Tejano Center for Community Concerns

What Tejano Center for Community Concerns does

Tejano Center for Community Concerns is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) community development nonprofit founded in 1992 that delivers integrated services across four pillars: Education, Health Equity, Social Initiatives, and Supportive Housing. The organization serves predominantly Hispanic and low-income populations across the Greater Houston area and Brownsville, Texas, reaching 30,905+ individuals annually through programs that include the RYSS (Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success) charter school district operating 8 campuses from Pre-K through 12th grade, NOVA Academy adult education (GED, ESL, digital literacy), GRADcafé college and career advising, the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic (free healthcare for youth ages 13-26), La Tiendita food assistance, a Child Placing Agency providing foster care and adoption, Resolve victim services, an Affordable Housing Program (HUD-certified counseling and homeownership development), and supportive housing complexes including Nueva Vida (66-unit senior housing) and Sunrise Lofts (foster youth housing). Technology infrastructure is administrative rather than proprietary: the organization uses Ascender as its student information system, e-Home America for online homebuyer education delivery, and is launching a digital enrollment platform in October 2025.

The business model is a hybrid of government grant funding, philanthropic donations, and modest program fees. Primary revenue streams include Texas Education Agency per-pupil charter school funding, U.S. HUD housing program funding, Texas DFPS foster care contracts, Harris County and City of Houston program contracts, ESSER III federal relief grants, individual and corporate donations (processed via Donorbox), foundation grants, and nominal fees for homebuyer education ($20/person or $30/couple in-person; $99/family online). Most direct services to community members are free or heavily subsidized. Distribution is direct through physical campuses and community program sites, augmented by referral relationships with 90+ partner organizations including BakerRipley, Houston Food Bank, Houston Community College, NeighborWorks America, and UnidosUS.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization is not an investable equity issuer; it is a private nonprofit governed by a board including representatives from Stellar Bank, CenterPoint Energy, PNC Bank, and METRO. Leadership is led by Dr. Adriana Tamez as President & CEO and Superintendent of RYSS, with Graciana Garces as Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer, Juan Santos as Chief Operations Officer, and Diego Calderon as Assistant Chief of Schools. Strategic positioning is built on multi-decade community trust in Houston's East End, regulatory certifications that are difficult to replicate (HUD Housing Counseling Agency, CHDO, TEA charter authorization), and a diversified institutional funder base spanning federal, state, and local government plus major banks and national foundations.

Name

Tejano Center for Community Concerns

Legal name

Tejano Center for Community Concerns

Website

https://tejanocenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tejano Center for Community Concerns is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that delivers integrated education, health equity, social services, and supportive housing programs to predominantly Hispanic, low-income communities across Houston and Brownsville, Texas, serving 30,905+ individuals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611), Community Housing Services (62422), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG), Behavioral Intervention & PBIS Supports (Tiered, Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAL), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Community development nonprofit
• Charter school education
• Affordable housing counseling
• Adult education services
• Social services programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants & Contracts: Tejano Center receives federal, state, and local government funding including Texas Education Agency charter school funding, HUD housing programs, ESSER III federal relief grants, and Harris County / City of Houston program contracts to fund its broad array of social, health, housing, and educational services.
2. Donations & Philanthropy: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and fundraising activities support program operations and expansion. Donation portal is available via Donorbox. Strategic partners contribute 'time, talent, or treasure' to support programs.
3. Program Fees & Service Charges: Fees for services such as homebuyer education classes ($20/person, $30/couple for in-person; $99/family for online), housing counseling sessions, and NOVA Academy adult education enrollment. Many programs are free to clients, subsidized by grants.
4. Charter School Funding (RYSS): RYSS (Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success) operates as a Texas public charter school district, funded per-pupil through the Texas Education Agency, serving Pre-K through 12th grade across multiple campuses in Houston and Brownsville.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tejano Center for Community Concerns delivers an integrated community development platform spanning four pillars: Education (RYSS Pre-K–12 charter school district, NOVA Academy adult education, GRADcafé college/career advising), Health Equity (Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic, La Tiendita food/nutrition assistance), Social Initiatives (foster care/adoption through Child Placing Agency, Resolve victim services, citizenship preparation), and Supportive Housing (HUD-certified Affordable Housing Program, Nueva Vida senior housing, Sunrise Lofts for foster youth). Programs are delivered free or at low cost through physical campuses, community sites, and digital channels across Greater Houston and Brownsville, Texas.

