About

Over the past 20 years, primarily Latinx immigrant leaders in the Emma neighborhood have been organizing around mutual aid, community defense, and the uplift of our cultures. From these efforts a number of grassroots organizations emerged, including Nuestro Centro (now Raíces), CIMA, PODER Emma, Mä hñaki, and Consulta Tu Compa.

After years of deep collaboration, in 2018 these organizations officially united to implement a vision for greater cooperation and sustainability. Colaborativa La Milpa emerged as a collective response for building capacity around grant writing, administration, communications, and coordinated strategic approaches. It also provides fiscal sponsorship for members.

Colaborativa La Milpa is creating a model for sharing infrastructure so more energy can go directly to our programs, and for coordinating efforts to avoid duplicating work. We also come together to break patterns of isolation that exist on individual and organizational levels. We practice building community, being in true solidarity, and being in collaboration rather than competition. We believe that working collectively expands our impact. 

We affirm that each of our organizations is stronger when all of our organizations are thriving.