BINATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

What BINATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT does

The Binational Institute of Human Development (BIHD) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 in Chicago to deliver immigration, financial, business development, wellness, and cultural services to immigrant and refugee communities. Its core program, the Immigration and Legal Center, provides representation in immigration court, asylum cases, family petitions, removal defense, U visas, VAWA protections, and consular processing at nominal fees for low- and moderate-income clients. PROSPERA Financial extends the offering into tax preparation, ITIN assistance, credit restoration, and lending services. Additional programs include Casa México USA and Casa Guatemala USA for cross-border legal coordination, Ukrainian XATA for displaced persons, PLAN B for emergency immigration planning, an SBA-funded Small Business Development Center, a Wellness Institute, and an Arts, Culture & Dance Institute partnered with Chicago Dance Academy.

BIHD operates six physical offices across Chicago, Wheeling, and Prospect Heights (Illinois), Garland (Texas), Mexico City, and Quetzaltenango (Guatemala), with virtual Zoom appointments supplementing in-person service delivery. The technology stack is a WordPress-based multilingual website (English, Spanish, Russian) with encrypted client communications, plus Calendly scheduling and Jotform intake forms — there are no proprietary AI or machine-learning systems in use. Revenue is generated through a combination of nominal legal fees, PROSPERA tax-preparation fees, and donations/grants, including a cooperation agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Illinois DCEO.

The organization serves a highly fragmented base of individual immigrant households, with no enterprise accounts and no venture-style funding. Leadership is headed by CEO Netza Roldan, with senior legal counsel handling immigration and family law matters and program directors covering operations, arts/dance, community relations, and the SBDC. BIHD reports having assisted thousands of families with immigration status, deportation avoidance, business formalization, and binational legal matters.

Name

BINATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Legal name

Binational Institute of Human Development

Website

https://binationalinstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIHD is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2000 that provides immigration legal representation, tax preparation, small business development, wellness, and cultural programs to immigrant and refugee communities across offices in Illinois, Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal and Immigration Services: The organization charges nominal fees and offers moderate payment options for legal representation in immigration court, family petitions, asylum cases, and other immigration matters. Services are designed to be affordable for low- and moderate-income individuals.
2. Tax Preparation Services (PROSPERA): Tax preparation and financial services offered through the PROSPERA program, including tax filing, ITIN assistance, financial advising, credit restoration, and loan services. Revenue generated through service fees for tax preparation.
3. Donations and Grants: Nonprofit funding through donations from individuals and organizations, as well as grant partnerships. Funded partially through cooperation agreement with U.S. Small Business Administration and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BIHD is a nonprofit organization providing immigration legal representation, tax preparation and financial services through the PROSPERA program, small business development advising via an SBA-funded SBDC, and culturally tailored support programs (Casa México USA, Casa Guatemala USA, Ukrainian XATA, PLAN B, Wellness, and Arts/Culture/Dance Institute) for low- and moderate-income immigrants, refugees, and mixed-status families in the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. Services are delivered at nominal fees with payment options, supplemented by donations and government grants.

Product overview

The Binational Institute of Human Development (BIHD) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of integrated services to immigrants, refugees, and working families. The core offerings include the Immigration and Legal Center for immigration representation, PROSPERA Financial for tax preparation and financial services, and multiple culturally-specific programs including Casa México USA, Casa Guatemala USA, and Ukrainian XATA for community-specific support. Additional services include a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for entrepreneurship, PLAN B for emergency legal/financial planning, a Binational Institute of Wellness for mental health support, an Arts Culture & Dance Institute for youth development, and Mexico Office Services for cross-border legal matters. The organization operates offices in Chicago, Wheeling, Prospect Heights (Illinois), Dallas (Texas), Guatemala City, and Mexico City.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROSPERA Financial: Tax preparation and financial services program serving immigrants with SSN or ITIN, offering tax filing, refund maximization, and financial guidance.
• Casa México USA
• Casa Guatemala USA
• Ukrainian XATA
• PLAN B
• Binational Institute of Wellness
• Arts, Culture & Dance Institute
• Immigration and Legal Center
• SBDC (Small Business Development Center)

