California Latino School Boards Association

What California Latino School Boards Association does

California Latino School Boards Association (CLSBA) is a California-based non-profit membership organization dedicated to empowering current and future Latino/a/x school board members and improving educational outcomes for Latino/a/x students across the state's public K-12 and county office of education systems. The organization serves elected school board trustees who identify as Latino/a/x, providing professional development, peer networking, advocacy resources, and a collective policy voice on issues including educational equity, dual-language programming, immigrant inclusion, mental health, dual enrollment, and governance. Its leadership consists of fewer than ten individuals: a President, two Co-Vice Presidents, a Past President, two Directors-at-Large, and an Interim Executive Director, all of whom concurrently serve as trustees in California school districts or county offices of education.

CLSBA's core offerings comprise an annual flagship Unity Conference (held in-person since 2020, with editions in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025, and the upcoming Unity 2026), the Building Connections Professional Learning Webinar Series, a Resources Hub with Know Your Rights and governance materials, and membership services delivered through the third-party AssociationSphere online portal. The organization has expanded the conference scope over time, introducing K-16 focus with community college participation at Unity 2025. Its technology footprint is non-proprietary; the underlying stack consists of a standard content-managed website (clsba.org), the AssociationSphere membership platform, and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn).

CLSBA generates revenue through three principal streams: recurring membership dues collected via the AssociationSphere portal, event registration fees from the annual Unity conference, and grants and corporate sponsorships. Sponsorship is tiered (Sustaining, Supporting, Contributing, Advocate), with named sponsors spanning education technology (i-Ready, Renaissance, twigScience), legal services (Lozano Smith, Garcia Hernández Sawhney LLP, AALRR), labor (IBEW & NECA), and youth programming (Youth Cinema Project, Sports for Learning). The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided grant funding to support Unity programming. Specific dues amounts, registration fees, sponsorship tier values, and total revenue are not publicly disclosed. Strategic partners include the California School Boards Association (CSBA) for cross-promotion and co-located events, alongside content collaborators such as Create CA, Californians Together, The Education Trust-West, and the English Learners Success Forum.

Name

California Latino School Boards Association

Legal name

California Latino School Boards Association

Website

https://clsba.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Latino School Boards Association is a California-based non-profit membership organization that empowers Latino/a/x school board trustees through the annual Unity Conference, professional development webinars, advocacy resources, and peer networking to improve educational outcomes for Latino/a/x students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy and Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• School board association
• Education equity advocacy
• Professional development events
• Membership nonprofit services
• Latino education governance

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CLSBA operates as a membership-based organization. School board trustees join through a third-party membership portal (AssociationSphere). Specific dues amounts are not publicly disclosed on the website.
2. Event Registration Fees: The organization hosts annual Unity conferences (Unity 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025, and upcoming Unity 2026). Revenue is generated through attendee registration fees for these multi-day conferences.
3. Grants and Sponsorships: CLSBA receives grant funding from organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support conference programming. Corporate sponsors (e.g., i-Ready, myON, Lozano Smith, Garcia Hernández Sawhney LLP, Renaissance, and others) provide financial support at various sponsorship tiers (Sustaining, Supporting, Contributing, Advocate) in exchange for visibility at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CLSBA is a California-based non-profit membership association that serves Latino/a/x school board members across the state. It delivers value through annual Unity conferences, professional learning webinars, a resource hub covering immigration rights and education equity, and a member network providing peer support and advocacy capacity. Revenue is generated through membership dues, event registrations, grants (e.g., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

