Grupo Cajola

What Grupo Cajola does

Grupo Cajolá is a community-led, all-volunteer nonprofit operating two coordinated entities — Asociación Grupo Cajolá en Cajolá (Guatemala, founded 2005/2006) and Grupo Cajolá in North America (GCNA, founded 2021, Morristown, NJ). It delivers education, economic development, and cultural preservation programs to the Maya Mam community of Cajolá, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Programmatic offerings include the Preschool (Jaxnaq'tzb'il Xnaq'tzb'il Kynab'il Qchman, 30 students, Reggio Emilia–Mam pedagogy), the David Jimenez Learning Center (90 students/year, 9 teachers), a Scholarship Program (24 graduates since 2005), a Computer Lab, a Library, and a planned New Community School designed for 440 students across preschool through ninth grade.

Economic development is anchored by two women's cooperatives: Maya Mam Weavers (textiles — scarves, shawls, travel bags, kitchen towels, table linens, employing ~23 women plus 8–12 outsourced) and a restarted Egg Farm Cooperative (7 women, 400 hens as of March 2025, targeting 800). Cultural invigoration includes three published children's books in the Mam language (Editorial Maya' Wuj / National Geographic Genographic Legacy), a Visual Arts Program (murals, painting), and a Reforestation Program (3,500 saplings planted in spring 2024).

Funding is almost entirely donation-based: individual donations, foundation grants (Maya Educational Foundation, American Association of Women for International Understanding, Joe Sarti Scholarship Fund, National Geographic Genographic Legacy), GlobalGiving project campaigns, community fundraising events, art exhibitions (Gallery Bergen), and product sales. There is no paid staff outside specific program coordinators and no external investors; FY2025 actual revenue is $100,510 USD with a $109,679 budget for FY2026. The organization is governed by independent Boards in each country and operates within a single geographic market (Cajolá and Morristown diaspora) with no proprietary technology stack.

Name

Grupo Cajola

Legal name

Grupo Cajolá

Website

https://grupocajola.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grupo Cajolá is an all-volunteer, community-led nonprofit running Maya Mam education, women's cooperatives, and cultural preservation programs in Cajolá, Guatemala, funded by diaspora donations from its Morristown, NJ US arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tribal Teacher Education & Indigenous Language Colleges (Educator Prep/Language Revitalization) (EDAHANAG), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Maya Mam education
• Nonprofit cultural preservation
• Women weaving cooperative
• Scholarship sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Quetzaltenango

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue source from individual donations, fundraising events, and charitable contributions. The organization is volunteer-run so the vast majority of donations go directly to supporting programs in Cajolá.
2. Grants and Foundations: Funding from Maya Educational Foundation, Joe Sarti Scholarship fund, American Association of Women for International Understanding, National Geographic Genographic Legacy program, and GlobalGiving platform.
3. Product Sales (Books and Textiles): Sale of books published in Mam language ($15 per book) and Maya Mam Weavers products including scarves, shawls, travel bags, kitchen towels, and table linens sold in Guatemala and US markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Grupo Cajola is a nonprofit organization that operates community programs for the Maya Mam indigenous population in Cajolá, Guatemala. Its core offerings include a preschool, a women's weaving cooperative producing traditional textiles, an egg farm that funds nutrition initiatives, and student scholarship and sponsorship programs. The organization is supported by an all-volunteer US board and individual donors, sponsors, and grantmakers.

Product overview

Grupo Cajola is a community-led nonprofit organization operating multiple interconnected programs across education, economic development, and cultural preservation in Cajola, Guatemala. The organization offers Maya Mam Weavers (a textile cooperative), an Egg Farm Cooperative, and educational programs including the Jaxnaq'tzb'il Xnaq'tzb'il Kynab'il Qchman Preschool, David Jimenez Learning Center, Computer Lab, Library, and Scholarship Program. Cultural initiatives include Books in Mam publishing, Visual Arts programming, and Reforestation efforts. The organization is planning a New Community School to expand educational capacity to 440 students from preschool through middle school.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Program Early childhood education program serving Maya Mam children in Cajolá, Guatemala, coordinated locally by Maria "Conchi" Mendez and supported by US-based donors and an all-volunteer board. The program provides culturally and linguistically grounded preschool education to indigenous children who would otherwise have limited access to formal early learning.
• Women's Weaving Cooperative
• Egg Farm
• Student Scholarship Program
• Student Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 professionals graduated through scholarship program since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core and minor.

