Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center

What Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center does

Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center (ChesMRC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in September 2012 and headquartered at 331 E. Dover Street in Easton, Maryland, with a second branch opened May 1, 2026 at 115 N. Main Street in Federalsburg. The organization serves immigrants and Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals, youth from immigrant families, and underserved residents across the Maryland Eastern Shore, with an explicit expansion to Haitian-Creole speaking populations in Caroline County and Delaware-adjacent areas. Since inception, ChesMRC has reached more than 9,500 clients with over 43,000 unique services.

ChesMRC delivers a portfolio of integrated programs rather than a unified technology platform: a walk-in Resource Center providing referrals and direct services (health, legal, employment, family, education); DOJ-Recognized immigration legal assistance and free citizenship classes (in-person and via ZOOM); youth development including afterschool tutoring, STEM activities, and a sponsored Cub Scouts Pack 003; cultural competence training delivered through the Community Interpreter International certificate program in partnership with Chesapeake College; a Business Resources program; and a scholarship program that has distributed $212,000 to 31 students across 8 colleges since 2021. The organization holds DOJ Recognized Organization status (since 2016) and Certified Application Counselor (CAC) status, which allow staff to directly represent clients before USCIS and to enroll them in Medicaid and health insurance plans without attorneys or external intermediaries.

The revenue model is a multi-source nonprofit funding stack: private donations and corporate sponsorships, state and local government grants (Maryland Department of Health SDOH, Talbot Family Network, SEEDCO), foundation grants (Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Dock Street, No Kid Hungry, Campbell), and special events including the annual Bailando con las Estrellas gala, which raised $69,000 in 2025. All core services are provided at no or low cost to qualifying clients. Operations are led by Executive Director Matthew R. Peters (in role since 2012) and Deputy Director Victoria Gomez Lozano, supported by approximately 20 staff plus volunteers who must clear background checks. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors; in March-April 2026 the Board added Fred Christie (CIO of Easton Utilities) and former U.S. Foreign Service Officer Brian R. Naranjo, strengthening technology and federal-level migration expertise at the governance level.

Name

Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center

Legal name

Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center

Website

https://chesmrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center (ChesMRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 in Easton, Maryland that delivers immigration legal services, citizenship classes, youth development, and cultural competence training to immigrants, LEP individuals, and underserved families on Maryland's Eastern Shore through two resource center locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Citizenship Test Preparation (Civics & Interview) (EDAAADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural, Multilingual & Immigrant Family Engagement Programs (EDACALAL), Financial & Consumer Integration (Banking, Credit, Taxes) (EDAAADAG), Immigration Support Services (Translations, Certified Copies, Biometrics, Medicals) (THACAKAH), Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Cultural competency training
• Community resource center
• Youth development programs
• Interpreters and translation

Headquarters

HQ city

Easton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Private donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and community supporters. The organization conducts annual fundraising campaigns and special events to raise funds.
2. Government Grants: State and local grants to run and administer community programs. Funding from Maryland Department of Health Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (SDOH grant), Talbot Family Network, and other government sources.
3. Foundation and Nonprofit Grants: Funding from foundations including Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Dock Street Foundation, No Kid Hungry, Campbell Foundation, and others.
4. Special Events Revenue: Annual Bailando con las Estrellas event raised $69,000 in 2025. Event includes sponsorship packages at various levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ChesMRC is a community-based nonprofit organization delivering wraparound multicultural services to immigrants and limited-English-proficient individuals on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Core offerings include DOJ-recognized immigration legal assistance (DACA, family-based petitions, citizenship applications), citizenship preparation classes (in-person and virtual), a walk-in Resource Center for referrals across health, legal, employment, family, housing, and education needs, the Community Interpreter International certificate program for interpreters, youth development including afterschool tutoring/STEM for Grades 1-5 and Cub Scouts Pack 003, business resource navigation, and the ChesMRC Scholarship Program.

