Social Assistance

Social Assistance

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Organizations in this industry provide services such as food banks, temporary shelters, emergency relief, rehabilitation, adoption, and child care. Major institutions include Feeding America, Food for the Poor, and Habitat for Humanity (all based in the US), along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Switzerland), Sanctuary Housing and The Salvation Army (both based in the UK), and World Food Programme (Italy).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by the number of people requiring assistance in a number of social, economic, and emergency circumstances. Larger organizations may have more effective marketing campaigns to reach a wider group of people in need. Smaller social assistance organizations may focus more on a local need or more specialized issues. The US industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest organizations generate about 15% of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Child day care services as well as government contributions account for about 20% of the industry revenues, each. Other revenue sources include private contributions (15%), social assistance services for elderly and disabled adults (more than 10%), and non-medical home aide services (more than 10%). Other major service categories include individual and family social assistance services, which include daily living support for senior and disabled persons; youth adoption, foster care, and guidance programs; and welfare, crisis intervention, counseling, and community action services.