Adhikaar

What Adhikaar does

Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice is a women-led nonprofit community and workers' center founded in 2005 and headquartered at 71-07 Woodside Avenue in Queens, New York. The organization provides direct services to the Nepali-speaking community, defined by Adhikaar as descendants of Nepal, Bhutan, India, Burma, and Tibet who speak Nepali, and organizes low-income workers and impacted community members to promote social justice and human rights. Its program portfolio spans workforce development training (We Rise nanny training, NY Nail Salon Beauty School licensing courses, CPR and newborn care, adult literacy), immigration legal clinics (TPS re-registration, Know Your Rights, status change support), healthcare enrollment (NYC Care, health insurance updates), citizenship and English language classes, case work (wage theft, labor trafficking, fraud), and youth civic engagement programs. Adhikaar does not sell products or licenses and has no proprietary technology platform; instead, services are delivered in person at its physical community centers.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market model funded by donations, grants, and government funding, with all direct services provided at no cost to community members. It has built a network of strategic alliances with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, NY Healthy Nail Salons Coalition (co-founded 2014), National TPS Alliance, CUSP, AAPI Equity Budget Coalition, and Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, among others. Adhikaar's regulatory footprint includes co-campaigning for the 2010 and 2015 NY State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, the NY Nail Salon Workers' Bill of Rights, the January 2024 NJ Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and Bhattarai v. Nielsen litigation that protected TPS holders. In 2023 it served 5,264 community members through direct support, trained 1,222 in workforce development, and provided case work to 1,013 individuals; it also organizes 1,300 nail salon worker members nationally.

Following the August 2025 transition of Co-Executive Directors Narbada Chhetri (18-year tenure) and Cynthia Saxena, Mamta Gurung Nyangmi was appointed Interim Executive Director in September 2025 and Yangchen Donka joined as Deputy Director in April 2026. The Board of Directors was refreshed in 2026 with four new members and a new Chair (Isha Nirola, effective July 1, 2026). The organization opened its first New Jersey office in Jersey City in April 2024 and continues to engage members in Texas and California through TPS clinics and partner organizations.

Name

Adhikaar

Legal name

Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice

Website

https://adhikaar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adhikaar is a women-led nonprofit community and workers' center founded in 2005 that provides free direct services (workforce training, immigration legal clinics, healthcare enrollment, citizenship classes) and advocates for social justice for the Nepali-speaking immigrant community in New York and New Jersey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Labor, Worker Rights & Employment Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAH), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Immigrant advocacy services
• Community workers center
• Workforce development training
• Immigration legal services
• Nonprofit community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodside

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Adhikaar is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through donations, grants, and government funding to support its community services, advocacy work, and programs for the Nepali-speaking community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adhikaar is a women-led community and workers' center that provides free direct services to the Nepali-speaking immigrant community, including workforce development training (nanny, nail salon, CPR, adult literacy, English language, citizenship), immigration legal clinics (TPS re-registration, Know Your Rights), healthcare enrollment support (NYC Care), and case work services on wage theft, fraud, and labor trafficking. The organization simultaneously organizes low-income workers into collective action and runs policy advocacy campaigns on workers' rights, immigrant rights, and language access.

