Latino Policy & Politics Institute

What Latino Policy & Politics Institute does

Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI) is a non-partisan research institute housed within the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It produces policy research, data analysis, and leadership development programs aimed at advancing economic mobility, immigrant rights, health, criminal justice, environmental resilience, and voting rights for Latino communities in the United States. Its core products include the Latino Data Hub, a public-facing data platform with policy-relevant Latino demographic and economic data; the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard, which maps climate and health risks in California Latino neighborhoods; the Economic Recovery & Entrepreneurship Project, focused on Latino business ownership; and the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, a paid summer leadership program placing UCLA Luskin students in government and community organizations. LPPI also convenes an annual state policy briefing in Sacramento and produces policy briefs, data for action reports, and rapid-response analyses distributed through its website, newsletter, and social media channels.

LPPI's underlying technology consists of curated data platforms and research infrastructure rather than commercial software. The Latino Data Hub and Climate and Health Dashboard function as public data resources and visualization tools, with LPPI explicitly describing the Data Hub as a "first-of-its-kind" resource in the Latino policy space. LPPI's go-to-market is event- and content-driven: it distributes free research outputs, convenes policymakers and community stakeholders, and amplifies findings through earned media and social channels.

LPPI is a non-profit, not a revenue-generating business. It does not charge for its research, data tools, or fellowship placements. Funding flows from a concentrated set of foundation grants (James Irvine Foundation, Wells Fargo Small Business Philanthropy, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Casey Family Programs), core operating support from the California Latino Legislative Caucus and UCLA, individual donations at tiered levels ($10-$1,000), and in-kind support from institutional partners. Its served "customers" are policymakers, community organizations, researchers, and Latino communities nationally, with operational depth concentrated in California.

Name

Latino Policy & Politics Institute

Legal name

UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute

Website

https://latino.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Latino Policy & Politics Institute is a UCLA Luskin School-based non-partisan research institute that produces policy research, proprietary data platforms (Latino Data Hub, Climate and Health Dashboard), and leadership fellowships to inform policymakers and advance equity for U.S. Latino communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Policy research institute
• Community data analytics
• Leadership development programs
• Policy advocacy research
• Nonpartisan policy analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: LPPI receives funding from foundations including the James Irvine Foundation, Wells Fargo Small Business Philanthropy, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, and Casey Family Programs.
2. Individual Donations: The institute accepts donations at various levels ($10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $750, $1000) from the public to support operations and research.
3. University Support: Core operating support provided by the California Latino Legislative Caucus and institutional support from UCLA.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LPPI conducts non-partisan policy research, develops proprietary public data platforms (the Latino Data Hub and Latino Climate and Health Dashboard), and delivers leadership development programs such as the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship. Its core outputs are policy briefs, data-driven reports, rapid-response analyses, and fellowship placements that inform federal, state, and local policymaking on issues affecting Latino communities.

Product overview

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) is a non-partisan research institute that operates as a unified platform for policy research and community advocacy. The organization offers several distinct products including the Latino Data Hub (a public data resource for Latino communities), the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard (climate and health risk data), and the Economic Recovery & Entrepreneurship Project. LPPI also runs the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship for leadership development. These offerings work together through shared research infrastructure, with LPPI producing policy analysis, data briefs, and reports that inform advocacy, mobilization, and leadership initiatives across issues including mobility, immigrant rights, health, criminal justice, and democracy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Latino Data Hub: A first-of-its-kind public data resource that expands access to policy-relevant data on Latino communities.
• Latino Climate and Health Dashboard
• Monica Salinas Field Fellowship
• Monica Salinas Fellowship

Products and services

• Latino Data Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• Research reports informing policy decisions at federal, state, and local levels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• California State LegislaturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025Government partner for Monica Salinas Field Fellowship placements, including Senate District 31 and Assembly District 48 and 39.
• Los Angeles City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025Government partner for Monica Salinas Field Fellowship placements, including District 1 office.
• Community Coalition (CoCo)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025Grassroots organization partner for Monica Salinas Field Fellowship placement, focused on social welfare and policy work.
• IDEPSCA (Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025Community-based organization partner for Monica Salinas Field Fellowship placement, serving Latino communities through education and advocacy.
• Arizona State University Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research (CLAPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2024Joint initiative for the Latino Data Hub Action Lab, welcoming cohorts of fellows who use the database for projects supporting the Latino community. Combines LPPI's policy expertise with CLAPR's academic research capabilities.
• UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership for data analysis on neighborhoods and communities. CNK provides research contributions to LPPI projects including analysis of Medi-Cal enrollment data and neighborhood-level studies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Voto Latino: A Latino civic engagement and advocacy organization focused on registration, turnout, and youth leadership — overlapping with LPPI's democracy and Latino voters issue area but operating at a different scale and stage.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: A major D.C.-based policy research organization producing data-driven analysis on social and economic policy, including equity-focused work — broader in scope than LPPI but highly comparable in research model and policy audience.
• Center for American Progress: A large progressive policy institute producing research and policy recommendations across a wide portfolio — overlapping with LPPI on immigration, economic mobility, and democracy issues but operating at much greater scale.
• Aspen Institute: A major policy and leadership development organization that runs fellowship-style programs and policy convenings — directly comparable to LPPI's combination of leadership pipeline work (Monica Salinas Fellowship) and policy research.
• Brookings Institution: One of the largest U.S. policy research organizations with deep work on economic, demographic, and equity issues — a broad incumbent whose demographic and equity research lines overlap with LPPI's portfolio.

Direct peers

• UnidosUS: UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) is the largest Latino-focused policy and advocacy organization in the U.S., combining research, advocacy, and community programs — directly comparable to LPPI in mission and stakeholder base.
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): HACU advocates for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and produces policy research on Latino educational access — overlapping with LPPI's mobility & opportunity and education policy work.
• NALEO Educational Fund: NALEO focuses on Latino civic participation and policy research on behalf of Latino elected officials — a near-perfect peer in mission, audience (legislators and policymakers), and policy research orientation.
• UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center: UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center conducts interdisciplinary research on Latino communities and shares LPPI's UCLA institutional home, academic credibility, and Latino-focused research portfolio.
• UC Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute: A UC-based research institute producing social-science research and policy analysis on equity and inclusion, comparable to LPPI in university-anchored research model, social-science methodology, and policy-facing outputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UCLAlatino
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8EWEUYQjs8izWDyPM77hUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCLAlatino
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uclalatino
• Instagraminstagram.com/uclalppi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Latino Policy & Politics Institute