Phoenix Legal Action Network

What Phoenix Legal Action Network does

Phoenix Legal Action Network (PLAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona, that provides free legal representation to non-detained, low-income immigrants facing deportation before the Phoenix Immigration Court. The organization serves a small client base of approximately 60 directly represented individuals per year, supplemented by 78 consultations delivered through 15 legal clinics in 2025, with case types spanning adjustment of status, asylum, VAWA cancellation, U visa applications, and appeals. PLAN differentiates itself through a movement-lawyering approach that centers immigrant voices, and operates a community-led model that delivers services in partnership with immigrant-led organizations including Aliento, Poder in Action, and Trans Queer Pueblo. The organization's "clients" are uninsured immigrants with no access to a public defender in immigration court, and PLAN markets itself as filling this access-to-justice gap.

PLAN's core service offerings include direct legal representation, a weekly Rapid Response Legal Clinic held every Thursday in downtown Phoenix, a Housing Legal Clinic serving specific zip codes (85043, 85035, 85033, 85031, 85301), a Knowledge Center providing bilingual self-help legal resources, and annual bilingual storytelling events ("In Our Own Words") intended to shift anti-immigrant narratives. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; it is a service-delivery nonprofit with a small staff (11-50 headcount band, but named staff of approximately 3-4 including Executive Director Golden McCarthy, Legal Director Rekha Nair, Program & Development Coordinator Giselle Valadez Godinez, and one immigration attorney hired in March 2023). There is no API, no app, and no integrations of any kind.

PLAN's revenue model is donation-based and includes four streams: individual donations (including the Cactus Circle monthly giving program launched in May 2023), corporate sponsorships ranging from $500 (Marigold tier) to $10,000 (Agave tier), Arizona Charitable Tax Credit contributions (QCO code 22744, allowing donors to claim up to $506 single or $1,009 joint), and grants. PLAN provides all services free of charge and has no pricing model. Revenue is not disclosed in the source data, and the organization is governed by a board of directors with no parent company or private equity ownership. The market context is sizeable: 17,000+ immigrants have pending Phoenix Immigration Court cases and 275,000 undocumented immigrants live in Phoenix, per the Arizona Immigration Council.

Name

Phoenix Legal Action Network

Legal name

Phoenix Legal Action Network

Website

https://planphx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phoenix Legal Action Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that provides free legal representation to non-detained, low-income immigrants facing deportation in Phoenix Immigration Court, partnering with immigrant-led organizations to deliver community-anchored legal services and narrative-change programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education (EDAAADAB)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Legal aid nonprofit
• Deportation defense
• Immigrant advocacy
• Community legal clinics

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: PLAN relies on individual donations from community members. Monthly donors join the Cactus Circle monthly giving program. One-time donations support legal services and community programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual sponsorship packages ranging from $500 (Marigold) to $10,000 (Agave). Sponsors receive tickets to events, signage, and recognition.
3. Arizona Charitable Tax Credit: Arizona residents can contribute to PLAN as a Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO code: 22744) and claim up to $506 (single) or $1,009 (joint) on their state taxes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phoenix Legal Action Network (PLAN) provides free civil legal representation to non-detained, low-income immigrants facing deportation in the Phoenix Immigration Court, including services for adjustment of status, asylum, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U visas, and appeals. Beyond direct legal services, the organization runs weekly legal clinics, an annual bilingual storytelling event, a housing legal clinic, an online Knowledge Center, and community power-building programs in partnership with immigrant-led organizations.

