AMIGOS

What AMIGOS does

AMIGOS (Amigos de las Americas) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 and headquartered at 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas, that designs and operates youth volunteer and cultural immersion programs for students ages 13-19 across Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay. The core product is delivered through three progressively structured program models — AMIGOS Discover (2-3 weeks, no Spanish required), AMIGOS Explore (2-3.5 weeks, 1+ years Spanish), and AMIGOS Immerse (4-6 weeks, 2+ years Spanish) — plus a 12-day Middle School program for ages 13-14. Programming consists of homestays with local families, 24-150 service hours per program, community-led service projects in environmental protection, sustainable farming, community development, and cultural heritage preservation, and Spanish language immersion, with college credit available on 3+ week programs through a Western Colorado University partnership.

The organization distributes its programs through a network of 10 active local chapters across U.S. cities (Albuquerque, Chicago, East Bay, Houston, Kansas City, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson) supported by 150+ board members, plus a National Chapter virtual option for students outside chapter geographies. Revenue is generated through a mix of participant program fees (pricing not publicly disclosed, $75 application fee, early-bird discounts of $300-$500), individual donations to the AMIGOS Annual Fund, corporate sponsorships ranging from $250 (Hero) to $50,000 (Presenting Sponsor) at the annual Lifelong Leaders Luncheon, federal grants and private foundation funding for the Youth Ambassadors Program (in partnership with the U.S. Department of State), and chapter-level fundraising. The organization distributes $300,000+ annually through its Financial Assistance Program and deploys roughly 300+ volunteers to the field each summer. It maintains a 30,000+ alumni network and is led by President & CEO Sara Nathan.

AMIGOS is not a technology company. Its operational infrastructure relies on standard nonprofit SaaS tooling: Salesforce for volunteer and alumni case management, HubSpot/Mailchimp/Ortto for email marketing, Zoom for virtual info sessions, Calendly for 1:1 advisor scheduling, Formstack for application forms, QuickBooks for accounting, Google Analytics for web analytics, Canva for design, and CafePress for merchandise. No proprietary technology platforms, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or technology-driven product surface are referenced in the source data.

Name

AMIGOS

Legal name

Amigos de las Americas

Website

https://amigosinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMIGOS is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 that runs youth volunteer and cultural immersion programs for students ages 13-19 in Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay, delivered through 10 U.S. local chapters and a National Chapter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Volunteer Abroad Programs

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (611), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Teaching Volunteer Programs (EDAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Overseas Summer School Programs (Secondary) (EDAIAHAC), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE), Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs (EDAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Youth volunteer programs
• Cultural immersion abroad
• International service learning
• Teen volunteer abroad
• Nonprofit youth leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

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, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: AMIGOS generates revenue through fees charged to participants for summer volunteer abroad programs. The organization also charges a $75 application fee. Specific program pricing is not publicly disclosed but financial assistance is available.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations to the AMIGOS Annual Fund, with options to donate to specific local chapters or the national organization. Donors can give via mail, DAF (EIN 74-1547146), stock donation, or corporate matching gifts.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the Lifelong Leaders Luncheon annual event at various levels from $250 (Hero) to $50,000 (Presenting Sponsor). Capital Plus Financial underwrites the Social Impact Accelerator program. Tajín has also provided prize donations.
4. Foundation and Government Grants: AMIGOS receives federal grant awards and private foundation funding for specific programs including the Youth Ambassadors Program. The organization distributes $300,000+ annually through its Financial Assistance Program.
5. Chapter Fundraising: Local chapters collectively raise over $150,000 annually in financial assistance for local volunteers. In the last 5 years, chapters have provided over $1 million in financial assistance. Chapter boards organize fundraising events and volunteer letter-writing campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AMIGOS designs and delivers immersive summer volunteer abroad programs for U.S. students ages 13-19, primarily in Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay. Programming is delivered through three progressive experience models—Discover, Explore, and Immerse—each combining homestay living, Spanish language practice, and community-led service projects at varying levels of independence, supervision, and duration. The organization supplements its core summer programming with sponsored Youth Ambassadors cohorts, a free alumni Social Impact Accelerator, custom group programs, and a College Credit pathway through Western Colorado University.

