Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR, generally pronounced as “hacer,” the Spanish word for “to do”) works to increase of Latino representation in positions of corporate leadership and utilization of Hispanic-owned businesses. It is a member of the Alliance for Board Diversity. ¹

HACR hosts summits and webinars and offers at-cost leadership training to Latinos seeking to ascend corporate ranks, as well as encouraging companies to support and utilize Latino-owned businesses and suppliers. HACR’s webinars focus on race, gender, and LGBT relations in the workplace. Topics include “Understanding Allyship,” “Trends in Corporate Board Diversity,” and “LGBTQAI+ in Corporate America: Intersectionality and Belonging.” ²

This group is comprised of 14 member organizations including UnidosUS, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. ³ Its receives funding from Pepsico, Frito-Lay, and Quaker Oats. ⁴

Corporate Inclusion Index

Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility began its Corporate Inclusion Accountability Index surveys in 2009, with the 2022 survey drawing data from a majority of the companies listed on the Fortune 500. The 2022 report referenced the fact that one-fifth of employees were identified as Latino. The report also highlighted that only 2 percent of procurement spending was done through Latino suppliers, and there was a general decrease in corporate charitable giving to Hispanic communities to a three-year low, although this may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also states that Latina women represented less than 3 percent of executive leadership and 1.8 percent of corporate board directors. ⁵

Leadership Programs

Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility runs an annual symposium for Hispanic corporate leadership to encourage “diversity equity and inclusion” agendas in the workplace and provide a space to share ideas on how to implement these aims in business. This conference is open only to executive leadership. The 2023 conference theme is “The Power of Hispanic Inclusion.” ⁶

Latina EmpowHer Summit (LES) is a two-day corporate networking and leadership training event for women. Past speakers include Myrna Soto of the board of Spirit Airlines, Gisel Ruiz of Univision and Cracker Barrel, and Peri Hansen of Korn Ferry Consulting. ⁷

HACR’s Leadership Pipeline Program is aimed at mid-level business workers who want to move up the corporate ladder. This program has no prerequisites and involves managerial training and networking opportunities. Prices for the two-day conference begin at $1,199 for HACR corporate members and $2,699 for non-members. HACR offers a similar training and networking program for executives who want to “connect over shared professional and cultural identity.” This program also lasts two days and is priced between $2,000 and $3,400. ⁸

The Hispanic Promise

In January 2023, HACR and left-of-center social justice group We Are All Human Foundation co-hosted a presentation at a perimeter event at the World Economic Forum called “The Hispanic Promise: US Hispanics as a Pivotal Component of Your Globalization Strategy.” ⁹ The presentation encouraged investing in Latino suppliers and small businesses and provided “tool-kits” on increasing hiring rates of Latino employees. Participants were also encouraged to sign and adopt the Hispanic Promise 2.0 Framework. This agenda includes the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a pledge to shift a company’s demographics to align with the percentage of the Latino population of the United States. ^{10 11}

People

Cid Wilson is president and CEO of Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility . He is also the former board director of Ruppert Landscape Companies LLC, and the former managing director of U.S. Equity Research at Princeton Securities Group. ¹²

Janet Murguia, president and CEO of left-of-center Latino activist group UnidosUS, is a former board chair at HACR. She is also a former deputy assistant to President Bill Clinton (D). ¹³

1. “Alliance for Board Diversity.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://hacr.org/alliance-for-board-diversity/
2. HACR “Understanding Allyship.” Youtube. December 8, 2021.  Accessed January 30, 2023.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzhx4FW6wPk
3. “Coalition Members.” HACR. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://hacr.org/coalition-members/
4. “2022 Webinars.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023.  https://hacr.org/virtual-events/
5.  Perez, Slyvia and Global Serve Consulting. “2022 Corporate Inclusion Index (CII) Report.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://hacr-4476451.hs-sites.com/2022-hacr-cii-report
6. ^[1] “HACR Symposium: The Power of Hispanic Inclusion.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023.  https://hacr.org/symposium/
7. “Latina EmpowHer Summit.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://hacr.org/latina-empowher-summit/
8. “HACR Executive Programs.” HACR. Accessed January 30, 2023.  https://hacr.org/hacr-executive-programs/
9. “The Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Returns.” CSRWire. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/764056-hispanic-association-corporate-responsibility-returns-world-economic-forum.
10. The Hispanic Star. “The Hispanic Promise: US Hispanics as a Pivotal Component of Your Globalization Strategy.” Youtube. January 18, 2023. Accessed January 30, 2023.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd2a7OKIqdI
11. “The Hispanic Promise.” We Are All Human. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://www.weareallhuman.org/promise/
12. “Cid Wilson.” Linkedin. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidwilson/
13. HACR. “HACR Begins Search for New President & CEO.” Cision. March 4, 2014. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hacr-begins-search-for-new-president–ceo-248415721.html