Mujeres Unidas y Activas
An early bet that kept compounding
Founded in 1990 out of research documenting the lives of undocumented Latina immigrant women in the Bay Area, Mujeres Unidas y Activas has grown into a three-site organization whose revenue has compounded at a 21% CAGR since California Physicians' Service Foundation's first grant in 2017 — with net assets increasing sixfold alongside $5,095,441 in support across six funding cycles. In 2024 alone, MUA's coalition organizers made over 290,000 outreach contacts with domestic workers, trained more than 15,000 workers in labor protections and Know-Your-Rights workshops, and recovered nearly half a million dollars in stolen wages through DWEOP. A single-source income flag is worth watching as MUA scales, but the trajectory — from local Bay Area services to co-founding ACUDIR and winning the California Domestic Workers Rights Act — reflects an organization that has grown in depth alongside its reach.
- 1990Mujeres Unidas y Activas was founded in 1990, growing out of a San Francisco State University research project documenting the living conditions of undocumented Latina immigrant women in the Bay Area.
- 2021In 2021, MUA served at least 1,060 immigrant women, as recorded by the Women & Girls Index.
- 2023In 2023, 1,259 immigrant women participated in peer-led services including peer support groups, peer counseling, life coaching, fitness, and labor rights forums.
- 2023In 2023, 136 members participated in monthly vocational trainings covering labor negotiation, contract creation, child development, elder care, and domestic worker health and safety.
- 2024Coalition organizers and member leaders made over 290,000 outreach contacts with domestic workers across California in 2024.
- 2024Held almost 600 labor protections and Know-Your-Rights workshops, resulting in over 15,000 workers trained in 2024.