Chicanos Por La Causa

What Chicanos Por La Causa does

Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona by student and community activists fighting for educational equity and Mexican-American civil rights. Operating as the largest Hispanic nonprofit in the United States, CPLC delivers an integrated, multi-vertical service platform across five Areas of Impact — Health & Human Services, Housing, Education, Economic Development, and Advocacy — serving more than 1 million individuals annually across six Southwest states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas).

Its core offerings are community-delivered social services rather than technology products: behavioral health (Centro de la Familia, Centro Esperanza, Amanecer Community Counseling Service), domestic violence shelter (De Colores), housing lending and counseling, Head Start early childhood education, community schools, workforce and refugee services, immigrant legal services, and small-business lending through the Prestamos CDFI subsidiary. Underlying operations are bilingual and in-person centric; there is no proprietary technology platform, app, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed.

Revenue mechanics are grant-and-contract driven, not transactional pricing. CPLC raises capital through federal CDFI/NMTC allocations (cumulative $400M across eight awards, most recently $90M in March 2026), government contracts (HOPWA, HUD counseling, Head Start, WIOA/Arizona@Work), corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic donations. Customer segments are individual low-income and underserved constituents — not enterprise buyers — with subsidiary entities HELP New Mexico (wholly owned) and Amanacer Community Counseling Service (acquired 2024) extending brand and geographic reach. Program-specific fees (e.g., home lending) are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Chicanos Por La Causa

Legal name

Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.

Website

https://cplc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chicanos Por La Causa is the largest Hispanic nonprofit in the U.S., founded in 1969 in Phoenix. It delivers integrated health, housing, education, economic development, and advocacy services to 1M+ low-income individuals annually across six Southwest states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Affordable housing assistance
• Behavioral health services
• Small business lending
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 that delivers community-based social services across five Areas of Impact: Health & Human Services, Housing, Education, Economic Development, and Advocacy. The organization provides behavioral health counseling, affordable housing development and counseling, home and small business lending, Head Start early childhood education, immigration legal services, workforce training, and free tax preparation to Latino and underserved communities across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.

Product overview

Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a nonprofit community services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs across five Areas of Impact: Health & Human Services, Housing, Education, Economic Development, and Advocacy. The organization operates as a platform of integrated services rather than a single unified product. Key programs include behavioral health services (Centro de la Familia, Centro Esperanza), housing services (Home Lending, Housing Counseling, HOPWA), economic development (Prestamos CDFI small business lending, CPLC YouthBuild, VITA Tax Prep), early childhood education (Head Start programs), and community schools. In 2024, CPLC expanded its portfolio by acquiring Amanecer Community Counseling Services in Los Angeles. The programs serve individuals and families across six southwestern states with culturally responsive, bilingual services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prestamos CDFI: Small business lending and Community Development Financial Institution program providing access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs
• HELP New Mexico
• Amanecer Community Counseling Service

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Counseling Mental and behavioral health counseling services provided to individuals and families, including crisis intervention and ongoing therapy, with culturally competent bilingual staff.
• Affordable Housing Development & Counseling Development of affordable housing units and provision of homebuyer counseling, rental counseling, and foreclosure prevention services for low-income families.
• Home Lending Mortgage lending products designed to help low-income and first-time Latino homebuyers achieve homeownership.
• Prestamos CDFI Small Business Lending Microloan products and small business lending delivered through CPLC's Community Development Financial Institution (Prestamos CDFI) targeting underserved entrepreneurs.
• Head Start Early Childhood Education Federally funded Head Start program providing early childhood education, school readiness, and family support services for low-income preschool-aged children and their families.
• Domestic Violence Shelter Services Emergency shelter, advocacy, and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence, with culturally responsive care for Latino survivors.
• Immigration Legal Services Legal assistance and representation for immigration matters including citizenship applications, residency, and other immigration-related needs for Latino community members.
• Workforce Development & Training Job training, certification, and workforce placement programs preparing community members for employment opportunities.
• VITA Free Tax Preparation Free tax preparation services delivered through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for low-income individuals and families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 million+ individuals served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Carlos Slim Foundation — Acceso Latino ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Acceso Latino, a program of the Carlos Slim Foundation, along with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and other partners, hosted a free two-day youth basketball clinic in Phoenix, AZ on May 2–3, 2026. The event featured basketball drills, digital literacy workshops, and family support services. Strategic coordination was led by Intermestic Partners.
• Amanecer Community Counseling ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2024Amanecer Community Counseling Service, a nonprofit mental health organization founded in 1975 in Los Angeles County, joined the CPLC family. Amanecer provides trauma recovery, mental health counseling, and support services. CPLC's support enables Amanecer to expand its reach and continue its legacy of making mental health resources accessible.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of the ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in youth programming, including the youth basketball clinic co-hosted with Acceso Latino and the Carlos Slim Foundation.
• APS (Arizona Public Service)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPS served as presenting sponsor for the Ángeles del Barrio holiday celebration and the 55th Anniversary Celebration, supporting CPLC community events.
• Food CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood City was a presenting sponsor for the Ángeles del Barrio holiday celebration, helping distribute toys to children in Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma.
• HELP New Mexico (HELPNM)coreOthersHELP New Mexico, established in 1965 by the New Mexico Council of Churches, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPLC. HELPNM provides economic empowerment, child nutrition programs (CACFP), and community services across New Mexico through multiple regional offices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Volunteers of America: Large national human services nonprofit operating behavioral health, housing, and workforce programs across multiple states; similar multi-state operating footprint and integrated service model to CPLC.
• Catholic Charities USA: National network of social services nonprofits operating housing, behavioral health, immigration, and family services; broader and older than CPLC but the closest scaled analog delivering an integrated service mix under one umbrella.
• National Urban League: Historic civil rights and integrated human services nonprofit serving African American communities; comparable structural model to CPLC's blend of advocacy and direct services across multiple program areas.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Partners: National CDFI and community development nonprofit operating affordable housing, real estate, and small business programs; highly comparable to CPLC's Prestamos CDFI, housing, and economic development activities.
• Hispanic Federation: National Latino nonprofit delivering integrated human services, economic empowerment, and advocacy across multiple U.S. regions; mirrors CPLC's combination of service delivery and Chicano/Latino community engagement.
• MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund): National Latino civil rights legal organization; comparable to CPLC's origin as a Chicano civil rights movement organization and to its immigration legal services and advocacy programs.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major U.S. community development financial institution supporting affordable housing and small business in underserved areas; closely aligned with CPLC's affordable housing portfolio, CDFI lending, and community development footprint.
• UnidosUS: Largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy nonprofit in the U.S. (formerly NCLR); directly comparable to CPLC's mission, advocacy arm, and Latino community focus, with similar geographic emphasis on the Southwest.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Single-focus comparable nonprofit for the housing pillar of CPLC's mission — affordable homeownership and home lending for low-income families; overlaps directly with CPLC Home Lending and Affordable Housing programs.
• ASPIRA: National Latino nonprofit focused on education and youth leadership; directly comparable to CPLC's Head Start, community schools, scholarships, and youth enrichment programs serving the same demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cplcdotorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/info
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearecplc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicanos Por La Causa