A Kennewick-based nonprofit is divesting some of its for-profit businesses to better concentrate resources on its mission of breaking down barriers to help empower individuals. 

Columbia Ability Alliance, which provides employment services to those with disabilities or facing other barriers along with respite services, plans to sell off two of its for-profit businesses that support its nonprofit mission: Paradise Bottled Water and four Round Table restaurants.

“These are long-term strategic decisions” to free up more of the nonprofit’s resources, said CEO Michael Novakovich. He described the decision as a “change in course” for CAA to better concentrate efforts on its employment services and other mission-centric programs.

Staff bandwidth

Selling the businesses will increase CAA staff’s bandwidth. Operations like marketing, accounting and human resources can focus on their main programs rather than being spread across multiple businesses. 

CAA acquired Round Table and Paradise Bottled Water in 2019. At that time, they also got a contract with FedEx, which they satisfied and moved away from in 2023. 

While the two businesses presented a challenge soon after acquisition due to the Covid-19 pandemic, CAA did a great job in helping those businesses come back, Novakovich said. CAA owns two Round Tables in Richland, one in Kennewick and one in Pasco. 

As of late October, the Round Tables had already been listed for sale, with one interested buyer going through the process, while Paradise Bottled Water had not yet been listed for sale.

Novakovich said a transition could take place around January 2026 for Round Table, while Paradise Bottled Water might take six to 12 months to sell. Until then, he said, CAA will continue to run the businesses as if the nonprofit will own them forever. 

Round Table’s potential buyer has been in the Round Table business for a while and indicated that they would keep on the current staff, Novakovich said. He hopes for similar continuity with Paradise Bottled Water. 

The nonprofit also owns CI Information Management, a document destruction business, but there are no plans to sell this.

Columbia Ability Alliance plans to sell two of its businesses, Paradise Bottled Water and its four Round Table pizza restaurants, to better support its nonprofit mission.

| Courtesy Columbia Ability Alliance

Sustainability

While the for-profit entities play a role in financially supporting Columbia Ability Alliance, Novakovich said that CAA’s team has been doing a great job of fundraising and getting grants and partners, putting the nonprofit on healthy financial footing.

CAA’s 2024-25 budget was $12.8 million and it employs 173 people, according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ Largest Social-Service Nonprofits list.

The organization has seen a 75% increase in employment for clients served, he said, creating sustainability in areas that used to need to be offset. 

In tandem with the shift away from the for-profit entities is another move that will help keep CAA sustainable. 

CAA is working with Benton County to relocate its Opportunity Kitchen program, currently in the Richland Federal Building at 825 Jadwin Ave., Richland, to the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery when it opens its doors in the spring.

In the Federal Building, the program is totally reliant on cafe traffic and its catering business, meaning that sales are dependent on the volume of people in the building. 

That volume often fluctuates and the revenue generation isn’t sustainable so much of the program must be subsidized. While CAA’s spot in the recovery center will also be based on volume, the program will have a contract. 

Program participants will serve three meals a day to recovery center patients, and patients in turn can find out about CAA’s program and potentially participate in it. 

CAA already works with those with substance use disorders, and having Opportunity Kitchen in place in the recovery center will help create a meaningful employment path for more people, Novakovich said. 

Some long-term residents may not have worked in a long time, he said, and CAA can help disrupt the cycle and connect patients to area employers.

Once Opportunity Kitchen is set up in the recovery center, Novakovich said the nonprofit hopes to look for further opportunities, like taking on grounds maintenance at the facility. 

CAA currently provides the service at the Federal Building, which will continue after Opportunity Kitchen relocates.

Youth club

As CAA refocuses on its main mission, the organization recently launched a few new initiatives. 

Its Nexus Youth Club, which kicked off Nov. 3, is an after-school program that offers a safe space where participants 12 to 22 years old can make friends, explore new interests and strengthen key life skills. 

The program runs 3:30-6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Columbia Ability Alliance Community Center, 900 S. Dayton St., Kennewick, and is intended for those currently enrolled in school and living with a documented developmental or intellectual disability.

Participants in the program can engage in activities from cooking and gardening to community outings, with a goal of helping youth discover their abilities and develop greater confidence and independence. 

It’s not the only plan CAA has for its community center. As the agency has received greater demand for respite services, Novakovich said CAA has been looking into potential satellite locations for the community center, as well as the Nexus Youth Club. 

Family members often make long commutes to drop off family members and CAA wants to make access more convenient for those who use the center, Novakovich said.

Ally Program

CAA also recently launched its Ally Program, which helps raise awareness about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Offered to businesses at no cost, the program helps train employers on disability inclusion, accessibility and workplace best practices, as well as guidance on legal and financial considerations related to inclusive employment.

Novakovich said CAA’s employment team typically comes in to talk with employers for a couple of hours about retention, recruitment, tax breaks and inclusive language, generally setting the team up for success. 

Columbia Ability Alliance is also actively looking for more training and employment opportunities for veterans.