Casa de Amistad

What Casa de Amistad does

Casa de Amistad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Solana Beach, California, that delivers free educational support, mentoring, and enrichment programming to underserved K-12 students in North County San Diego. The organization operates eight core programs spanning one-on-one and group tutoring, multi-year mentoring, family literacy, arts enrichment, college and career readiness (including a Career Pathways track built on the YouScience aptitude-assessment platform), STEM-focused DREAMS + Tech programming, and the Future Leaders Scholarship, which has cumulatively disbursed $300,000 to college-bound alumni since 2016. Service delivery relies on a hybrid model of 28 paid staff and 240+ active volunteers reaching 255 students weekly, with student acquisition driven by referral relationships through 25+ community partners rather than paid marketing.

The business model is contribution-based: revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and fundraising events, with 501(c)(3) status formalized in 2001 enabling tax-deductible giving. Programmatic capacity is leveraged through volunteer labor, which materially lowers cost-per-student and allows the organization to deliver multiple program lines without proportional headcount growth. Casa de Amistad's competitive position rests on 24+ years of local operating history, a documented alumni-to-staff talent pipeline, and an embedded partner ecosystem — assets that collectively raise the replication cost for any new entrant attempting to serve the same student population.

Forward indicators are constructive but incremental: the August 2025 appointment of Kate Kousser as Director of Development signals a deliberate move to professionalize fundraising, while the YouScience-integrated Career Pathways launch and continued partner ecosystem buildout point to gradual deepening of the value proposition per student rather than geographic or demographic expansion. No M&A, capital raise, multi-site expansion, or proprietary technology development is disclosed in the available data.

Name

Casa de Amistad

Legal name

Casa de Amistad

Website

https://casadeamistad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Casa de Amistad is a Solana Beach, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment programming to 255 underserved K-12 students weekly in North County San Diego through eight programs supported by 28 staff and 240+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Solana Beach

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. Stock Donations: Accepts donations of appreciated and depreciated stocks and securities, facilitating charitable giving through appreciated assets.
2. In-Kind Gifts: Resource Center accepts general reading material, reference books, educational games, and school supplies for use in programs, requiring pre-approval by the Executive Director.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors can support the organization through financial contributions. Contact via Executive Director at [email protected].

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Casa de Amistad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community learning center that delivers free academic tutoring, mentoring, STEM enrichment, early literacy, summer programming, career pathway workshops, college scholarships, and parent education to underserved K-12 students and their families in North County San Diego. Its flagship Kinder to College Initiative provides 100 tutoring hours per student per year, supported by a network of 225+ volunteer tutor/mentors serving approximately 255 students weekly at the Solana Beach campus.

