ANGELO'S ANNUAL APPEAL

And talk about the challenges we will be facing in 2010!

 

First, our work to promote the participation of Latinos in the 2010 Census will intensify greatly in the next few months. NiLP has been working on this for a number of years through our Latino Census Network and now the moment of truth is fast approaching. Besides continuing to provide our community with timely information on the latest developments in the implementation of the Census, we are also trying to address the issue of the call for a Census boycott by working with Latino faith-based leaders to promote a positive message about the need for our participation in this important count. We will also be working to begin discussions about what we should be doing as a community after the 2010 Census in terms of preparing for political redistricting, getting the data collected by the Census directly to our community, and getting ready for the planning of the 2020 Census!

 

Second, we are also working to find ways to make philanthropy, particularly foundations, more accountable to the Latino community. As our numbers grow dramatically and our institutions are experiencing greater budget cutbacks from government, we need as a community to hold other institutions, like foundations, more accountable and make them more informed of Latino community needs. NiLP has joined with others to develop the NYC Collaborative for Fairness and Equity in Philanthropy (CFEP) as a possible model for giving voice to Latino and other communities within philanthropy. We hope this can spark a movement nationally.

 

Third, we want to strengthen The NiLP Network as possibly the most influential national online community of Latino leaders and activists in the country. In the past couple of years The NiLP Network has become an important source of the latest and most in-depth information on Latino policy and political issues. It also has become the source of some of the more thought-proving articles and commentary of the Latino condition that has, we hope, helped many of you better frame many of the critical issues facing our community today. We want to expand and deepen The NiLP Network as a major resource to the Latino community.

 

Fourth, we have some techie volunteers waiting in the wings ready to help us upgrade and better organize our computer system, website and other Internet services to allow us to better serve our community. But this will require more resources.

 

Fifth, we need to be ready to develop innovative and aggressive ways to tackle such issues as immigration reform, the rise in hate speech in the media, the political status of Puerto Rico, the growing unemployment crisis, the impact of the Afghan War on our community, and many other issues coming up with a vengeance this coming year. NiLP wants to be in a position to contribute as best we can to constructively addressing these many challenges directly and through working with and building coalitions with other Latino organizations and movements and with the broader advocacy community. 

 

Sixth . . . well, you get the picture. We have a lot of stuff we need to get done, but we can't do it without your help.

 

There are two ways to make a donation to NiLP. One way is online, which is totally safe and secure. You can do so by clicking here . Besides making a one-shot contribution, you can join other friends, who have arranged to make monthly contributions through their credit cards of, for example, $25 a month, which totals $300 a year.

 

The other way is to send us a check or money order for $50, $100, $1,000, or whatever you can afford, made out to the "National Institute for Latino Policy" and mail it to:

 

National Institute for Latino Policy
101 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 313
New York, NY 10013
Attn: Angelo Falcon

 

You could also leverage your contribution if your employer has a matching gift program. One person made a $1,000 donation, which she turned into a $4,000 contribution through her employer's matching gifts program. Check with your company's human resources department about this option.

 

 

And so, that's our end-of-the-year pitch! We can sure use your help because it allows us to do more and, as important, it enhances our ability to act independently on behalf of Latino community issues.

 

I leave you with our very best and warm wishes to you and your family for this holiday season. 2010 promises to be something else, so let's make sure that we are as ready as we can be as a community to take it on! ¡Siempre Pa'lante!