Fundacion Cartoneros Y Sus Chicos

What Fundacion Cartoneros Y Sus Chicos does

Fundación Cartoneros y sus Chicos is an Argentine nonprofit foundation founded in 2001 by Swiss businesswoman Renata Jacobs in response to the Argentine economic crisis of that year. The foundation delivers educational support programs to children, adolescents, and youth from families of cartoneros (urban recyclers) in vulnerable socioeconomic situations in Buenos Aires. Its core programs include the flagship "Mejor Educación, Mejor Vida" (Better Education, Better Life) homework and school support project, the "Programa Jóvenes Líderes" (Youth Leaders Program), and a comprehensive educational accompaniment service ("Acompa\u00f1amiento Educativo Integral") delivered at its own dedicated space inaugurated in 2019.

The foundation has no proprietary technology and operates as a human-delivered educational service. Its service model is anchored by a strategic partnership with Cooperativa Las Madreselvas, a cooperative of 600 urban recyclers recognized by the Buenos Aires city government (GCBA) as part of the formal recycling system. This partnership provides direct access to beneficiary families across the Saavedra, Coghlan, Núñez, and Belgrano neighborhoods. The foundation does not sell products or services; it is funded entirely by individual donations processed through the MercadoPago subscription platform and Donaronline.org.

The organization is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors (Consejo de Administración) led by President Julio C. Durand and Founder/Vice President Renata Jacobs, with an Executive Director (Valeria Schildknecht) and a General Coordinator (Delfina Formosa) overseeing approximately 15+ operational staff including educators, program coordinators, and organizational management. The foundation has no parent company, no institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no publicly available financial statements. It is registered as a nonprofit entity in Argentina and operates entirely on the national and regional scale.

Name

Fundacion Cartoneros Y Sus Chicos

Legal name

Fundación Cartoneros y sus Chicos

Website

https://cartoneros.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundación Cartoneros y sus Chicos is an Argentine nonprofit founded in 2001 that provides educational support programs—including tutoring, school assistance, and leadership development—to children and adolescents from cartonero (urban recycler) families in vulnerable Buenos Aires communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education & Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAEAJ

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGADAL

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDACALAH

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services

Education/Early Childhood Education/Parent Education & Family Engagement Programs

Keywords

• Educational support services
• Youth development programs
• Social services nonprofit
• Community education initiatives
• School support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alberti

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute via MercadoPago subscription platform and Donaronline.org. The foundation emphasizes direct engagement with supporters who share the mission of educational equity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The foundation provides integral educational accompaniment, school support, and tutoring to children, adolescents, and youth from vulnerable backgrounds—specifically the children and grandchildren of cartoneros (urban waste recyclers) in Buenos Aires. Services are delivered in partnership with Cooperativa Las Madreselvas and encompass homework help, periodic educational meetings, and a youth leadership program aimed at closing the educational equity gap for low-income families.

Product overview

Fundación Cartoneros y sus Chicos is a charitable educational foundation offering a unified portfolio of programs focused on providing integral educational support to children and adolescents from vulnerable backgrounds, particularly those whose families work as waste recyclers (cartoneros). The core offering consists of the 'Mejor Educación, Mejor Vida' (Better Education, Better Life) project, the 'Programa Jóvenes Líderes' (Youth Leaders Program), and the foundation's own dedicated educational space inaugurated in 2019. These programs work together to provide school support, tutoring, homework assistance, and leadership development, supported by a team of educators and coordinators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mejor Educación, Mejor Vida (Better Education, Better Life) An ongoing educational support project offering school support and periodic tutoring sessions to help children, adolescents, and youth from cartonero families with homework and academic development, delivered in alliance with Cooperativa Las Madreselvas.
• Programa Jóvenes Líderes (Youth Leaders Program) Educational and leadership development program empowering youth from vulnerable backgrounds through leadership training, educational accompaniment, and personal growth opportunities.
• Acompañamiento Educativo Integral (Comprehensive Educational Accompaniment) The foundation's ongoing comprehensive educational accompaniment conducted at its dedicated space in Buenos Aires, integrating academic support, personal development, and empowerment activities for vulnerable children and adolescents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Project 'Mejor Educación, Mejor Vida' initiated in 2010 in partnership with Cooperativa Las Madreselvas

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cooperativa Las MadreselvascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Primary strategic partner providing personnel and economic resources. The cooperative consists of 600 urban recyclers recognized by the GCBA (Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires) as part of the formal recycling system. They operate a transport fleet and recycling plant in the Núñez neighborhood, serving areas of Saavedra, Coghlan, Núñez, and Belgrano.
• Fundación SEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Founded and managed by Alejandra Solla, who also serves as Treasurer on the foundation's Board. The organization works for social, educational, and labor inclusion of adolescents and youth across Argentina and Latin America. Founded the Cartoneros project alongside Renata Jacobs and currently continues supporting from the board.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Large international education nonprofit working across multiple developing countries on literacy and girls' education. Comparable mission (educational equity for vulnerable children) but at vastly larger scale and with global programmatic scope.
• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations focused on expanding educational opportunity for underserved students. Comparable educational equity mission; broader model that builds partner organizations rather than direct service delivery.

Direct peers

• Asociación Conciencia: Argentine nonprofit running educational support, tutoring, and youth development programs in low-income communities. Comparable program portfolio, donor model, and beneficiary focus on at-risk children and adolescents.
• Fundación SES: Direct strategic partner founded by the foundation's Treasurer Alejandra Solla. Works for social, educational, and labor inclusion of adolescents and youth across Argentina and Latin America, sharing an overlapping mission and beneficiary base.
• Fundación C&A: Latin American foundation focused on circular textile and inclusive education for vulnerable communities. Comparable in mission (vulnerable children, education equity) and in operating as a private foundation with corporate backing.
• Cooperativa El Ceibo: Buenos Aires-based recycler cooperative producing recycled paper products. Directly comparable community partner archetype (formalized cartonero/recycler cooperative) and shared geography with Cooperativa Las Madreselvas.
• Pueblo Nuevo: Argentine foundation providing educational support to children in vulnerable Buenos Aires neighborhoods through after-school programs and community centers. Same city, similar population, similar direct-service education model.
• Cimientos: Argentine nonprofit that provides educational support, scholarships, and mentoring to low-income youth to help them finish secondary school and pursue higher education. Highly comparable target population and program model (tutoring, school accompaniment).
• Fundación Padrinos: Argentine foundation supporting low-income students through educational sponsorship, tutoring, and accompaniment through secondary school. Highly aligned mission and direct service-delivery education model.

Regional players

• Movimiento de los Trabajadores Excluidos (MTE): Argentine social movement organizing informal workers including cartoneros and recyclers. Comparable ecosystem actor and shared beneficiary base; MTE represents and formalizes the same cartonero workforce that Las Madreselvas organizes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fundacioncartonerosysuschi7795
• Facebookfacebook.com/cartonerosysuschicos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaci%C3%B3n-cartoneros-y-sus-chicos
• Instagraminstagram.com/cartonerosysuschicos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Fundacion Cartoneros Y Sus Chicos