Product overview

Casa de Amistad operates as a community learning center offering a unified suite of eight interconnected educational programs under a holistic, whole-child philosophy. The core offering is the Kinder to College Initiative, a long-term flagship program that guides students from kindergarten through college. This is supported by the Study Companions Program (individual mentorship with 100 tutoring hours per student annually) and the DREAMS + Tech Initiative (STEM enrichment addressing the digital divide). Early Literacy Program serves 4-5 year olds for school readiness, while the Summer Enrichment Program maintains learning during breaks. Career Pathways Workshops leverage YouScience assessments for middle/high school students, with eligible participants accessing the Future Leaders Scholarship. The Parents in Action Program engages families through positive parenting workshops. All programs operate on the same North County San Diego campus, serving 255+ K-12 students weekly with volunteer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kinder to College Initiative Flagship long-term program that guides students throughout their entire educational journey from kindergarten through college, tracking and measuring individual progress at every stage and milestone for underserved K-12 youth in North County San Diego.
• Study Companions Program Individual academic mentorship program that pairs trained tutors and mentors with each child, providing weekly sessions that help students accomplish homework, improve reading and math skills, and develop executive functioning skills, totaling 100 tutoring hours per student per year.
• DREAMS + Tech Initiative STEM-focused enrichment initiative providing K-12 students with access to Design, Research, Engineering, Art, Math, Science, and Technology activities outside of school hours, designed to close the digital divide in the community.
• Early Literacy Program Structured early childhood education program for 4 and 5-year-old children, taught weekly in small-group classroom settings by experienced early childhood educators using benchmarks to measure progress and school readiness.
• Summer Enrichment Program Supplemental educational program for students in grades K-6 during summer break, featuring STEAM-based activities supplemented by DREAMS + Tech Initiative research projects and educational field trips.
• Career Pathways Workshops Workshop series for middle and high school students that uses YouScience online career assessment testing and curriculum to help students explore and map out pathways to future careers by combining personal passions with professional goals.
• Future Leaders Scholarship College scholarship program for eligible graduating seniors who participate in the College and Career Pathways program starting their Junior year of high school with a minimum 2.5 GPA, usable for vocational training, community college, and four-year universities.
• Parents in Action Program Parent engagement program providing services and workshops to help parents enhance their parenting skills using positive parenting techniques, with workshops addressing health and wellbeing, mental health, and education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students graduate high school and enroll in post-secondary education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Solana Beach Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity faith partner providing support for Casa de Amistad's mission to serve underserved youth and families in the Solana Beach area.
• City of Solana BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting community initiatives and programs for North County San Diego residents.
• Boys and Girls Club of San DieguitocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with youth development organization serving the San Dieguito community.
• Mira Costa CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting college preparation and pathway programs for Casa students.
• Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService club partner supporting community initiatives and fundraising efforts.
• US BanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial institution partner providing support for community programs and services.
• San Diego Gas and Electric (SDGE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility company partner supporting community initiatives in San Diego County.
• Solana Beach Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness organization partner supporting local community economic development.
• Fieldstone Leadership NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development organization supporting organizational capacity building.
• Community Law ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal services organization providing support for families served by Casa.
• San Diego County LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic library system partner supporting educational programs and resources.
• TrueCaresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner supporting family health and wellbeing programs.
• Hope for San DiegosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner supporting local initiatives.
• Buchanan Brand + DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign agency partner providing website and branding services (also credited as website developer).
• Solana Beach Civic Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical society partner supporting community heritage programs.
• Del Sol LionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService club partner supporting community initiatives.
• Christ Church PresbyterianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based community partner.
• San Dieguito AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity alliance supporting youth and family programs.
• JoJos CreameryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partner providing in-kind support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing underserved high school students with volunteer mentors for college access and success. Highly comparable to Casa's volunteer-driven mentoring and college-prep model, with a similar focus on long-term student-mentor relationships.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing college access and success coaching to low-income students, including scholarship support. Directly comparable to Casa's Career Pathways Workshops and Future Leaders Scholarship Program, though with a narrower college-prep focus.
• Reading Partners: National literacy nonprofit mobilizing volunteer tutors to provide evidence-based reading support to K-12 students from low-income communities. Comparable to Casa's Study Companions and Early Literacy programs through its volunteer-driven tutoring delivery model.
• Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito: Local youth development nonprofit serving the San Dieguito community with academic support, mentoring, and enrichment programs. Directly comparable to Casa de Amistad in mission, geography, and programming, and is in fact an active Casa partner.
• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit providing expanded learning time, career exposure, and mentoring to middle school students from under-resourced communities. Comparable to Casa's middle school career exploration and enrichment offerings via the Career Pathways Workshops and DREAMS + Tech Initiative.
• After-School All-Stars: National nonprofit providing comprehensive after-school programs including academic support, enrichment, and college/career readiness to underserved youth. Closely aligned with Casa's DREAMS + Tech, Career Pathways, and Summer Enrichment programs.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of San Diego County: Regional United Way affiliate funding education, financial stability, and health programs across San Diego County, including several Casa de Amistad partners. Acts as a comparable umbrella funder and community convener in the same geography.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with young people, particularly from underserved backgrounds. Highly comparable to Casa's volunteer-driven one-on-one mentorship model, though operating at significantly greater national scale with a broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Reality Changers: San Diego-based nonprofit providing college preparation, leadership development, and scholarships to first-generation high school students. Comparable to Casa's Future Leaders Scholarship and Career Pathways programs, with a more concentrated focus on high schoolers.
• Horizons at San Diego Friends School: Regional affiliate of the Horizons national network providing summer enrichment and year-round academic support to underserved K-8 students. Comparable to Casa's Summer Enrichment and Early Literacy programs in mission and summer-learning model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCL4SfDlFwaaAyOdSj7ksaEw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CasaDeAmistad.SolanaBeach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-de-amistad-sandiego
• Instagraminstagram.com/casadeamistad/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Casa de Amistad