Communities Actively Living Independent & Free

What Communities Actively Living Independent & Free does

Communities Actively Living Independent & Free (CALIF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) independent living center headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2000/2001 and operating with 11–50 employees. The organization delivers advocacy programs and direct services for people with disabilities and older adults residing within 50 zip codes of Los Angeles County, covering south and central LA and neighboring communities. Its service portfolio spans thirteen core programs: Assistive Technology, Benefits/Individual Advocacy, Cross Disability Peer Counseling, DDAR Disaster Preparedness, Housing Advocacy, Information and Referral Services, Peer Counseling/Independent Living Skills Training and Korean Outreach, Personal Assistance Services Advocacy, Systems Advocacy, Transition Services, the Stop The Hate Program, the ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Connection) hub, and the Positive Wheels mobility/transportation program.

CALIF's operational model is direct, in-person service delivery at its LA center (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm) supplemented by community outreach, events, and digital content (blog, newsletters, multimedia). The underlying capabilities are human-delivered rather than technology-delivered: assistive technology provisioning, peer counseling by staff with lived disability experience, individual and systems advocacy, housing and benefits navigation, and emergency-preparedness education. Mission-driven, diverse staffing, and a dedicated board meeting community-participation structure (every 3rd Friday, 4–6pm) are positioned as the organization's differentiating cultural infrastructure.

As a 501(c)(3), CALIF does not charge for its core services. The organization self-describes as operating with "limited funding and resources," and the model is financed via grants, donations, and likely federal/state Independent Living Program allotments, with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no M&A activity, and no disclosed revenue or operating budget. Its primary customer segments are individuals with disabilities (primary) and older adults (secondary), including Korean-speaking community members served through the Korean Outreach program, all within a geographically bounded LA County service area.

Name

Communities Actively Living Independent & Free

Legal name

Communities Actively Living Independent & Free

Website

https://calif-ilc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CALIF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) independent living center in Los Angeles delivering advocacy, assistive technology, peer counseling, housing support, benefits navigation, and disaster preparedness services to people with disabilities and older adults across 50 zip codes of LA County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Independent Living Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAFAF

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGACAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYTHAIAHAA

ADA/Accessible Paratransit (Complementary to Fixed-Route Transit)

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Paratransit & Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Independent living support
• Assistive technology assistance
• Peer counseling programs
• Disability rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Funding: CALIF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing services primarily through limited funding and resources. The organization operates with limited funding and resources, meeting challenges through careful listening, understanding, and support.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CALIF delivers free advocacy and independent living services to people with disabilities and older adults across roughly 50 zip codes of south and central Los Angeles County. Its service lines include assistive technology, benefits and individual advocacy, cross-disability peer counseling, housing advocacy, information and referral services, peer counseling with independent living skills training (including Korean Outreach), personal assistance services advocacy, systems advocacy, transition services, disaster preparedness (DDAR), the Stop The Hate anti-discrimination program, ADRC resource connection, and the Positive Wheels transportation program.

Product overview

Communities Actively Living Independent & Free (CALIF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) independent living center providing advocacy programs and services for people with disabilities in Los Angeles County. The organization operates a service-based model rather than a technology product portfolio. Services include Assistive Technology, Benefits/Individual Advocacy, Cross Disability Peer Counseling, DDAR Disaster Preparedness, Housing Advocacy, Information and Referral Services, Peer Counseling/Independent Living Skills Training (including Korean Outreach), Personal Assistance Services Advocacy, Systems Advocacy, Transition Services, Stop The Hate Program, ADRC, and Positive Wheels. These programs are coordinated to empower consumers to live independently and make their own life choices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Positive Wheels: A program or initiative of CALIF focused on mobility and transportation services for people with disabilities

Products and services

• Assistive Technology
• Benefits/Individual Advocacy
• Cross Disability Peer Counseling
• DDAR - Disaster Preparedness
• Housing Advocacy
• Information and Referral Services
• Peer Counseling/Independent Living Skills Training and Korean Outreach
• Personal Assistance Services Advocacy
• Systems Advocacy
• Transition Services
• Stop The Hate Program
• ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Connection)
• Positive Wheels

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ability360: Arizona-based Center for Independent Living providing advocacy, independent living skills, and disability services. Comparable ILC service model and consumer-controlled governance in a different southwestern market.
• Independent Living Center of Southern California: Another Southern California Independent Living Center providing disability advocacy and independent living services. Most directly comparable to CALIF in mission, model, and consumer-controlled governance structure within an overlapping LA-area geography.
• Center for Independent Living (Berkeley): Bay Area Independent Living Center providing disability advocacy, peer counseling, housing advocacy, and benefits navigation. Directly comparable ILC model serving a different California geography with similar service breadth.
• Southern California Resource Center for Independent Living (SCRIL): Regional ILC providing advocacy, peer support, and independent living services across SoCal. Directly comparable in programmatic scope (housing advocacy, benefits navigation, peer counseling) and federal ILC funding model.
• Resources for Independent Living (Sacramento): Sacramento-based ILC offering independent living skills, peer support, and advocacy services. Comparable consumer-controlled nonprofit ILC model operating under the same federal/state framework as CALIF.

Broad incumbents

• AARP Foundation: Large national nonprofit serving older adults with programs overlapping CALIF's elder-focused independent living support. Comparable in the older-adult / aging-in-place segment but vastly larger scale and broader mission scope.
• Disability Rights California: California's federally mandated Protection & Advocacy system for people with disabilities. Comparable in disability rights and systems advocacy mission, but operates at statewide scale and legal advocacy rather than direct local service delivery.
• California Foundation for Independent Living Centers: Statewide association representing California's network of Independent Living Centers. Functions as the umbrella organization for entities like CALIF, providing training, advocacy, and coordination across the ILC network.

Emerging players

• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF): National disability civil rights law and policy center. Comparable in disability rights advocacy and systems-change orientation; differs by emphasizing legal/policy advocacy over direct local independent living services.
• World Institute on Disability: Berkeley-based disability research, policy, and advocacy organization. Comparable in disability rights and systems advocacy focus but differentiates through policy research and international disability inclusion work rather than direct local service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Communities Actively Living Independent & Free