthy Delta Innovative Readiness Training, providing no-cost health and medical services including dental exams, vision screenings, and basic medical wellness to community members.
• Toys for TotscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Toys for Tots and Tackle Hunger to bring toy and food distribution to families in the seven-county service area through 15 pop-up community events reaching nearly 4,000 children.
• Tackle HungercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for food assistance alongside toy distribution to support families in the community.
• ArrowleafminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partner organization with shared goal of uplifting community members and providing necessary resources.
• University of Illinois ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing educational resources and outreach services to the region.
• Ameren IllinoiscoreOthersAdministers Illinois Low-Income Discount Rate for Natural Gas, automatically approving LIHEAP recipients for gas service discounts and processing applications for other residential natural gas customers.
• Illinois Department of Human ServicescoreOthersState agency partnership for Homeless Prevention Program and Employment Barrier Reduction Fund, providing financial assistance and supportive services to eligible clients.
• Shawnee Community CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerApproved program list provider for WIOA occupational skills training, offering tuition, fees, and books funding for eligible participants.
• Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA)minorOthersMembership in state association representing Community Action Agencies across Illinois.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Federated national nonprofit network delivering poverty-relief, workforce, and emergency services through diocesan agencies. Overlaps with SDC in emergency assistance and self-sufficiency programming; substantially larger footprint.
• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit focused on workforce development, job training, and reentry services — directly overlapping with SDC's WIOA program — but operating at national scale with retail-funded revenue streams unavailable to small rural CAAs.
• Salvation Army: National faith-based nonprofit with overlapping energy, food, housing, and emergency-assistance programming. Competes with CAAs for the same federal and donor dollars but operates at significantly larger scale across broader geographies.

Direct peers

• Mideast Community Action Agency: CAA serving Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, and Moultrie counties in east-central Illinois. Provides the same energy-assistance, workforce, and emergency-services portfolio under identical federal funding streams.
• Tri-County Opportunities: Multi-county CAA in northern Illinois (Carroll, Lee, Ogle, Whiteside) administering LIHEAP, CSBG, WIOA, Head Start, and senior services. Closely comparable rural-CAA operating profile.
• Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC): Multi-county Community Action Agency headquartered in Sikeston, MO, delivering LIHEAP, CSBG, WIOA, food, and weatherization programs across the Missouri Bootheel. SDC's longstanding IRT partnership (since 2018) confirms near-identical service mix and operating model.
• Project NOW (Northwestern Illinois Community Action Agency): Designated CAA serving Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, and Whiteside counties in northwestern Illinois with the same portfolio of LIHEAP, CSBG, weatherization, workforce, and food programs. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and funding structure.
• Mid-Illinois Community Action (MICA): CAA covering DeWitt, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, McLean, and Piatt counties from Bloomington, IL. Operates LIHEAP, weatherization, food pantries, and workforce programs under the same federal funding streams as SDC.

Others

• Community Action Partnership: National membership association for the 1,000+ Community Action Agencies across the U.S. Provides training, advocacy, and standards — adjacent rather than competitive, but the industry body of which SDC's peers and SDC itself are members.
• Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA): State-level trade association representing Illinois CAAs, of which SDC is a member. Provides collective lobbying and convening functions rather than direct services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Shawnee Development Council Inc