Product overview

Adhikaar is a women-led community and workers' center serving the Nepali-speaking community in New York and New Jersey. Rather than a technology product company, it provides direct social services including workforce development training programs (nanny training, nail salon licensing), immigration legal clinics, healthcare enrollment support, citizenship and English language classes, youth programs, and policy advocacy for workers' rights and immigrant rights. The organization does not offer a traditional technology product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workforce Development Training Program Free training programs for Nepali-speaking community members covering nanny skills, newborn and CPR care, NY state nail salon licensing, and adult literacy, designed to enable credentialing and economic mobility for low-income workers.
• Immigration Legal Clinics Free legal clinics providing immigration legal services focused on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) re-registration, Know Your Rights training, and related immigration status issues for Nepali-speaking community members, delivered in collaboration with legal partner organizations.
• Healthcare Enrollment Support Direct support enrolling eligible community members into NYC Care and other healthcare programs, including health insurance updates and program enrollments, primarily for undocumented individuals and those unable to access or afford health insurance.
• Citizenship and English Language Classes Free Sunday-based educational programs including English for Empowerment classes and citizenship preparation classes for Nepali-speaking immigrants, delivered at Adhikaar's community and worker centers.
• Case Work Services One-on-one case work services supporting community members with TPS/Immigration issues, fraud recovery, wage theft claims, and labor trafficking matters, delivered by trained staff and supported by legal partners such as TakeRoot Justice.
• Nail Salon Worker Organizing Program Organizing and service program for the 1,300-member nail salon worker base, providing licensing courses, health and safety training, wage theft advocacy, and policy advocacy including the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act.
• Youth and Civic Engagement Programs Programs for second-generation Nepali-speaking youth in the US, including youth identity workshops, civic engagement programs, leadership development, and college application support, designed to build intergenerational community and leadership capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,264 community members served through direct support in 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United in Speech Co-op NYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026First worker cooperative of pan-Asian language interpreters in the country, launched in partnership with AAF and other community organizations including Adhikaar. Addresses language access for Nepali-speaking immigrants.
• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 November 2023Legal partner for TPS re-registration clinics, providing legal services to Nepali-speaking community members in collaboration with Adhikaar's language access support.
• Bhattarai v. Nielsen/Ramos Litigation TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2019ACLU of Southern California, ACLU of Northern California, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and Sidley Austin. Successfully protected TPS holders from termination.
• New York Healthy Nail Salons Coalition (NYHNSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Co-founded with NYCOSH in 2014 to transform the New York nail salon industry into healthy and just workplaces. Has won the Nail Salon Workers' Bill of Rights in 2015 and successfully advocated to eliminate the tipped subminimum wage for nail salon workers in 2019.
• Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collaborative of grassroots immigrant community organizations working together to win permanent status for members. Adhikaar is a member organization.
• National Domestic Workers AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdhikaar represented on the NDWA Board of Directors from 2014 to 2019. Key partner in domestic worker advocacy and organizing.
• New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner for TPS re-registration clinics providing immigration legal services.
• Catholic Migration ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner for TPS re-registration clinics.
• TakeRoot JusticecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner that led wage theft lawsuit resulting in $49,808 judgment for Adhikaar member. Also partner for TPS clinics.
• Queens Community HouseminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner organization for TPS re-registration legal clinics.
• City Bar Justice CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner organization for TPS re-registration legal clinics.
• RAICESminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal service provider and immigration services organization in Texas, partnered with Adhikaar for Texas member engagement.
• Asian American Federation (AAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition along with Coalition for Asian Children and Families. Mamta Gurung Nyangmi previously managed $15m social services grant portfolio at AAF.
• Coalition for Asian Children and Families (CACF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition that secured $30 million allocation for AAPI communities.
• Co-Counsel NYCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner for monthly Ask Me Anything sessions and clinics.
• Accompany CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that shared resources on Small Business Services at Dashain event.
• Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the We Rise training program for domestic workers, providing curriculum expertise on labor relations.
• RISE NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork led by AAF that Adhikaar participates in for advocacy around discretionary funding from NYC Council.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Asian American Federation: AAPI umbrella advocacy and grantmaking organization in NYC where Adhikaar's Interim ED previously managed a $15M grant portfolio. Co-leads the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition with Adhikaar and shares overlapping member network and policy agenda.
• National Domestic Workers Alliance: National federation for domestic workers' rights; Adhikaar held a seat on NDWA's Board of Directors from 2014-2019 and co-led campaigns for the NY and NJ Domestic Workers Bills of Rights. Operates in the same worker-organizing category with overlapping membership base.
• National CAPACD: Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development operating nationally on housing and community development for AAPI communities. The outgoing Adhikaar Board Member Seema Agnani is CEO of National CAPACD, evidencing deep operational overlap.
• New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): Large NYC legal services nonprofit delivering free immigration, housing, and family law services. NYLAG is a current TPS legal-clinic partner of Adhikaar and operates a directly comparable direct-service-plus-policy model for low-income immigrant communities in New York.
• CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities: Pan-Asian grassroots organizing group in NYC focused on housing, immigrant rights, and workers' rights. Highly comparable to Adhikaar's community-organizing model serving low-income Asian immigrant workers in the same geography.
• Chhaya Community Development Corporation: NYC-based South Asian and Indo-Caribbean housing and economic justice nonprofit. Multiple Adhikaar senior leaders (Mamta Gurung Nyangmi, Yangchen Donka) previously held leadership roles at Chhaya, making it a close operational peer serving overlapping diaspora communities.
• National TPS Alliance: National coalition of TPS holders; Adhikaar is a member organization through CUSP. Directly comparable as it focuses on the same Temporary Protected Status constituency that Adhikaar organizes Nepali TPS holders around.
• AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund): National AAPI legal advocacy organization that is a current TPS re-registration clinic partner of Adhikaar. Comparable in mission (immigrant rights, civil rights) and direct service delivery model for Asian American communities.
• Make the Road New York: New York-based immigrant and worker justice organization combining direct services, organizing, and policy advocacy. Closely comparable to Adhikaar's community and worker center model in Queens, with overlapping campaigns on domestic workers' rights and TPS.

Emerging players

• Jahajee Sisters: South Asian women-led immigrant rights organization in NYC; Adhikaar Board Member Shivana Jorawar is a co-founder. Comparably women-led, intergenerational organizing model focused on South Asian diaspora in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adhikaar
• Facebookfacebook.com/adhikaar
• Instagraminstagram.com/adhikaar_ny
• TikToktiktok.com/@adhikaar_ny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adhikaar