Canal Alliance, the San Rafael nonprofit led by CEO Omar Carrera, has been named one of the North Bay Business Journal's 2026 Best Places to Work for the second year running.

The organization, which has served Latino immigrants and their families in Marin County for more than 40 years, credited its four-day workweek, mental health support, hybrid workplace model, and professional development programs for the repeat recognition. Canal Alliance piloted the four-day schedule in February 2024; Chief Human Resources Officer Johanna Schleret detailed the shift in an August 2025 blog post describing how the change centered trust and accountability for staff serving the Canal neighborhood.

The honor is the second this week.

The North Bay Business Journal, co-presented with The Press Democrat, evaluates employers on workplace culture, benefits, and professional development. Canal Alliance first appeared on the list in 2025. The nonprofit noted it is a mission-driven organization on a roster that includes for-profit companies across the North Bay.

In a blog post Wednesday, July 29, authored by Marilyn Santos, Canal Alliance said the back-to-back recognition reflects a culture its team continues to build together, one grounded in community, integrity, and joy. The organization thanked staff for their care, creativity, resilience, and commitment.

As we reported Tuesday, July 28, Canal Alliance was also voted Best Family Services in Marin Magazine's 2026 Readers' Choice awards after more than 15,000 countywide votes. That honor, chosen by readers, uses different criteria than the Business Journal's workplace-culture evaluation, which surveys employees and reviews organizational practices.

Canal Alliance provides legal services, education, workforce development, and family support to immigrant families from its offices in the Canal neighborhood. The organization says it centers equity and care in both its community programs and its internal operations, a philosophy it credits for attracting and retaining staff in a competitive nonprofit labor market.