Este Poder

The group has received grants from left-of-center foundations such as Ms. Foundation for Women ³ and the Arabella Advisors-managed project Heartland Fund. ⁴

Background

University of Texas-Tyler classmates Emily Pinal, Lina Ortega, and Belen Iniguez founded Este Poder in 2020. Este Poder translates to “This Power” or “Power of the East in Spanish.”  ¹

The group works in five East Texas counties: Smith, Gregg, Cherokee, Wood, and Nacogdoches. The group works to register rural voters of color in those five counties and works to get them involved in local, state, and national elections. ²

The group has a Young Texans’ Civic Engagement program which works with high schools and universities to get out the vote. It also has the Engaging East Texas program which participates in back-to-school supply drives, LGBT Pride celebrations, and church events, building partnerships with local organizations such as Tyler Area Gays and Smith County League of Women Voters. ³

Activities

2020 Census

Este Poder hosted a Zoom event to talk to East Texas residents and help them complete and mail U.S. Census forms. The Facebook group “La Tiendita,” with over 50,000 members, hosted the group as it took questions from the group’s members about the Census. ¹

Rose City Fiesta

In September 2022, Este Poder held a voter registration drive and voter information drive at the Rose City Fiesta, which is the kickoff event for Hispanic Heritage Month hosted by the Tyler Hispanic Business Alliance. The group hosted a booth where it helped to register Hispanic voters and made sure they knew where to vote. ⁵

Registering High Schoolers to Vote

In September 2022, Este Poder pressured high schools in the counties where it operates to give high school seniors the opportunity to register to vote. The group talked to high schools and urged them to use their government classes as an opportunity to encourage high school seniors to register to vote. The group especially wanted to reach nonwhite voters in small and rural areas. ⁶

School Bond Campaigns

In May 2023, Este Poder played a role in helping the Chapel Hill Independent School District get three bonds for school infrastructure improvements approved. It was the first time in over 20 years the district was able to get new bonds approved. The group helped inform constituents about the bonds, attended school meetings, and registered new voters. ³

Student Chapters

In July 2024, Este Poder reported that it had student chapters at Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Texas in Tyler. The chapters do civic engagement and outreach into the community and conducts workshops in the classroom. The group also uses the chapters to attend community events and help register voters and explain the steps involved in casting a ballot. ⁷

Issue Focus

In addition to voter outreach and registration, Este Poder also advocates on certain issues including immigration, health care, and wealth inequality. ¹

The group also advocates for school safety issues and environmental issues. ³

Funding

Este Poder has received grants from the left-of-center Ms. Foundation for Women ⁸ and the Arabella Advisors-managed Heartland Fund. ⁴

Leadership

Este Poder’s co-executive director is Emily Pinal. She previously worked as a field organizer for the 2018 U.S. Senate campaign of former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), an intern for Justice for Our Neighbors, and a Hispanic community organizer for the Smith County Democratic Party. ⁹

The group’s other co-executive director is Lina Ortega. She also previously worked on O’Rourke’s U.S. Senate campaign and as a voter registrar for the Jolt Initiative. ¹⁰

The board chair is Belen Iniguez. She works for BRIDGE, a Texas left-of-center organizing group fiscally sponsored by NEO Philanthropy. ¹¹

Financials

According to Este Poder’s 2022 tax return, the group reported $205,096 in revenue, $2,871 in expenses, and $202,722 in assets. ¹²