What Aliento does

Aliento Education Fund is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 and headquartered in Phoenix, serving undocumented immigrant youth (Dreamers), mixed-status immigrant families, and student advocates across the state. Its mission is to "transform trauma into hope and action" through an integrated program portfolio built around three pillars — Cultiva (arts and healing workshops for youth mental health), Nurture (mentorship and resource navigation), and Transform (leadership development and policy advocacy) — supplemented by the Arizona's Future Fellowship year-long program, the annual Education Day at the Arizona State Capitol, Aliento Clubs in partner high schools, and Aliento @ ASU on Arizona State University's campus. Direct service offerings include DACA renewal assistance with volunteer attorney review, Advance Parole support, in-state tuition guidance for Dreamers, and curated referrals to community wellness, citizenship, and English-learning resources, with the Aliento Voices storytelling platform and annual art gallery extending the organization's narrative reach.

The organization operates with a small team of 1-10 employees under CEO Reyna Montoya and Board Chair Felix Garcia Ibañez, supplemented by Vice President of Education and External Affairs José Patiño and Senior People and Operations Manager Susy Nava. As a nonprofit, Aliento does not sell products or charge for services; its revenue mechanics are individual donations and institutional grants, with documented support from Born This Way Foundation, Cotton On Foundation, Helios Education Foundation, Arizona Community Foundation, Echoing Green, New Profit, TNTP, and other partners. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on school-based club chapters, campus hubs, signature advocacy campaigns (e.g., 5,000+ signatures collected), large in-person events (700+ rally attendees, 300+ Education Day participants), and earned media coverage from NPR, the New York Times, PBS, Forbes, CNBC, and The Nation to reach its target population of approximately 10,000+ community members.

Name

Aliento

Legal name

Aliento Education Fund

Website

https://alientoaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aliento Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that serves Dreamers, immigrant families, and student advocates in Arizona through educational advocacy, arts-based mental health programs, and civic engagement initiatives including Cultiva, Nurture, and Transform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant Advocacy and Community Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Orientation & Community Integration (Local Norms, Services) (EDAAADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), International Student Orientation & Transition Programs (EDALANAC), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH)

Keywords

• Immigrant advocacy services
• Community education programs
• Youth leadership development
• DACA assistance services
• Arts healing workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a nonprofit organization, Aliento Education Fund relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and supporters to fund their programs serving Dreamers and immigrant families.
2. Grants: Aliento receives grant funding from various foundations including Born This Way Foundation and Cotton On Foundation for specific program initiatives such as youth mental health and arts/healing workshops.
3. IRS Form 990 Filings: The organization maintains financial transparency through annual IRS Form 990 filings, demonstrating commitment to nonprofit governance and accountability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aliento (Aliento Education Fund) is a youth-led nonprofit organization that provides free programs, direct services, and advocacy support for Dreamers, immigrant families, and students in Arizona. Its core offerings include arts-and-healing workshops, mentorship, leadership training, DACA renewal assistance, civic engagement campaigns, and school- and campus-based community clubs. Programs are organized under three pillars — Cultiva (arts and healing), Nurture (resources and support), and Transform (advocacy and leadership).

Product overview

Aliento (Aliento Education Fund) is a non-profit organization serving students, Dreamers, and immigrant families in Arizona, with a mission to transform trauma into hope and action. The organization operates as a collection of interconnected programs rather than a unified software platform. Core youth programs include Cultiva (arts and healing workshops), Nurture (mentorship), and Transform (leadership development), supported by the Arizona's Future Fellowship for intensive advocacy training. The organization runs Education Day (E-Day) events at the Arizona State Capitol, maintains Aliento Clubs in high schools and Aliento @ ASU at Arizona State University, and conducts the Aliento Votes civic engagement campaign. Direct services include DACA assistance, in-state tuition resources, community wellness referrals, and citizenship education. The Aliento Voices platform shares participant stories, while the Annual Art Gallery showcases participant artwork. These programs work together to provide a comprehensive ecosystem supporting educational access, mental health, civic advocacy, and community empowerment for immigrant communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cultiva: A program under Aliento focused on arts and healing workshops
• Nurture
• Transform
• Arizona's Future Fellowship
• Aliento Votes

