Press Releases

Hispanic Federation thanks the Connecticut General Assembly for preserving the Hispanic Human Resources Development funding for nonprofit organizations serving the state’s growing Latino community. We appreciate the strong bipartisan support that exists for the invaluable social services and economic contributions that Latino nonprofits provide every day. As we move past yet another special budget session we remain deeply concerned about Connecticut's fiscal situation and the focus by some of our elected leaders to meet budget gaps by cutting the state's safety net.

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Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican Party nominee for President of the United States. Hispanic Federation continues to be deeply troubled by Mr. Trump’s vitriolic attacks on immigrants and his punitive and unrealistic proposals to address our nation’s broken immigration system. We are also troubled by Mr. Trump’s comments regarding civil rights and equality in our nation. Just yesterday, he doubled down on his political grandstanding by saying that within the first 100 days of his administration that the wall with Mexico would be designed and the immigration ban on Muslims would be in place. If Mr. Trump wishes to be taken seriously by Latino and other voters, he must reconsider these views and present serious policy proposals.
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Hispanic Federation congratulates Dr. Betty Rosa and Dr. Luis Reyes on their Board of Regents appointments by the New York State Legislature. Dr. Rosa is a thoroughly qualified educator and excellent school leader, and we are proud that she will serve as the first Latina to hold the position of Chancellor on the NYS Board of Regents. We look forward to continuing to work with her to improve educational outcomes for New York’s most at-risk students.
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After months of delays and inaction, Hispanic Federation is pleased that the United States Congress has finally begun to consider proposals to aid the more than 3 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico suffering as a result of the island’s fiscal crisis. We applaud Congressman Rob Bishop, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, for carefully considering the issues facing Puerto Rico and presenting a draft of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which includes promising proposals on debt restructuring that the island urgently needs.
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On Tuesday, March 15th, Hispanic Federation gathered alongside Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Charles Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Bill Nelson, Bob Melendez and Representatives Nydia Velazquez, Jose Serrano, and Steny Hoyer, NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Hamilton’s creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, and citizens of Puerto Rico. Coming from different backgrounds with varying stories, everyone’s message was clear: Congress must act now to address the fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico.
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If you’re like me you have spent the last several months reading the headlines, watching the news, and shaking your head. It’s easy to feel frustrated and angry about the political landscape as we choose a new President. But the truth is that while the stories coming out of the campaigns can occasionally wear you down, there are many movements happening in our communities that give me great hope about our future. That’s why I’m so excited about our Annual Gala, which takes place on April 21st at the American Museum of Natural History. This benefit will once again serve as an opportunity for all of us to come together to support, protect and uplift our community.
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Connecticut is home to over 500,000 Latinos, who share the double distinction of being part of the youngest and fastest growing community in the state. Following a hugely successful Policy Day last month, Hispanic Federation’s Connecticut State Director, Ingrid Alvarez-DiMarzo led the third annual Orgullo y Poder Connecticut Advocacy Day and Legislative Luncheon.
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On any given day, thousands of people—children, adults, tourists, and native New Yorkers alike—all pass through the halls of the American Museum of Natural History. It is a truly impressive space: from the Hayden Planetarium to the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, each hall in the museum is more wondrous than the next. If you are in New York, it is simply a must-see. Yet, for millions of New Yorkers, the museum, and other cultural institutions like it, may seem just out of reach. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to bridge that gap by partnering with the Museum to open their doors to hundreds of New York’s most vulnerable: unaccompanied refugee children from Central America.
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The Hispanic Federation’s annual gala is moving to a new location.  After more than a decade at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Hispanic Federation will welcome guests at the American Museum of Natural History on April 21st.  This year’s honorees include Donald Graham of TheDream.US, Toyota, and philanthropist and entrepreneur, Luis Ubiñas.
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The news coming out of Flint, Michigan in recent weeks should sadden and infuriate us all. Our hearts go out to the children and families who have been poisoned by the contaminated water supply serving their homes, schools and businesses. But in the face of this environmental calamity, sympathy is insufficient. We should be angry. Very angry.
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It’s election season and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. The candidates for President are hotly debating issues such as employment, health care, immigration reform, terrorism and environmental protections. Latinos care deeply about these issues and their votes will be critical to the success of any candidate for the White House.
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Hispanic Federation is proud to welcome 11 new member agencies into the HF familia. Interested in becoming a member?
Learn more about our newest member agencies and their mission statements:
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The first presidential primaries are just around the corner. As the country gears up for raucous and uncertain election cycle, all eyes will be on Florida. The Sunshine State will not only be a much sough-after prize during the primaries but also will be the site of battles between Democrats and Republicans during the general election. More than 4.5 million Latinos live in Florida and approximately 1.7 million of them are registered to vote.
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Hispanic Federation’s Latina Philanthropy Council (LPC) held its first “Latina Leaders Breakfast Series” event on Tuesday, January 19th at McGraw Hill Financial. The event, sponsored by NSHMBA, Aon, Empire Blue, and Nielsen. was hosted by McGraw Hill’s Hispanic Heritage Network and featured Keynote Speaker, Mónica Gil, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Nielsen. A thought leader and marketing strategist, Gil builds cross-cultural connections across Nielsen, consumer and media clients, focusing on innovative and breakthrough approaches to multicultural intelligence.
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Expanding our community programs was a major objective for Hispanic Federation last year. Working with our member agencies we added a number of initiatives that ranged from money management to technical training for agency staff:
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Hispanic Federation is lucky to have a large and growing group of supporters and donors. They take our work seriously and we take their investment in us just as seriously. Our goal is to make sure that fundraising dollars reach our member agencies and the communities they serve rather than cover administrative expenses. It seems we’re getting it right. Out of every dollar spent by HF in 2015, 87 cents went towards community programs and services. According to Charity Navigator, the nation’s leading largest and most respected charity evaluator, we are also amongst an elite group of charities that meet its highest financial standards.
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New York City is the first home for Hispanic Federation. Always has been and always will be. But over the last several years HF has started to bring its services and expertise to other states where Latino communities are facing serious social, economic and political challenges. In 2015, we made a number of important strides toward increasing our national presence including, most significantly, opening an HF office in Orlando to serve the growing Latino population of Central Florida. “Florida’s Latino community is undergoing a major demographic transition,” said HF President José Calderón. “Central Florida is becoming an important Latino hub in the state with the third largest Latino population in the United States, and with that transition we saw a need for the kinds of services and advocacy HF knows how to provide. We’re really excited about HF’s future in Florida.”
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In 2015 we were fortunate enough to grant $2.4 million, more than ever in our organization’s history. That’s an extraordinary achievement given the continuing economic uncertainty we face in the nonprofit sector. And it’s particularly significant for the Latino community-based organizations we serve, which do not receive their fair share of resources from public and private philanthropic sources and are in desperate need of funding to support their operational and capacity-building needs.
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