named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Chiya Charcha
Community discussion space on current issues such as immigration, workers’ rights, safety planning, and employment regulations, featuring guest experts and government representatives.
Citizenship Classes
Program that prepares Nepali-speaking immigrants for the U.S. naturalization process, including interview preparation, civic education, and support with rights and responsibilities.
Healthcare Access and Language Justice
Provides multilingual health navigators (Nepali and Tibetan), organizes health fairs and cancer screenings, and advocates for language access in hospitals and clinics.
Immigrant Rights & Civic Engagement
Supports immigrant civic participation through voter registration, citizenship assistance, candidate forums, and campaigns for Temporary Protected Status and other immigration relief.
New York Healthy Nail Salon Coalition
Coalition co-founded and led by Adhikaar to improve working conditions for nail salon workers, including advocacy for licensing access, multilingual exams, and posting of workers’ rights posters in salons.
United in Speech Co-op NY
First worker cooperative of pan-Asian language interpreters in the U.S., co-founded by Adhikaar to improve language access for Nepali-speaking immigrants in healthcare, legal, and public service settings.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 2 activities
- Advance nail salon worker rights and licensing equityCo-founded and leads the New York Healthy Nail Salon Coalition; expanded access to licensing by adding Nepali and Tibetan language options, creating a trainee program, simplifying processes regardless of immigration status, and created the “Nail Salon Workers’ Bill of Rights” poster mandated for display in all NY nail salons.
- Advocate for domestic workers' rights at state and international levelsPlayed a leading role in the passage of the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and advocated for the adoption of the International Convention on Domestic Workers (C189), contributing to landmark policy changes that recognize and protect domestic workers’ labor rights.
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 2 activities
- Deliver public testimony and influence local policy for immigrant communitiesAdvocates at New York City Hall for sanctuary protections, increased funding for legal clinics, Know Your Rights training, and expanded healthcare access by delivering public testimonies and engaging in city-level policy advocacy.
- Lead advocacy campaigns for Temporary Protected Status and immigration protectionsSuccessfully campaigned for TPS designation for Nepalis following the 2015 earthquake and continues to advocate alongside TPS holders for permanent immigration status and protection from deportation.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocate against caste-based discriminationParticipated in efforts to recognize Dalit History Month and advance legislation banning caste-based discrimination in New York State, including sharing survivor testimony from community members who experienced workplace discrimination.
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Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
- Deliver workforce development and skills training programsProvides workforce development training including "We Rise" Nanny, Newborn & CPR certification, NY Nail Salon Beauty School licensing courses, adult literacy classes, and citizenship preparation. Trained 1,222 members in various job readiness and certification programs.
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Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
- Organize and host community events and forumsHosts cultural and educational community gatherings such as Nari Diwas (International Women's Day), attended by over 500 people, and revives Chiya Charcha discussion forums featuring guest speakers on immigration, workers’ rights, safety planning, and employment regulations.
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Culturally Specific Support Services 1 activity
- Provide direct support and case management to Nepali-speaking immigrantsDelivers one-on-one case work services to community members on immigration (including TPS), fraud, wage theft, labor trafficking, healthcare access, and health insurance enrollment. Served 5,264 individuals through direct support and case management in the reporting period.
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Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 1 activity
- Support immigrant civic engagement and voter mobilizationFacilitates naturalization assistance, voter registration, civic education, candidate forums, and election participation for Nepali-speaking immigrants. Engages volunteers in door-knocking and event organizing to promote civic involvement.
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Healthcare Workforce Training & Career Pathways 1 activity
- Train community leaders and multilingual navigatorsTrains new leaders within the Nepali-speaking community and certifies multilingual navigators in health insurance enrollment under the Affordable Care Act to serve Nepali-, Tibetan-, and other Asian American populations.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Co-found and support worker cooperatives and language access initiativesCo-founded United in Speech Co-op NY, the first U.S. worker cooperative of pan-Asian language interpreters, to improve language access for Nepali-speaking immigrants in hospitals, courts, and public services.
