Success Story: Los Promotores Comunitarios

Grassroots Vision Grows into Community Powerhouse

Location: Central California | Fresno County | Firebaugh

Business Type: Nonprofit, Community Health and Leadership Development

Small Business Center: Rural Development Centers

Assistance Received: Grant Strategy, Nonprofit Structure, and Financial Management

California State Assembly District: 27 

California State Senate District: 14 

Visit Los Promotores Comunitarios online

Los Promotores Comunitarios began the way many powerful community movements do, around a kitchen table in West Fresno County, where neighbors, families, and farmworkers talked about the real challenges they were facing and the lack of culturally rooted support they could rely on. Founder Felipe Pérez looked around and saw not just problems, but potential. What if the community itself, its people, its culture, its lived experience, became the driving force behind healthier, stronger families? 

And just like that, Los Promotores Comunitarios was born. No flashy office. No giant budget. Just a group of passionate community members, a handful of folding chairs, a shared commitment to uplift their neighbors, and the promotor model as their North Star. 

Felipe Pérez serves as the Executive Director of Los Promotores Comunitarios, bringing over 25 years of dedicated experience working with rural communities across California’s West Fresno County. Born into an immigrant farmworker family, Felipe’s personal journey from the fields to nonprofit leadership uniquely equips him with a deep, lived understanding of the challenges faced by underserved populations. His work is rooted in cultural humility and a steadfast commitment to community empowerment. 

Felipe was inspired to start Los Promotores Comunitarios by a deep love for his community in Firebaugh and a commitment to ensuring that rural and immigrant families in West Fresno County had access to trusted, culturally grounded support. After years of witnessing local families struggle to navigate health systems, social services, and community resources, often due to language barriers, limited access, or fear, Felipe recognized that the people best equipped to help the community were the community itself. 

Today, Los Promotores Comunitarios is like the heart of West Fresno County, always beating, always connecting, always empowering. They train everyday residents to become Promotores: trusted messengers who bring health education, resource navigation, civic engagement support, and cultural connection directly into neighborhoods, living rooms, churches, parks, and community events. 

But as community needs increased, the organization faced challenges familiar to emerging nonprofits: limited funding, too few staff, and the need for stronger organizational systems to sustain meaningful growth. As a grassroots, community-driven organization based in Firebaugh, they faced difficulties accessing grant opportunities, building sustainable financial systems, and formalizing their operations for long-term growth. 

To address these barriers, Los Promotores Comunitarios partnered with the Rural Development Centers (RDC) for targeted technical assistance. RDC provided support in grant strategy, nonprofit structure, and financial management, essential tools for an organization ready to grow but in need of the right systems to support expansion. This personalized guidance helped strengthen internal operations and position the organization for long-term success. 

“RDC’s support came at a critical time for our organization,” Felipe shared. “Their guidance helped us strengthen our structure, secure new funding, and build the capacity we needed to grow our promotor programs in Firebaugh and across West Fresno County. RDC didn’t just offer technical assistance, RDC staff believed in our vision and invested in the leadership that comes from within our community.” 

With RDC’s support, Los Promotores Comunitarios secured over $250,000 in grant funding, enabling the organization to expand its programming throughout West Fresno County and hire six part-time employees to support community outreach, health navigation, education workshops, and promotor training. With increased staffing and improved systems, the organization deepened its reach in rural communities and delivered culturally responsive support to more families than ever before. 

The impact has been transformative. Los Promotores Comunitarios has expanded promotor-led programming across West Fresno County, strengthened operational and financial infrastructure, and increased capacity to serve rural families with the kind of culturally rooted support that builds trust and creates lasting change. 

What started around a kitchen table has grown into a vital community resource, training everyday residents to become leaders, advocates, and trusted sources of support for their neighbors. Felipe’s vision of community-led solutions has become reality, proving that the most powerful change comes from within. 

Go to Los Promotores Comunitarios to learn more about their promotor-led programs and community empowerment initiatives in West Fresno County. 

And, if you’re leading a rural nonprofit or small business looking to build sustainable systems and secure funding for growth, connect with the Rural Development Centers for support. The Rural Development Centers provide technical assistance to rural nonprofits and small businesses throughout California, offering support in grant strategy, organizational development, financial management, and capacity building. Services are designed to help rural organizations strengthen their foundations and expand their impact in underserved communities.  

1/2/2026