CAC Community Outreach

What CAC Community Outreach does

Community Assistance Center (CAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 and headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, that delivers basic-needs assistance and self-sufficiency programming to residents of Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and parts of Doraville. Its core offerings fall into two buckets: emergency relief (financial assistance for rent, mortgage, and utilities; three client-choice Mini-Market food pantries; free clothing through the Canopy Thrift Shop; and IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) free tax preparation) and longer-term empowerment (Adult Education classes in ESOL, computer skills, and financial goals; Career Services with resume help and job fairs; the Thrive workforce development program; and the CAC Cares for Kids youth programs covering meals, school supplies, coats, and holiday gifts). The organization reports 9,500 individuals helped annually, 34,000+ households served cumulatively since 1987, 1,030 families saved from eviction in 2024, and a 2026 VITA program that returned $795k in refunds to 535 filers with $1.4M in total economic impact.

CAC is funded through individual and corporate donations, grants, and revenue from the Canopy Thrift Store. All client-facing services are provided free of charge to eligible residents; the only pricing occurs at the thrift store, which sells donated items to the general public at secondhand prices. Distribution is delivered through physical locations (1130 Hightower Trail headquarters with the Financial Assistance Office and Education Center; 8607 Roswell Road with the largest food pantry and Canopy Thrift Store; the South Sandy Springs branch at 120 Northwood Drive opened in 2022) plus online donation portals and an online assistance request form. The organization relies on standard nonprofit technology (QGiv, Calendly, SignUpGenius, Zoom, Enrollsy, eBay) rather than proprietary platforms, and operates with a small 11-50 employee core supplemented by 41 trained VITA volunteers and a broader volunteer base drawn from member congregations and community partners including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Second Helpings Atlanta, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Goodwill of North Georgia, the IRS, and Knights of Columbus.

Name

CAC Community Outreach

Legal name

Community Assistance Center

Website

https://ourcac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Assistance Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 in Sandy Springs, Georgia, providing emergency relief (food, clothing, financial aid, free tax preparation) and self-sufficiency programs (adult education, career services, youth programs) to residents of Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and parts of Doraville.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210), Community Housing Services (62422), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Income Support & Cash Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Emergency food assistance
• Financial crisis aid
• Free tax preparation
• Adult education classes
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandy Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: CAC relies primarily on donations from individuals, businesses, and congregations in the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody communities. Donations of money support emergency assistance programs for rent, utilities, and crisis prevention.
2. Canopy Thrift Store Sales: The Canopy Thrift Shop sells donated clothing, accessories, home goods, and furniture to the general public. Revenue supports CAC's emergency assistance programs including financial aid, food pantries, youth programs, career center, and adult education.
3. Grant Funding: CAC receives grant funding from various sources to support operational programs and community assistance services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Community Assistance Center delivers free emergency assistance and self-sufficiency services to residents of Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and parts of Doraville. Core offerings include client-choice food pantries (Mini-Markets), emergency financial assistance for rent/mortgage/utilities, free VITA tax preparation, the Canopy Thrift Shop (free client vouchers plus discounted public sales), adult education classes (ESOL, computer, financial literacy), career services and job placement, the Empowerment Center hub, the Thrive workforce development program, and the CAC Cares for Kids seasonal youth programs.

Product overview

CAC Community Outreach is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of social services organized around preventing homelessness and hunger while promoting self-sufficiency. The core offering includes emergency assistance programs (food pantry/mini-markets, financial assistance, clothing through Canopy Thrift Shop, and VITA tax preparation) alongside longer-term empowerment services. The Empowerment Center serves as the central hub integrating Adult Education (ESOL, computer skills, financial goals classes) with Career Services (mentoring, job connections, workshops, training) and the Thrive workforce development program. CAC Cares for Kids provides seasonal youth assistance including meals, school supplies, coats, and holiday programs. The organization serves Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and part of Doraville in Georgia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAC Cares for Kids: Youth programs including Meals for Kids, Tools for School, Coats for Kids, and Hope for the Holidays providing seasonal assistance to children of CAC client families.
• Thrive
• VITA Program

