SourceAmerica
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| Founded | June 26, 1974 |
|---|---|
| Type | Central Nonprofit |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Virginia |
| Location | |
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Employees
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400+ |
| Mission | Create employment opportunities and choices for people with significant disabilities. |
| Website | www |
SourceAmerica (formerly NISH) is a United States non-profit agency that supports other agencies that provide employment opportunities for people who are disabled.
SourceAmerica is one of two U.S. central nonprofits designated in the Javits–Wagner–O'Day Act to support nonprofit agencies participating in the AbilityOne Program. Both programs work to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities by providing them opportunities to produce goods and services under federal contracts.
SourceAmerica was founded by the federal government to assist organizations, like Goodwill Industries International, National Easter Seals Society, the American Congress of Community Supports and Employment Services, the Arc of the United States, United Cerebral Palsy and International Association of Jewish Vocational Services, receive government grants.
SourceAmerica was incorporated on June 26, 1974 as National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH) . The organization changed its name to SourceAmerica on July 1, 2013.
SourceAmerica consists of a network of more than 1,300 non-profit organizations which provide the legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful contract management. Through its local Community Rehabilitation Programs, SourceAmerica currently provides employment opportunities to over 50,000 disabled individuals. Most of them are employed under contracts to produce items or provide services to the United States government.
SourceAmerica is governed by a 21-member board of directors. Each of the six founding organizations has a permanent seat on the board. The current CEO is Steven Soroka.
On July 31, 2015, CNN reported that SourceAmerica was being investigated by authorities for illegal operations, financial fraud, mismanagement, operating in violation of the law, steering of contracts, and possibly obstruction of justice.
On September 4, 2015, federal agents raided the corporate offices of Goodwill Industries in Memphis, Tennessee in an apparent escalation of the investigation. Goodwill Industries has received more than $22 million in AbilityOne contracts since 2010, and SourceAmerica has two Goodwill executives on their board of directors. One former top officer stated repeatedly in recorded conversations that the entire program is run like organized crime.
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Wikipedia