Product overview

AMIGOS (Amigos de las Americas) offers youth leadership and service immersion programs across Latin America for students ages 13-19. The core product consists of Summer Volunteer Programs delivered through three progressive models: Discover (2-3 weeks, no Spanish required), Explore (2-3.5 weeks, basic Spanish), and Immerse (4-6 weeks, advanced Spanish). Additional offerings include Youth Ambassadors (fully-sponsored Latin American youth participation), Social Impact Accelerator (virtual alumni service program), Custom Programs (bespoke group experiences), and College Credit through Western Colorado University. Programs are delivered via 10 local U.S. chapters and a National Chapter for remote participants, with Financial Assistance Program providing $300,000+ annually in need-based support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMIGOS Discover: A 2-3 week high school program offering short, immersive service-learning experiences with host family stays and daily project staff support.
• AMIGOS Explore
• AMIGOS Immerse
• Social Impact Accelerator
• Youth Ambassadors Program
• Bridge Year Program

Products and services

• AMIGOS Summer Volunteer Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% increased cultural competency among alumni
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Houston Independent School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2021HISD and AMIGOS launched the Classroom Community Impact Project, combining 154 years of experience serving the Houston community. Partnership provides service learning opportunities for HISD students.
• DiscoverUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiscoverU is a partner organization that refers students to AMIGOS programs, helping expand reach to youth interested in volunteer abroad opportunities.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner organization with seal displayed on AMIGOS website, indicating collaboration on international youth exchange programs.
• Girl Scouts Nation's CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that collaborates with AMIGOS on youth leadership and service programming.
• Tufts UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTufts University Tisch College of Civic Life partnership displayed as logo partner, indicating collaboration on civic engagement and youth leadership development.
• CIED GeorgetownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter for Innovation and Education (CIED) at Georgetown University partnership for international education initiatives.
• World LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Learning partnership supporting international development and education programs across the Americas.
• Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMIGOS partners with Princeton's Novogratz Bridge Year Program to facilitate an academic year-long program hosted in San Isidro, Costa Rica.
• Western Colorado UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Western Colorado University allows AMIGOS participants on 3+ week programs to earn two college credits through the university.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rustic Pathways: Rustic Pathways is a direct competitor offering teen (high school and college) volunteer abroad and service-learning programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Closely comparable product offering, customer segment (13-19 year olds), and immersion philosophy to AMIGOS.
• Global Leadership Adventures: Global Leadership Adventures runs teen service abroad programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia for high school students ages 14-19, with similar homestay and community service models. Direct competitor in the teen volunteer abroad category.
• Visions Service Adventures: Visions Service Adventures offers teen volunteer abroad programs in Latin America and the Caribbean for high school students. Closely aligned product model with homestays, service hours, and cultural immersion.
• Cross-Cultural Solutions: Cross-Cultural Solutions provides international volunteer programs with a focus on cultural immersion in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable service-learning model, though serves broader age range than AMIGOS.
• Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad is a major volunteer abroad operator running service programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia for teens and adults. Comparable volunteer abroad model with significant Latin America footprint.
• Where There Be Dragons: Where There Be Dragons offers teen experiential education and service-learning programs in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Comparable immersion philosophy and high school student target market.
• Putney Student Travel: Putney Student Travel provides community service and pre-college summer programs for high school students, including in Latin America. Direct competitor in teen summer experiential programs.
• International Service Learning (ISL): ISL organizes volunteer abroad programs for students and groups in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable service-learning model with similar group/individual program structure to AMIGOS.
• Global Volunteers: Global Volunteers runs short-term volunteer programs for individuals, families, and groups in Latin America and other regions. Comparable community service model with nonprofit operating structure.
• ME to WE (WE Charity): ME to WE (now WE Charity) ran youth leadership and service-learning trips in Latin America, Africa, and Asia for teens and schools. Comparable mission-driven youth development and service immersion model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amigos_americas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/amigosinternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/Amigoslink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amigos-de-las-americas
• Instagraminstagram.com/amigosintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 AMIGOS