Latin American Community Center

What Latin American Community Center does

The Latin American Community Center (LACC), also known as El Centro Latino, is a state and federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 in the Hilltop neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware, serving the Latino/Hispanic community through two strategic streams: Lifelong Learning and Life Empowerment. The Lifelong Learning stream spans early childhood education (Spanish-immersion infant and toddler care from 6 weeks, dual-language preschool, before/after school programs, school-age and summer camp with STEM enrichment) through middle and high school programs including a Youth Achievement Center, credit recovery, and the newly rebranded Minerva Marrero Hispanic Scholarship Program (2023). The Life Empowerment stream provides free adult ESL and citizenship preparation, short-term case management, food and clothing assistance, victims of crime advocacy (including domestic violence support), workforce development, financial empowerment via the bilingual Stand By Me Hispano program, and prevention services covering HIV early intervention, substance abuse (ConeXiones), breastfeeding peer counseling, and healthy homes/lead poisoning prevention. LACC also operates Los Jardines, a 24-unit low-income senior housing complex funded with a $2.9M federal grant.

The organization runs from multiple facilities totaling more than 45,000 square feet - the 30,000 sq ft main headquarters at 403 North Van Buren Street (built 1990), the Manuelita Olson Building at 301 North Harrison Street, the newly completed 15,000 sq ft Infant and Toddler Center at 402 N Van Buren (opened January 2023 with capacity for 108 additional children), La Fiesta III Early Learning Center in New Castle, and the William C. Lewis Learning Center for school-age programs, plus Los Jardines senior housing. More than 100 staff serve over 9,000 low-income individuals annually across approximately 50 programs.

Revenue is generated through three streams: donations and charitable contributions (LACC is a United Way Partner Agency, Designated Donor Number 0415, with corporate sponsors including Capital One, Comcast, Wells Fargo, UPS, ChristianaCare, and Bread Financial); government grants (federal senior housing and educational grants including $2.9M for Los Jardines, $1.3M under Leave No Child Behind, $220K mentoring); and program service fees (private childcare tuition of $245-$324.40 per week, with many services free or sliding-scale based on income). Technology infrastructure is limited to standard SaaS tools (Zoom for virtual adult education, Google/Microsoft Forms for intake) with no proprietary platform. The Center operates as a UnidosUS Affiliate Network member and is governed by a Board chaired by Jose Lopez, with Maria Matos serving as President & CEO for 30 years.

Name

Latin American Community Center

Legal name

Latin American Community Center, Inc.

Website

https://thelatincenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Latin American Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 that provides bilingual education, family support, and advocacy services across the life span of low-income Latino individuals and families in Delaware, serving over 9,000 people annually through 50+ programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services & Bilingual Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Cultural Orientation & Community Integration (Local Norms, Services) (EDAAADAD)

Keywords

• Community education services
• Adult ESL classes
• Early childhood education
• Family support services
• Cultural community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 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: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and community supporters. The organization is a state and federally registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and a United Way Partner Agency (Designated Donor Number: 0415).
2. Program Service Fees: Fees for childcare services including private tuition for early childhood programs. Sliding scale fees based on family income for some programs.
3. Government Grants and Federal Funding: Federal grants including a $2.9 million federal grant for Los Jardines senior housing, $220,000 mentoring grant, and $1.3 million educational Federal grant under Leave No Child Behind program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Latin American Community Center provides bilingual educational programs and social services to the Latino/Hispanic community in Delaware, spanning early childhood education, school-age care, adult ESL and citizenship classes, senior services, financial empowerment, victims-of-crime advocacy, and workforce development. Programs are delivered across two strategic streams—Lifelong Learning and Life Empowerment—and serve more than 9,000 individuals annually through in-person and remote channels.