Product overview

Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center (ChesMRC) is a community-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of social services designed to help immigrants and multicultural communities integrate successfully. Rather than a unified software platform, the organization operates multiple interconnected programs including Youth Development (afterschool and scouting), a Resource Center for referrals and direct services, Language Access and Cultural Competence training with interpreter certification, Immigration Legal Assistance (DOJ recognized), Business Resources, a Scholarship Program, and Citizenship Classes. These programs work together to address the holistic needs of the multicultural community, with services available at two physical locations in Easton and Federalsburg, Maryland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Development Programs After-school tutoring, mentoring, STEM activities, Cub Scouts Pack 003, and Healthy Habits nutrition education for students in Grades 1-5 in Talbot County, delivered in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools; serves approximately 75 students annually.
• Resource Center Services Walk-in resource center providing information, referrals, and direct services for legal, immigration, Medicaid/health insurance, employment, interpretation/translation, family support, driver's license, and housing counseling needs; located at 331 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD, open Monday-Friday.
• Language Access & Cultural Competence Training Language interpretation resources and cultural competency training programs including The Community Interpreter International certificate program delivered locally in partnership with Chesapeake College and Cross Cultural Communications; over 1,000 community service providers trained since 2017 and 50+ interpreters certified.
• Immigration Legal Assistance Department of Justice (DOJ) Recognized Organization providing direct legal representation in immigration cases before USCIS, including DACA applications, family-based petitions, citizenship applications, and immigration consultations; provided at little or no cost to qualifying candidates.
• Business Resources Business development assistance for entrepreneurs provided in partnership with Uniting for Entrepreneurship in Maryland, Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism, SBDC, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; includes information on starting businesses, permit applications, and connections to business support organizations.
• ChesMRC Scholarship Program Scholarship program supporting high school seniors and undergraduate students pursuing postsecondary education, with priority given to first-generation college students and students from immigrant families in the Mid-Shore region; 31 students awarded $212,000 since 2021 to attend 8 different colleges.
• Citizenship Classes Free citizenship preparation classes offered in person and via ZOOM, including weekday evening classes, Saturday classes, and refresher courses; helps students improve English speaking/writing, study interview topics, and prepare for the naturalization process.
• Federalsburg Branch Services Branch location at 115 N. Main Street in Federalsburg, Maryland providing immigration legal services, benefits navigation for health insurance and SNAP, and bilingual services in Spanish and Haitian Creole to Caroline County and Delaware communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 9,500+ clients with 43,000+ services since 2012
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Uniting for Entrepreneurship in MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Business Resources program to provide information for those looking to start or grow a business
• Talbot County Economic Development and TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing business resources and economic development information
• SBDC (Small Business Development Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContact provided for business startup assistance
• Hispanic Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for business resources
• Talbot Language & Cultural Competence Steering CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency committee including Talbot County Department of Social Services, Department of Health, Public Schools, Sheriff's Office, Emergency Services, Chesapeake College, Easton Utilities, Choptank Community Health System working to increase cultural competence
• Chesapeake CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides professional interpreter training (Community Interpreter International program), Spanish courses, ESL/GED classes, and language proficiency testing through their Testing Center
• Cross Cultural CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal leader in community interpreting training, partnered to deliver The Community Interpreter International certificate program locally since June 2018
• Language Testing InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides language proficiency testing for interpreters, evaluating oral bilingual proficiency across 120+ languages in 60+ countries
• Talbot County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for afterschool program hosting at Easton Elementary School and youth development programming
• Scouts (Cub Scouts Pack 003)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChesMRC sponsors Cub Scout Pack 003 for boys and girls aged 6-11
• Choptank Community Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing services to immigrant community; involved in interpreter training and cultural competence initiatives
• Easton UtilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner on language and cultural competence initiatives
• CASAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization trained in cultural competence
• Talbot County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple county departments (Emergency Services, Finance, IT, Parks & Recreation, etc.) trained in cultural competence

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CASA: CASA is a major Mid-Atlantic immigrant services and advocacy organization. It is directly comparable to ChesMRC as it provides citizenship and immigration legal services, ESOL classes, workforce development, and youth programs, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple states. Listed in ChesMRC's own partnerships as a community organization.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is one of the largest refugee and immigrant resettlement and integration organizations in the U.S. Comparable to ChesMRC in providing immigration legal assistance, cultural orientation, English classes, and youth programming, though at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• HIAS: HIAS is a longstanding Jewish-American refugee resettlement and immigration legal services organization. Comparable to ChesMRC for immigration legal representation (both DOJ-recognized) and integration services for refugees and asylees, though HIAS operates nationally and internationally.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): LIRS provides refugee resettlement and immigration legal services nationally. Comparable to ChesMRC for DOJ-recognized immigration legal services and immigrant integration programming, though at much larger scale and faith-based national footprint.
• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities operates the largest network of immigrant and refugee services in the U.S. through diocesan agencies. Comparable to ChesMRC in providing immigration legal services, citizenship classes, ESOL, refugee resettlement, and social services to immigrant populations across many U.S. geographies.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): CLINIC is the largest U.S. network of immigration legal services providers, with affiliated DOJ-recognized organizations nationwide. Directly comparable to ChesMRC's DOJ Recognized Organization status and immigration legal services model, though CLINIC serves as a capacity-building intermediary rather than direct service provider in most locations.

Direct peers

• Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE): AWE is a Baltimore-based nonprofit providing employment, English classes, immigration legal services, and wraparound support for asylees, refugees, and immigrants. Directly comparable to ChesMRC in scope of services (ESOL, immigration legal, workforce), demographic focus, and Maryland geographic proximity.
• Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (CDM): CDM is a binational migrant worker rights organization with offices on the U.S. East Coast and Mexico. Comparable to ChesMRC for serving Hispanic immigrant communities with legal services and worker support, though CDM focuses more specifically on migrant labor rights than wraparound social services.
• Hispanic Unity of Florida: Hispanic Unity of Florida provides immigration legal services, ESOL, citizenship classes, workforce training, and youth development to Hispanic immigrants in South Florida. Directly comparable to ChesMRC's full wraparound service portfolio, demographic focus, and DOJ-recognized immigration legal services model.
• Mi Casa Resource Center: Mi Casa is a Denver-based nonprofit providing immigrant integration services including ESOL, citizenship preparation, immigration legal services, workforce development, and youth programs. Closely comparable to ChesMRC in service mix, demographic focus, and DOJ-recognized legal services model, though at larger urban scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChesMRC
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChesapeakeMulticulturalResourceCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chesapeake-multicultural-resource-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/chesmrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center