DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving

What DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving does

DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving is a grassroots community organizing non-profit founded in 2000 to build power for South Asian and Indo-Caribbean low-wage immigrant workers, youth, and families in New York City. Headquartered at 72-18 Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, the organization operates membership-driven chapters across six NYC neighborhoods — Brooklyn, the Bronx, South Queens, West Queens, Kensington, and Jackson Heights — and runs a portfolio of programs including the Racial & Immigrant Justice Program, Legal & Community Services, Eckshate (gender justice), the Global Justice Program, the South Asian Workers Center, Moving Art (cultural organizing), and YouthPower! (a youth leadership development program for ages 14–21). The organization campaigns on civil and immigrant rights, workers' rights, educational justice, police accountability, and gender justice, leveraging coalition partnerships with groups including Make the Road NY, the Street Vendor Project, Advancement Project, and Dignity in Schools Campaign.

The organization's business model is non-profit and donation-and-grant dependent. Revenue derives from individual donations collected via the OurPowerBase/CiviCRM donation platform and from grants supporting specific programs and campaigns; no fees, product pricing, or commercial revenue streams exist. The current 25th anniversary "We Win Together: Building Centers of Community Power, Defense & Care" campaign has a stated $250,000 fundraising target. DRUM has no proprietary technology platform; its core "infrastructure" is human — 1–10 staff, a 300+ member base, street outreach capabilities, and multilingual community organizing (including outreach in 8+ languages during the 2020 Census campaign).

Measurable outcomes over 25 years include blocking the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, winning drivers' licenses for all New Yorkers through the Green Light NY coalition, helping defeat Amazon's HQ2 in Queens, winning a legal battle for street vendors' rights, and securing substantiated disciplinary charges against NYPD officers in the Justice for Win Rozario campaign. Leadership comprises Executive Director Fahd Ahmed and Director of Organizing Kazi Fouzia.

Name

DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving

Legal name

DRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving

Website

https://drumnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DRUM is a NYC-based non-profit founded in 2000 that organizes South Asian and Indo-Caribbean low-wage immigrant workers, youth, and families across six neighborhood chapters, campaigning for immigrant rights, workers' rights, educational justice, and police accountability through grassroots base-building and coalition partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Organizing Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAM), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

Keywords

• Community organizing services
• Immigrant rights advocacy
• Grassroots organizing
• Youth leadership development
• Worker rights organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson Heights

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DRUM is a non-profit grassroots community organization that organizes South Asian and Indo-Caribbean low-wage immigrant workers, youth, and families in New York City through membership-driven chapters across six neighborhoods. It delivers advocacy programs (Racial & Immigrant Justice, Global Justice, Eckshate gender justice), legal and community services, the South Asian Workers Center, YouthPower! youth leadership development, cultural organizing via Moving Art, and crisis response campaigns such as the Power & Safety (PaSS) and TPS & SSR for Pakistan initiatives.