Product overview

Phoenix Legal Action Network (PLAN) is a nonprofit organization offering free immigration legal services, community programs, and educational resources to Arizona immigrants. The organization operates several interconnected programs: Legal Services providing free representation for deportation cases in Phoenix Immigration Court; Storytelling Events including the annual 'In Our Own Words' bilingual art and story event; a Housing Legal Clinic serving specific Phoenix zip codes; a Knowledge Center with FAQs and self-help resources; Community Partnerships through Colectivo Capullo with immigrant-led organizations; and a Rapid Response Legal Clinic for weekly consultations. The organization does not offer a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services Free civil legal representation for non-detained, low-income immigrants facing deportation in the Phoenix Immigration Court. Covers adjustment of status, asylum, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U visas, work permits, and appeals. Services are provided at no cost to qualifying clients in Maricopa County.
• Rapid Response Legal Clinic

Quantifiable outcome

• Non-detained immigrant is 5X more likely to win their immigration case if they have an attorney
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hawker Street MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2021Co-hosted Izakaya Night Japanese food and whiskey tasting fundraiser that raised $76,000 in November 2021.
• International Rescue CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Partnered with the International Rescue Committee and CAIR-Arizona in October 2021 to host community legal clinics for Afghans arriving in Arizona. Co-hosted asylum clinics for Afghan evacuees.
• CAIR-ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Co-hosted community legal clinics and asylum clinics for Afghan evacuees arriving in Arizona with the International Rescue Committee.
• Arizona HumanitiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2021Provided generous support for PLAN's first annual immigrant storytelling & art event in October 2022.
• Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Initial partnership through the Justice for Immigrants & Families Project pilot (2018-2019). The Florence Project provided seed funding from Perkins Coie and implementation partnership. PLAN later referred clients to FIRRP when they couldn't take cases.
• Trans Queer PueblocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutonomous LGBTQ+ migrant community of color organization. Co-creator of Colectivo Capullo collective. PLAN attends their meetings and supports their work as an extension of their resources.
• Poder in ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmigrant-led organization. Co-creator of Colectivo Capullo collective. Partner for community organizing and advocacy alongside local immigrant-led organizations.
• AlientocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmigrant-led organization in Arizona. Partner in solidarity working to support social and immigrant justice in Phoenix.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Poder in Action: PLAN's core immigrant-led partner organization in Phoenix. Comparable community-organizing work and membership base, and co-creator of Colectivo Capullo with PLAN and Trans Queer Pueblo.
• Aliento: PLAN's core immigrant-led partner in Arizona focused on DACA recipients, mixed-status families, and narrative change through art. Directly comparable community organizing and storytelling approach serving the same immigrant population in Phoenix.
• Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): Largest nonprofit immigration legal services organization in Texas, providing free and low-cost legal representation to immigrants and refugees. Closest functional peer to PLAN in terms of free-court-representation model and community-anchored service delivery.
• CAIR-Arizona: PLAN's partner on Afghan asylum clinics (October 2021). Civil rights and advocacy organization serving Muslim communities, with overlapping client populations and a focus on legal support for immigrants facing discrimination and removal.
• Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project: PLAN's original seed partner (2018 pilot) and the organization from which Legal Director Rekha Nair came. Provides free immigration legal services in Arizona, including detained and non-detained representation. Directly comparable mission, geography, and service model.
• Justice for Our Neighbors: A national network of immigration legal aid clinics staffed by attorneys providing free or low-cost services to low-income immigrants. Directly comparable in providing free representation in removal proceedings at the local clinic level.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit providing pro bono immigration legal representation to unaccompanied children. Comparable free-representation legal services model for vulnerable immigrant populations, though focused on minors.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): PLAN's strategic partner (co-hosted Afghan asylum clinics October 2021). A large international humanitarian organization that provides immigration legal services alongside resettlement, health, and education programs for refugees.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants. Comparable focus on systemic immigrant justice through litigation, policy, and education, though at national rather than local court level.
• Catholic Charities Community Legal Services: National network providing immigration legal services through local Catholic Charities agencies, often including representation in removal proceedings. Comparable free legal aid model with broader faith-based social service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/planphoenix
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlanPhoenix
• Xx.com/PlanPhoenix
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXXXXXXXXXX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planphx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phoenix Legal Action Network