Product overview

Tejano Center for Community Concerns operates a multi-service community development organization with four core pillars: Education, Health Equity, Social Initiatives, and Supportive Housing. The organization functions as a unified platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The educational portfolio includes RYSS Texas Public Schools (charter school district serving Pre-K through 12th grade), NOVA Academy for Adult Education (GED, ESL, and digital literacy), and GRADcafé (college and career support). Health services encompass the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic (free healthcare for ages 13-26) and La Tiendita (food assistance and nutrition education). Social initiatives include the Child Placing Agency (foster care, kinship, and adoption), Resolve (victim services), and Pathway to Citizenship. Supportive housing programs consist of Affordable Housing development, Nueva Vida Senior Housing, Sunrise Lofts for foster youth, and RISE senior programs. These programs are designed to work together holistically to address community needs across all life stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RYSS Texas Public Schools: Charter school district committed to academic excellence serving Pre-K through 12th grade students
• Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic
• GRADcafé
• NOVA Academy for Adult Education
• Affordable Housing Program
• Nueva Vida
• Child Placing Agency
• Resolve
• La Tiendita
• Pathway to Citizenship

Products and services

• RYSS Texas Public Schools RYSS (Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success) is a Pre-K through 12th grade Texas public charter school district offering early childhood, primary, middle, high school, STEM, and early college pathways across eight campuses in Houston and Brownsville. It serves children and youth in predominantly Hispanic, low-income East End Houston and Brownsville communities.
• NOVA Academy for Adult Education NOVA Academy for Adult Education offers adult basic education, English as a Second Language (ESL), High School Equivalency Preparation (GED), and digital literacy classes, delivered in partnership with Houston Community College, Unidos US, and the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation for adult learners in the Houston and Brownsville service area.
• GRADcafé GRADcafé is a free college and career exploration program delivering one-on-one advising, workshops, FAFSA/TASFA guidance, career exploration, scholarship searches, college application assistance, and job/resume support at multiple Houston-area sites (Park Place, Gulfton, Pasadena, Baytown) for youth and adults.
• Affordable Housing and Community Redevelopment Affordable Housing and Community Redevelopment is a HUD-certified housing counseling and development program serving low-income families and individuals in Greater Houston and Brownsville, providing homeownership education, down payment assistance, mortgage readiness counseling, foreclosure intervention counseling, and affordable housing development. Since 2005 it has helped create 1,600+ new homeowners and developed 2,800 mortgage-ready homebuyers, including 114 homes built, 45+ East End rehabilitations, and 73 Hurricane Ike rehabilitations.
• Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic provides free primary and preventative healthcare to youth ages 13–26 on the RYSS Broadway campus, including immunizations, mental health care, STI testing and treatment, family planning, and sports medicine; one of the nation's largest adolescent healthcare providers.
• La Tiendita Food Assistance La Tiendita is a free food assistance and nutrition education program operating at Houston, Pasadena, and Gulfton locations, providing food distribution markets, healthy eating habit education, and health equity resources in partnership with Houston Food Bank and the American Heart Association.
• Child Placing Agency The Child Placing Agency places children who have experienced loss, neglect, and/or abuse into loving foster, kinship, and adoptive homes across the Houston area, licensed in partnership with Texas DFPS and serving the community for over 25 years.
• Resolve Victim Services Resolve provides crisis intervention, emotional support, legal advocacy, safety planning, and assistance with basic needs and emergency housing referrals for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking, and other crimes in the Houston area.
• Nueva Vida Senior Citizen Housing Nueva Vida is a HUD Section 202 affordable senior housing complex consisting of 66 one-bedroom units in Houston for low-income seniors aged 62 and over, including a community room, computer area, and planned social events.
• Sunrise Lofts Supportive Housing Sunrise Lofts provides stable supportive housing and services for young adults aging out of the foster care system as they transition to independent, productive lives in the Houston area.
• Pathway to Citizenship Pathway to Citizenship delivers personalized citizenship preparation support, including English classes, citizenship prep classes, and naturalization application assistance in partnership with legal service providers for immigrants in the Houston area.
• Early Childhood and Early Headstart Education Early Childhood and Early Headstart Education supports holistic cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development for ages 0–4 at RYSS Early Childhood Academy campuses, including the Leonel Castillo and OST locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,905+ lives impacted annually across all programs and services
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreOthersHUD provides funding and regulatory oversight for Tejano Center's Affordable Housing Program, which operates as a HUD-certified Housing Counseling Agency. HUD designation enables the organization to deliver homebuyer education, foreclosure intervention, and housing counseling services.
• Texas Education AgencycoreOthersTEA provides charter school funding and regulatory oversight for RYSS (Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success), Tejano Center's public charter school district serving Pre-K through 12th grade.
• Texas Department of Family and Protective ServicescoreOthersDFPS collaborates with Tejano Center's Child Placing Agency to identify stable and loving foster, kinship, and adoptive homes for children in the child welfare system in the Houston area.
• Harris CountycoreOthersHarris County partners with Tejano Center on housing programs, community development, and flood resilience initiatives. The county certifies Tejano Center as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO).
• City of HoustoncoreOthersCity of Houston partners on affordable housing development, homebuyer assistance programs (HAP), neighborhood stabilization, and the City of Houston Health Department collaborates on health equity programs.
• Baylor College of Medicine Foundation for Teen HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCM Teen Clinic operates on the RYSS Broadway campus providing free comprehensive healthcare and education to youth ages 13-26. One of the nation's largest adolescent healthcare providers serving the East End community.
• NeighborWorks AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighborWorks America is a national nonprofit that supports community development. Tejano Center is a member organization and uses NeighborWorks-certified counselors and the 'Realizing the American Dream' curriculum for homebuyer education.
• UnidosUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTejano Center is an UnidosUS affiliate. The Affordable Housing Program has been recognized by UnidosUS as among the best housing programs in the U.S. UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) is a leading Latino civil rights organization.
• Houston Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCC collaborates on NOVA Academy adult education programs and dual credit offerings for RYSS students through a formal Dual Credit MOU. Supports college readiness and pathways.
• Houston Food BankkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouston Food Bank partners with La Tiendita to provide food assistance and nutrition resources to underserved community members in the Houston area.
• BakerRipleykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBakerRipley is listed as a strategic partner supporting Tejano Center's community programs and services in the Houston area.
• CenterPoint EnergykeyOthersCenterPoint Energy and CenterPoint Foundation are listed as strategic partners and corporate supporters of Tejano Center's programs.
• Barbara Bush Houston Literacy FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation partners with NOVA Academy for adult education programs, supporting literacy and educational advancement.
• Rice UniversityminorOthersRice University is listed as a strategic partner of Tejano Center.
• University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner, potentially collaborating on health equity initiatives.
• ComcastminorOthersComcast is listed as a strategic partner, potentially providing technology or connectivity support.
• AT&TminorOthersAT&T is listed as a strategic partner supporting Tejano Center programs.
• H-E-BminorOthersH-E-B is listed as a strategic partner and supporter of Tejano Center's community programs.
• DeloitteminorOthersDeloitte is listed as a strategic partner providing professional services support to Tejano Center.
• United Way (Greater Houston & Greater Baytown)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way is a strategic partner supporting Tejano Center programs. Houston Food Bank partnership also connects to United Way's network of services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BakerRipley: Houston-based community development nonprofit operating education, health, housing, and social service programs across the Gulf Coast region. Directly comparable to Tejano Center as a multi-service Hispanic-serving community anchor; both compete for similar Houston-area grant pools and corporate/foundation funding (BakerRipley is also a named Tejano Center partner).
• YES Prep Public Schools: Houston-based public charter school system serving K-12 students, including a large majority Hispanic population. Direct education peer to RYSS — both are Texas charter districts serving Houston-area families with comparable per-pupil funding dynamics, college-prep focus, and competition for the same student pipeline.
• KIPP Texas Public Schools: One of the largest Texas public charter school networks operating across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. Direct peer to RYSS for K-12 charter funding, teacher recruitment pipelines (e.g., Teacher Incentive Allotment competition), and college-prep model. Competitor for the same TEA per-pupil dollars and Houston-area families.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston: Multi-service Houston-area nonprofit delivering housing, immigration, education, and social services to vulnerable populations. Directly comparable service breadth and funding mix (federal grants + donations + program fees) to Tejano Center; competes for similar Hispanic and immigrant populations in Houston.
• LISC Houston: Local office of LISC, a national community development financial institution providing financing and capacity-building for affordable housing and community development organizations in Greater Houston. Direct peer to Tejano Center's Affordable Housing Program in CHDO activity, CDFI partnerships, and neighborhood revitalization work.
• Houston Area Urban League: Houston-area affiliate of the National Urban League providing education, workforce, housing, and social services to underserved communities. Direct peer in multi-service community development model and grant funding profile; comparable population served and Houston footprint.

