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Table of Content
Monday July 26, 1999........................................................................................................5
Self Sustaining Economic Development...................................................................................5
Leveraging Resources and Maximizing Results in Community Service: Tools for
Leadership Development..........................................................................................................6
Luncheon Featured Speaker....................................................................................................7
Senator John McCain, (R-AZ)..................................................................................................................7
Announcement...........................................................................................................................7
Hate Crimes Report..................................................................................................................................7
Tuesday July 27, 1999........................................................................................................8
East Coast Affiliates Caucus.....................................................................................................8
Affiliate Council.......................................................................................................................................8
Evaluation.................................................................................................................................................8
Representative...........................................................................................................................................8
Wrap Up and Summarize..........................................................................................................................9
Discussion.................................................................................................................................................9
Learn how to leverage your nonprofit dollars for growth Choose the appropriate staff
benefits Learn how to develop a profitable financial plan ..................................................10
Luncheon Featured Speakers.................................................................................................10
Maria Echavestes, Deputy Chief of Staff, The White House.................................................................10
Raul Yzaguirre, President and CEO National Council of La Raza........................................................11
Announcements.......................................................................................................................11
Network TV Brownout...........................................................................................................................11
Wednesday, July 28, 1999................................................................................................12
The Subsector Approach to Economic Development............................................................12
Luncheon Keynote Speaker....................................................................................................13
Vice President Al Gore...........................................................................................................................13
Nonprofit Finance & Administration Issues.........................................................................14
New Era Signpost...................................................................................................................................14
Employee Benefit Plan Health Insurance Coverage.............................................................15
Health Insurance Industry Trend............................................................................................................15
How to choose the right plan?................................................................................................................15
New Federal Law....................................................................................................................................15
Rising Cost of Health Insurance!............................................................................................................15
How to reduce the rate increase?............................................................................................................16
Future Federal Law!...............................................................................................................................16
Announcement.........................................................................................................................16
Loan Fund for Latinos Announcement...................................................................................................16
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I was very proud to celebrate the Latino accomplishments as a community and as
organizations as we prepare to launch a new millennium at the National Council of La
Raza Annual Conference in Houston, TX from Saturday July 24 to Wednesday July 28,
1999. Houston was an appropriate site for this celebration as it boasts a strong and active
Hispanic community and is located in the state that was the cradle for much of the early
Latino movement.
After attending this conference, I look toward the new millennium with a sense of
optimism and pride as we witness the Latino community begins to take its rightful place
in U.S. politics and society. Latinos are now recognized as an important voting block, and
the nation's public is beginning to realize that members of our community have
distinguished themselves in every area and at every level of U.S. society. From the arts,
to business, to science, to politics, to social and military service, Hispanics have been at
the forefront.
The battle for the Latino vote is crucial to both parties because Latinos have been
showing signs of coalescing into a political force. Jolted by a wave of GOP-led proposals
across the country to limit immigration, impose English-only provisions and deny social
service benefits to illegal residents, the Latino electorate grew by 29 percent between
1992 and 1996.
Now, Latinos account for 11 percent of the nation's population and about 5 percent of the
overall electorate. But the importance of their vote is magnified because it is concentrated
in five electorally rich states where their strong support could prove decisive. Together,
California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois are home to 76 percent of the nation's
Hispanic population.
In the next 20 years, Hispanics will become the nation's largest minority and will grow to
make up over 20% of the workforce. It will no longer be possible for our community to
be overlooked or disregarded. What follows is a brief synopsis of the workshops I
attended and what I learned from each one of them.
A multitude of Latinos of all ages, from all parts of the country and all walks of life,
gather in Houston this July 24 through July 28 to participate in the National Council of
La Raza's Annual Conference. Community leaders, entertainers, academicians,
politicians, students, activists, artists, writers, businesspeople - all will come together for
five days in Houston to learn, to make contacts, and to have an unforgettably great time,
Latinostyle.
The conference offered four days of work- shops, each an intensive learning experience,
and many interactive training and lively discussed them presided, over by experts in their
fields. Conference participants interested in Community Development, for instance, can
attend workshops on the nuts-and-bolts of making a nonprofit organization thrive
financially, and on how to intervene in one's regional economy to create new and solid
job opportunities.