Products and services

• Immigration and Legal Center Immigration legal services offering family petitions, adjustment of status, removal defense, asylum assistance, U visas, VAWA protections, waivers, consular processing, and work authorization assistance for low- and moderate-income individuals.
• PROSPERA Financial Tax preparation and financial services for immigrants with SSN or ITIN, including tax filing, refund maximization, credit restoration, debt consolidation, housing assistance, personal and commercial loans, student programs, and ERC/SETC credits.
• Casa México USA Immigration, legal, civil, economic, social, and binational assistance program serving Mexican immigrants in the US and their families in Mexico, including documentation support, business development, and legal services delivered through the Mexico City office.
• Casa Guatemala USA Immigration, legal, civil, economic, social, and binational assistance program serving Guatemalan immigrants in the U.S. and their families in Guatemala, including civil registry documents (RENAP), family petitions, and binational legal coordination.
• Ukrainian XATA Specialized program supporting Ukrainian individuals and families displaced by war, offering humanitarian parole guidance, TPS, asylum, immigration defense, work authorization, small business development, and community integration.
• PLAN B - Emergency Immigration Plan Legal and financial protection planning for mixed-status and undocumented families, including powers of attorney, guardianship declarations, life insurance, living trusts, wills, investment planning, property titling, and emergency document vaults.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Small business advising and development services funded through a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration, Illinois DCEO, and BIHD, providing business planning, registration guidance, marketing support, financial literacy, and tax education.
• Binational Institute of Wellness Wellness initiative providing community education, support groups, emotional and trauma recovery services, and holistic health promotion for immigrant families supporting mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
• Arts, Culture & Dance Institute Arts programming offering classical ballet, Argentine Tango, and movement-based activities for youth development and mental health, delivered in partnership with KRUG Community Circle and Chicago Dance Academy.
• Mexico Office Services Legal and administrative services for U.S. residents with matters in Mexico, including civil record corrections, birth/marriage/divorce/death certificates, property transactions, family law, inheritance procedures, dual nationality support, and repatriation assistance.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 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 supporting.

• KRUG Community CirclecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Strategic partnership with KRUG Community Circle for the Ukrainian XATA program supporting Ukrainian displaced persons. KRUG provides deep cultural presence, language capacity, community trust, and connections to Ukrainian and Eastern European families, while BIHD provides immigration legal services, nonprofit programming, and community advocacy.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois SBDC at BIHD is funded through a cooperation agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, providing small business development advisory services to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the immigrant community.
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois SBDC at BIHD is funded in part through cooperation with Illinois DCEO, supporting economic development in immigrant communities.
• Chicago Dance AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Chicago Dance Academy and Academia de Ballet Clásico y Danza under artistic direction of Inna Duerr for the BIHD Arts, Culture & Dance Institute, providing structured ballet training and dance programming for youth and families.
• City of ChicagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership (2009-2012) for 'Medicina a Distancia' medical teleconference program and oversight of memorandums of understanding between Government of Mexico City and City of Chicago.
• American Diabetes AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership collaboration for 'Medicina a Distancia' pioneering 24/7 medical teleconference program serving immigrant families.
• Access Community Health NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership for 'Medicina a Distancia' program providing medical consultation and health guidance to immigrant families facing healthcare access barriers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HIAS: Jewish-founded refugee resettlement and legal aid agency operating across the U.S. and Latin America. Directly comparable to BIHD's binational refugee-resettlement and immigration legal services model, particularly around serving displaced populations from Ukraine, Guatemala, and Venezuela.
• CASA (formerly Casa de Maryland): Mid-Atlantic Latino and immigrant advocacy organization providing legal services, workforce development, and community organizing. Comparable to BIHD on immigrant legal services, small business support, and culturally responsive service delivery to mixed-status families.
• Tahirih Justice Center: National nonprofit providing immigration legal services to survivors of gender-based violence. Overlaps directly with BIHD's U visa, VAWA, and domestic-violence survivor practice, and serves a similar low-income immigrant client base with hybrid legal-plus-social-services model.
• World Relief: Evangelical refugee resettlement agency with multiple U.S. offices providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and integration programming. Comparable footprint, funding model, and client population to BIHD, including recently resettled Ukrainian and Central American clients.
• Hispanic Federation: National Latino advocacy and services organization with programming in immigration legal support, economic empowerment, and community wellness. Directly comparable to BIHD's Latino-community focus, immigrant integration work, and binational U.S.-Latin America orientation.
• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and integration programming across the U.S. Highly comparable to BIHD on refugee-services mission and accredited immigration representation model.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): National network of immigration legal services programs affiliated with the Catholic Church. Highly comparable to BIHD as both provide accredited immigration representation to low-income immigrants, with overlapping service lines (family petitions, asylum, naturalization) and similar reliance on BIA-accredited representatives.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): Nonprofit providing pro bono immigration legal representation to unaccompanied children. Closely comparable to BIHD's undocumented-youth and removal-defense work, with similar reliance on attorneys and accredited representatives for vulnerable populations.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Largest U.S. nonprofit social services network with comprehensive immigrant services across all 50 states. Overlaps with BIHD on immigration legal, refugee resettlement, and family services but at vastly larger scale and as part of a much broader social-services portfolio.

Emerging players

• Immigration Equality: Nonprofit providing immigration legal services to LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and other vulnerable populations. Comparable niche mission of providing legal representation to underserved immigrant populations with high-acuity cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Binational_BIHD
• Facebookfacebook.com/bihdusa
• Instagraminstagram.com/binational_institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/binational-institute-of-human-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BINATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT