What Agros International does

Agros International is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by Seattle lawyer Chi-Dooh "Skip" Li, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and registered under EIN 91-1276578. The organization delivers a holistic family-transformation model — the "Five-Year Path to Prosperity" — to rural landless farming families in five Central American countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Program delivery moves families through four structured phases: Technical Bootcamp (0-12 months, hands-on climate-smart agriculture training), Empowerment (12-24 months, supervised agribusiness plots with technical coaching), Entrepreneurship (24-60 months, land and financing access), and Independence (60+ months, earning land title and building net worth). Core products include the Land and Village Development program, Harvest of Hope Centers (HHC) — agricultural business hubs targeting 800-1,000 new families across three centers by 2028 — the Women Entrepreneurship Program (microfinance and business training for women-led businesses including weaving cooperatives), and the Youth Agribusiness Consolidator program.

The technology stack is primarily agricultural rather than digital: climate-smart farming techniques, mesh greenhouses, hydroponic systems, raised mulched beds, and value-addition processing. The organization claims a 97% family rate out of poverty, a 300% Social Return on Investment over an 8-year cycle, and average family net-worth building of $25,000+ within five years. Cumulative reach is 27,500+ people across 55+ rural communities, with a stated vision to transform 50,000 lives by the 50th anniversary in 2034.

The revenue model is donation-driven, with no commercial product sales. Stream mix includes individual donations (with the Agros Companions monthly giving program), tiered corporate/business sponsorships ($2,500-$40,000 across Seed through Visionary tiers), annual gala events (Tierras de Vida raised $1,000,000 in 2025 at Fremont Studios in Seattle), church/faith-network partnerships, and legacy/planned giving via the Sowers' Circle and the Skip Li Honorary Endowment held at the National Christian Foundation. Donor acquisition channels span the website (Blackbaud-powered), mail, phone, stock transfers (UBS Financial Services), Donor Advised Funds, the Music Among Friends concert co-hosted with DADS, vision trips to project sites, and the Rick Steves documentary partnership. Donor segments include individual donors, church congregations, businesses (Camano Island Coffee, Elm Law, Bellmont Cabinets, Panattoni, Tschetter Group/Morgan Stanley, Le Panier, Kaspars Seattle Catering, among others), and a faith network. Operations are led by Executive Vice President Ken Kierstead with Alberto Solano referenced as President & Executive Director; the organization operates with a small 11-50 person Seattle-based staff.

Name

Agros International

Legal name

Agros International

Website

https://agros.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agros International is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit founded in 1984 in Seattle that operates a five-year land-ownership and agribusiness transformation model serving landless farming families across five Central American countries, funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, an annual gala, and church partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)

Keywords

• Rural poverty alleviation
• Land ownership programs
• Agricultural development services
• Microfinance empowerment
• Central America nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, facilitated through website, mail, phone, and stock gifts. Monthly giving program (Agros Companions) provides consistent revenue.
2. Business Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at multiple tiers ($2,500-$40,000) providing brand visibility, event recognition, and community impact. IncludesSeed, Plant, Harvest, Prosper, Ambassador, and Visionary sponsor levels.
3. Annual Gala Revenue: Tierras de Vida annual fundraising gala generates significant revenue through table sales, paddle raises, and direct donations. 2025 gala raised $1,000,000.
4. Legacy and Planned Giving: Bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, and Skip Li Honorary Endowment distributions provide long-term sustainable revenue.
5. Church and Faith Network Partnerships: Church sponsors engage congregations in supporting Agros through the Faith Network, combining spiritual mission with economic development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Agros International operates a holistic Five-Year Path to Prosperity model that helps landless farming families in rural Central America achieve land ownership, develop climate-smart agribusinesses, and build lasting economic independence. Core program pillars include Land and Village Development, Harvest of Hope Centers that integrate farmers with high-demand markets, the Women Entrepreneurship Program offering microfinance and mentorship, and the Family Resourcefulness Initiative addressing psychological and spiritual dimensions of poverty. On the donor side, the organization runs Agros Companions monthly giving, corporate sponsorship tiers, the Tierras de Vida annual gala, the Music Among Friends concert, legacy/planned giving, and church and faith-network partnerships.

Product overview

Agros International is a Christian nonprofit organization (501(c)(3), EIN: 91-1276578) that operates a holistic family transformation model to break the cycle of poverty for farming families in rural Central America. The organization's core offering is the Five-Year Path to Prosperity Model, which progresses families through four phases: Technical Bootcamp (hands-on climate-smart agriculture training), Empowerment Phase (supervised agribusiness plots with coaching), Entrepreneurship Phase (land and financing access), and Independence Phase (earning land title and building net worth). The Land and Village Development program provides landless farmers with land ownership and community infrastructure. Harvest of Hope Centers (HHC) serve as agricultural business hubs connecting farmers to high-demand markets. Rural Entrepreneurship Programs include the Women Entrepreneurship Program (WEP) providing financial resources and training for women-led businesses, and the Youth Agribusiness Consolidator Program. The Family Resourcefulness Initiative addresses psycho-spiritual dimensions of transformation. On the donor side, Agros offers the Agros Companions monthly giving program, the Tierras de Vida annual gala (raising $1,000,000 in 2025), Music Among Friends concert fundraiser, Sowers' Circle legacy giving program, Skip Li Honorary Endowment, Business Partnership Program with tiered sponsorship levels, Agros Vision Trips for sponsor engagement, and the Agros Faith Network for church partnerships. To date, Agros has established over 55 rural communities across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua, impacting the lives of more than 27,500 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land and Village Development Program Core program enabling landless rural farming families to become landowners through agricultural land acquisition, home construction, and community infrastructure development across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
• Harvest of Hope Centers (HHC) Agricultural business hubs that connect smallholder farmers to high-demand markets through climate-smart farming techniques, mesh greenhouses, irrigation, technical coaching, and access to land, technology, and direct market channels.
• Women Entrepreneurship Program (WEP) Program providing women-led microbusinesses in rural Central America with financial resources, mentorship, technical assistance, business training, and access to modern equipment for craft and textile enterprises.
• Family Resourcefulness Initiative Program supporting families as they build wealth, emphasizing spiritual and psychological growth, a forward-thinking ownership mindset, and personal agency on their five-year path from poverty to prosperity.
• Five-Year Path to Prosperity Model Structured four-phase family transformation framework combining hands-on climate-smart agriculture training, supervised agribusiness plot management, land and financing access, and ownership transition through consistent sales over a 60+ month cycle.
• Agros Companions Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program that provides reliable, year-round funding for Agros' rural poverty alleviation programs and offers subscribers curated impact communications and program updates.
• Tierras de Vida Annual Gala Flagship annual fundraising gala featuring storytelling, live appeals, table sales ($1,750/table of 10), individual tickets ($175), and paddle raises, held at Fremont Studios in Seattle.
• Music Among Friends Concert Annual concert-style fundraiser that supports both Agros and DADS (Divine Alternatives for Dads Services), featuring live music, community engagement, and shared donation revenue.
• Sowers' Circle Legacy Giving Program Planned-giving program that invites donors to include Agros in their estate plans through bequests, beneficiary designations, gifts of stock or real estate, and charitable gift annuities.
• Business Partnership Program Corporate partnership program offering six tiered annual sponsorships (Seed, Plant, Harvest, Prosper, Ambassador, Visionary) from $2,500 to $40,000, with brand visibility, gala recognition, vision trip invitations, and changemaker retreat access at the highest tier.
• Agros Vision Trips Hosted trips for sponsors and major donors to visit Agros project sites in Central America, providing firsthand exposure to agricultural programs and beneficiary families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of families rise out of poverty within program cycle
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DADS (Divine Alternatives for Dads Services)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Grassroots nonprofit supporting fathers facing legal, relational, and economic barriers. Co-host of Music Among Friends annual concert fundraiser where donations are shared between both organizations.
• Rick StevescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with renowned travel author and television personality Rick Steves. Agros was featured in his documentary 'Hunger and Hope: Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala' showcasing the organization's work transforming rural families through land ownership.
• UBS Financial Services Inc.minorOthersBrokerage firm used for processing stock gifts. Donors provide stock transfer instructions including DTC Clearing 0221 and account number KX-27738 for F/C Agros International.