Products and services

• Financial Assistance Free emergency financial assistance program providing short-term help to individuals and families facing financial crisis (job loss, illness, divorce, fire, flood). Assistance typically pays portions of rent, mortgage, or utility bills to prevent eviction and homelessness for eligible Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Doraville (Dunwoody schools area) residents.
• Mini-Market Food Pantry Client-choice food pantry operating like a grocery store where eligible clients select fresh produce, non-perishable groceries, dairy, and meat items proportionate to family size, with weekly refresh. Operates at the Roswell Road Mini-Market (largest location) and South Sandy Springs Branch.
• VITA Tax Preparation Free tax return preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an IRS initiative operated in partnership with United Way of Greater Atlanta. Serves individuals and families earning $67,000 or less, including persons with disabilities and limited-English-speaking taxpayers, and assists with ITIN applications.
• Canopy Thrift Shop Upscale thrift store at 8607 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, that issues free clothing vouchers to eligible CAC clients and sells donated clothing, accessories, housewares, and furniture at discounted second-hand prices to the general public. Items are also listed on eBay (seller canopy8607).
• CAC Cares for Kids Seasonal youth programs for children ages 0-18 from CAC client families, including Meals for Kids (summer lunch program), Tools for School (backpacks and school supplies), Coats for Kids (winter coats, in partnership with Knights of Columbus), and Hope for the Holidays (food and gifts).
• Adult Education Classes Free adult education classes including English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) at six levels, computer skills training from beginner to advanced Microsoft Office, an AI for Everyday Use course, and Financial Goals classes. Classes are held Monday through Thursday in morning and evening sessions and live-cast on Zoom.
• Career Services Free career assistance for job seekers including one-on-one mentoring from volunteer career advocates, job connections with local employers, career workshops (resume writing, interview preparation), job fairs including the Sandy Springs Connects Career Expo, and access to Goodwill's Career Connector platform and training programs.
• Empowerment Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,030 families saved from eviction in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Greater AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAC is one of many VITA sites in metro Atlanta as part of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance initiative in partnership with United Way of Greater Atlanta. United Way helps coordinate and support VITA program operations.
• Atlanta Community Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical food supply partner providing staples and fresh food year-round to CAC's Mini-Market food pantries. Food donations from ACFB help stock shelves for distribution to families in need.
• Second Helpings AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerishable food donations delivered daily to CAC. Second Helpings volunteers pick up excess fresh and prepared food from area restaurants, caterers, cafeterias, grocery stores, and bakeries that would otherwise go to waste and deliver to CAC.
• Midwest Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank partnership providing additional food supply support for CAC's food distribution programs.
• Knights of ColumbusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Coats for Kids program. Knights of Columbus provides funding or donated coats that CAC distributes to children from birth through age 18 in CAC client families during fall.
• Goodwill of North GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide FREE career workshop sessions to jobseekers. Goodwill provides the Career Connector platform offering resume builder, job board, job training access, and other career resources to CAC clients.
• IRS (Internal Revenue Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVITA is an IRS initiative. CAC serves as an official IRS-certified VITA site. IRS provides training, certification requirements, and program guidelines for free tax preparation services.
• Member CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based congregations that are members of CAC's network, providing community support, volunteer resources, and referral pathways for residents in need.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Feeding America (national network): The national umbrella organization supporting regional food banks including the Atlanta Community Food Bank that supplies CAC. Thematically aligned hunger-relief network representing the broader ecosystem in which CAC's food pantry operates.

Direct peers

• MUST Ministries: A Marietta-based nonprofit providing emergency assistance (food, shelter, clothing, financial aid) and workforce development across Cobb and Cherokee counties. Highly comparable integrated service model and similar scale of operations.
• Action Ministries: An Atlanta-based nonprofit focused on poverty reduction through emergency assistance, food programs, and workforce development. Operates community service centers across metro Atlanta with comparable integrated service delivery.
• Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta: A multi-service Atlanta-area nonprofit offering financial assistance, food pantry, career services, ESL/adult education, and case management. Direct service-line overlap with CAC and similar client base in the metro Atlanta Jewish and broader community.
• North Fulton Community Charities: A community assistance nonprofit serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, and Johns Creek in north Fulton County. Offers a nearly identical mix of financial assistance, food pantry, clothing, and emergency aid to CAC, operating in an immediately adjacent service area with the same donor demographic.
• Crossroads Community Ministries: An Atlanta nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food, case management, and workforce development for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable integrated approach to breaking the cycle of poverty through combined immediate aid and self-sufficiency programming.

Emerging players

• Atlanta Mission: A nonprofit focused on homelessness services in metro Atlanta, including emergency shelter, recovery, and workforce reintegration. Partial overlap with CAC's eviction-prevention and Thrive workforce development programs.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill of North Georgia: A large regional nonprofit providing workforce development, career services, and a major retail thrift operation. Already partners with CAC on Career Connector services and competes for the same donor and employer-partner dollars across north metro Atlanta.
• United Way of Greater Atlanta: A major regional funder and service coordinator that partners with CAC on VITA and broader initiatives. Operates across the entire metro Atlanta region with significantly larger scale, broader programmatic reach, and a centralized role in distributing philanthropic capital to smaller community organizations like CAC.
• Atlanta Community Food Bank: A core food-supply partner to CAC and the largest regional food bank serving north and metro Atlanta. Operates a much larger wholesale food distribution model while CAC operates a smaller client-choice pantry; competes for hunger-relief funding across the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CACgeorgia
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityAssistanceCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-assistance-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 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 CAC Community Outreach