ALA meaning in Associations & Organizations ?

The American Latvian Association (Estonian: Amerikas latviešu apvienība, ALA) is the main organization representing the Latvian American community in the United States of America, which was founded on February 24, 1951. The association and its members lead and support global efforts to facilitate the peaceful and democratic development of Latvia by promoting understanding and support for Latvia through informational efforts mainly in the United States of America.

In 1961, the ALA participated as a co-founder of the Joint Baltic American National Committee in cooperation with the Estonian American National Council and the Lithuanian American National Council [1]. The ALA is also a member of the World Federation of Free Latvians (WFFL) and contributes 4 of WFFL's 16 board members.

ALA has over 160 member organizations, and some 6,000 individual members, representing over 100,000 people of Latvian descent living in the United States. ALA headquarters are located in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Some of the 160 ALA member organizations include the cultural organization Tilts, the Washington D.C. Latvian Lutheran Church, and the Latvian Welfare Association Daugavas Vanagi New York branch. The ALA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax exempt educational and cultural organization registered as a private and voluntary organization with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

ALA is organized into 4 key program areas as is reported on the annual IRS Form 990 depicting the operations of non-profit organizations. The ALA supports cultural activities and facilitates cooperation within the Latvian American community, for example, organizing annual educational and cultural trips to Latvia. These programs help educate and inform the Latvian American Community about events and people in Latvia. The goals of the ALA are to promote the study of Latvian language, history and culture. The ALA is supplying Latvian schools in the United States with books and teaching materials, while also helping newly arrived Latvian immigrants to adjust to life in the United States and providing humanitarian aid to people in Latvia.