Product overview

The Latin American Community Center (LACC), also known as El Centro Latino, operates as a nonprofit community center established in 1969 serving the Latino community in Wilmington, Delaware. The organization offers two strategic focus streams: Lifelong Learning and Life Empowerment. Lifelong Learning encompasses early childhood services including Spanish immersion infant, toddler, and dual-language preschool programs, as well as school-age programs and youth development. Life Empowerment provides adult education (ESL, citizenship, computer skills), family support services (case management, food/clothing assistance, domestic violence support, victims of crime advocacy), financial empowerment coaching, workforce development, and prevention programs. LACC also operates La Fiesta child care centers and Los Jardines senior housing. The center serves individuals from ages 1 to 101+ and supports over 9,000 low-income individuals annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education Program Licensed early childhood education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from Latino/Hispanic families in Delaware, delivered bilingually and aligned with school-readiness standards. Tuition-based with sliding-scale options.
• School-Age Programs (Before/After Care & Summer Camp) Before- and after-school care and full-day summer camp for school-age children in the Delaware Latino community, offering academic support, enrichment, and recreation. Tuition-based.
• Adult Education (ESL & Citizenship Classes) Adult ESL classes and U.S. citizenship test preparation for Spanish-speaking immigrant adults in Delaware, delivered bilingually to build English proficiency and civic integration. Often grant- or donation-subsidized.
• Family Support Services Bilingual case management, referral, and stabilization services for Latino families navigating housing, food, healthcare, and other social-service systems in Delaware. Free to clients.
• Financial Empowerment / Stand By Me Bilingual financial coaching and education program (Stand By Me) helping Latino individuals and families with budgeting, banking access, credit building, and homeownership preparation. Free to clients.
• Victims of Crime Advocacy Program Bilingual crisis response, advocacy, and case management for Latino victims of crime, contracted with the State of Delaware. Free to clients.
• Los Abuelos Senior Program Bilingual social, educational, and wellness programming for Latino seniors (Los Abuelos), supporting social connection and access to community resources in Delaware. Free or low-cost.
• Los Jardines Senior Housing Affordable senior housing community (Los Jardines) operated by LACC, providing subsidized rental housing for income-eligible Latino and other older adults in Delaware. Rent-based.
• Workforce Development Bilingual job-readiness, training, and placement services supporting Latino adults in entering or advancing in the Delaware workforce. Often grant-funded.
• HIV Early Intervention Services Bilingual HIV prevention, education, testing, and linkage-to-care services delivered to the Latino community in Delaware, typically funded through state/public-health grants.
• Minerva Marrero Hispanic Scholarship Program Named scholarship (Minerva Marrero Hispanic Scholarship) providing financial assistance to Latino/Hispanic students pursuing post-secondary education. Award-funded.
• Prevention Programs (Substance Abuse, Lead Poisoning, Tobacco) Bilingual community-based prevention education addressing substance abuse, lead poisoning, tobacco use, and other public-health risks in the Latino community. Grant-funded.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves more than 9,000 low-income individuals annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UnidosUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLACC is a member of the UnidosUS Affiliate Network, collaborating on programs and advocacy to address social, economic, and political barriers faced by the Latino community.
• United Way of Delaware (Stand By Me)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Delaware leads the Stand By Me coalition with LACC serving the Latino community through Stand By Me Hispano program.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing mentors for youth through Youth Achievement Center and High School Credit Recovery Program.
• University of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM partnership with University of Delaware for summer camp educational programming.
• Delaware Stars ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStand By Me works with Delaware Stars Program to qualify services for childcare quality initiatives.
• WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)minorOthersSponsors the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program for WIC mothers.
• Delaware Food BankminorOthersPartners with Los Abuelos Program to distribute food boxes to seniors.
• Red Clay School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering High School Credit Recovery Program for Red Clay students.
• Hospitals and UniversitiesminorOthersPublic health organizations provide Senior Health Educational Classes on topics like diabetes, cancer, and blood pressure.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casa de Maryland: A Latino/immigrant community services organization operating in Maryland and Pennsylvania, providing workforce development, ESL, citizenship, housing, and family support services to a similar Hispanic immigrant population. Directly comparable mission, funding mix, and service breadth.
• Conexion Americas: Nashville-based Latino community center offering ESL, citizenship, workforce development, family support, and youth programs serving a similar immigrant population. Comparable nonprofit community-center model with education-and-empowerment strategic framing.
• El Centro de la Raza: Seattle-based Latino community center providing human services, education, youth programs, senior services, and cultural programming. Similar multi-program continuum-of-care model serving Latino families from immigrant backgrounds.
• La Maestra Community Health Centers: San Diego-based federally qualified health center that also runs education, workforce, and social-service programs for immigrant families. Comparable wraparound service model combining direct services with economic empowerment for low-income immigrant populations.
• Hispanic Center of Western Michigan: Grand Rapids-based community center offering education (ESL, citizenship), youth programs, family support, and workforce services to the Latino community. Closely comparable in size, mission, and service mix to LACC.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic Federation: National umbrella organization supporting Hispanic-serving nonprofits through grantmaking, advocacy, and capacity-building. Larger and more national in scope, but closely aligned in mission with LACC's advocacy and community-empowerment work.
• Catholic Charities USA: National network of social-service agencies (including immigrant services, ESL, refugee resettlement, family support) that competes for similar federal/state grants and serves overlapping client populations. Significantly larger scale but operates in adjacent service categories.
• Latino Community Foundation: California-based foundation investing in Latino-led organizations and civic engagement. Operates as a funder and capacity-builder rather than direct service provider, but addresses the same population and competes for philanthropic capital.

Others

• UnidosUS: National Latino civil rights and advocacy organization of which LACC is an affiliate. Not a direct competitor but a strategic network relationship that shapes LACC's funding access, advocacy platform, and programmatic best practices.

Regional players

• YMCA of Delaware: Statewide community-services organization offering childcare, before/after-school care, youth programming, and family services in the same Delaware geography. Competes for childcare enrollment and operates a similar community-center delivery model in overlapping geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/thelatincenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/LACCDELAWARE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latin-american-community-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/laccdelaware
• Xx.com/LACCDelaware

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Latin American Community Center