CLSBA is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of professional development services for Latino/a/x school board members and education leaders. The core offerings include the annual Unity Conference and Unity Summit (large-scale events featuring workshops, panel discussions, and networking), the Building Connections Professional Learning Webinar Series (on-demand webinars on topics like math equity, mental health, and dual enrollment), a Resources Hub providing legal guidance and Know Your Rights materials for immigrant communities, and membership services delivered through an online platform. These products work together to empower school board members and improve educational outcomes for Latino/a/x students across California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unity Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Unity 2025 conference included K-16 focus with community college participation for the first time, addressing transitions from high school to college and career readiness.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California School Boards Association (CSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLSBA collaborates with CSBA (California School Boards Association) for cross-promotion and event co-hosting. CLSBA organizes Unity mixers and events alongside CSBA's Annual Education Conference & Trade Show (e.g., December 2024 events). CSBA is the primary statewide membership organization for all California school boards, making this a key strategic alliance for CLSBA's visibility.
• Californians TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornians Together participated as a presenter in CLSBA's 2021 Building Connections Webinar Series on Promoting Equity in Math Education. Shelly Spiegel-Coleman served as a panelist representing the organization.
• The Education Trust-WestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Education Trust-West participated as a presenter in CLSBA's 2021 Building Connections Webinar Series, specifically on Promoting Equity in Math Education. Rachel Ruffalo served as a panelist.
• English Learners Success ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe English Learners Success Forum participated as a presenter in CLSBA's 2021 Building Connections Webinar Series on Promoting Equity in Math Education. Crystal Gonzales served as a panelist.
• Create CAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreate CA partnered with CLSBA for the 2023 Unity Conference to present on Achieving Equitable Arts Education and Proposition 28 implementation. Abe Flores, Deputy Director of Policy Programs at Create CA, co-presented with Jesus Holguin of Moreno Valley USD.
• Sunnyvale School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunnyvale School District co-presented with CLSBA at the 2023 Unity Conference on building and expanding quality two-way Spanish Dual Language programs. Dr. Michael Gallagher (Superintendent) and Dr. Christana Ballantyne (Director) represented the district.
• Youth Cinema ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Cinema Project was a sustaining sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020, supporting the event's programming for school board members.
• AALRR (Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAALRR was a sustaining sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Summit 2021, providing financial support for the event.
• Renaissance LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenaissance was a sustaining sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Summit 2021, supporting professional development content for school board members.
• Dale Scott & CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDale Scott & Company was a sustaining sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Summit 2021.
• Garcia Hernández Sawhney LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGarcia Hernández Sawhney LLP was a supporting sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Summit 2021 and a contributing sponsor of Unity Conference 2020. Mary Hernández, Equity Partner and Founder, also participated as a panelist at Unity 2020.
• Curriculum Associates (i-Ready)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum Associates (i-Ready) was a supporting sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Summit 2021, contributing to the event's financial sustainability.
• Lozano SmithminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLozano Smith was a contributing sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020 and Unity Summit 2021, supporting the organization's annual programming.
• twigScience (by Twig Education)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnertwigScience was a contributing sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020 and an Advocate sponsor of Unity Summit 2021, supporting educational equity programming.
• Acosta Educational PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcosta Educational Partnership was a contributing sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020.
• Sports for LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports for Learning was a contributing sponsor of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020.
• IBEW & NECAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) were sustaining sponsors of CLSBA's Unity Conference 2020.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE): A California-based organization dedicated to bilingual education and English learner success, addressing the same dual-language and equity themes that drive much of CLSBA's programming.
• National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund: A Latino-focused organization serving Latino elected officials, including those in education governance. NALEO is highly comparable to CLSBA in mission and identity-driven programming, but operates nationally rather than California-only.

Broad incumbents

• UnidosUS: A national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization with major education equity programming. UnidosUS is a broad incumbent that addresses many of the same Latino/a/x student achievement issues CLSBA targets, though at a national scale.
• National School Boards Association (NSBA): The national federation of state school boards associations. NSBA serves the same school board member customer base as CLSBA but at a national level and without ethnic-specific focus, making it a broad incumbent peer.
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): The oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S., with substantial K-12 education advocacy. LULAC is a broad incumbent peer addressing Latino/a/x student equity through policy and community programs.
• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA): The statewide association for California school administrators, including superintendents and principals. ACSA serves a different but overlapping segment of California education leaders, making it an adjacent incumbent.
• California School Boards Association (CSBA): The primary statewide membership association for all California school board members. CSBA is a direct strategic partner of CLSBA, co-hosting events and cross-promoting, making it the most operationally comparable organization, though CSBA's scope is far broader than CLSBA's Latino/a/x focus.

Emerging players

• The Education Trust-West: A California-focused education equity research and advocacy organization. EdTrust-West is a confirmed CLSBA programming partner and addresses the same equity and student achievement gap issues for students of color.
• Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS): A Latino-focused education leadership organization serving administrators and superintendents. ALAS overlaps with CLSBA's mission of elevating Latino representation in education leadership, though it serves district administrators rather than elected board members.
• Californians Together: A California advocacy coalition supporting English learner students through policy and research. Californians Together is a confirmed CLSBA partner and addresses overlapping issues around bilingual education and immigrant student support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clsba
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLSBA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clsba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Latino School Boards Association