Latino Policy Forum

What Latino Policy Forum does

The Latino Policy Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 36-3676873) headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that advances equity for Latinos in Illinois through advocacy and analysis. Its mission is to build the power, influence, and leadership of the Latino community through collective action to transform public policies in four pillars: Education, Housing, Immigration, and Leadership. The organization operates a coalition-based model, convening up to 100 community-based organizations through the Acuerdos network, the Illinois Latino Agenda, and the Welcome to Illinois Coalition, while maintaining direct relationships with state agencies, elected officials, and academic institutions including the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and the Brookings Institution.

Its core programmatic offerings include the six-month Multicultural Leadership Academy (trained 230+ alumni from 200+ organizations), bilingual workshops and webinars for families and educators, the LEAD Student Fellowship, the Fair Housing Ambassadors program, and an active publications and resource library. The organization runs the annual Latino Unity Day in Springfield (~1,000 attendees) and the Latinos on the Move fundraising luncheon. The Forum is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Juan Carlos Linares and managed by President & CEO Linda Xóchitl Tortolero, who assumed the role in 2025 from Mujeres Latinas en Acción.

The revenue model is a nonprofit mix of tax-deductible individual donations, institutional foundation grants from funders including McCormick, Square One, Steans, Chicago Community Trust, Field Foundation, Joyce, Clement Stone, Walder, and Woods foundations, corporate sponsorships tied to the Latinos on the Move luncheon, and a modest $2,500 participant contribution from the MLA (which the Forum subsidizes 70%). The Forum holds a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating and Candid Platinum Seal, reflecting strong financial accountability in the nonprofit sector. The organization does not operate a technology product or commercial pricing model.

Name

Latino Policy Forum

Legal name

Latino Policy Forum

Website

https://latinopolicyforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Latino Policy Forum is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances equity for Latinos in Illinois through policy advocacy, coalition convening, and leadership development across education, housing, immigration, and civic engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Business Associations (81391), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses (THAHAJAO)

Keywords

• Policy advocacy services
• Community coalition organizing
• Leadership development programs
• Bilingual civic engagement
• Immigrant rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations & Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals. The organization is a 501(c)(3) exempt organization (EIN 36-3676873). Donations can be made online via the website or by mail.
2. Institutional Grants & Foundation Funding: The organization receives funding from institutional foundations and funders. Funder logos displayed include McCormick, Square One, Steans, CCT, Field Foundation, Joyce, Clement Stone, Walder, and Woods foundations. Programs such as the Multicultural Leadership Academy are partially subsidized (70%) by the Forum.
3. Signature Event Revenue: The annual 'Latinos on the Move' luncheon serves as a fundraising event with corporate sponsorships and table sales, managed by the Development team.
4. Multicultural Leadership Academy Tuition Contribution: MLA program requests a $2,500 contribution per participant, with scholarships available. The Forum subsidizes 70% of tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Latino Policy Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy advocacy organization that advances equity for Latinos in Illinois through four programmatic pillars: Education, Housing, Immigration, and Leadership. It delivers policy analysis, coalition-based advocacy, bilingual community workshops, leadership training programs, and original research publications, while convening a network of up to 100 community-based organizations to influence state-level public policy decisions.

Product overview

The Latino Policy Forum is a policy advocacy organization (not a technology product company) that advances equity for Latinos in Illinois through four core programmatic areas: Education, Housing, Immigration, and Leadership. The organization offers a suite of programs and services including the Multicultural Leadership Academy (a six-month leadership training program), bilingual workshops and webinars for families and educators, the Fair Housing Ambassadors community education program, coalition membership programs (Acuerdos, Illinois Latino Agenda, Welcome to Illinois Coalition), original publications and research reports, a digital resource library, and the annual Latinos on the Move luncheon. These programs work together to build Latino power, influence, and leadership through collective action to transform public policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Multicultural Leadership Academy (MLA): A leadership development program that provides diverse civic leaders with leadership skills to facilitate collaboration between Latinos and African-Americans through intercultural collaboration and social action. Formerly known as the Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy.
• Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy
• Promotores de Vivienda Justa (Fair Housing Ambassadors)

Products and services

• Multicultural Leadership Academy (MLA) A six-month leadership training program that provides civic leaders with skills to facilitate collaboration between Latinos and African-Americans through intercultural collaboration and social action. Approximately 24 civic leaders participate per year, with a requested $2,500 participant contribution (Forum subsidizes 70% of tuition) and need-based scholarships available.
• Bilingual Workshops & Webinars

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 230 leaders trained from more than 200 organizations through Multicultural Leadership Academy (as of 2020)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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 flagship, core and major.

• Illinois Latino AgendaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Latino Agenda members amplify the needs of Latinos in Illinois and highlight their contributions so that government, elected officials, philanthropic organizations, and corporations bring equitable investments into communities. The Latino Policy Forum co-chairs/co-convenes this coalition.
• Illinois UnidoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed under the Partners section of the Latino Policy Forum website.
• Acuerdos NetworkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcuerdos is a coalition of up to 100 community-based organizations working together to develop and execute priorities and a common agenda on Education, Housing, and Immigration representing the Latino perspective and community needs. Members include Carole Robertson Center for Learning, Casa Central, Catholic Charities of Chicago, Enlace Chicago, Erie Neighborhood House, Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA), La Casa Norte, The Resurrection Project, and many others.
• Welcome to Illinois CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembers of the Welcome to Illinois Coalition are advocates and community leaders who come together every other week to coordinate the response to support recently arrived migrants to Illinois.
• University of Chicago Consortium on School ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-policy partnership examining English Learner achievement from early childhood education to postsecondary. Part of the education department's work led by Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro, PhD.
• Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership examining issues influencing Multilingual Learner access to quality early childhood programming, English Learner academic trajectories preK-12th grade, and Latino college access and completion. Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro serves as Vice-Chair of the IWERC board.
• Brookings InstitutionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to co-author 'Closing the Latino wealth gap: Exploring regional differences and lived experiences' (October 2023), examining Latino wealth across differentiating factors including racial diversity, immigration status, migration timing, geography, and generational differences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Hispanic Institute (NHI): National nonprofit focused on building Latino leadership through collegiate and high-school programs. Direct peer on Latino leadership development programming with comparable alumni network and training cohort model.
• CASAL (Catalyst for an Active Latino Society): Chicago-based Latino-focused nonprofit promoting civic participation, leadership development, and community empowerment. Direct peer on Latino civic engagement and leadership programming in the same Illinois geography.
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): National Latino legal civil rights organization focused on litigation, advocacy, and education policy for the Latino community. Direct peer on education and immigration equity advocacy, with overlapping federal/state policy work and bilingual community engagement.
• Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR): National organization advancing Hispanic inclusion in corporate governance, employment, procurement, and philanthropy. Direct peer on Latino leadership development and corporate partnership strategy.
• Enlace Chicago: Chicago-based community organization serving the Little Village neighborhood on education, housing, immigration, and community development. Direct peer and Acuerdo network member, with overlapping target community and programmatic pillars.
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): Statewide Illinois coalition advocating for immigrant and refugee rights through policy, organizing, and member network. Direct peer on immigration policy advocacy and coalition-model work, and a co-partner in the Welcome to Illinois Coalition.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of immigrants with low income. Direct peer on immigration policy advocacy, policy analysis, and coalition-building serving immigrant communities.
• UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza): UnidosUS is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., advancing policy on education, housing, immigration, and economic opportunity for Latinos. It is the most direct national-level peer to the Latino Policy Forum, which operates with the same four-pillar advocacy model at the state level.
• Mujeres Latinas en Accion: Chicago-based Latina-focused nonprofit serving the same Illinois Latino community with social services, education, and advocacy. Direct peer given overlapping mission, geography, and personnel overlap (new Forum CEO Linda Xóchitl Tortolero was formerly its President & CEO).
• The Resurrection Project (TRP): Chicago-based community organization mobilizing Latino and immigrant families through civic engagement, housing, and immigration advocacy. Direct peer and named member of the Forum's Acuerdo network, with highly overlapping programmatic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/latinopolicy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@latinopolicyforum2448
• Facebookfacebook.com/LatinoPolicyForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latino-policy-forum
• Instagraminstagram.com/latinopolicyforum/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Latino Policy Forum