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, Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, and Food for the Poor (all based in the US), along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Switzerland), Sanctuary Housing (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

Individual and family social assistance services, which account for about half of industry revenue, 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. Other major service categories include child day care; food, housing, and emergency aid; and vocational rehabilitation services.