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The conference also addresses the study and shaping of public policy which has always
been at the heart of NCLR's work, and Conference participants had an opportunity to
learn from the best in their fields. Anyone seriously interested in civil rights;
employment, trade issues, and education policy found the Public Policy workshops
invaluable. Immigration issues and immigrants' rights were a major focus, as well as
controversial sessions on the NADBank and on the rising tide of hate violence against
Latinos. Sessions on the findings of NCLR's blue-ribbon Education Task Force and on
the latest recommendations of national economic policy experts regarding Latino
employment opportunities will also be featured.
Every day of the Conference brought with it gala banquets with memorable speakers,
prominent figures for whom it's important to address this most significant Latino
audience. Vice Presidents, Cabinet member, members of the House and Senate,
Governors, the heads of foreign governments, and internationally famous authors,
thinkers, artists, and statesmen, were all speakers at NCLR's Annual Conference.
Among the speakers invited, who addressed the Conference this year were Vice President
Al Gore; Energy Secretary Bill Richardson; Deputy Chief Of Staff Maria Echavestes,
U.S. Senator John McCain, R-AZ, Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown, Author Julia Alvarez,
NASA Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and Miss America Nicole Johnson.
On the final night of the Conference is NCLR's traditional Awards Gala, a formal
banquet during which they honor some of the Latino community's most inspiring heroes.
Among this year's recipients of major annual awards are Judge Albert Peña for a lifetime
of achievement in the areas of Latino civil rights, community development, and academic
freedom; and Maria Hinojosa for her courageous and inspiring work as a journalist,
speaker, and writer.
Also honor the work and dedication of one of NCLR's outstanding affiliate organizations.
The Affiliate of the Year Award for 1999 was bestowed to Amigos Del Valle, Inc., a
model community-based organization that's been serving the people of the Lower Rio
Grande Valley - particularly the low- income elderly community - for almost a quarter of
a century with diverse and comprehensive services of the highest quality.
Anyone attended the Annual Conference will agree that the Latino Expo - the single
largest showcasing of national and regional goods, services, and opportunities of interest
to the Hispanic community - is as fun as it is fascinating. Hundreds of businesses are on
display in this giant consumer fair, with raffles, give-aways, and a world of information.
Favorite additional features of Latino Expo include the Job Fair, where national and local
job recruiters will be on hand to meet, talk with, and hire qualified Latino candidates;
Advocacy Central, where Conference-goers can make sure their voices are heard at the
state and national levels on issues important to them; and Affiliate Central, where the
work of NCLR's network of affiliated organizations, the heart and engine of what the
organization is all about, will be on display.
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Monday July 26, 1999
Self Sustaining Economic Development
This summary presentation targeted board members, and executive, senior, and middle
managers. This presentation focused on the new Multi-Service Center concept, which is
more than just a One-Stop Career Center, but a Business and Financial Center as well.
The session discussed how to transform your organization from a social service agency to
a private sector business operating entity without losing sight of your mission; how to
attract financial and in-kind Support from corporations and financial institutions; and
what community-based organizations need to change in their corporate culture to succeed
in the new millennium.
According to the panelists the nonprofit competitor is everyone else doing everything the
nonprofit can do.
The nonprofit world won't be the same in 4 years, and directors need to prepare for the
coming changes.
Legislature will soon change from process base allocation to performance base Return
On Investment and Return On Equity.
The reason we need to change, is because if we don't help ourselves no one else will help
us.
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In order to survive, nonprofit personnel must be good writers and process reading
comprehension .
Every team member is a leader and every member must have good people skills and
reading enthusiasm.
Moderator
Magdalena Duran, Senior Community Organizational
Specialist, NCLR, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists
Richard S. Amador, President, CHARO Community
Development Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Moderator
Amancio Chapa, Executive Director, Amigos Del Valle and NCLR Board Member,
Mission, TX
Panelists
Robert Hickerson, Executive Director, Texas State
Commission on Volunteerism
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Miguel Palacios, Associate Director, Association House,
Chicago, IL
Senator McCain was greeted with a standing ovation after delivering a speech that
touched on his support for school vouchers and the need for campaign finance reform.
He also noted that he has opposed English-only initiatives and what he called "divisive"
efforts to outlaw bilingual education.
"I believe in the politics of addition," McCain said. "I am proud that I may be the only
Republican who has run a statewide campaign and won a majority of the Hispanic vote
twice."
Senator McCain spoke at length about his central campaign issue--the need for campaign
finance reform.
The influence of money is corrupting our ability to address the problems that directly
affect the lives of every American.