Products and services

• Cultiva Arts and healing program providing open mics, art galleries, and creative-expression workshops focused on youth mental health and emotional wellness for Dreamers, immigrants, and children of immigrants.
• Nurture Mentorship and support program connecting students with educational and personal-development resources and guidance.
• Transform Leadership development and advocacy training program empowering youth to become community leaders and policy advocates.
• Arizona's Future Fellowship Year-long youth leadership fellowship providing training in advocacy, storytelling, canvassing, event planning, and civic engagement for immigrant and Dreamer communities.
• Education Day (E-Day) Annual advocacy event bringing students to the Arizona State Capitol to meet with legislators and advocate for immigrant rights and education equity.
• Aliento Club High school-based club program providing a platform for student advocacy and leadership development in schools with significant immigrant populations.
• Aliento @ ASU University chapter at Arizona State University supporting college students through advocacy, arts and healing workshops, and civic engagement.
• Aliento Votes Voter education and engagement campaign focusing on issues affecting immigrant communities, including phone banking, canvassing, and voter registration efforts.
• DACA Assistance Direct service helping Dreamers with DACA renewal processes including paperwork organization, USCIS form completion, volunteer attorney review of applications, and Advance Parole travel documentation.
• In-State Tuition Resources Information and guidance on in-state tuition eligibility for Dreamers and undocumented students in Arizona.
• Community Wellness Resources Curated directory of mental health providers, therapists, medical/dental care, food banks, addiction services, and domestic violence resources for immigrant families.
• U.S. Citizenship & English Language Resources Educational materials and partner resources for English language learning and U.S. citizenship test preparation for immigrant community members.
• Annual Art Gallery Annual exhibition showcasing artwork created by Aliento workshop participants, highlighting stories and human experiences of Dreamers and immigrant families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 signatures collected for Dreamer support petition at ASU rally
• +2 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Voto LatinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoto Latino is providing assistance with DACA renewal filing fees, helping Dreamers afford the costs associated with maintaining their DACA status.
• Mesa Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing English learning classes, citizenship test preparation tools, and digital resources for community members through their adult education programs.
• Rio Salado Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner offering GED test preparation, ESL classes including citizenship test prep for the community.
• USAHellominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree online citizenship test preparation classes in English learner-friendly format.
• UnidosUSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation and resources about the process to apply for US citizenship.
• TNTPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner supporting educational equity and opportunity.
• ASU School of Film, Dance and TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Performance in the Borderlands initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United We Dream: The largest national immigrant-youth-led network advocating for Dreamers and undocumented communities. Closely comparable to Aliento in mission (DACA support, education access, civic engagement) but operates at a national scale across multiple states.
• Define American: Nonprofit media and culture organization that uses storytelling to shift narratives about immigrants and Dreamers. Directly comparable to Aliento's Aliento Voices platform and arts-based community-building approach.
• Immigrants Rising: Organization focused on educational access, career development, and entrepreneurship for undocumented students. Comparable to Aliento's higher-education navigation and in-state tuition work, with a California base.
• Voto Latino: Civic engagement organization empowering Latino youth to vote and run for office. Already an active Aliento partner (DACA renewal fees) and directly comparable via Aliento Votes and Education Day civic-engagement programming.
• TheDream.US: National scholarship fund and college success program for Dreamers. Comparable through shared focus on higher-education access and persistence support for undocumented students.
• Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC): San Francisco-based organization supporting undocumented students through scholarships, legal services, and educator training. Comparable to Aliento's educator professional-development and student-services work, but California-focused.

Regional players

• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights): Los Angeles-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, education, and civic engagement. Comparable service mix to Aliento but operates regionally in California rather than Arizona.
• CASA: Mid-Atlantic immigrant advocacy organization serving Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and beyond with citizenship, legal, education, and workforce services. Similar integrated service model to Aliento but in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): Established national advocacy and legal support organization focused on immigrant rights policy. Broader, policy-heavy counterpart to Aliento's community-grounded direct-service and advocacy work.
• UnidosUS: Large national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization with education, immigration, and civic engagement programs. An Aliento partner already, and a broad incumbent in the same issue space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlientoAZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alientoaz
• Instagraminstagram.com/alientoaz
• Facebookfacebook.com/alientoaz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Aliento