From advocacy and education to healthcare and social services, Latino and Hispanic organizations are leading the way in enacting positive change and making an impact on our communities.
To recognize the contributions and importance of Hispanic and Latino Americans and celebrate their heritage and culture, we’ve assembled a list of 11 influential Latino and Hispanic nonprofit organizations. Read on to learn about what they do, why they matter, and how you can support them.
1. Hispanic Institute
The Hispanic Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides an effective education forum for an informed and empowered Hispanic America. As a leading Hispanic organization, the Hispanic Institute manages several ongoing projects, including the study of Hispanic economic contributions, media monitoring, consumer fraud protection, citizenship education, and technology and telecommunication research.
Support this Hispanic organization by learning more about its programs and projects.
2. Latino Victory Fund
The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee working to increase Latino representation at every level of government. From school boards to the Senate and White House, Latino Victory identifies, recruits, and develops candidates for public office while building a permanent base of Latino donors to support them. Latino Victory is developing a pipeline of Latino leaders who will fight for the issues that matter, and its work is intended to elevate and advance values important to their communities.
Support this Hispanic organization by joining its email list to stay involved.
3. Voto Latino
Voto Latino shepherds the Latinx community toward full realization of its political power through building a strong bloc of Latinx voters. Voto Latino’s work focuses on creating a framework meant to serve and empower their community across three main pillars: civic engagement, issue advocacy, and leadership development. Using innovative digital campaigns, pop culture, and grassroots voices, this Hispanic organization provides culturally relevant programs that engage, educate, and empower Latinos to be agents of change and build a stronger and more inclusive democracy.
Support this Hispanic organization by volunteering to canvass, rally, or host a voter registration drive or debate watch party.
4. Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF)
SALEF’s purpose is “to promote the civic participation and representation of the Salvadoran and other Latino communities in the U.S., promote the economic development and democracy in El Salvador, as well as to advocate for its economic, educational, and political advancement and growth.” With core values of social justice, advancing democracy, leadership development, education, and trust, SALEF believes “it is vital to increase the Latino voice in the political and electoral process.”
Support this Hispanic organization by becoming a SALEF Member or getting in contact with the organization.
5. LatinoLEAD
LatinoLEAD brings Latino leaders from across all sectors in Minnesota together to generate social impact through collaboration, power building, and leadership development. LatinoLEAD envisions a world where Latino community members at “all stages of their career are civically engaged, connected, supported, and seen as a vital voice of influence nationwide.” LatinoLEAD’s purpose is to “join together to create innovative strategies to drive and define policies and perceptions that advance Latino collective influence, success, and power.”
Support this Hispanic organization by subscribing to their monthly eNewsletter or recognizing your colleagues through their monthly video series, Voices of LatinoLEAD.
6. Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB)
Established in 1998, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) features the diverse voices of the Latino community in public media throughout the United States. A registered nonprofit organization, LPB is “the leader of the development, production, acquisition, and distribution of non-commercial educational and cultural media that is representative of Latino people, or addresses issues of particular interest to Latino Americans.”
Support this Hispanic organization by subscribing to its e-Voz Newsletter.
7. Mi Familia Vota
Mi Familia Vota began in 2000 and is a national civic engagement organization that unites Hispanic, immigrant, and allied communities to promote social and economic justice through citizenship workshops, voter registration, and voter participation. Mi Familia Vota operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Texas. Its purpose is “to build Latino political power by expanding the electorate, strengthening local infrastructures, and through year-round voter engagement.”
Support this Hispanic organization by volunteering to support voter registration, phone banking, data entry, or event hosting.
8. GreenLatinos
Members of GreenLatinos work together to establish collaborative partnerships and networks. An active comunidad of Latino/a/x leaders emboldened by the power and wisdom of their culture, GreenLatinos are united to demand equity and dismantle racism; resourced to win their environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles; and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation. The organization aims to train, mentor, and promote current and future generations of Latino environmental leaders.
Support this Hispanic organization by signing its petitions, attending an event, or joining its newsletter.
9. National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (the Latina Institute)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice envisions a society where Latinas/xs are free and empowered to make decisions about their bodies, sexuality, and families. The Latina Institute strives “for Latinas/xs to live with dignity about our sexualities and genders.” Driven by a reproductive justice framework, its members work to build power in Latina/x communities to exercise autonomy over their bodies and secure equal access to reproductive health as a human right.
Support this Hispanic organization by following them on social media or joining their activist networks in Florida, New York, Texas, or Virginia.
10. Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL)
COPAL’s purpose is to unite Latinos in Minnesota in a community democracy that advocates for racial, gender, social, and economic justice. Its vision is to “build a world that is fair, equitable, enjoyable, and environmentally sustainable for all,” and they organize around that vision in accordance with the Jémez Principles:
- Be inclusive.
- Emphasis on organizing from the bottom up.
- Let people speak for themselves.
- Work together in solidarity and mutuality.
- Build fair relationships.
- Commitment to personal transformation.
Support this Hispanic organization by volunteering or joining an event.
11. Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
Originally a grassroots group of Latinas searching for strategies to overcome increasing rates of HIV/AIDS and other issues impacting the Latino community, COLOR is an organization working to enable Latinx individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy, and self-determined lives. COLOR enacts its mission by empowering its community through knowledge, education, and information; organizing to achieve complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, economic, and social well-being for their community; elevating voices through an intergenerational approach and committing to an intergenerational leadership ladder; and committing to their values of justice and equality as human rights.
Support this Hispanic organization by volunteering in-person or virtually, or becoming a social media ambassador.
Support Latino and Hispanic organizations in your area
The list above is just a starting point to find Latino and Hispanic organizations to support. If you’re looking for more organizations, consider these possibilities:
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
- Hispanic Alliance for Latino Enhancement
- Hispanic Heritage Foundation
- League of United Latin American Citizens
- MANA, A National Latina Organization
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- UnidosUS
- United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
- United We Dream
Whether you engage as a volunteer, donor, or advocate, when you offer your support to these organizations, you help drive purposeful change in Latino communities and beyond.
