Pilsen Alliance

What Pilsen Alliance does

Pilsen Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social justice organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 1744 W. 18th Street in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. The organization's mission is to develop grassroots leadership among working-class and immigrant communities in Chicago's Lower West Side, with active service to Pilsen, Marshall Square, Little Village, North Lawndale, and Cicero. It employs 51-100 staff and operates a membership-driven governance model with a member-elected Board of Directors (President Yotzin Tzintzun, Secretary Javier Ruiz, Treasurer Kate Bowen, Members at Large Ruth Maciulis and Bernardino Echeverria) and an Executive Director.

The organization's core offerings are community organizing campaigns and programs rather than technology products. Its primary campaigns include the Housing Justice Campaign (opposing the Pilsen TIF expansion and advocating rent control, tenant protections, and anti-displacement measures), the Education Justice Campaign (addressing school funding equity and the school-to-prison pipeline), and a Youth Empowerment Program. Service delivery is grounded in popular education, direct action organizing, coalition building, tenant organizing, and political education. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard nonprofit SaaS tools: ActionNetwork for petitions, Mailchimp for newsletters, Canva for content, and social media (Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook) for community engagement.

Pilsen Alliance generates revenue through three streams: individual tax-deductible donations (via PayPal, Cash App, and check); membership dues on a sliding scale at $50/year general and $20/year for low-income and youth; and foundation grants from approximately 13 institutional funders including Field Foundation, Woods Fund, Joyce Foundation, Wieboldt Foundation, Crossroads Fund, Needmor Fund, Norman Foundation, Conant Family Foundation, Emergent Fund, FCYO, Resist, Third Wave Fund, and Julian Grace Foundation. The organization has earned the 2023 Candid (GuideStar) Gold Seal of Transparency and previously received the Barbara Grau Award for Excellence in Housing Justice Advocacy.

Name

Pilsen Alliance

Legal name

Pilsen Alliance

Website

https://thepilsenalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pilsen Alliance is a 501(c)(3) social justice nonprofit founded in 1998 in Chicago that develops grassroots leadership among working-class and immigrant communities across Pilsen, Marshall Square, Little Village, North Lawndale, and Cicero through housing, education, and youth organizing campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Community organizing services
• Housing justice advocacy
• Tenant rights organizing
• Grassroots leadership development
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via PayPal, Cash App, and mailed checks. As a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions are tax-deductible. The organization emphasizes that solidarity, not charity, drives their work.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues: $50/year for general membership, $20/year for low-income and youth. No one turned away due to inability to pay. Membership includes voting rights and governance participation.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from institutional foundations including Field Foundation, Woods Fund, FCYO, Emergent Fund, Needmor Fund, Conant Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Wieboldt Foundation, Crossroads Fund, Norman Foundation, Resist, Third Wave Fund, and Julian Grace Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pilsen Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social justice organization founded in 1998 that runs grassroots community organizing on housing justice, education justice, and youth empowerment in Chicago's Pilsen, Little Village, and surrounding working-class immigrant neighborhoods. It mobilizes members through tenant organizing, policy advocacy, direct action, and coalition building, and is governed by a voting membership that sets organizational priorities.

Product overview

Pilsen Alliance is a social justice organization offering grassroots community organizing services, not a technology product company. Its primary offerings are advocacy campaigns focused on housing justice, education justice, and youth empowerment in Chicago's Lower West Side communities. The organization conducts community organizing, direct action campaigns, political education, and advocacy initiatives to fight gentrification and displacement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voting Membership Program Annual tiered membership (general, low-income, and free for youth/students 25 and under) that grants members voting rights on organizational endorsements, priorities, and board elections. Available to working-class, immigrant, and Latinx residents of Pilsen and surrounding Chicago neighborhoods.
• Housing Justice Campaign Ongoing grassroots campaign for tenant protections, against displacement and gentrification, and for affordable housing policy in Pilsen, Little Village, and surrounding Chicago neighborhoods. Targets working-class and immigrant renters.
• Education Justice Campaign Campaign for equitable funding, programs, and policies in Pilsen neighborhood public schools, including parent and community organizing around school decisions.
• Pilsen Alliance Youth (PAY) Leadership Program Youth-focused leadership development and civic engagement program that trains local high school and young adult residents in organizing, advocacy, and community campaigns. Free for youth/student members 25 and under.
• Direct Action and Advocacy Initiatives Rallies, protests, public hearings, and policy advocacy work organized to advance member-endorsed housing, education, and youth priorities.
• Coalition and Partner Organizing Joint organizing and coalition work with allied community groups to amplify impact on shared housing, education, and immigrant rights issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevented closure of 4 schools in Pilsen (2012-2015)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lift the Ban on Rent ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for lifting the state-wide ban on rent control to prevent displacement in Chicago communities.
• Chicago Housing Justice LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner working on housing justice issues including affordable housing, tenant protections, and anti-displacement campaigns.
• Just Cause to EvictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for Just Cause eviction ordinances to prevent landlords from evicting tenants at no fault of their own.
• Our Homes ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the Our Homes Chicago campaign for affordable housing and housing justice.
• Bring Chicago HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the Bring Chicago Home campaign addressing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Make the Road: National immigrant-led community organizing network with chapters in multiple states. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in immigrant community focus, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy, but operates at significantly larger geographic scale.
• Faith in Action: National faith-based community organizing network with 1,500+ affiliate congregations across 40 states. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in grassroots organizing approach and housing justice work, but operates as a much larger umbrella network with broader policy reach.

Direct peers

• The Resurrection Project: Chicago-based nonprofit organizing Latinx communities across the city and suburbs around housing, immigration, and economic justice. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in serving immigrant communities, faith-rooted organizing approach, and multi-neighborhood Chicago footprint.
• Northwest Side Housing Center: Chicago nonprofit working on affordable housing, immigrant integration, and equitable development on the Northwest Side. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in immigrant-serving housing justice mission and community-based development approach.
• Metropolitan Tenants Organization: Chicago-based tenant rights organization providing organizing, education, and advocacy for renters. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance's tenant organizing and eviction defense work, and listed as a leading voice in the overlapping Lift the Ban on Rent Control coalition.
• LUCHA (Living United for Change in Arizona): Membership-driven community organizing nonprofit in Arizona focused on housing, education, and immigrant rights. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in democratic membership structure, Latino constituency, and multi-issue grassroots organizing model.
• Brighton Park Neighborhood Council: Community organizing nonprofit serving Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood, with a focus on immigration, education, and housing justice. Comparable to Pilsen Alliance in mission, base constituency (working-class Latinx immigrant communities), and grassroots organizing model.
• Chicago Housing Justice League: Citywide coalition organizing around affordable housing and tenant protections in Chicago. Pilsen Alliance is an active coalition partner in this group, making it a directly comparable peer in housing justice advocacy and campaign infrastructure.
• ONE Northside: Chicago-based multi-issue community organizing nonprofit uniting 47 congregations and schools across the North Side. Directly comparable to Pilsen Alliance as a similarly structured, membership-driven organizing body addressing housing, education, and economic justice in Chicago neighborhoods.
• Southwest Organizing Project: Chicago-based multi-issue community organizing coalition in the Southwest Side led by directly affected residents. Directly comparable to Pilsen Alliance in grassroots-led organizing model, housing justice focus, and Chicago geographic base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PilsenAlliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepilsenalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/pilsenalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pilsen-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Pilsen Alliance