Instituto Power is a left-of-center political activism and advocacy organization based in Arizona that advocates for left-of-center policies and incubates left-of-center campaigns, programs, and organizations. Instituto Power is the lobbying and political action arm of the Instituto organizational group, which consists of Instituto Power and Instituto Lab, the charitable and educational arm of the network that operates most of the organization’s programs. ¹

Instituto Power’s activities center around promoting voting and building left-of-center political influence within local communities and schools in concert with dozens of other left-of-center activist groups within the state. The group was founded by Luis Avila, a community organizer and political operative who worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and is managed by Shelley Jackson, a school board member and Democratic political activist. ^{2 3 4 5}

Listed partners of Instituto Power include the Arizona Democratic Party, the Arizona AFL-CIO, and the Arizona Education Association. ⁶

Background

Instituto Power was founded in 2020 by Luis Avila, a Democratic political operative and liberal organizer who worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign in Nevada and as well as other political consulting firms and campaigns. Instituto was founded to promote left-of-center policies and political organizing in minority communities in Arizona. Instituto Power was founded as the political action counterpart to Instituto Lab, which was founded in 2019. The group states that its activity is to prepare for Arizona to become a majority-minority state demographically by 2027. Its vision is to “set our communities [of color] on a path where their material conditions begin to change due to increased political power.” ⁷

Instituto consists of two organizations, Instituto Lab and Instituto Power. Instituto Lab is the 501(C)(3) educational arm of the organization and is the primary source of the organization’s revenue, expenses, and programs. Instituto Power, the 501(c)(4) arm, was granted tax-exempt status in 2020 and Luis Avila is the sole board member for both Instituto Lab and Instituto Power. Avila is also the chairman of both organizations with Shelley Jackson listed as executive director. ^{8 9}

Activity

Instituto Power generates less than half of the annual revenue of Instituto Lab. ¹⁰

The Instituto website shared by both groups promotes a variety of left-of-center and far-left “land acknowledgment” language on its website that references native American lands in Arizona. Instituto Power connects its land acknowledgments to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating that “In Palestine, the forceful taking of the land is happening, the genocide of the indigenous people of that land.” ¹¹

Partners

Listed partners of Instituto include All in Education, Arizona Advocacy Network Foundation, the Arizona Democracy Resource Center, the Arizona Democratic Party, Arizona Education Association, the Arizona AFL-CIO, Arizona Wins, Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro, CAIR Arizona, Planned Parenthood Arizona, Unite Here, and UFCW 99. ¹²

Leadership

Luis Avila is the founder and chair of Instituto Lab and Instituto Power. Avila is also the founder and president of Iconico, a left-of-center political consulting firm that organizes on immigration issues. He worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and worked for several other Democratic consulting firms and political groups including Stand for Children, Organizing Together 2020, and 270 Strategies. ¹³

Shelley Jackson is the executive director of Instituto Lab and Instituto Power. She also works as an at-large school board member of the Roosevelt Elementary School District after being elected to the seat as a write-in candidate in 2020. She has also worked for the Arizona Coalition for Change/Our Voice, Our Vote AZ, and Organizing Corps 2020. ¹⁴

1. “About Us.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/about-us
2. “Shelley Jackson.” Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, Inc. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.btwchild.org/shelley-jackson
3. “Luis Avila.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenikera/
4. “Home.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/
5. “About Us.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/about-us
6. “Partners.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/partners
7. “About Us.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/about-us
8. “Instituto Lab.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832887275
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Instituto Lab. 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832887275/202323199349301517/full
10. “Instituto Power.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed March 29, 2024.  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832870376
11. “About Us.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/about-us
12. “Partners.” Instituto. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.instituto.io/partners
13. “Luis Avila.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenikera/
14. “Shelley Jackson.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-jackson-9b481b237/