Regional players

• IDEA Public Schools: Large Texas-based public charter school network with strong Rio Grande Valley presence, including Brownsville — directly overlapping with Tejano Center's Brownsville footprint. Comparable academic model, college-prep focus, and TEA funding structure; competes for the same Brownsville families that RYSS's BRYSS campus serves.
• Aspira of Texas: Texas-based nonprofit focused on Hispanic youth education, drop-out prevention, and college access, with Houston-area programming. Comparable education-advising and youth development focus to Tejano Center's GRADcafé college/career navigation work; competes for similar funding sources (TEA, private foundations).

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Greater Houston: Regional United Way affiliate funding and convening a broad network of Houston-area health, education, and social service nonprofits, including Tejano Center itself. Comparable in mission and geographic scope but operates as a fund-distributor rather than a direct service provider.
• NeighborWorks America: National housing-focused nonprofit that certifies and supports local housing counseling organizations, of which Tejano Center's Affordable Housing Program is a member. Comparable as an umbrella/credentialing peer for HUD-certified housing counseling and "Realizing the American Dream" curriculum delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClhxBKpIt_eMszFfenljIQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/tejanocenteronline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raul-yzaguirre-school-for-succ
• Instagraminstagram.com/tejanocenteronline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tejano Center for Community Concerns