South Asian Americans Leading Together

What South Asian Americans Leading Together does

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization serving South Asian American communities across the United States. Founded around 2000 with its first staffed office opening in New York City in 2004, SAALT addresses civil rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, gender justice, and hate violence affecting Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and other South Asian diaspora communities. The organization is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area (Silver Spring/Montgomery County, MD) and operates with a staff in the 1-10 range. SAALT has historically maintained an active programmatic posture including congressional briefings, advocacy days on Capitol Hill, community town halls, and rapid response to hate violence and immigration enforcement actions affecting the community.

SAALT's core offerings are organized into several branded programs and coalition structures. The Rapid Response Network (SARR) provides coordinated alerts on hate violence and immigration emergencies; the South Asian Legal Aid Network (SALAN) delivers legal support to immigrants facing detention or civil rights issues; the Young Leaders Institute develops advocacy skills among young South Asian Americans; the National South Asian Summit convenes organizations annually for strategy alignment; and the Hate Violence Project (launched 2022) applies transformative justice approaches to survivor support. The National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO), coordinated by SAALT, comprises over 50 nonprofit member organizations and functions as the primary distribution channel for resources, voter guides, and policy materials. SAALT also publishes original research, fact sheets, and policy briefs, including a 2020 national report documenting the disparate impact of COVID-19 on South Asian American communities.

SAALT's revenue model is nonprofit fundraising: it does not sell products or services. Operating funds are generated through donations, grants, and partnerships with allied civil rights organizations, with no publicly disclosed revenue figures. In March 2023, SAALT entered an 18-month organizational transformation, transitioning to a four-person co-stewardship leadership model and pausing external programming to focus on building a foundational caste-based analysis of South Asian identity and developing aligned organizational practices. SAALT's go-to-market motion is community-led, combining coalition-based distribution, grassroots organizing, public education, and federal policy advocacy.

Name

South Asian Americans Leading Together

Legal name

South Asian Americans Leading Together

Website

https://saalt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SAALT is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization serving South Asian American communities in the United States through policy advocacy, coalition building via the 50+ member NCSO network, and programs addressing immigration rights, hate violence, racial justice, and civic engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Civil rights advocacy
• Immigrant rights support
• Community organizing
• Coalition building
• Nonprofit advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

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. Donations and Nonprofit Funding: SAALT operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations, grants, and partnerships with allied organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SAALT is a national nonprofit advocacy organization that delivers civil rights, immigrant rights, and racial justice programming for South Asian Americans. Its core offerings include the Rapid Response Network (SARR) for hate violence and immigration emergencies, the South Asian Legal Aid Network (SALAN), the National South Asian Summit, the Young Leaders Institute, the Hate Violence Project (transformative justice), and coordination of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) of more than 50 member nonprofits. The organization also produces publications, voter guides, and multilingual community resources on immigration, hate violence, gender justice, and civic engagement.

Product overview

SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) is a national nonprofit advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of advocacy programs, coalitions, and educational resources rather than software products. The core programs include the Rapid Response Network for community emergencies, the South Asian Legal Aid Network, the National South Asian Summit, the Young Leaders Institute for leadership development, and the Hate Violence Project (launched 2022) which offers transformative justice approaches. SAALT also produces publications including voter guides, policy briefs, and community resources on immigration, civil rights, and public health. The organization coordinates through the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO), a coalition of over 50 member nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced national report documenting disparate impact of COVID-19 on South Asian communities (2020)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026SAAJCO led a coalition of South Asian advocacy groups that filed an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court on birthright citizenship, arguing against executive order curtailment.
• National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAALT coordinates the NCSO, a coalition of over 50 nonprofits committed to working together to manifest transformative change for South Asian communities. The coalition holds annual convenings and advocacy days in Washington D.C.
• Justice For Muslims CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding civil rights hearings and Muslim ban advocacy.
• Muslim Abolitionist Futures NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements advocating for abolishing the War on Terror and building communities of care.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in advocacy coalitions including H-4 EAD campaigns and Muslim ban opposition.
• National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner in H-4 EAD advocacy and reproductive justice initiatives.
• RakshacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in H-4 EAD campaigns and gender-based violence advocacy for South Asian women.
• Sikh CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the NCSO network addressing hate violence and immigrant rights.
• Sakhi for South Asian WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner focused on gender-based violence and reproductive justice.
• Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner organizing low-income South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants for social justice.
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (IRLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in denaturalization education and H-4 EAD advocacy campaigns.
• Detention Watch NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in immigration detention advocacy and deportation resistance.
• Defending Rights & DissentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in protecting civil liberties and opposing surveillance.
• Human Rights FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Evacuate Our Allies coalition for Afghan resettlement advocacy.
• No One Left BehindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Evacuate Our Allies coalition for Afghan resettlement advocacy.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in refugee advocacy and resettlement support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sakhi for South Asian Women: Sakhi for South Asian Women is a New York-based nonprofit addressing gender-based violence and immigrant rights within South Asian communities. It is a documented NCSO coalition partner of SAALT, focusing on overlapping domestic violence, immigrant, and gender justice issues.
• Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM): DRUM is a South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrant organizing group focused on low-wage worker rights, immigrant justice, and racial equity. It is a core NCSO coalition member with SAALT and operates a comparable grassroots advocacy model in overlapping immigrant and civil rights space.
• Raksha: Raksha is a Georgia-based nonprofit serving South Asian survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking through culturally competent support services. It is a documented SAALT coalition partner with overlapping focus on gender-based violence advocacy for South Asian women.
• Sikh Coalition: The Sikh Coalition is a national advocacy organization focused on civil rights, hate violence prevention, and Sikh community empowerment in the US. It is explicitly a coalition partner of SAALT and operates on a similar South Asian community advocacy model.
• National Partnership for New Americans: The National Partnership for New Americans is a national coalition advancing immigrant integration and rights through state and federal advocacy. It is comparable to SAALT in its community-led advocacy approach to immigrant rights, particularly for naturalization and detention reform.
• Muslim Advocates: Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and policy organization protecting the civil rights of Muslims in the US through litigation, legislative advocacy, and coalition work. It is a direct peer to SAALT on faith- and ethnicity-based civil rights issues including the Muslim ban and hate violence.
• National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF): NAPAWF is a national advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls, with overlapping focus on reproductive justice, immigration rights, and gender equity. It is a documented SAALT partner and operates a similarly structured policy and community advocacy model.
• South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO): SAAJCO is a coalition of South Asian advocacy groups that led the amicus brief in the US Supreme Court on birthright citizenship. It is a documented SAALT coalition partner and shares the same narrow South Asian civil rights mission and policy intervention focus.

Broad incumbents

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC): AAJC is the largest pan-Asian American civil rights organization in the US, focused on immigration, voting rights, and anti-Asian discrimination. It is a documented SAALT coalition partner on H-4 EAD campaigns and Muslim ban opposition, serving a broader AANHPI constituency.

Others

• National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA): NCAPA is the umbrella coalition of over 40 national AANHPI advocacy organizations. It serves as a coordinating body above organizations like SAALT, enabling joint policy advocacy but not directly competing for the same niche South Asian constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAALTweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/saaltvideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/talktosaalt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-asian-americans-leading-together-saalt-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 South Asian Americans Leading Together