Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala

What Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala does

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, that supports Maya children and families in the northwest Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer US-based Board of Directors and Advisory Council with no paid officers, founders, or directors, and has no institutional investors, private equity backers, or parent company. Its primary operating asset is the Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute, a residential secondary education campus in a remote rainforest setting offering middle and high school programs with diplomas across three tracks: academics, sustainable agriculture, and computer science. The Institute received official accreditation through Guatemala's Ministry of Education National Educational Quality System in 2018 and marked its 15-year anniversary in 2025 with an all-time-high enrollment of 57 students.

The organization's technology stack centers on an education platform that combines Starlink high-speed satellite internet, tablets distributed to students as primary learning tools, RACHEL offline content servers pre-loaded with University of Colorado Boulder PhET simulations, and a Moodle and Google Education-based curriculum backbone. Sustainable infrastructure includes solar power for campus buildings and a 75,000-liter rainwater collection system (30 tanks of 2,500 liters each). Beyond the residential campus, Adopt-a-Village runs a Bilingual Early Literacy Program across four Maya villages (Monte Bello, Buena Vista, Nuevo San Ildefonso, and La Lucha Villa Laura) teaching preschoolers Spanish reading, writing, numeracy, and organic gardening, plus remedial classes serving 130 students and nutrition initiatives addressing chronic malnutrition.

Adopt-a-Village is funded entirely through donations, grants, and charitable contributions. Revenue streams include individual donations, a child sponsorship program ($1,050 per preschool-year, $100 per tablet), vehicle donations via the CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) program, and eBay for Charity marketplace sales. The organization maintains a diversified partnership network including the founding local partner Fundación para el Desarrollo Comunal de Huehuetenango, four Rotary International districts (4250, 5050, 5110, 5420), Hands for Peacemaking Foundation, St. John's Episcopal Church (Midland, Michigan), CASCO, and Maya Chia. It was recognized as a 2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits and holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating.

Name

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala

Legal name

Adopt-A-Village-in-Guatemala-Inc

Website

https://adoptavillage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that operates the Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute and Bilingual Early Literacy Programs to deliver secondary education, vocational training, and nutrition support to Maya children and families in northwest Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM), Language-Immersion Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAI), Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Rural community education
• Indigenous youth education
• Vocational secondary training
• Bilingual literacy programs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grants Pass

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies on donations from individual supporters to fund educational programs, scholarships, and operational costs
2. Child Sponsorship Program: Monthly or annual sponsorship of Maya children to support their education, supplies, lodging, travel, and basic needs
3. Vehicle Donations: Accepts donated vehicles through CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) nonprofit vehicle donation program
4. eBay for Charity: Online marketplace sales of donated items through eBay for Charity program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala provides free residential secondary education at the Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute, emphasizing strong academics, technical/vocational training, and self-reliance for indigenous Maya students. The organization additionally delivers early childhood and primary education through bilingual literacy and tutoring programs across four villages, and supports family well-being via nutrition and agricultural initiatives that address chronic malnutrition and food insecurity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute: The main secondary education institution operated by Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala, providing innovative and rigorous education for Indigenous Maya students through contemporary hands-on training programs in a remote rainforest location.

Products and services

• Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute
• Bilingual Early Literacy Program
• Maya Jaguar Scholarship Program
• Child Sponsorship Program
• Nutrition and Holiday Meal Basket Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 95+ high school graduates from Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• Fundación para el Desarrollo Comunal de HuehuetenangocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey local partner organization providing support in legalizing and operating Maya Jaguar Private Technical Institute. Founded by Frances Dixon, this foundation supported children and young people from different communities with financial aid, food, school supplies, lodging, and travel assistance before establishing the Maya Jaguar Institute.
• Hands for Peacemaking FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner responsible for engineering and installation of water storage tanks and rain catchment system at Maya Jaguar campus. Contributed volunteers for water project implementation.
• Rotary International (Districts 4250, 5050, 5110, 5420)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Rotary districts and clubs support Adopt-a-Village programs through global grants and scholarship funding. Rotary E-Club of State of Jefferson has implemented 'Let's Leave No Girl Behind' project funding scholarships for Mayan girls.
• Rotary Club of Everett Port GardnermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to water project through Rotary International Global Grant partnership.
• South Jordan Rotary ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in water project through Rotary International Global Grant.
• Brigham City Rotary ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in water project through Rotary International Global Grant.
• Farmington Utah RotaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in water project through Rotary International Global Grant.
• Aspect ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContributed engineering expertise to water project implementation.
• CASCOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter of Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala programs.
• Maya ChiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness supporter providing donations or promotional support for the organization.
• CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit vehicle donation program accepting cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles and other vehicles to support fundraising.
• Universidad Panamericana (Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university where Maya Jaguar graduate Esteban enrolled for online teaching degree program with emphasis in math and computers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pencils of Promise: Larger nonprofit building schools and supporting education programs across multiple developing countries including Guatemala; overlapping mission in scaling access to quality K-12 education.
• Save the Children (U.S. - Guatemala Education Programs): Large international NGO running bilingual early childhood and primary education programs for indigenous Maya children in Guatemala; overlapping mission to Maya Early Literacy and remedial programs but at vastly larger scale.
• Room to Read: Major international nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equality in education across Asia and Africa; broader geographic scope but comparable operating model of partnering with local communities on school-based programs.
• UNICEF Guatemala - Education Programs: UN agency executing national-scale bilingual and indigenous education programs in Guatemala; comparable beneficiaries and curriculum priorities but with very different institutional scale and funding.

Direct peers

• Child Aid: U.S.-based nonprofit providing literacy, education, and self-sufficiency programs for rural indigenous communities in Guatemala; directly comparable donor-driven nonprofit model and indigenous community engagement.
• Seeds of Learning: Nonprofit supporting primary and secondary education in underserved Central American communities; directly comparable mission and beneficiary geography to Adopt-a-Village.
• Long Way Home: U.S.-based nonprofit building self-sustainable schools and education programs for Indigenous youth in rural Guatemala; directly comparable geography and beneficiary base to Maya Jaguar in northwest Guatemala.
• Esperança: Arizona-based nonprofit delivering health, education, and community development programs in rural Latin America; comparable U.S. nonprofit structure funding remote-region programs in the region.
• Pueblos Nuevos: New Mexico-headquartered nonprofit partnering with rural Latin American communities on sustainable development and education; comparable funding model and small-scale village-based program delivery.
• Casa Guatemala: Nonprofit operating a residential school and village outreach for indigenous Maya children in Guatemala; closely mirrors Maya Jaguar's residential secondary education and community engagement model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adopt-a-villageinguatemala
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdoptaVillageinGuatemala
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adopt-a-village-in-guatemala
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptavillageinguatemala

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala