named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Austronesian Languages Documentation
Documents Austronesian languages spoken in New York, including Philippine languages, Indonesian regional languages, and Formosan languages, with community-led workshops and performances
Celtic Languages Project
Records and promotes Celtic languages in New York, including Breton and Irish, through partnerships with cultural organizations and audiovisual documentation
Indigenous Languages of Latin America Project
Documents Mexican and Central American Indigenous languages such as Amuzgo, Mixe, Purhepecha, Tlapanec, Totonac, Mixtec, and Nahuatl in New York City, including public outreach and literacy initiatives
Kiranti/Rai Language Documentation
Explores linguistic diversity among Kiranti and Rai communities in New York, including Bantawa, Chamling, Khaling, and other endangered Tibeto-Burman languages
Voices of the Himalaya
Multi-year project documenting the languages, cultures, and social histories of Himalayan diaspora communities in New York, producing over 20 open-access videos in a dozen languages
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Indigenous and Diaspora Cultural Preservation 2 activities
- Language education and literacy development programsOffers language classes and develops literacy materials in endangered languages, including a pilot literacy program in Mixtec and a class in Nahuatl, aimed at supporting community-based language revitalization.
- Public cultural and educational events in endangered languagesOrganizes and hosts public events including poetry readings, film screenings, musical performances, talks, and festivals featuring endangered languages such as Austronesian, Garifuna, Mapuche, and Indigenous Mexican languages. Events are held in collaboration with community organizations and city agencies.
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Oral History Collection and Preservation 1 activity
- Long-term documentation of endangered languagesConducts in-depth, long-term language documentation projects with multiple endangered language communities, creating multi-purpose records through audio and video recordings, oral histories, and linguistic research. Projects include Seke, Fur, Beria (Zaghawa), Masalit, and various Kiranti languages.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Capacity building through community engagement and trainingSupports language preservation efforts by engaging linguists, activists, community leaders, and volunteers, and by providing training in language documentation, as demonstrated by the West Timor training that produced booklets and videos in ten local languages.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$160K
Contributions & grants$128K80%
Program service revenue$30K19%
Investment income$8581%
Other revenue$2
expenses
Total expenses$157K
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$85K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$351K
Cash$265K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$349K
Liquid reserves20.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -48.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 4
- CHARLES HABERL — DIRECTOR
- NYASHA LAING — DIRECTOR
- PAUL COLLINS — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT HOLMAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- Archivo Sonoro Mapuche Partner — Collaborated with ELA on a public talk about traditional Mapuche song.
- Archivo Sonoro Mapuche Partner — Collaborates with ELA on public talks about traditional Mapuche song.
- Bronx Music Hall Partner — Hosted a joint event with ELA for International Mother Language Day featuring Garifuna music and dance.
- Caveat Partner — Venue for ELA’s ticketed comedy and trivia show on the Lower East Side.
- Darfuri refugee organizations Partner — Collaborates with local Darfuri refugee organizations on language-related projects.
- Dartmouth College Partner — Supported the "Voices of the Himalaya" project.
- ELA Toronto Partner — Sister organization in Toronto independently pursuing a similar mission to support language communities.
- El Museo del Barrio Partner — Hosted a special event with ELA on Indigenous Mexican languages in New York.
- Gamelan Kusuma Lamas Partner — Provided a soundbathing experience at the ELA-sponsored KulturAksi festival.
- Google.org Funder — Provided support for language documentation work in West Timor in 2012.
- Intercultural Productions Partner — Collaborated with ELA on the film 'Meso-American New York' to highlight Totonac language and culture.
- James Lovell Partner — ELA collaborator involved in organizing a Garifuna music and dance event.
- Kirat Rai Society of America Partner — Organization representing multiple Kiranti ethnolinguistic groups with which ELA may collaborate.
- KulturAksi Partner — Partnered with ELA to present an Indonesian Art Festival featuring performances and exhibitions rooted in cultural and environmental themes.
- Mano a Mano Partner — Collaborates with ELA on outreach and programming for Indigenous Mexican languages in New York.
- Mark Turin Partner — Collaborated on the "Voices of the Himalaya" project as a scholar of the Himalayan region.
- Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Partner — Collaborated to promote ID NYC.
- Museum of the City of New York Partner — Co-hosted the Jeffe Distinguished Lecture in Urban History featuring ELA co-director Ross Perlin.
- NEA Government — Government agency that has provided financial support to ELA.
- NEH Government — Government agency that has provided financial support to ELA.
- NSF Government — Government agency that has provided financial support to ELA.
- NYC Department of Health Government — Engages in collaborative initiatives with ELA on language access and health policy.
- NYC Dept. of Health Partner — Collaborated to provide informational sessions about the COVID vaccine in Indonesian and Tagalog.
- Nassip Foundation Partner — Partner organization in the Circassian Languages Project, supporting documentation and outreach for Circassian languages.
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Supported the recording of Himalayan singers in New York City in 2018–19.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Supported the "Voices of the Himalaya" project.
- Queens College Partner — Supported the "Voices of the Himalaya" project.
- Rasmina Gurung Partner — Collaborated on the long-term documentation of the Seke language.
- Saung Budaya Dance Partner — Performed a new traditional contemporary dance at the ELA-sponsored KulturAksi festival.
- Sienna Craig Partner — Collaborated on the "Voices of the Himalaya" project as a scholar of the Himalayan region.
+ 2 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Driven Language Documentation and Revitalizationmethodology: community_driven_researchBy training and partnering with community members, linguists, and activists in collaborative research and documentation, we preserve endangered languages and support cultural continuity, because community leadership increases cultural relevance, sustainability, and trust in preservation efforts.
- Linguistic Documentation as Cultural and Human Rights Preservationmethodology: human_rights_based_approachBy documenting endangered languages, we uphold the human right to linguistic self-determination and preserve cultural identity, because language is foundational to communal heritage and dignity, and its loss constitutes both cultural erasure and a violation of rights.
- Multimedia and Cultural Expression for Language Revitalizationmethodology: cultural_expression_through_artBy integrating cultural events, music, film, and performance into language documentation, we increase public engagement and intergenerational transmission, because artistic expression makes language learning accessible, emotionally resonant, and socially reinforced.