• Maya Educational FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 200519-year partnership providing annual funding for scholarship program supporting youth in Cajolá. The scholarship program responded to the fact that in 2005 there were only 3 university graduates in town, and has since graduated 24 professionals including doctors, lawyers, teachers, linguists, and nurses.
• GlobalGivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFundraising platform used to raise funds for the egg farm cooperative restart and other projects. Hens purchased and hen house repaired using funds raised on GlobalGiving.
• Editorial Maya' WujcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaxche Rodriguez-led publisher providing enormous support for publishing children's books in Mam language. Three books published with this partnership.
• Jennifer Cooper (Pro Bono Architect)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro bono architect who designed the New Community School based on extensive interviews and brainstorming with current teachers.
• Rotary Club of Quetzaltenango (Roberto Davila)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaking the school design and bringing it into reality for the New Community School project.
• Gallery Bergen / Bergen Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery space hosting Telas de Solidaridad exhibition featuring four Guatemalan artists to benefit Grupo Cajolá. Exhibition organized by Executive Director Caryn Maxim and Board VP Diana Crowder in collaboration with Gallery Bergen director Tim Blunk.
• Guatemala Network for Reggio EmiliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreschool is a member of Guatemala's Network for Reggio Emilia, accessing training and consultations for educational approach.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Limitless Horizons Ixil: Supports Maya Ixil youth through education, scholarships, and a library/tech center in Chajul, Guatemala. Direct peer in indigenous Maya education and scholarship pipeline model.
• Wakami: Social enterprise connecting low-income women artisans in Guatemala to global markets through a fair-trade supply chain. Direct peer on women's weaving cooperatives and market access for Maya artisans.
• Pueblo a Pueblo: Guatemala-based nonprofit providing education, leadership training, and community development to indigenous communities around Lake Atitlán. Direct peer given shared focus on indigenous Maya community education and community-led development in Guatemala.
• Friendship Bridge: Operates microenterprise and educational programs for indigenous women in Guatemala. Direct peer on women-led economic cooperatives serving Maya communities.
• Long Way Home: Builds self-sustaining, eco-friendly schools in Guatemala using recycled materials and provides education and vocational training. Direct peer on school construction and education-for-indigenous-youth in Guatemala.
• Mayan Families: Nonprofit supporting indigenous Maya families in the highlands of Guatemala through education sponsorships, microloans, healthcare, and nutrition programs. Direct peer on multi-program indigenous community development.
• Maya Educational Foundation: Long-term Grupo Cajolá partner (since 2005) funding scholarships for indigenous Maya youth across Guatemala. Direct peer in scholarship pipeline delivery for Maya students.

Broad incumbents

• GlobalGiving: Global crowdfunding and grant platform used by Grupo Cajolá (egg farm, computer lab). Broad incumbent enabling nonprofit fundraising at scale across developing-world causes.

Emerging players

• Literacy Bridge (now Amplio Network): Focuses on literacy and education in indigenous and underserved communities using audio technology. Emerging peer in indigenous-language education content delivery for rural communities.

Regional players

• Coffee Trust: Nonprofit working with indigenous coffee-farming communities in Honduras on education and economic development. Regional peer given similar model of integrated education and economic development for Central American indigenous communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Grupo_Cajola
• Facebookfacebook.com/GrupoCajolaNA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupocajola/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/grupocajolana
• Xx.com/GrupoCajola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Grupo Cajola