Latina Leadership Institute program launched

The National Hispana Leadership Institute Partners with American Express Foundation to Launch Program Designed to Develop the Next Generation of Latina Leaders in the Nonprofit Sector
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 3, Issue 6

(Washington, DC) As the nation’s premier organization developing, connecting, and promoting Latina leaders, the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) is spearheading an effort to address the underrepresentation of Latina professionals in the nonprofit sector.

With the support of the American Express Foundation, NHLI is launching the ALL IN Program (Advancing Latina Leadership in Nonprofits), targeted to emerging leaders 24-34 years of age. The Program seeks to prepare, promote and sustain the next generation of nonprofit leaders by helping young Latina professionals develop their leadership and management skills, find their voice as effective community leaders, and build their external networks; and by providing access to role models and mentors.

It is estimated that the nonprofit sector will need about 500,000 new senior managers in the next 10-15 years. But the leadership pipeline is seriously lacking for Latinos. Hispanics total about 15% of the US population and are expected to exceed 30% by the year 2050, yet Hispanics account for about 4% of leadership positions in nonprofit organizations.

"Demand for talent, as the baby boomer generation retires, coupled with a scarcity of people of color in the leadership pipeline will hit the nonprofit sector particularly hard in the next decade," said Cristina López, NHLI's President. "It’s imperative that the leadership picture of America reflects the demographic reality," she added.

The ALL IN Program will offer training, mentoring, and practical experience in the form of a capstone/leadership project. The training component will consist of an eight-day residential summer program (in partnership with Georgetown University Center for Nonprofit Leadership), a series of webinars, and a two-day nonprofit management institute in November (in conjunction with the NHLI Annual Executive Leadership Conference).

The curriculum will focus on leadership styles and strengths, differentiating between management and leadership, communications skills, strategic planning, and other nonprofit management topics.

Twenty two leaders from across the country, reflecting diverse geographic and Hispanic subgroup representation will be selected for the first class. Selection will be based on a competitive process that looks at applicant skills and attributes, accomplishments, life and career goals, and leadership potential.

ALL IN applications will be available online later in March at www.nhli.org

"American Express has a longstanding commitment to the development of future leaders in the non-profit sector," said Timothy J. McClimon, President of the American Express Foundation. "Supporting the National Hispana Leadership Institute is one way that we help ensuring the continuance of diverse, high-quality non-profit leadership for generations to come."

To ensure that ALL IN has impact beyond the 22 participants, the program will include mentoring and community service components. With each fellow mentoring at least two other young Latinas, an additional 44 young Latinas will be directly impacted by the program every year, and hundreds more will benefit from the leadership projects in communities across the country.

An advisory and planning committee of seasoned nonprofit leaders and managers will play a critical role in shaping the program’s curriculum. Members include:

Emily Gantz McKay, President of MOSAICA, the Center for Nonprofit Development and Pluralism. She has nearly 40 years experience in organizational development and technical assistance to nonprofits, and served as Executive Vice President of NCLR for 16 years before she founded MOSAICA.

Audrey Alvarado is President/CEO of Alvarado Consulting, and '88 NHLI Executive Leadership Program (ELP) graduate. Having served as Executive Director of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations for 10 years, and Board Member of BoardSource -- the premier center for nonprofit board development in the country-- she brings invaluable nonprofit sector experience.

Cristina Torres Archibeque, serves as Director of Professional Development Education at Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. A '99 ELP graduate, she brings crucial expertise in curriculum development and professional education.

Amanda Caballero, '91 ELP graduate, heads Holmestead Communications, a firm providing consultation services in the areas of management, marketing, public and community relations, health education and resources development. She has a strong background in education and nonprofit management.

Marieli Colon-Padilla, '06 ELP graduate and Vice President of Fleishman-Hillard’s FH Hispania. A 2009 appointee to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC), and one of the National Urban Fellows America’s Leader of Change, Colon-Padilla has been reaching Latino consumers through social marketing efforts for more than a decade.

Sol Carbonel, '08 ELP graduate and Associate at National Priorities for Consumer Action brings expertise in community-based education. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Anna Flores, Vice President Consumer and Community Affairs at American Express, serves as a senior management advisor on consumer policy issues, oversees the development of consumer education programs and is the main point of contact for community engagement for the DC area. In addition, Ms. Flores is a member of the board for the Washington Area Women's Foundation.

By providing Hispanic women with educational leadership and professional development opportunities and access to role models and mentors, NHLI serves as a catalyst to build the leadership pipeline.

Under Cristina Lopez’s leadership, NHLI’s president since 2008, NHLI has expanded its programs to provide more leadership development trainings to Latinas across the country. As a result of this expansion, which includes free on-line seminars, revamped regional training conferences, and a more extensive menu of workshops at the organization’s annual conference, NHLI trained 1000 more Latinas in 2009.