Product overview

DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving) is a community-based advocacy and grassroots organizing non-profit organization, not a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of community programs and services focused on social justice activism. Its core programs include the Racial & Immigrant Justice Program, Legal & Community Services, Eckshate (gender justice), Global Justice Program, South Asian Workers Center, Moving Art (cultural organizing), and YouthPower! (youth development including the Summer Youth Organizing Institute). Additional initiatives include the TPS & SSR for Pakistan Campaign and the Power & Safety Campaign (PaSS) pandemic response program. These programs collectively serve South Asian and Indo-Caribbean low-wage immigrant workers, youth, and families in New York City to advance economic and educational justice, civil rights, and immigrant rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Racial & Immigrant Justice Program A core organizing program focused on building power for South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities to win economic and educational justice, and civil and immigrant rights in New York City.
• Legal & Community Services Provides legal assistance and community support services to members of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean community.
• Eckshate (Gender Justice Program) A gender justice program addressing gender-based oppression and street harassment in the community, including anti-street harassment dhaba workshops for men.
• Global Justice Program Program focused on international justice issues affecting South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora communities.
• South Asian Workers Center Organizes low-wage immigrant workers, addressing worker rights issues including workplace conditions, wage theft, and labor protections.
• Moving Art Art and cultural organizing program that uses creative expression for social movements and community building.
• YouthPower! Youth organizing program for South Asian and Indo-Caribbean youth ages 14-21, including a six-week Summer Youth Organizing Institute teaching political education on racial, immigrant, education, gender, and worker justice issues.
• TPS & SSR for Pakistan Campaign Campaign advocating for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Special Student Status (SSR) for Pakistani nationals in the United States affected by climate disasters.
• Power & Safety Campaign (PaSS) Phone-based base-building campaign launched during COVID-19 pandemic for community safety, education, and organizing, including resource distribution and mutual aid support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully blocked the citizenship question on the 2020 Census through organizing and advocacy
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Coalition partner for TPS & SSR for Pakistan campaign focused on climate disaster relief for Pakistan.
• Climate Justice Collaborative at National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Coalition partner for TPS & SSR for Pakistan campaign connecting climate justice and immigration relief.
• Knights of the Raj NYC and UKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner that featured Baul Dada's food cart and home as an exhibit at the Museum of Food and Drink.
• Street Vendor ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Led legal battle against the city and its agencies to protect street vendors' rights. DRUM member Baul Dada was one of the lead plaintiffs.
• MinkwonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner organization for Census 2020 outreach and community education efforts.
• Chhaya CDCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner for Census 2020 community education workshop in Diversity Plaza.
• Queens Neighborhoods UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner for Census 2020 community education and outreach efforts.
• Make the Road NYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner organization for Census 2020 organizing efforts.
• Caribbean Equality ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner for Census 2020 community education and outreach.
• CAAAV-Organizing Asian CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner for Census 2020 outreach engaging community members in over 8 languages.
• UgnayanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner for Census 2020 community education and outreach.
• Damayan Migrant Workers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012DRUM and Damayan jointly hired a shared grantwriter position.
• Advancement ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Collaborated on Immigrant Safe Zones report collecting surveys from 50 different high schools. Supported YouthPower! annual open mic event.
• Dignity in Schools CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011DRUM Youth joined National Week of Action Against School Pushout. Part of broader coalition for education justice.
• Muslim American Civil Liberties CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011DRUM member of coalition holding press conferences for NYPD accountability including on the third jihad training video.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP): NYC-based coalition coordinating advocacy for immigrants lacking federal status. Directly comparable through joint TPS/SSR for Pakistan campaigns with DRUM, but operates as a multi-organization coalition rather than a single membership body.
• South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT): National-level South Asian American advocacy organization working on immigration, civil rights, and racial justice. Comparable mission alignment with DRUM but operating at the national advocacy/policy scale rather than NYC neighborhood chapters.

Direct peers

• Minkwon Center for Community Action: NYC-based AAPI grassroots organizing group focused on racial justice, immigrant rights, and civic participation. Comparable in mission, NYC footprint, and has partnered with DRUM on Census 2020 outreach and similar coalition work.
• Make the Road New York: Long-standing NYC membership-driven immigrant and working-class community organization combining legal services, education, and organizing. Closely matches DRUM's model of neighborhood chapters, service-plus-organizing hybrid, and coalition partnerships (Green Light NY, Census).
• Street Vendor Project: NYC-based membership project of the Urban Justice Center organizing street vendors for dignity and rights. Directly comparable to DRUM's street vendor organizing and Baul Dada campaign/legal case partnership.
• CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities: NYC-based grassroots organization building power among working-class Asian and Pacific Islander communities through tenant, worker, and anti-displacement organizing. Directly comparable to DRUM in mission, NYC geography, and coalition involvement (e.g., joint Census 2020 outreach).
• Chhaya Community Development Corporation: NYC-based organization serving South Asian and other immigrant communities through housing, economic empowerment, and civic engagement. Matches DRUM's South Asian community focus and NYC chapter geography and has been a coalition partner.
• Ugnayan: NYC-area Filipino American community organization providing services and organizing on immigration, education, and workers' rights. Comparable migrant-community organizing model and a confirmed DRUM coalition partner for Census outreach.
• Damayan Migrant Workers Association: NYC grassroots membership organization organizing low-wage Filipino migrant workers for rights and justice. Closely matches DRUM's South Asian Workers Center in mission, low-wage worker focus, and tiny staff/community-organization model; has even shared a grantwriter with DRUM.

Emerging players

• Caribbean Equality Project: NYC-based organization advocating for Caribbean immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. Partially overlaps with DRUM's Indo-Caribbean constituency and shares coalition space but focuses more on LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/desisrisingup
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesisRising
• Instagraminstagram.com/drumnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drum---desis-rising-up-and-moving

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving