About Us
We’ve been serving our communities for more than 50 years. Thanks to a network of strong partnerships, we can identify and act in the areas of greatest need.
Focused on the Bigger Picture
We work to transform systems so that all people can achieve social and economic security.
Broad Goals, Specific Strategies
We’re collaborators who apply innovative, targeted strategies to identify and serve the areas of greatest need.
Helping People Live With Dignity
We believe that food and housing insecurity are public health crises. Everyone deserves a place to call home and food on the table.
Our History
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) like us were established by the Economic Opportunities Act of 1964, a key part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘War on Poverty.’ While CAAs were originally conceived as a way to empower low-income communities with direct support, they evolved into nonprofits governed by tripartite boards representing public, private and low-income interests in the community.
We formed in 1966 as the Community Action Commission for the County of Dane and the City of Madison. After expanding to Jefferson County in 1992, we became Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc. Our final expansion reached Waukesha County in 1996.
We’re a member of the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP), which coordinates all 16 of Wisconsin’s Community Action Agencies. Many anti-poverty programs got their start within our organization, including Head Start and Madison-area community gardens, now run by Community Groundworks.
We were born out of the War on Poverty, and that purpose still motivates us today. We’re committed to evolving the way we work to help people overcome poverty and thrive in their daily lives.