• Nicolás Christian School (NCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational collaboration in the Ixil region of Guatemala integrating entrepreneurship and agribusiness training. Includes Koala Tank business plan competition and 'Path to Prosperity' model implementation. NCS Director Iván España collaborates on agribusiness programs.
• Various Development OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgros partners with national and international development organizations for program delivery and community support, maintaining accountability and success of Agros villages.
• Camano Island CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor in the 'Harvest of Hope' network. Provides brand visibility through logo placement on Agros website alongside other business partners.
• Elm LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor providing legal sector representation in the Agros business partner network.
• Bellmont CabinetsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor in the Agros business partner network, part of the 'Harvest of Hope' recognition program.
• PanattoniminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor listed among Agros business partners supporting rural entrepreneurship programs.
• Le PanierminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor bakery/cafe in the Agros business partner network.
• Kaspars Seattle CateringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeattle catering business sponsor supporting Agros through the business partnership program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heifer International: Heifer International is a nonprofit that lifts rural households out of poverty through livestock, agriculture, and value-chain development across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It is the closest direct peer to Agros: both use a multi-year, asset-transfer-plus-training model with measurable family-income and net-worth outcomes.
• Opportunity International: Opportunity International is a nonprofit microfinance network providing small loans, savings, and training to entrepreneurs in developing countries. It overlaps with Agros's Women Entrepreneurship Program and microfinance/revolving-loan capital approach for rural Central American families.
• FINCA International: FINCA International is a nonprofit microfinance institution serving low-income entrepreneurs through village banking and small enterprise loans in Latin America, Africa, and Eurasia. It is comparable to Agros for its shared focus on financial inclusion and microenterprise for rural poor women and families in Central America.
• World Vision International: World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization that implements long-term community development, child sponsorship, and rural economic programs across Latin America. Comparable to Agros as a faith-rooted, multi-year rural poverty alleviation NGO operating in Central America.
• TechnoServe: TechnoServe is a nonprofit that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries, with a strong Central American coffee and agriculture footprint. Its market-led smallholder agriculture and entrepreneurship focus directly parallels Agros's Harvest of Hope Centers and Path to Prosperity model.
• Compassion International: Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship and poverty alleviation organization working through local churches in Latin America. Comparable to Agros as a faith-based nonprofit relying on individual donors, church networks, and recurring sponsorship for multi-year poverty programming.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit that builds affordable housing and enables asset/land ownership for low-income families globally. Like Agros, its core thesis is that ownership of a foundational asset (housing for Habitat, land for Agros) is the primary lever for intergenerational poverty exit.
• Root Capital: Root Capital is a nonprofit agricultural impact investor that lends to small and growing agricultural businesses in Latin America and Africa. It is highly comparable to Agros because both focus on connecting smallholder farmers in Central America to high-demand markets through agricultural enterprise development.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large global humanitarian and development organization running market-based agricultural, economic recovery, and food security programs in fragile contexts including Central America. It overlaps Agros in rural Central American agriculture and market-led livelihoods but at a much larger scale and broader program scope.
• Catholic Relief Services: Catholic Relief Services is a large faith-based international humanitarian agency operating agricultural livelihoods, food security, and rural development programs across Central America. It is a broad incumbent peer to Agros with overlapping geography, donor base (faith-aligned), and rural agriculture programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agrosintl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AgrosInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/56780242206
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/72479
• Instagraminstagram.com/agrosintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Agros International