Abara

What Abara does

Abara, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-3036435) founded in February 2019 in El Paso, Texas by Sami DiPasquale, focused on peace-building, education, and humanitarian programs along the US-Mexico border. The organization operates three core programs: Border Encounters, a three-day immersive experiential learning program that hosted 321 participants from 25 states in 2024; Border Response, a humanitarian initiative partnering with 32+ migrant shelters on both sides of the border; and Abara House, a 5.5-acre historic Hacienda site under development as the only dedicated peace-building center on the entire 2,000-mile US-Mexico border. Supporting sub-programs include the Asylum Narrative Translation Project (ANT) for asylum-seeker legal narrative preparation, the Huellas microenterprise workshop series in Ciudad Juárez, leader equipping and respite care for shelter staff, art therapy workshops for unaccompanied minors, and a donation warehouse for shelter resourcing.

Abara's technology stack is modest and centered on program delivery rather than software products. The Asylum Narrative Translation Project is described as a software-assisted documentation system supporting consultation workflows and free English translation, but there is no proprietary platform, mobile application, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Program operations are supported by a binational staff of 14 named personnel plus contractors and volunteers, including a Harvard-educated LEED architect leading the Abara House build, a Johns Hopkins-trained global health specialist in grants and development, and field staff with prior UN/IOM humanitarian experience on both sides of the border.

Abara's revenue model combines individual donations (one-time, monthly sustainer, stock, legacy), foundation grants (TMF, Summerlee Foundation, Stand Together, NTHP, and others), and Border Encounter program fees priced at $845 per person for groups of 6–9 and $795 per person for groups of 10+ in the 2026 season, with a $250 non-refundable deposit and a scholarship fund for accessibility. A $20 million Abara House capital campaign is in progress, with Phase 1 achieving its $2.2 million milestone in 2025. The go-to-market motion is primarily event-driven: immersive 3-day cohort programs supplemented by a speaker bureau, content marketing via blog and email newsletter, earned media, and direct outreach to faith communities, educational institutions, and conference organizers. The customer base is horizontally segmented across educational groups, faith communities, event organizers, and migrant shelter leaders, with no single segment disclosed as dominant.

Name

Abara

Legal name

Abara, Inc.

Website

https://abara.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Abara is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 in El Paso, Texas that runs immersive Border Encounters programs, partners with 32+ migrant shelters, and is developing Abara House, a 5.5-acre peace-building center on the US-Mexico border.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

El Paso

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: One-time gifts, monthly sustainer program, stock donations, and legacy giving through wills/trusts. Abara is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 84-3036435. Donations support Border Encounters, Abara House development, migrant shelter partnerships, and general operations.
2. Border Encounter Program Fees: Fee-based immersive 3-day experiences at the US-Mexico border. 2026 rates: $845/person for groups of 6-9, $795/person for groups of 10+. Includes lodging, meals, local transportation, speaker honorariums, and administrative costs. $250 non-refundable deposit required.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations supporting border peacebuilding, migration advocacy, and community development. Multiple foundation partners listed including TMF, Summerlee Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Abara is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers immersive 3-day Border Encounter programs at the US-Mexico border, partners with 32+ migrant shelters to provide humanitarian resources, training, and respite care, and operates the Asylum Narrative Translation Project to help asylum seekers prepare legal documentation. The organization also runs the Huellas microenterprise program, leader equipping workshops, art therapy for unaccompanied minors, and is developing Abara House, a 5.5-acre peace-building center on historic Hacienda property adjacent to the border fence.

Product overview

Abara is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering peace-building programs at the US-Mexico border. Its portfolio includes Border Encounters (a three-day immersive experience), Border Response (humanitarian shelter assistance), and Abara House (a 5.5-acre peace-building center under development). Supporting sub-programs include the Asylum Narrative Translation Project (ANT), Huellas microenterprise workshops, leader equipping and respite care, art therapy workshops, and shelter resourcing. The organization does not offer a software product but rather in-person programs and services focused on connection, learning, and action at the border.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Ciudad Nueva Community OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Founding partner organization where Abara's founder Sami DiPasquale worked for 15 years before founding Abara in 2019. Ciudad Nueva is a neighborhood-rooted CDC focused on developing youth, equipping leaders, supporting families, and strengthening community bonds. Deep operational collaboration in the El Paso borderlands.
• 32+ Migrant Shelters (El Paso & Ciudad Juárez)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-term collaboration with 30+ shelters and grassroots organizations on both sides of the border. Programming emerges at shelter invitation and according to their guidance. Abara does not enter spaces uninvited. Shelters receive resources, training, and support while co-designing Border Encounter experiences.
• Able City (Architecture | Planning | Community)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Design firm creating schematic site master plan renderings and video flyover for Abara House development. Offices in San Antonio, Laredo & El Paso, Texas. Responsible for visionary design transforming 5.5-acre historic Hacienda into peace-building center.
• University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partner with multiple professors on Abara's Wisdom Council including Dr. Sarah De Los Santos Upton (Board member and Wisdom Council co-chair), Dr. Alisia Muir (Board Secretary), Jesse Kapenga (professor), and Naomi Fertman (professor). Academic collaboration and student involvement in programming.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner supporting preservation of the historic Hacienda building as part of Abara House development.
• US National Park ServicesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Federal partner with logo displayed on partners page, likely related to Chamizal National Memorial and border history preservation.
• Union Pacific RailroadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Historical partner due to region's railroad history; logo listed among partners.
• ArrabonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Faith-based organization listed as partner, possibly related to theological training or interfaith work.
• PRAXISsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner organization in Abara's ecosystem with logo displayed.
• Ciudad Nueva Food Co-opminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Local food cooperative connected to the neighborhood community development work.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Border Angels: San Diego/Tijuana-based nonprofit focused on migrant aid, water drops in the desert, and border awareness—comparable humanitarian mission along a different segment of the US-Mexico border.
• Annunciation House: El Paso migrant shelter and humanitarian aid nonprofit operating directly in the same border geography, serving a similar population of recently arrived migrants with shelter, hospitality, and volunteer engagement.
• Kino Border Initiative: Binational (Arizona/Sonora) Jesuit organization providing humanitarian aid, education, and advocacy at another section of the US-Mexico border—closely comparable model and mission to Abara.
• Casa del Migrante: Network of migrant shelters across Mexico, including Ciudad Juárez, that Abara partners with; comparable in providing shelter, humanitarian aid, and advocacy for migrants in transit.
• Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center: El Paso–based nonprofit providing legal services and advocacy to immigrants—directly comparable binational humanitarian mission and a current Abara team member has prior work history here.
• Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach: El Paso community development nonprofit where Abara's founder worked for 15 years; comparable binational border community development approach and explicit founding-partner relationship with Abara.
• Hope Border Institute: El Paso–based Jesuit nonprofit focused on border policy analysis, accompaniment of migrants, and advocacy—sharing the same binational geography, immigration focus, and nonprofit model as Abara.

Broad incumbents

• RAICES: Largest immigration legal services and advocacy nonprofit in Texas, with broader reach across multiple border cities; comparable mission on migrant legal support, though at significantly larger scale than Abara.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of El Paso: Established faith-based humanitarian and immigrant services organization in the same El Paso diocese, providing shelter, food, and legal aid; comparable services at a much larger institutional scale.

Emerging players

• DASH Network: Fort Worth–based asylum-seeker housing nonprofit where Abara's Grants and Development lead is a founding board member; comparable emerging nonprofit model with narrower geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abarafrontiers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Abara