Karen Organization of Minnesota

What Karen Organization of Minnesota does

Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) is a Roseville, Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 to serve Karen refugees and immigrants from Burma/Myanmar and the Thai border camps. The organization operates as a multi-service human-services agency, not a technology company, delivering wraparound support across four program verticals: employment and adult career pathways (Apprentice Ready+, CDL Careers, Pre-CNA, COSI interpreting training, Career Ready for ELL, WIOA individual training); social services (Weaving Circle, Caregivers Support, MNsure outreach, civic engagement); community health (Peer Support, chemical dependency, mental health, family planning); and youth development (afterschool, summer programs, Theater Mu arts partnership). All services are provided free of charge to eligible participants.

Revenue is derived entirely from grants and donations: government contracts from Minnesota DEED, DLI, DHS, and Ramsey County workforce programs (WIOA), foundation grants (notably United Way of Southwest Minnesota), and individual charitable giving. Programs are delivered in-person at the Roseville headquarters and partner sites including the Roseville Adult Learning Center and Dakota County Technical College, supplemented by walk-in services and growing virtual offerings. Differentiation rests on culturally specific, native-language service delivery by a largely Karen-origin staff, making KOM the de facto primary provider for Minnesota's approximately 20,000 Karen residents. Outcomes cited include a 50% construction-trades placement rate within two months of training completion, a 50% summer-apprenticeship employment rate, and over 1,000 refugee youth served since program inception.

Name

Karen Organization of Minnesota

Legal name

Karen Organization of Minnesota

Website

https://mnkaren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karen Organization of Minnesota is a Roseville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering free employment training, social services, community health, and youth development programs to Karen refugees and immigrants from Burma across Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigrant Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee social services
• Immigrant career training
• Community health programs
• Youth development services
• Cultural integration support

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from government sources including Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and Ramsey County workforce programs.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as United Way of Southwest Minnesota and other grant-making organizations.
3. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting refugee and immigrant community services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Karen Organization of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free social, health, employment, and youth development services to refugees and immigrants, with a primary focus on the Karen community from Burma/Myanmar. Core offerings include culturally and linguistically appropriate career training programs (building trades apprenticeships, CDL, Pre-CNA, interpreting, ESL/ELL), social services (financial coaching, weaving circle, caregiver support), community health (peer support, mental health, chemical dependency, family planning), and youth development (afterschool, summer programs). All services are delivered free of charge, funded by government and foundation grants plus individual donations.

Product overview

Karen Organization of Minnesota operates as a nonprofit social services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services to refugees and immigrants, particularly the Karen community from Burma. The organization functions as a multi-service agency rather than a single product company. Core offerings include career training programs (Apprentice Ready+, CDL Careers, COSI Interpreting, Pre-CNA, Career Ready for ELL, WIOA Individual Training), social services (Weaving Circle, Caregivers Support, MNsure Outreach, Civic Engagement), community health programs (Peer Support, Mental Health, Chemical Dependency), and youth development (Afterschool, Summer Program, Theater Mu Partnership). These programs work together through case management, referrals, and wraparound support to help clients achieve economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. New arrivals services provide initial settlement support while walk-in services offer ongoing assistance. Cultural preservation is addressed through the Weaving Circle and Karen Culture Presentations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% placement rate in construction trades within two months of training completion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Finishing Trades Institute—Upper Midwest (FTIUM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20258-week pre-apprenticeship training in finishing trades (sheetrock, plaster, painting, signage, glazier) as part of summer construction trades programming.
• North Central States Carpenters Union / Carpenters Training InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20258-week pre-apprenticeship training in carpentry (interior systems, steel studs, drywall, concrete) for summer construction trades programming.
• Theater MucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Social practice partnership where Theater Mu teaching artists conduct residencies with KOM afterschool program youth, helping students explore self-expression through theater and create original plays.
• CAPI USAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Civic engagement partnership to educate the community about census participation and civic involvement.
• Karen Chemical Dependency Collaborative (KCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Initiative co-founded with Dr. Shana Sniffen from HealthEast Roselawn Clinic to provide culturally relevant treatment for harmful alcohol use in the Karen community.
• Roseville Adult Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Adult Career Pathways programs including Apprentice Ready+ diploma program, Pre-CNA training, and ESL classes. Students earn credentials while receiving career support and job placement assistance.
• Dakota County Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDL program partner providing behind-the-wheel training as part of the 8-week permit prep and career preparation program.
• University of Minnesota Extension OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for nutritional classes and healthy eating programming for the Karen community.
• YMCA (Marshall)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly sessions focusing on healthy lifestyles and physical activities at the YMCA, with scholarship assistance from United Way grant.
• Supporting Hands (Nurse/Family Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerServices for first-time mothers, meeting regularly with new mothers and infants until age two on medical, mental, physical, and social aspects of parenting.
• Arrive MinistriescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImmigration services provided on-site at KOM office to help clients with immigration matters.
• Ramsey CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial services and workforce program support including WIOA programs and various social services.
• Wilder FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting ThayGeMoo, a school-based mental health program for elementary to high school-aged Karen students at various Saint Paul schools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hmong American Partnership: St. Paul-based nonprofit serving the Hmong refugee community with employment, education, youth, and family services. Highly comparable model: ethnic-specific refugee services organization in Minnesota delivering wraparound programs in language and culturally tailored to a Southeast Asian diaspora.
• International Institute of Minnesota: St. Paul-based refugee resettlement agency providing employment, English, and case management services to refugees and immigrants. Closest direct peer to KOM in scope of resettlement, employment training, and ESL programming for the Twin Cities refugee community.
• CAPI USA: Minnesota-based immigrant-serving nonprofit with which KOM has a civic engagement partnership. Comparable as a community-based organization providing wraparound services (employment, civic engagement, health access) to immigrant communities in the Twin Cities.
• Arrive Ministries: Minnesota-based refugee resettlement agency that provides on-site immigration services at KOM's office. Directly comparable as a faith-affiliated nonprofit serving refugee populations in the Twin Cities with resettlement, immigration, and integration services.

Broad incumbents

• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota: Minnesota-wide faith-based social services organization running refugee resettlement, employment, and youth programs. Comparable broad incumbent with overlapping refugee employment and resettlement work but a multi-ethnic, statewide footprint rather than Karen specialization.
• Refugees International: Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization focused on refugee rights and displacement globally. Adjacent peer in the broader refugee-services ecosystem; relevant as an advocacy counterpart though it does not deliver direct resettlement services in Minnesota.
• Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis: Large multi-service nonprofit operating refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, employment, and housing programs across the Twin Cities. Comparable in service breadth for refugee populations, though it operates at significantly greater scale and across multiple ethnic groups rather than specializing in one community.

Regional players

• Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL): Minnesota-based advocacy and leadership organization serving pan-Asian American communities. Comparable in mission to elevate immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota, though focused on leadership development and policy advocacy rather than direct service delivery.
• Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis: Minneapolis-based social services agency providing employment, refugee, and family services to immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. Comparable operating model and regional focus on refugee employment and resettlement, though serving a different immigrant community.

Others

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Statewide membership and advocacy association for Minnesota nonprofits. Not a direct competitor but a relevant peer as a capacity-building, advocacy, and funding resource that KOM and similar refugee-serving nonprofits engage with for grant access and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mnkarenorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mnkarenorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/mnkarenorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Karen Organization of Minnesota