The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund

What The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund does

The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund (SALEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1995 in Los Angeles by Carlos Vaquerano (originally as La Organización Salvadoreña Americana, renamed SALEF in 1998) to serve the Salvadoran and Central American immigrant community in the United States. The organization delivers three core service lines: an Educational Programs portfolio (over 1,500 scholarships awarded cumulatively, college preparation workshops, youth enrichment, civic education, and digital literacy courses delivered through an AT&T Connected Learning Center partnership); a Legal Services Program providing immigration legal support covering permanent residency renewals, naturalization, Temporary Protected Status renewals, DACA renewals, and family petitions; and a Community Outreach & Education Program offering workshops, referrals, and Know Your Rights education through community centers, schools, and places of worship in the Los Angeles area.

In 2025 SALEF launched the ALMA App ("Apoyo Legal, Migrante y Alerta"), a one-tap family safety planning and enforcement alert mobile application available free on Apple App Store and Google Play. The app is built around three deterministic feature areas — step-by-step family safety planning, a one-tap alert button that shares GPS location with pre-selected trusted contacts, and a community-driven resource library — and was co-designed with immigrants' rights leaders, community organizations, and student survivors of family separation. The organization also operates a Rental Assistance Application intake deployed via Jotform. Headcount is small (4–5 staff including the Executive Director, Legal Services Coordinator, Programming Manager, and Education Coordinator), and the current executive lead is Jocelyn Duarte.

SALEF's business model is that of a grant- and donation-funded community nonprofit: all beneficiary services are provided free of charge, with no pricing tiers or fees, and revenue (not publicly disclosed) is generated through grants from governmental and private entities, individual and organizational donations, and strategic partnerships (notably AT&T and a coalition of immigrants' rights organizations). The go-to-market motion is community-led direct outreach rather than commercial sales, and distribution combines in-person consultation and workshops with mobile-app store channels. Geographic reach is concentrated in the Los Angeles / California region, with no claimed national or international footprint at present.

Name

The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund

Legal name

Salvadoran American Leadership and Education Fund

Website

https://salef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund (SALEF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides free immigration legal services, scholarships, civic education, and community outreach to Salvadoran and Central American immigrant families, including the 2025-launched ALMA App for family safety planning and enforcement alerts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration & Community Services

NAICS

Other Legal Services (54119), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAE

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYEDAAADAF

Digital Access & Online Government Services for Immigrants

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYTHACAKAH

Immigration Support Services (Translations, Certified Copies, Biometrics, Medicals)

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Visa, Immigration & Work Permit Services

Keywords

• Immigrant legal services
• Community education programs
• Scholarship programs
• Nonprofit advocacy services
• Immigrant family safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: SALEF is funded through a combination of grants, donations, and partnerships with governmental and private entities. The organization relies on supporter generosity to continue providing legal services and educational programs.
2. Donor Contributions: Individual and organizational donations supporting the nonprofit's mission of empowering Salvadoran and Central American communities through education, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SALEF provides free immigration legal services (permanent residency renewal, naturalization, TPS and DACA renewals, family petitions), educational programs (scholarships, college preparation, youth enrichment, digital literacy), and community outreach for Salvadoran and Central American immigrant families in Los Angeles. The organization complements these in-person services with the ALMA App, a free mobile application offering one-tap family safety planning and GPS-based enforcement alerts designed for immigrant families facing immigration enforcement actions.

Product overview

The Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF) operates as a non-profit organization offering a mobile application (ALMA App) alongside educational programs, legal services, and community outreach. The ALMA App is the organization's primary technology product—a One Tap Family Safety Planning & Enforcement Alert mobile application for immigrant families. Complementary services include college preparation and scholarship programs, immigration legal services, and community education initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALMA App: An immigrant emergency support app designed to provide protection, guidance, and rapid assistance for immigrant communities. ALMA stands for Apoyo Legal, Migrante y Alerta. The app provides family safety planning, one-tap enforcement alerts, and community resources.

Products and services

• ALMA App A free immigrant emergency support mobile application that provides protection, guidance, and rapid assistance for immigrant communities. Features step-by-step family safety planning tools, a one-tap enforcement alert button that shares the user's GPS location with pre-selected trusted contacts, and community-driven information and resources for immigrant families facing immigration enforcement actions.
• Educational Programs Comprehensive educational programs including college preparation workshops, scholarships, youth enrichment programs, civic education, and digital literacy courses delivered through the AT&T Connected Learning Center, targeted at underserved Salvadoran and other Latino students.
• Legal Services Program Immigration legal services covering permanent residency renewal, naturalization and citizenship, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) renewals, DACA renewals, and family petitions, provided to immigrant community members at no cost.
• Community Outreach & Education Program Community outreach and education services providing information, resources, and engagement opportunities for immigrant communities, including workshops, Know Your Rights education, information and referral services, and support services delivered at community centers, schools, and places of worship.
• Rental Assistance Application Application services for rental assistance programs supporting immigrant families in need of housing support.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AT&TminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAT&T Connected Learning Center partnership providing digital literacy courses and technology education programs. SALEF offers courses teaching basic computer skills, internet navigation, and use of digital tools and applications through this partnership with AT&T's Connected Learning initiative.
• Immigrants' Rights Leaders and Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnerships with immigrants' rights leaders and community organizations that helped shape the ALMA App's purpose and features. People directly impacted by enforcement, including student survivors of family separation and community leaders, contributed to the app's development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of Los Angeles: LA-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, and community support. Comparable in legal services delivery and immigrant community outreach in LA.
• Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project: LA-based nonprofit providing free legal services to immigrant children and families in immigration proceedings. Directly comparable in immigration legal aid scope and LA geography.
• Immigrant Defenders Law Center: LA-based immigrant legal services nonprofit providing representation and community education. Directly comparable in legal services scope, LA geography, and immigrant rights mission.
• Public Counsel: Largest pro bono law firm in the U.S., based in LA, providing immigration legal services and community education. Comparable in immigration legal services delivery to underserved communities in LA.
• El Rescate: Los Angeles nonprofit providing immigration legal services, mental health support, and community education for Central American and other Latino immigrants. Comparable in service mix and beneficiary population.
• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA): Los Angeles-based immigrant rights nonprofit providing legal services, education, and community organizing. Closest direct peer given overlapping LA geography, legal services focus, and immigrant community outreach model.
• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN): LA-based nonprofit serving Central American immigrants with legal services, education, and cultural programs. Directly comparable in target population (Central American diaspora) and service bundle.

Broad incumbents

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy and legal support organization focused on immigrants' rights. Broader incumbent with policy and litigation focus but comparable on legal aid and immigrant rights mission.
• United We Dream: National immigrant youth-led organization with advocacy, education, and organizing programs. Comparable educational and youth-development mission, though broader and youth-focused nationally.
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): National Latino civil rights organization providing legal services, advocacy, and education. Comparable mission and educational + legal service mix, with broader scope and scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dreamprojectva
• Facebookfacebook.com/salefonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salvadoran-american-leadership-and-educational-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund