Hispanic Access Foundation is a left-of-center Hispanic activism organization that is focused on building community between Hispanic churches and religious groups, largely for the purpose of environmentalist activism. [1] [2]
Policies and Projects
The Hispanic Access Foundation was founded in 2010 by Maite Arce to help Latino immigrants better assimilate and navigate life in the United States. [3] It administers a variety of programs mostly focused on Hispanic environmental activism and education and claims that it has had a great deal of success lobbying for the creation of national monuments and other environmental and conservation projects. [4] [5]
HAF claims that 80,000 Latinos have been positively affect by its programs, and additionally claims that its work has aided in the creation of seven national monuments and the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. [6]
MANO Project
The MANO Project (My Access to Network Opportunities) is a project of the Hispanic Access Foundation geared towards providing career and networking experience to Hispanic young adults by placing participants in internships and fellowships in a variety of government agencies related to the environment and the National Credit Union Agency. [7]
Hispanic Leadership Network
The Hispanic Leadership Network is an ongoing program of HAF that is focused on providing support and networking opportunities to Hispanic clergy through leadership training and other programs. The program is funded by the Lilly Endowment. [8]
Conservation/Environmentalism
HAF runs a variety of programs focused on conservation and environmentalism.
The Por La Creacion Faith-Based Alliance brings together religious leaders to discuss environmental and conservation issues. Stated priorities include supporting the Antiquities Act and lobbying against public land transfers, water policy for the Colorado River, and public health and pollution. [9]
HAF organizes an annual Latino Conservation Week during which Latino faith-based groups and other institutions hold events that promote outdoor recreation and lobby policymakers on the group’s commitment to conservation and environmental policy. The group claims that in 2018, more than 150 events were hosted. [10]
The Our Heritage, Our Planet Film Week is an annual event hosted by HAF that works to highlight “the climate crisis” and to elevate the work and history of black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) related to conservation and environmental issues. [11]
Leadership
Maite Arce is the founder, president, and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation. Arce and her family immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when she was a child. She eventually became a naturalized citizen. She has said that her parents’ experience in navigating life in the U.S. motivated her to provide resources to new Hispanic immigrants. She previously worked as the vice president of operations at the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options. [12]
In 2008, Arce contributed $250 to the John McCain presidential campaign; in 2015 she gave $100 to the left-of-center PAC ActBlue. [13]
Finances
In 2019, the Hispanic Access Foundation reported $2,029,219 in revenue, down from more than $4.8 million in revenue in 2018. Of this revenue, $2,026,944 was derived from contributions and grants. The organization had $2,342,721 in expenses, of which $1,152,946 was allocated towards employee salaries, compensation, and benefits. HAF ended the year with $313,502 in losses and $2,184,706 in net assets. [14]