THE WASHINGTON CENTER FOR INTERNSHIPS AND ACADEMIC SEMINARS

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

For Nonprofit Leadership and Management
By. Prof. Anita Plotinsky, Ph.D Christopher E. Santiago Crdova-Ferns Congressional Internship Program 12/6/2012

An inquiry and case study about the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators located in Washington DC in order to show and analyze it leadership performance and management method in the United States third sector.

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to complete an inquiry of case study about the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators located in Washington DC in order to show and analyze the leadership performance and management method in the Third Sector. At the end of this paper we look for achieve a portrait of the organization analyzing the mission, values, programs, procedure and financial trend as non-profit organization in the United States.

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National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) www.nhcsl.org Strengthening the Voice of Hispanic Americans David Ferreira Executive Director

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislator is a nonpartisan tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)3 organization what represents and advocate the interest of Hispanic state legislators from all the states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. In the mission is describe as a catalyst for change for the Hispanic/Latino communities; assisting in their effort to meet common concern by the design and implementation of policies that ensure the equal access and opportunities for Hispanic communities.

The NHCSL was founded in 1989 by the Colorado State Senator and Senate Minority Leader with the purpose to organize nationally the elected Hispanic legislative representation. The develop of this representation and the increasing Hispanics immigration on the latest 8os and beginning 90s, open the path to the formation of this caucus with the objective of strengthening the voice" of the Hispanic Community. The build of this organization how explain David Ferreira was given strongly by the increasing participation of the Hispanics minorities in elections process in all over the nation and responding to the necessity for the Hispanic leading class a organize representation and advocacy entity likewise other minorities that organized by the same decade.
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National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

The NHCSL is nationwide organization localized in Washington DC. Have a membership of 326 state legislators at this moment with member all over the 50 states and the territories and commonwealth as Virgin Island and Puerto Rico. The central target of this organization is the Hispanic Legislator, having as first goal the improvement of the performance for positive impact in the public policy. The NHCSL at this moment gather 326 state legislators that constitute the core membership. Puerto Rico as territory of the United States has a noteworthy role giving 54 members, turning in the territory with most members in the caucus. The NCHSL bet that through the education of the legislator concerning the most significant issues of the Hispanic Community in the nation can achieve the strengthening of the Latino representation and as a result, the improvement of lives of 52 millions Latinos who lived in the US and represent the 17% percent of the nation's total population.

One of the NHCSLs characteristic that wake up some concerns is that this one is classified as a 501(c) 3; normally this classification for those organization that had a charitable end more than a political one. In interview with the NHCSLs Executive Director since January of this year, David Ferreira, explain to me the add to that under the 501(c) 3 classification the organizations have restrictions in lobbying activities; adding more doubts to my concern. My doubts lies in the discernible fact that how a nonprofit organization with a political and advocacy finality itself can be in a 501(c)3

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classification that is charitable and have restrictions in the lobbying practice. Ferreira explains that the organization uses educative approach to address issues. To raise a concern, they present issues only driving consideration about the policies and possible scenarios that could confront the Hispanic population. Ferreira explaining that the NHCSL never can advocate a cause incurring in a direct petitions to members. The two keywords for explain the methods without incurring a misunderstanding with the IRS laws are: education. - There is a different way to present education, affirm Ferreira. He adds and explains that the NHCSL had an educative compromise with state legislators in order to achieve a synchronous representation on all fronts of the nation regarding the issues that affect the Hispanic community nationwide. It possible that the NHCSL is possible that theoretically behave more like a 501(c) 4 for tax exempt advocacy organization but they ascribes to the (c)3 because is more feasible donors give because they can receive t can be more prone to give or receive tax deductible tax.

The NHCSL shares seven specific objectives in addition to the mission that enlist some vital methods to achieve the vision of the organization. The majority of the objectives are dedicated to improve the performance of the state legislator. The education of the state legislator is the predominant aspect that highlight from the list of objectives. In an idealistic way, they believe that by inform and education of the Hispanic state representation about the topics and issues that they communities faces they can achieve

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the improvement of the quality of life of Hispanic people. The education is given by workshops; symposium, newsletters, research studies and personal contact bring to light the specific method (website). A characteristic of this objective list is that is quite open having diverse facet to meet. During my site visit to the NHCSLs office in DC, my revision of the NHCSLs literacy and my online query, they see reasonably loyal to objectives reaching the diversity of aspect following to the letter and quite systematic those methods enlisted.

