Hmong National Development

What Hmong National Development does

Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with a secondary University Avenue office in the same city. The organization operates as a subsidiary of Hmong American Partnership (HAP) and functions as the only leading national policy advocacy body for the Hmong American community. HND delivers a portfolio of community-focused programs including policy advocacy at local, state, and national levels, leadership development through the biennial Hmong National Development Conference (HNDC) and Regional Community Conversations, capacity building for more than 80 partner Hmong-led nonprofits, and crisis-response initiatives (such as Hurricane Helene relief with the North Carolina Hmong Women Association in 2024).

In January 2025, HND — jointly with parent HAP — was awarded a $7.3 million Digital Equity Competitive Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's NTIA to launch the Hmong Digital Leaders Program (HDLP). The program establishes four permanent Digital Hubs at partnering schools and community centers in Minnesota (Twin Cities) and California (Fresno), distributes 500 refurbished devices to low-income families, and delivers 300 workshops on cybersecurity, financial literacy, and tech entrepreneurship. Programmatic delivery is executed through strategic partnerships with HOPE Community Academy, Community School of Excellence, and The Fresno Center.

HND is funded primarily through grants; it has no commercial pricing or subscription revenue. The organization maintains two physical offices in Saint Paul, MN, a small core team of 8 employees, and is led by President & CEO May yer Thao (who also leads parent HAP) with Dr. Mai Moua serving as Strategic Consultant. Since founding, HND has established 50 national Hmong Educational Scholarships (since 2001), secured legislation providing Hmong automatic relief from erroneous terrorist-group labeling (2007), and was named a White House Champion of Change in 2014 for healthcare access outreach.

Name

Hmong National Development

Legal name

Hmong National Development, Inc.

Website

https://hndinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hmong National Development (HND) is a 501(c)(3) national policy advocacy nonprofit founded in 1993 that empowers the Hmong American community through leadership development, capacity building for 80+ partner nonprofits, digital equity programs, and the biennial HNDC conference, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

Keywords

• Community advocacy services
• Nonprofit policy advocacy
• Digital equity programs
• Leadership development
• Community capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: HND operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization primarily funded through grants. The organization received a $7.3 million grant from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for the Hmong Digital Leaders Program, representing a significant funding award for digital equity initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hmong National Development is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 1993 and a subsidiary of Hmong American Partnership (HAP), that provides policy advocacy, leadership development, capacity building, and digital equity programming for the Hmong American community. Its flagship offerings include the Hmong Digital Leaders Program (HDLP) and the biennial Hmong National Development Conference (HNDC), supported by a partner network of more than 80 community organizations across the United States.

Product overview

Hmong National Development (HND) offers a portfolio of community-focused programs rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Hmong Digital Leaders Program (HDLP), which addresses digital equity through digital hubs and literacy training; the biennial Hmong National Development Conference (HNDC) for leadership and advocacy; Leadership Development programs including Regional Community Conversations and Leadership Symposiums; Capacity Building initiatives partnering with 80+ organizations; and Advocacy & Civic Engagement efforts. These programs work together to empower the Hmong American community through education, policy advocacy, and leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hmong Digital Leaders Program (HDLP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected 6,000+ households to affordable internet services through the Digital Equity Grant Program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Hmong American Partnership (HAP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025HAP is the parent organization of HND. Together they received a $7.3 million grant from NTIA's Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program to implement the Hmong Digital Leaders Program, connecting over 6,000 households to affordable internet and establishing Digital Hubs in Minnesota and California.
• The Fresno CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025The Fresno Center serves 5,000 low-income community members monthly who lack broadband access and digital skills. As HDLP partner, they help expand access to critical digital resources in California.
• HOPE Community AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025HOPE Community Academy is a key partner in the digital equity grant program, providing opportunities for student leaders to inspire change and bridge the digital divide in the Hmong community.
• Community School of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025Partner in the digital equity grant creating permanent digital hubs and providing broadband and digital literacy training access for students and families.
• North Carolina Hmong Women AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024HND partnered with the North Carolina Hmong Women Association to support emergency relief and recovery efforts for Hmong families affected by Hurricane Helene, addressing urgent needs for food, housing, and recovery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC): SEARAC is a national civil rights organization advocating for Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities, with overlapping Southeast Asian diaspora focus similar to HND's Hmong-specific mission. Both operate at the federal policy advocacy level for refugee communities.
• OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates: OCA is a national advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans, with a comparable mission structure to HND around civic engagement, leadership development, and community advocacy for Asian American communities.
• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF): APIAHF is a national health advocacy organization that influences policy and systems change for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, sharing HND's federal-level advocacy model and beneficiary community focus, particularly given HND's 2014 healthcare recognition.
• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL): JACL is the oldest Asian American civil rights organization, conducting national policy advocacy and community programs for Japanese Americans with comparable advocacy, leadership development, and civil rights mission to HND.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC): AAJC is a leading national Asian American civil rights organization that, like HND, conducts policy advocacy, civic engagement, and community development for Asian American populations at the federal level. Both compete for similar federal grants and serve as policy voices for their constituencies.
• National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA): NCAPA is a coalition-based advocacy organization representing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities nationally, with overlapping federal policy advocacy and civic engagement mission similar to HND's national advocacy role for the Hmong community.
• Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA): APAPA is a national nonprofit that promotes civic engagement and political participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, with comparable federal-level advocacy and community leadership development mission similar to HND.
• Hmong American Partnership (HAP): HAP is the parent organization of HND and operates broader human services programs for the Hmong community in Minnesota. Both organizations serve the same Hmong American constituency and frequently collaborate on programs like the $7.3M NTIA HDLP grant.

Broad incumbents

• UnidosUS: UnidosUS is a larger national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization that shares HND's model of federal policy advocacy combined with community-based affiliate network (similar to HND's 80+ partner network) and capacity-building programs.
• National Urban League: The National Urban League is a large historic civil rights organization that pursues policy advocacy and community empowerment through a national affiliate network model, structurally comparable to HND's partner-based national advocacy approach but at significantly larger scale across African American communities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hmong-national-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hmong National Development