COTS, Inc. - Appleton

What COTS, Inc. - Appleton does

COTS, Inc. is a private nonprofit transitional shelter organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 819 S. West Avenue in Appleton, Wisconsin. The organization operates residential shelter programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness in the Fox Valley region, with the mission of bridging the gap between emergency/crisis care and independent housing by helping residents transition to self-sufficiency. Service portfolio includes gender-specific Men's and Women's Residential Programs, specialized programs for Young Adults aged 18-24 and Veterans, the Positive Placement aftercare service, a volunteer-driven Meal Ministry, and the C.A.R.E. community service team in Oshkosh.

The organization operates three confirmed physical shelter sites — a Men's Program at 819 S. West Avenue (Appleton), a Women's Program at 1003 W. College Avenue (Appleton), and a Men's Program at 1158 N. Koeller St (Oshkosh) — with a Women's Program in Oshkosh also referenced in operational material. As of current reporting, COTS serves 85+ residents daily, engages 300+ volunteers, delivers 176 meals per week through its Meal Ministry, and has transitioned 31 residents into safe, stable independent living. The Women's Residential Program lead ([email protected]) and a Development Director ([email protected]) are the named functional points of contact.

COTS operates as a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit funded entirely through charitable donations from individuals, community contributions, and partnership grants from foundations and housing authorities. Services are provided free of charge to qualifying residents. Revenue model is donation-driven with no pricing structure or fee-for-service component. Strategic partners include the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Winnebago/Oshkosh Housing Authority, Father Carr's Place2B, Riverview Gardens, and the Downtown Oshkosh BID Team. The go-to-market model is community-led: direct service delivery through physical shelter sites, supplemented by grassroots fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and foundation relationships. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and is not a software or technology product company.

Name

COTS, Inc. - Appleton

Legal name

COTS, Inc.

Website

https://appletoncots.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COTS, Inc. is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that operates transitional shelter programs in Appleton and Oshkosh, serving individuals experiencing homelessness through gender-specific residential programs, young adult and veteran services, and aftercare support toward independent living.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: COTS relies on charitable donations from individuals, community members, and supporters to fund operations and programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness.
2. Partnership Funding: COTS partners with local foundations and housing authorities to secure funding and sites for shelter operations, including expansion into Oshkosh.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

COTS, Inc. is a nonprofit transitional shelter organization that provides residential housing programs for individuals experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin's Fox Valley. The organization operates gender-specific Men's and Women's Residential Programs in Appleton and Oshkosh, specialized programs for Young Adults (18-24) and Veterans, aftercare support through Positive Placement, and a volunteer-driven Meal Ministry serving 176 meals weekly. Services are provided free of charge and supported entirely by charitable donations and partnership funding.

Product overview

COTS, Inc. is a transitional shelter organization (not a technology company) that operates residential shelter programs helping individuals experiencing homelessness transition to self-sufficiency and independent living. The organization offers gender-specific residential programs for men and women, as well as specialized programs for young adults (18-24) and veterans. The portfolio consists of core shelter/residential services at locations in Appleton and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, supplemented by aftercare support (Positive Placement), a volunteer Meal Ministry program, and community engagement initiatives like the C.A.R.E. team. The organization is a nonprofit social services provider, not a software or technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Men's Residential Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 85+ residents served daily across all shelter locations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Riverview GardensminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Riverview Gardens expanded its social enterprise by establishing a hydroponics greenhouse in Neenah, allowing Oshkosh COTS residents to participate in ServiceWorks at the farm as part of the residents' path to self-sufficiency.
• Downtown Oshkosh BID TeamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022COTS is working with the downtown Oshkosh BID team to establish a COTS C.A.R.E. (Clean Assess Refresh Enhance) team, which allows residents to give back to the community through volunteer work.
• Oshkosh Area Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Oshkosh Area Community Foundation partnered with COTS to support the expansion into Oshkosh, helping to secure sites for new shelters and provide funding for the program expansion.
• Winnebago/Oshkosh Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Winnebago/Oshkosh Housing Authority partnered with COTS to provide housing continuum services and secure sites for the Oshkosh shelter expansion.
• Father Carr's Place2BcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Father Carr's Place2B partnered with COTS to establish shelter sites in Oshkosh and provide comprehensive services to the local homeless population.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella fundraising organization that channels donations to local social services including homeless services. Competes for donor dollars and also serves as a potential pass-through funder for COTS.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National advocacy and research organization focused on policy and best practices to end homelessness. Not a direct service provider but operates in the same ecosystem, influences funder priorities, and shapes the policy environment COTS depends on.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National social services network operating emergency shelters, housing programs, and case management for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable mission, donor-funded model, and service portfolio.
• YWCA USA: National nonprofit providing emergency and transitional housing for women, domestic violence survivors, and related support services — directly overlapping with COTS's women's residential programming.
• St. Vincent de Paul: National Catholic nonprofit operating emergency shelters, transitional housing, and meal programs for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable donation-funded model and service categories.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit social enterprise providing workforce development, housing, and community services. Comparable nonprofit funding model and self-sufficiency-focused mission, though housing is a smaller share of portfolio.
• Salvation Army: Large national nonprofit operating emergency shelters, transitional housing, and meal programs across the U.S., including in Wisconsin. Comparable service model at significantly greater scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Habitat for Humanity International: National nonprofit addressing housing instability through homebuilding and repair programs. Adjacent mission around ending substandard housing, with much larger scale and brand recognition in the same donor pool.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit providing transitional and permanent supportive housing, veteran services, and programs for at-risk populations. Directly overlapping service categories with COTS, including veteran-specific housing.

Direct peers

• Father Carr's Place2B: A Wisconsin nonprofit operating shelter and transitional housing programs in the Oshkosh region, explicitly named as a COTS partner for the 2022 Oshkosh expansion. Directly comparable mission and service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/COTSInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/COTSInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cots-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 COTS, Inc. - Appleton