The Miguel Contreras Foundation

What The Miguel Contreras Foundation does

The Miguel Contreras Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. It operates as the official program partner of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, giving it unique distribution access to a network of more than 300 industry unions across the LA region. The foundation's mission is to build coalitions aligning labor, employer, and community resources to create equitable economic opportunities for overlooked workers, including people of color, immigrants, women, and formerly incarcerated individuals. There is no proprietary technology platform; MCF delivers services primarily through human-led training, case management, and partner-based referral channels.

MCF's core product set comprises the Labor One-Stop Center (union apprenticeship readiness and placement into jobs paying $14-$21/hour with benefits), the Better Jobs Program (union training and placement), the Second Chance Program (a 12-week union apprenticeship readiness program for formerly incarcerated individuals offering $15/hour training stipends), the Fair + Safe Worksite Program (employer training on workplace compliance and immigrant worker relations), and Immigration Resources (attorney directory, detention center locator, and Know Your Rights materials). During COVID-19, MCF scaled an emergency response that placed 527 workers and distributed 16,000+ PPE units to essential workers and affiliate unions. In 2026 the foundation was awarded a $3.5 million California Workforce Development Board HRTP grant to launch 'Expanding Pathways to Healthcare' in partnership with SEIU-UHW, AlliedUP, and Futuro Health, targeting 210+ placements across LA, Inland Empire, and San Diego.

The foundation's revenue is composed primarily of government workforce development grants (managed through California's HRTP and related programs), tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations, and proceeds from the annual Cinco De Mayo Awards signature fundraiser. Major past grants include $3.5 million (2026 HRTP) and $646,345 (2021 CWDB HRTP for the USW 675-Proterra electric bus manufacturing program). Executive Director Armando Loza has managed over $32-35 million in public and private workforce development funds across his career. Programs are provided free of charge to eligible participants.

Name

The Miguel Contreras Foundation

Legal name

The Miguel Contreras Foundation

Website

https://miguelcontrerasfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Miguel Contreras Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization and program partner of the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, providing union apprenticeship readiness, job placement, employer training, and immigration resources to underserved workers across Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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. Grants and Government Funding: MCF receives substantial grant funding from government workforce development programs. The foundation was awarded $3.5 million through the California Workforce Development Board's High Road Training Partnerships (HRTP) program for healthcare career pathways. Additional grants include $646,345 as fiscal agent for the USW 675-Proterra training program.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: The foundation accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Cinco De Mayo Awards event serves as the major annual joint fundraiser supporting LA Fed and MCF programs.
3. Program Fees (Minimal): While programs are provided free to eligible participants, MCF may receive nominal program fees or administrative cost recovery from workforce development partnerships. Training programs provide $15/hour stipends to participants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Miguel Contreras Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization that operates as the program partner of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. It provides free union apprenticeship readiness training, job placement into quality union jobs, immigration legal resources, and employer training programs to underserved workers including opportunity youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, and women and communities of color across the Los Angeles region.

Product overview

The Miguel Contreras Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization serving as the program partner of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. The organization offers a unified portfolio of workforce development programs focused on connecting underserved communities (people of color, formerly incarcerated, immigrants, and women) to quality union jobs. Core offerings include the Labor One-Stop Center (union apprenticeship readiness and placement), the Better Jobs Program (union training and placement), the Second Chance Program (for formerly incarcerated individuals), the Fair + Safe Worksite Program (employer training), and Immigration Resources (attorney directory and worker defense tools). The organization also runs scholarship programs, PPE distribution initiatives, and newer healthcare career pathway programs through HRTP grant funding. These programs are provided free of charge to participants and are funded through grants and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Labor One-Stop Center: A union apprenticeship readiness and placement program that provides better jobs for underserved communities, offering workshops and career services.
• Second Chance Program
• Fair + Safe Worksite

Products and services

• Labor One-Stop Center A union apprenticeship readiness and placement program that helps individuals throughout Los Angeles County enter into union apprenticeships paying $14-21 per hour including medical insurance and retirement benefits. Provides career counseling, program enrollment, case management, and job placement support through in-person services.
• Better Jobs Program A training program that brings together labor and worker-friendly businesses to offer union training and placement, preparing underserved workers for better jobs with better pay and benefits.
• Second Chance Program A 12-week union apprenticeship readiness training and placement program providing better jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals in the building and construction trades, featuring a $15/hour training stipend, hands-on construction training, industry-recognized certificates, and union job placement support.
• Fair + Safe Worksite Program Training and educational resources for employers and unions on creating fair and safe workplaces, including one-on-one training, in-language group sessions, employer compliance education, and educational materials for immigrant workers.
• PPE to Essential Workers Program distributing free PPE masks and equipment to essential workers and affiliate unions during the COVID-19 pandemic, having distributed over 16,000 units of PPE equipment to over 65,000 pieces total.
• Immigration Resources Immigration support services including attorney directory, detention center locator, educational brochures, and tools for defending immigrant workers, with resources available in multiple languages. Includes DACA support, Know Your Rights information, and wage theft protection resources.
• MCF Scholarship Yearly scholarships awarded to high school seniors and students in community colleges, universities, and apprenticeship programs to honor civil rights leader Miguel Contreras.
• Expanding Pathways to Healthcare A multi-year initiative through the $3.5 million HRTP grant connecting opportunity youth to high-quality healthcare careers across Southern California, with partners SEIU-UHW, AlliedUP, and Futuro Health, targeting placement of over 210 participants into allied health roles.
• Online Trainings Library of online webinars designed to help individuals find better jobs, including skills training workshops on communication, collaboration, problem-solving, interview preparation, resume writing, and adaptability, delivered via Zoom.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 210 participants to be placed into healthcare careers over two years through HRTP grant
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO (LA Fed)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MCF serves as the official 501(c)(3) nonprofit program partner of the LA Fed, founded in 1885. This relationship provides MCF access to over 300 industry unions and positions the foundation as the primary vehicle for workforce development initiatives outside traditional organized labor focus. The LA Fed supports policies advancing affordable housing, minimum wage, and wage theft enforcement.
• SEIU-UHWflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West is a key partner in the $3.5 million HRTP grant initiative 'Expanding Pathways to Healthcare.' The partnership aims to place over 210 participants into healthcare careers across Southern California regions facing acute workforce shortages.
• AlliedUPflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026AlliedUP is a healthcare workforce partner in the HRTP grant initiative, contributing to training and placement programs for allied health roles in Southern California.
• Futuro HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Futuro Health partners with MCF in the healthcare workforce initiative, providing training and career pathway support for underserved young people entering healthcare professions.
• Al Otro LadocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAl Otro Lado is a bi-national human rights and legal service provider. MCF partnered with them during COVID-19 to distribute PPE to essential workers while Al Otro Lado provided legal representation for asylum seekers.
• USW Local 675flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Steelworkers Local 675 is the union partner for Proterra electric bus manufacturing training. The nearly $1 million partnership (with $646,345 in CWDB funding) trains underserved workers for quality jobs in advanced manufacturing.
• ProterraflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProterra is an electric bus manufacturing company partnering with MCF and USW Local 675 to provide hands-on training and job placement for workers in the clean transportation sector.
• Citrus CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitrus College provides college-level career technical education courses as part of the Proterra training program, offering academic credit and industry-recognized credentials for participants.
• Teamsters 399coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Teamsters Local 399 to train immigrant workers, providing workforce development and union access for Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities.
• Apprenticeship Readiness FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partnered with the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund to facilitate placement of 101 entry workers and 426 displaced workers into quality jobs during COVID-19 response.
• Hospitality Training AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Hospitality Training Academy contributed to placing workers into good quality jobs during the pandemic economic crisis.
• UPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPS partnered with MCF to provide a paid training program including classroom instruction and hands-on training at UPS package facilities, with all graduates receiving job offers.
• California Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partnered with California Community Foundation and leading immigration attorneys to develop an online Attorney Directory connecting labor and community network members to low-bono legal services.
• Rancho Dominguez AJCCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmando Loza previously served as Director of Rancho Dominguez America's Job Center of California (AJCC), coordinating workforce development programs with multiple government and educational partners.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing skills training, mentorship, and corporate placement for opportunity youth aged 18-29. Comparable focus on opportunity youth and underserved populations but operates nationally with much larger employer partner network.
• Goodwill Industries International: Largest U.S. nonprofit workforce development network operating across 300+ local organizations, providing training and placement for individuals facing barriers to employment. Comparable core workforce development mission but vastly broader scope and scale than MCF.
• The Fortune Society: Established NYC-based nonprofit providing comprehensive reentry services including workforce development, education, housing, and advocacy for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable workforce + wraparound model at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate employment readiness, placement, and retention services for people returning home from incarceration. Closely comparable reentry-focused workforce development model to MCF's Second Chance Program.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing workforce development, job training, and placement services primarily for formerly incarcerated individuals and gang-affiliated community members. Directly comparable to MCF's reentry mission and Southern California geography.
• Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE): LA-based worker advocacy and workforce policy organization closely tied to the labor movement, focusing on low-wage workers' rights and economic justice. Shares MCF's labor-aligned advocacy and geographic footprint.
• Chrysalis: Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering employment preparation, job placement, and retention services to individuals facing barriers including homelessness, justice involvement, and low income. Comparable workforce development focus and Southern California geography.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) Southern California: Workforce development nonprofit providing career training, placement, and support services across Southern California for underserved communities including immigrants, refugees, and opportunity youth. Directly comparable training and placement model.

Regional players

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC): California-based advocacy and reentry support organization focused on policy reform and opportunity for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable mission around reentry populations, primarily operating statewide rather than in MCF's specific geographies.

Emerging players

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology skills training and career placement for underserved adults. Comparable apprenticeship-style training and placement model but focused specifically on technology careers rather than the broader union trades MCF targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MiguelContrerasFoundation
• Xx.com/contrerasfnd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/miguel-contreras-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Miguel Contreras Foundation