The Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF), is founded by and named for United Farm Workers labor union activist Dolores Huerta. Dolores Huerta is a self-proclaimed feminist, and her Foundation’s mission revolves primarily around her work as a community organizer. ¹

Dolores Huerta Foundation has sued school districts in California over alleged mistreatment of minority students or representation. DHF trains community organizers and engages in campaigns to increase taxes on California businesses.

In 2010, DHF received $100,000 from the Clinton Foundation. ² In 2019, DHF received money from the State of California to perform “civic engagement.” ³

Present Activities

In April of 2018, Dolores Huerta Foundation threatened to sue Tulare County Board of Supervisors over accusations of suppressing voters in the county. DHF demanded that Tulare County redraw district boundaries and that the county was violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965. ⁴

In May of 2018, the DHF joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the Census questionnaire. ⁵

In 2014, the group sued the Kern County School District its expulsion rates of Latino students. In May of 2019, the school district settled with DHF with the promise that the school district would provide alternative options for students at risk of expulsion. ⁶ KHSD settled the suit over “largely financial” reasons and agreed to pay plaintiff’s (DHF) legal fees. ⁷ DHF’s legal fees amounted to almost $600,000 and the school district agreed to pay $70,000 to the plaintiffs represented by DHF attorneys. ⁸ The school district stated that “every dollar spent fighting this lawsuit was taxpayer money that KHSD received as part of its federal and state-budgeted funds, which are meant to be spent on education.” ⁹ KHSD maintains that it did not violate any civil rights or laws in respect to their students. ¹⁰

DHF trains community organizers in low-income communities to put pressure on local city councils, school boards, and utility boards to affect policy changes in health, education, and housing. ¹¹ In one case, DHF’s community organizing efforts were used to increase property taxes by one cent in a local community. The style and pattern of organizing is similar to Huerta’s community organizing with the National Farm Workers Association. ¹²

DHF is actively involved in the “Make It Fair” campaign that would increase property taxes by billions of dollars in California. ¹³

People

Much of the work involving DHF revolves around Dolores Huerta herself. Ms. Huerta has traveled the country influencing campaigns and elections in a personal capacity. ¹⁴

Funding

The Dolores Huerta Foundation has received funding from the Clinton Foundation,¹⁵ the Kaufman Family Foundation,¹⁶ the Public Welfare Foundation,¹⁷ Arcus Foundation,¹⁸ the James Irvine Foundation,¹⁹ and the Children’s Defense Fund. ²⁰

In 2019, DHF received $2 million from the State of California to partner with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center in Oakland California to promote “civic engagement.” ²¹

1. M.Levy, Leslie. “Dolores Huerta Steers Students toward Activism.” The Oak Leaf. April 26, 2019. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.theoakleafnews.com/a-home-page-slideshow/2019/04/25/dolores-huerta-steers-students-toward-activism.
2. The Clinton Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2010, Form 990 PF, Part XV – Grants and Contributions Paid During The Year.
3. Morgen, Sam. “Dolores Huerta Foundation Receives Shot in the Arm from State Budget.” Bakersfield.com. July 3, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2019. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/dolores-huerta-foundation-receives-shot-in-the-arm-from-state/article_aa54aa64-9d23-11e9-a1d8-83c10d829630.html.
4. Romero, Sheyanne N. “Voters: Minorities Aren’t Represented on Tulare County Board.” Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register. April 05, 2018. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2018/04/05/voters-minorities-arent-represented-tulare-county-board/488016002/.
5. Sanders, Josh. “Dolores Huerta Foundation Challenges 2020 Census.” KERO. May 31, 2018. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/dolores-huerta-foundation-joins-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-for-census-question.
6. Californian, Bakersfield. “Community Groups, Kern County Office of Education Reach Settlement in Lawsuit.” The Bakersfield Californian. May 02, 2019. Accessed June 05, 2019.  https://www.bakersfield.com/news/community-groups-kern-county-office-of-education-reach-settlement-in/article_1d5b20ba-6c5a-11e9-b782-97af89854990.html.
7. [email protected], DOROTHY MILLS-GREGG. “Civil Rights Groups Call Settlement with Kern High School District ‘first Step’.” The Bakersfield Californian. July 27, 2017. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/civil-rights-groups-call-settlement-with-kern-high-school-district/article_5ef29718-7230-11e7-adb5-231270c7f17b.html.
8. Pierce, Harold. “KHSD to Pay $670,000, Train Staff, to Settle Suit Alleging Minorities Targeted for Suspension and Expulsion.” The Bakersfield Californian. July 24, 2017. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/education/khsd-to-pay-train-staff-to-settle-suit-alleging-minorities/article_35d0d21c-70a7-11e7-963c-5b31da025046.html.
9. Pierce, Harold. “KHSD to Pay $670,000, Train Staff, to Settle Suit Alleging Minorities Targeted for Suspension and Expulsion.” The Bakersfield Californian. July 24, 2017. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/education/khsd-to-pay-train-staff-to-settle-suit-alleging-minorities/article_35d0d21c-70a7-11e7-963c-5b31da025046.html.
10. Kern High School District.” Sanders Litigation Information – Public Information Office – Kern High School District. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.kernhigh.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=901809&type=d&pREC_ID=1247007.
11. “Dolores Huerta Foundation.” Racial Equity Resource Guide. Accessed July 27, 2019. http://www.racialequityresourceguide.org/orgs/dolores-huerta-foundation.
12. Greenway, Twilight. “Dolores Huerta Is Still Fighting for Farmworkers’ Rights.” Civil Eats. November 09, 2017. Accessed July 27, 2019. https://civileats.com/2017/11/09/dolores-huerta-is-still-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with/.
13. “Tell California Legislators to Make It Fair.” Courage Campaign. Accessed July 30, 2019. http://act.couragecampaign.org/sign/MakeitFair/.
14. Staff, NPR/TED. “Dolores Huerta: Each Of Us Has A Voice, How Can We Use It For Social Change?” WAMU. May 24, 2019. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://wamu.org/story/19/04/12/dolores-huerta-each-of-us-has-a-voice-how-can-we-use-it-for-social-change/.
15. The Clinton Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2010, Form 990 PF, Part XV – Grants and Contributions Paid During The Year.
16. Kaufman Family Foundation Stacey Gerrish, Jenifer Mathieu & Co-Trustees, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Form 990 PF, Part XV, Line 3a– Contributions, Gifts, Grants Paid.
17. The Public Welfare Foundation, Inc, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2013, Form 990 PF, Part XV, Supplementary Information.
18. Arcus Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Form 990 PF, Part XV, Line 3a, Grants Paid During The Year.
19. The James Irvine Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Form 990 PF, Part XV, Line 3a, Grants Paid During The Year.
20. “Dolores Huerta.” Children’s Defense Fund. Accessed June 05, 2019. https://www.childrensdefense.org/staff/dolores-huerta/.
21. Morgen, Sam. “Dolores Huerta Foundation Receives Shot in the Arm from State Budget.” Bakersfield.com. July 3, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2019. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/dolores-huerta-foundation-receives-shot-in-the-arm-from-state/article_aa54aa64-9d23-11e9-a1d8-83c10d829630.html.