Haitian American Foundation for Democracy (HAFFD)

HAFFD is part of the Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative (“Ayiti” is the name of Haiti in the Haitian Creole language) which is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, ² and it partners with public research university Florida International University. ³

HAFFD board members have been involved in several prominent left-of-center organizations including the Center for American Progress, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and Open Society Foundations and have had positions in the Obama administration and the Democratic National Committee. ^{4 5 6 7 8}

Background

The Haitian American Foundation for Democracy (HAFFD) was founded in 2021 by a group of Haitian Americans concerned about the lack of a coordinated response to domestic and international issues affecting Haitian Americans and the country of Haiti. ¹

The HAFFD works to promote policies that advance the interests of Haitian Americans as well as those in Haiti and to cultivate the next generation of advocates for change. The HAFFD is part of the Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative (“Ayiti” is the name of Haiti in the Haitian Creole language) which is funded by the left-of-center W. K. Kellogg Foundation. ⁹

Advocacy and Events

In November 2022, Haitian American Foundation for Democracy joined Haitian Bridge Alliance and other left-of-center immigration and civil rights organizations to address a letter to the Biden administration demanding that the United States protect asylum seekers from Haiti and not send Haitian nationals back to Haiti or detain them. ¹⁰

In January 2024, HAFFD partnered with the Black World Institute and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to organize a rally to celebrate the Haitian Revolution that secured Haitian independence and to address the crises facing Haiti. ¹¹

The Haitian Leadership and Advocacy Workshop took place in March 2024, focused on developing young Haitian American leaders for Haitian activism. HAFFD organized the workshop in partnership with Florida International University. ¹²

Haiti from Crisis to Catalyst is a half-day symposium that took place in April 2024 to discuss issues in Haiti and issues impacting the Haitian diaspora in the United States. ¹³

As of December 2025, HAFFD will sit on the immigrant justice committee for NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team. ¹⁴

Activities

Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative

The Ayiti Diaspora Collaborative (ADC) is made up of organizations in the United States and Haiti that advocate for Haitian communities in the United States as well as influence U.S. policies toward Haiti. It is supported financially by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The main initiative of the Collaborative, which takes its name from the name of Haiti in Haitian Creole, is to research and develop a roadmap to improve the conditions of Haitians. In addition to the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, members of the ADC include Haitian Bridge Alliance, ² which advocates for Haitian migrants to the United States, ¹⁵ and SantLa, which provides support to the Haitian community in South Florida. ¹⁶ Florida International University partners with the ADC on its initiatives. ³

Issues in Haiti

In 2021, the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated. The prime minister under Moise, Ariel Henry, assumed power. Since that time, Haiti has not held elections, resulting in an increase in protests and violence, especially by militias and armed groups. Natural disasters in Haiti have resulted in poverty, homelessness, and hunger. ¹⁷

In September 2023, Haitian American Foundation for Democracy issued a statement at the Haitian American Community Agenda Conference which described the crisis in Haiti, which saw gangs controlling most of the capital and rampant violence. It called for support for a transitional government to represent Haitians and prepare for democratic elections. ¹⁸

In March 2024, Henry finally agreed to resign once a transitional government is brokered by other Caribbean nations and parties, including the United States. ¹⁷

In April 2024, Haiti’s political parties and civil society groups reached an agreement for a transitional government made up of a nine-member Presidential Council scheduled to govern for 22 months until elections can be held for a new president. ¹⁹ HAFFD announced its support for the resignation of Ariel Henry and the installation of Haiti’s Presidential Council as of April 2024. ²⁰

Financials

Haitian American Foundation for Democracy filed an Form 990-EZ short-form tax return for the 2022 tax year ²¹ which is used for tax-exempt organizations with gross receipts of less than $200,000 and total assets less than $500,000 for the tax year. ²² In 2022, it reported $171,000 in revenue and $90,143 in expenses. ²¹

The American Jewish World Service donated $64,000 to HAFFD in 2022. ²³

Leadership

Ariel Dominique is executive director of Haitian American Foundation for Democracy and co-founder of Haitian Ladies Network. Previously she worked at the Embassy of Haiti to the United States in Washington, D.C. ²⁴

Jean-Philippe Austin is HAFFD board chair. He is chief of radiation oncology at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was a member of the Obama Administration’s National Finance Committee and the Florida Finance Chair for the Democratic National Committee. He holds several board positions including the Florida Alliance which is a “donor table to support progressive causes.” ^{4 5} In October 2023, Austin was appointed to the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, referred to as “America’s Black think tank.” ⁶

Patrick Gaspard is a board member of HAFFD. He is the former president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and former CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. After attending Columbia University, he began his career as a union organizer, became an executive vice president for 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and then the national political director for the national organization. He played several key roles for the Obama administration, including U.S. ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, and was executive director of the Democratic National Committee. In 2018, he was named president of Open Society Foundations by billionaire liberal philanthropist George Soros. He joined the Center for American Progress in 2021. ^{7 8}