In the online research show that in order to realize the advocacy and promotion of Hispanics in position of influence on government and private sector, one can found the executive director doing recommendations to those Latinos individuals profiles highlighting in the private sector, particularly via Linked, Latinos that have been salient in the private sector. Is a way to created influence and presence in spaces that the Hispanic community had not deepened. NHCSL has enjoyed of a continuous stability for a long period of time in the functions and the fulfillment the objectives proposed but still evolve in their methods and refining our offering programs. Like said Ferreira: we seek new ways to do things because what work yesterday, maybe dont work tomorrow. Ferreira also add that he had recently accepted the charge of executive director and in that circumstance he had to come with fresh ideas. It is important to keep the mind open to face the evolutionary process and new ways to meets new demands that we not have before. Ferreira give a quite personification to the

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organization giving an organic behavior: the NHCSL need time to breathe, to rest, walk and grow; referring to the performance and in the execution of the program. The more we expand our membership the more and relevant we can be. The membership get divided in different committed or task force of different topics that affect the Hispanic reality nationwide as broadband & technology, energy & environment, Business & technology task force, business & economic, health care, labor & workforce, Latino voting & elections, Law & Criminal and Policy Committee. This task force had the purpose of organize the membership in the different aspects that affect the Hispanic community. Those are composed by member of the nations giving to all task force the diversity to articulate the different conditions of the Hispanic Communities.

Many organizations exist in a bubble and this is a fail. Is important to the NHCSL knows and pair our method with other similar organization, like Ferreira refers as doing a cross comparison. They philosophy is not to compete with analogous organizations as the National Black Caucus of State Legislator (NBCSL), League of United Latin American Citizen (LULAC), National Council of La Raza, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), because is not about that. The vision is to advance the interest of the Hispanic communities and find point of convergence within to work together with other representative organization. For example, in November 2011 The NHCSL convention has sponsored and joint workshop

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with the NBCSL where had prepared workshop in the where both organization received education regarding policy about health care and education for the respective memberships. Also Ferreira add that like Executive Director had held meeting and telephone conference with the directive of other non-profit to discuss how organization can collaborate to address issues.

NHCSL have been engage in policy research in order to realize publications. This publications recollect the consensus of the membership regarding a particular issues an establish an agenda of what to follow as organization; for example in 2004 the NHCSL in joint with the NBCSL address the publication Closing the Gaps, what established a consensus agenda to advance policy recommendation of public education on underresourced schools in Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Texas (NHCSL, 2004). The other publication called Closing Achievement Gap was made in April 2010 with the weighty collaboration of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) linked to the University of Southern California; an institute dedicates to the research on resolve policy challenges arising from demographic diversity in the 21st century global city (trpi.org) dedicate a publication to the research of the English language acquisition and preparation for middle school of the Hispanic Community. As product of this publication the organization could obtained a nourished policy research and enlisted policy recommendation were can engage in a comprehensive agenda and endow to the membership with trusty literacy about the issue. This programs report an expense $6,516 to be made.
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It seem that a publication of this kind is to the organization very useful because focus the engagement of the organization and help to refine the program according finding; for example the NHCSL have a scholarship program called the John S. Martinez Leadership Scholarship that provide grants to student for the mayor states with Hispanic population to completing their college studies and is integral with the objectives proposed in the Closing the Gaps publications. This gives a sense of synchronicity of what they do and what promulgate. Regarding the organizational structure, the NCHSL had 25 voting member in the Executive Committee, from that eight are executive officer members and the rest are executive members and executive director. The officer members are appointed by the president of the NHCSL. Is required two meeting yearly and one more in the main event, the annual convention in sum are three. The executive board plays a strong paper in this organization with an active participation in the day to day decision making, as for example choose schedule and places to events, and recommend resources and exponents and lecturer. In the worse way, this can see tricky for the organization insomuch as influential can trespass the organizational code and incline the balance to some interest. But at the same time can be a good way to preserve a bound between the members that are in the vast member that are disperse through all the nations and find in the NCHSL a form of advance a mayor cause. I believe that for have finality causes the organizational can behave quite different to charity end organization. The forms of politics are very present in the way that the organization

