United Neighborhood Organization

What United Neighborhood Organization does

United Neighborhood Organization (UNO), operating as UNO Chicago, is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 36-3290055) founded in 1984 and headquartered at 1655 S. Blue Island Ave. in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. The organization's mission is to empower young girls from Chicago neighborhoods through culturally inclusive, community-driven programming spanning leadership development, mentorship, career exploration, health and wellness, and sports-based activities. UNO delivers its impact through three core programs: GirlsMPowered (mentorship and empowerment for girls in 6th-12th grade), RunHer (running and wellness program guided by mental health counselors culminating in the Carrera de los Muertos 5K), and ONEder Women (an annual networking and empowerment event).

The business model is event-driven and multi-stream. Primary revenue comes from race registration fees for two signature 5Ks: La Carrera de los Muertos (founded 2007 in Pilsen, growing to 8,000+ participants by 2025) and La Carrera de las Madres (held at Archer Park). Registration fees range from $40 to $65 depending on race type and timing windows, with tiered early-bird, regular, and final pricing. Secondary streams include branded merchandise (singlets at $25, hoodies at $45, crewnecks at $40) sold through an online storefront, tax-deductible donations processed via PayPal, and corporate sponsorships across named tiers from brands including Chicago Bears, White Sox, Citi, Goya, United Airlines, Humana, Byline Bank, Wintrust, and Northwestern Mutual.

UNO distributes programming through in-person event delivery at Benito Juarez Community Academy and Archer Park, online self-serve registration via Active.com, e-commerce merchandise sales, and a virtual race option for out-of-area participants. The organization operates with 1-10 employees, leverages earned media coverage from major Chicago outlets (CBS 2, ABC 7, WGN 9, Telemundo, Chicago Tribune), and maintains strategic community partnerships with ABC Pilsen Girl's Summer Basketball League, Dominican University, Chicago State University, and Valparaiso University.

Name

United Neighborhood Organization

Legal name

United Neighborhood Organization

Website

https://unochicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Neighborhood Organization (UNO Chicago) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers girls in 6th-12th grade from Chicago neighborhoods through mentorship, leadership development, and sports-based programming including the flagship Carrera de los Muertos 5K.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Community 5K races
• Girls mentorship services
• Nonprofit youth development
• Cultural community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago Park

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

Revenue model

1. Race Registration Fees: Revenue from participants registering for La Carrera de los Muertos (5K) and La Carrera de las Madres events. Registration fees range from $40-$65 depending on race type (timed/untimed/virtual) and registration period (early bird/regular/final). Proceeds support UNO programming including GirlsMPowered and RunHer.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Carrera de los Muertos singlets ($25), hoodies ($45), and crewnecks ($40). Sold through the organization's online storefront.
3. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to UNO as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Accepts donations through PayPal.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships for race events, with various sponsorship tiers and levels (e.g., La Calavera level, La Veladora Level).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Neighborhood Organization (UNO Chicago) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs youth empowerment programs for girls in grades 6-12 (GirlsMPowered, RunHer, ONEder Women) and hosts two signature 5K fundraising races — La Carrera de los Muertos (Día de los Muertos) in Pilsen and La Carrera de las Madres (Mother's Day) in Archer Heights — alongside branded merchandise sales. Programs and events deliver mentorship, leadership development, career exploration, and physical wellness within Chicago's Latino community.

Product overview

UNO Chicago is a culturally inclusive, community-driven nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs for young girls from Chicago neighborhoods. The core offerings include GirlsMPowered (mentorship and empowerment for 6th-12th grade girls), RunHer (running and wellness program), ONEder Women (women's networking events), and two signature 5K race events: La Carrera de los Muertos (Day of the Dead themed race held annually in Pilsen) and La Carrera de las Madres (Mother's Day race in Archer Heights). The organization also operates a merchandise store selling branded race apparel. All programs aim to empower young women through mentorship, leadership development, and physical wellness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GirlsMPowered: A transformative program dedicated to providing guidance, support, and mentorship to girls in 6th to 12th grade as they transition into young adulthood.
• RunHer
• La Carrera de los Muertos
• La Carrera de las Madres

Products and services

• GirlsMPowered

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ participants at 18th Carrera de los Muertos (November 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ABC Pilsen Girl's Summer Basketball LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNO partners with ABC Pilsen to address teenage girls' sports participation disparities. The partnership aims to empower girls through strategic initiatives targeting the issue where girls drop out at double the rate of boys by age 14, creating 1.3 million fewer high school sports opportunities.
• Chicago BearsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChicago Bears sponsor La Carrera de las Madres and La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• Benito Juarez Community AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue for La Carrera de los Muertos events at 1450–1510 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago, IL 60608 in the Pilsen neighborhood.
• Dominican UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHigher education partner providing college visit opportunities for GirlsMPowered participants. Students visit Dominican University as part of career exploration programming.
• Archer Heights Civic AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for La Carrera de las Madres event held at Archer Park in the Archer Heights neighborhood near Midway Airport.
• CitimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• GoyamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• United AirlinesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• White SoxmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• HumanaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• Northwestern Mutual SFGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• Byline BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera events.
• Wintrust PilsenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for La Carrera events.
• AluluminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery sponsor for La Carrera de los Muertos events.
• La MananitasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for La Carrera de las Madres event.
• 1840 CreativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative/design sponsor for La Carrera de las Madres event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Girls Inc. National nonprofit network inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through research-informed programming. Comparable to UNO's GirlsMPowered in the mentorship/empowerment thesis for girls, though operating as a federated national affiliate model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization serving children and teens at community-based club sites. Comparable to UNO in providing mentorship and leadership programming to local youth, though serving both genders and a broader age range.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: Largest U.S. girl-serving youth development organization, with leadership, life-skills and outdoor programming. Comparable to UNO in targeting girls' empowerment outcomes, but operating at national scale and through a membership/cookie-sale model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National mentoring nonprofit pairing youth with adult mentors. Directly comparable to UNO's mentorship-driven programming for school-age youth, though operating through 1:1 mentor matching rather than cohort-based programs.

Direct peers

• Back on My Feet: Nonprofit using running to promote self-sufficiency among individuals experiencing homelessness. Comparable in using running as a vehicle for personal development and wellbeing, though serving a different beneficiary base.
• Girls on the Run: National nonprofit that empowers girls through running-based curricula and a culminating 5K event. Closely comparable to UNO's RunHer and GirlsMPowered combination, blending mentorship with a race-as-capstone model for pre-teen/teen girls.
• Chicago Run: Chicago-based nonprofit expanding youth running and physical-activity access. Direct geographic and mission peer to UNO's RunHer, also serving Chicago Public Schools students through structured running programs.
• Students Run LA: Los Angeles-based nonprofit pairing mentoring with training for the LA Marathon. Comparable to UNO in layering youth development and mental-health-supported running, culminating in a signature endurance event.

Emerging players

• Latinas por la Defensa: Latina-led community organization advocating for immigrant and Latina women and girls. Comparable to UNO in culturally grounded empowerment of Latina youth and families, though primarily advocacy- rather than sports-driven.

Regional players

• Latino Youth Alternative High School / ENLACE Chicago: Chicago-based Little Village community organization serving Latino youth and families through education, wellness, and leadership programming. Direct regional peer to UNO in serving Latino youth in Chicago neighborhoods with multi-domain development programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 United Neighborhood Organization