- Improve organizational infrastructure and community spaceStrengthens internal systems and leads the redesign of Adhikaar’s office and community center to enhance daily operations and create a welcoming environment for programs, organizing, and visitor engagement.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.33M
Contributions & grants$2.33M100%
Program service revenue$1500%
Investment income$8K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.35M
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$1.53M
Grants paid out$33K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.33M
Cash$1.31M
Investments$0
Liabilities$239K
Net assets$3.09M
Liquid reserves6.7 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +9.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NARBADA CHHETRI | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $116K |
| CYNTHIA SAXENA | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $65K |
board members · 8
- ASTHA SHARMA POKHAREL — BOARD CHAIR/DIRECTOR
- CYNTHIA GREENBERG — TREASURER/DIRECTOR
- MAYADEVI ROSS — SECRETARY/DIRECTOR
- RINA GURUNG — DIRECTOR
- SEEMA AGNANI — DIRECTOR
- SHARON LEE — DIRECTOR
- SOOKYUNG OH — DIRECTOR
- VIJAY SIMHAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 22
Who they work with
- Asian American Federation Partner — Co-launched United in Speech Co-op NY, a worker cooperative of pan-Asian language interpreters.
- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Network — Cited report on inadequate access to services for Asian immigrants in New York City.
- Asian Refugees United Partner — Represented by Nawal Rai at Adhikaar's Nari Diwas event.
- Assembly Member Sarahana Shrestha Partner — Featured as keynote speaker at Adhikaar's Nari Diwas celebration.
- Chhaya CDC Partner — Former employer and nonprofit organization where Yangchen Donka began her nonprofit sector work supporting South Asian immigrant families.
- Civil Rights Advocates Partner — Collaborated with Adhikaar to recognize Dalit History Month and advance anti-caste discrimination legislation
- Coalition for Asian Children and Families Coalition — Member of the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition co-leading advocacy for state budget allocations.
- Communities United for Status and Protection Coalition — Coalition partner working with Adhikaar on TPS advocacy.
- International Domestic Workers’ Convention Partner — Engaged in international advocacy efforts that contributed to the establishment of the International Domestic Workers’ Convention.
- James Sanders Jr. Partner — Legislative sponsor of Senate Bill S6531 to ban caste-based discrimination, supported by Adhikaar's advocacy
- Justice for Jobseekers Campaign Coalition — Active member advocating for policies that improve jobseekers' rights in New York City.
- Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs Partner — Partnered with Adhikaar to celebrate the World Cup.
- Minority Empowerment Network Partner — Represented by Shreeya Tuladhar on a youth panel at Adhikaar's Nari Diwas event.
- NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Government — Participated as guest speakers in Adhikaar's Chiya Charcha community discussion series on workers’ rights and protections.
- Neighborhood Restore Partner — Former employer where Yangchen Donka held a leadership role helping families access affordable housing.
- New York Healthy Nail Salon Coalition Partner — Co-founded and leads this coalition focused on improving conditions in the nail salon industry.
- New York Immigration Coalition Partner — Participated as guest speakers in Adhikaar's Chiya Charcha community discussion series.
- New York Immigration Coalition Partner — Represented by Devashish Basnet on a youth panel at Adhikaar's Nari Diwas event.
- New York State Comptroller’s Office Government — Represented by Pema Genkhang at Adhikaar's Nari Diwas event.
- New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Partner — Coordinated advocacy efforts contributing to the creation and passage of the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
- Queens Watch Group Partner — Participated as guest speakers in Adhikaar's Chiya Charcha community discussion series.
- Steven Raga Partner — Legislative sponsor of Assembly Bill A6920 to ban caste-based discrimination, supported by Adhikaar's advocacy
strategies · 5
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.
- Centering the Most Impacted in Leadershipmethodology: centering_most_impactedBy prioritizing leadership and participation of the most impacted—particularly low-income workers and individuals with limited literacy—the organization ensures that solutions are shaped by those most affected, increasing relevance, equity, and effectiveness of advocacy and services.
- Civic Empowerment via Educationmethodology: civic-empowerment-through-educationBy providing civic education and citizenship preparation, the organization empowers immigrant community members to participate fully in democratic processes, because informed and engaged individuals are better equipped to advocate for their rights and shape policy.
- Grassroots Organizing for Collective Powermethodology: grassroots organizingBy organizing low-income immigrant workers through grassroots mobilization and political power-building, the organization enables communities to advocate for policy change and systemic reform, because collective action strengthens the labor movement and advances human rights.
- Language Justice Through Worker Cooperativesmethodology: language-justice-worker-cooperativeBy establishing worker cooperatives of language interpreters, the organization improves access to linguistically and culturally competent services, because community-controlled language justice initiatives ensure accurate, trusted communication in healthcare and civic domains.
- Women-Led, Community-Centered Organizingmethodology: women-led community organizingBy centering women’s leadership and grounding advocacy in direct community engagement, the organization builds trust and ensures that organizing efforts are rooted in the lived experiences of low-income workers and impacted communities, leading to more effective and sustainable social justice outcomes.