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manage the internal dynamic recreating a fraternal comrade between the members the organization and the staff. Moreover, is understandable when you need to keep up the participation actively and response of the membership when you have a limited staff that works with a no paid programs of internship what at this moment just are two of them giving support to the Executive Director and the Programming and Communication Official. The membership compose different committed or task force in different topics as broadband & technology, energy & environment, Business & technology task force, business & economic, health care, labor & workforce, Latino voting & elections, Law & Criminal and Policy Committee. This task force had the purpose of organize the membership in the different aspects that affect the Hispanic community. Those are compose by member of the nations giving to all task force the diversity to articulate the different realities of the Hispanic Communities in all the nation. Exists a great diversity of grants for this type of organization like us. - affirm Ferreira while he explains the financial stability of the NHCSL through financier sponsors and private who give donation and money for events and for the organization performance. Also the Caucus has a great diverse community of donors that are loyal. Ferreira mention that this can divide in two groups: associations been more related to the industry and the promotion of specific field for example as pharmaceuticals, energy and manufactures, and those corporative more associate with telecommunications and firms. Grants are difficult because are assigned to a specific purpose and is given under
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a contractual language that is open to be audited. Ferreira refers to this type of grants as Strict dollar. Each grant is managed in a separate account for be responsible with the used of each grant. Grants are important because allow to pay salary to a staffer and expand the organizational function, operations and reliability. Private foundations grants are usually given for develop different aspect of the program as public policy, educations, events, publications. In 2011 the NHCSL had $1,105,898 in revenue been $947, 376 in grants and contributions. As we see this organization in great part is feed by private grants to keep the program running. To this same year the expensive was of $1,130,482 culminating with a deficit of -$24,000; in difference to the year before that culminating with a superavit of $130,885. To 2011 the higher expense was dedicate to the education of the members and in the promotion of healthy lifestyle project that focus in the disparities in healthcare for the Hispanic communities. The three areas with more expenses in decreasing order are: conference, conventions and meeting ($357, 135) management ($214,319) and travels ($124,878). Instead in revenues the vast majority are from membership dues with an income of $606,876 and other substantial part in gifts and grants of $340,500 with 35% of the income of the organization, getting limited to the membership number capacity and grant search of the staff.

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NHCSL's Expenses
Other 8% Printing and Publications 3% Committee Expense 10% Equipment 1% Indirect cost 4% Insurance 0% Management 19%

Adveritisng and promotion 4% information Tecnology 1% Occupancy 7%

Travel 11% Conference, convetion and meetings 32%

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators is wide and inclusive democratic organization if with see it I term of the membership nationwide, but this inquiry find deficiencies in the organization undergoing under an incomplete directive staff. At this moment only had two permanent staff that needs to cover the search for grants, proposal, news feed, letters, seminars, convention provoking a substantial dependency on the interns that are commonly two for semester and one in the summer. This put in a hard position to the organization because dont give continuity in the staff having to train each intern that come to the NHCSL and staying with a vital staff without knowledge about the organization. This give the sensation of a fatty protagonist in the management part to the Executive Director position, seeing as indispensable axis between a very small staff and membership of more than 300 state legislators nationwide. Also, loom in this inquiry that the organizations dont have a rigorous

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trust method to evaluation of the program, neglecting a basic part to see what they are doing wrong in the communication with the membership and the measure of effect in the implementation of the program. If they work on the standardization of measurement of the nationwide representation, they can obtain a better view of what is the effect of the educative effort that provides the NHCSL. The NHCSL is great organization how unifies the Hispanic leadership in a fraternal bound nationwide and had strong engagement in the advancement of the Hispanic agenda. But they had to hire new staff with the updated training and the political knowledge to achieve a organizational improvement and effectiveness on the modus operandi. Is important to accurate the communication and achieve and active resonance of the programs between the membership and the organizational progression. On the other hand had a organization that can be a transcendental nurturer defining policy to the Hispanic community nationwide but without report of the advancement can just be a blind step. The organization can achieve a expansion of the resources because they had the economical resource to do it. In future the organization can adjust the program and ascribe to both IRSs code to educate the membership and other division to advocate freely in the expansion of the Hispanic Influence nationwide.

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Sources: National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators website: www. nhcsl.org NHCSLs Policy Publication: Closing Achievement Gaps (2010), Closing the Gaps (2004) www.nhcsl.org/policysection.php 10th National Summit of the National State Legislators publication, November 2012. 9th National Summit of the National State Legislators publication, November 2011. NHCSLs form 990 Guide Star: guidestar.org Database website of the nonprofit sector. National Black Caucus of State Legislators website: nbcsl.org Thomas Rivera policy Institute: trpi.org The Thomas Rivera Policy Institute look to apply academic rigor to the creation of policy tools that advance positive social and economic change. Interview to David Ferreira on October 18, 2012 at NHCSLs office at Washington, DC.

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