Frankie Miranda, Hispanic Federation President and CEO, shares the importance of building strong relationships with communities for long-term success.
How has your mission and .ORG grown in your Foundation’s 20 years?
Our mission has never changed, the reach of that mission has. We believe as strongly today as when we were founded that the best way to build and strengthen Latino communities is to build and strengthen Latino nonprofit organizations.
What stigmas faced by the Hispanic community does your organization try to dismantle?
I think one of the biggest challenges we face is overcoming the perception that our communities can’t and won’t do for themselves. The Latino nonprofit sector is the clearest example that we care for each other and work for each other. Our organizations do more and do more with less than most people realize. Our job at Hispanic Federation is to make that vital work visible.
What actions did your organization take during the COVID-19 pandemic?
COVID-19 hit our communities harder than anywhere else; not just in terms of illness and mortality but in the level of disruption it brought to our homes, our classrooms, and our pocketbooks. We knew that the Latino nonprofit sector, with its deep roots and connections to our people and our neighborhoods, was the single most effective way to get relief to those who needed it the most. Our national COVID-19 Relief Fund supported organizations with millions of dollars in grants to provide healthcare, food relief, housing, and cash grants well before the government stepped in.
Why is it important for non-profits to build a sense of community, like you do with your CREAR Futuros program, for long-term success?
Nonprofits don’t just build a sense of community, they preserve what’s already there. Hispanic Federation’s member agencies don’t parachute into communities and impose solutions to seemingly impossible challenges; they listen and then lead. A program like CREAR Futuros–which focuses on helping Latino students access and succeed in higher education–is a perfect example of how we hear what our communities tell us they need and how we leverage the strengths of our nonprofit sector to deliver.
Why did you choose .ORG for your domain?
The main reason we chose the .ORG domain is because it is a recognizable and trusted marker of organizations that exist to serve others. When people see the .ORG domain they know that Hispanic Federation isn’t about profits, it’s about people and the nonprofit organizations that serve them. Those three letters explain a lot about us, our mission, and our work.
Hispanic Federation (HF) is the nation’s premier Latino nonprofit membership organization. Founded in 1990, HF seeks to empower and advance the Hispanic community, support Hispanic families, and strengthen Latino institutions through work in the areas of education, health, immigration, civic engagement, and the environment.
Learn more about Hispanic Federation here.