Announcement
Hate Crimes Report
Hate crimes against Latinos, fueled in part by political rhetoric and largely unnoticed in
the national media, have increased in the 1990s, according to a study released Monday by
the National Council of La Raza during the conference. The report, a compilation of data
from federal and local hate crime surveys, details a litany of assaults and acts of
harassment in every region of the United States, from such urban centers as Los Angeles
and Seattle, to such communities as Lakeview, Ore., and Fond du Lac, Wis. "This study
may only be the tip of the iceberg," said Raul Yzaguirre, president NCLR.
"The perception that Latinos are 'foreign,' 'un-American' or illegal immigrants has
translated into numerous incidents of discrimination, threats and actual violence," wrote
the authors of the report, released at the NCLR's annual conference in Houston.
Although FBI statistics show that Latinos tend to be victimized by hate crimes less than
other ethnic groups, the study by NCLR found some disturbing patterns, especially in
acts against Latino immigrants.
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The report detailed numerous hate crimes against immigrants, ranging from the 1995
shooting of four migrant laborers near an egg farm in Livermore, Ore., to the racist flyers
distributed at a school in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in 1997. "It was clear that most of the
incidents that came across our desks involving Latinos were simply being ignored by the
media and policymakers," said Raul Yzaguirre, the NCLR president. Beyond civilian
vigilantism, police harassment and official abuse have become common in heartland and
suburban communities that have seen a large influx in the number of Spanish-speaking
immigrants, the report added.
According to the study, 472 anti-Hispanic incidents were reported in 1993, the first year
during which federal hate crime statistics were reported. The number jumped to 516 in
1994, then to 564 in 1996.
Affiliate Council
- Advisor
- Affiliation/Disaffiliation
- Dues structures
- Standard of performance
- Accountability
Liaison with NCLR leadership and leadership constituency
Maintain and promote effective network at the national, regional level, as well NCLR
affiliate relationship.
Evaluation
- NCLR performance
- Service to our community
Collective advocacy
Representative
- Represent East Coast constituency
- Advocate
- Document concerns, needs and interests
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- Liaison with NCLR staff and leadership
- Promote active participation by region
- Coordination and communication
- Increase communication/relationship with NCLR
Discussion
• Southeast Affiliates felt they did not have a voice in NCLR affairs in relation
to the rest of the region
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• Look into developing a sustainable community development model that will
include small business, education and health.
Moderator
Wilson, Certified Financial Advisor, American Financial Advisors, Inc.
Current Budget
Decisions will have negative consequences in the Latino community.
The country is currently enjoying a 2 trillion dollars budgetary surplus, which can be
evaporated by the present Republican legislature.
We need to make budgetary decisions based in reality and not on false projections.
If we are not careful with the surplus, we'll either run into a deficit again or we'll have
deficit spending, which will destroy the present healthy economy.
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The New Markets Tax Credit: To help spur $6 billion in new equity capital, this tax
credit is worth up to 25 percent for investments in a wide range of vehicles serving these
communities, including community development banks, venture funds and corporations,
and the new investment company programs created by this initiative (see below). A wide-
range of businesses could be financed by these investment funds, including small
technology firms, inner-city shopping centers, manufacturers with hundreds of
employees, and retail stores.
We need to present the facts and the issues regarding our success, because if we only
speak of the negative experiences then we'll create a victim's mentality.
We need to have cultural duality by maintaining our cultural values that make us strong,
while learning the necessary skills to get the same attention as everyone else.
The nation's economic future is in our hands as 40% of the country's labor hands are
Hispanic.
As we enter the Latino Century, we'll gain economic opportunity, access to health and the
acceptance of Latinos
Announcements
Network TV Brownout
Media Coalition decries the lack of industry jobs for minorities and the negative
portrayals on screen. Lambasting the dearth of Latino faces--and the even greater lack of
positive images among those faces--in film and network TV, a coalition of Latino media
groups called today for a one-week boycott of network television starting Sept. 12.
The "brownout," is scheduled for the week before the new season, puts media producers
on notice." Latinos are mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore," said Felix
Sanchez of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. Latinos, who represent about
11% of the population, make up fewer than 2% of characters on TV, according to the
coalition.
The leaders speaking at the annual conference. The media coalition includes the League
of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund,
Nosotros, a Latino media-tracking foundation and the National Hispanic Media Coalition.
Latinos, the leaders said, should flex their estimated $380 billion in annual consumer
might, to change their images on film and video might, to change their images on film
and video.
La Raza President Raul Yzaguirre said the media activists were galvanized by this fall's
prime-time network lineup, which feature no minority leads in 26 new comedies and
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dramas. The leaders also demanded a federal study of media imagery's impact on
Latinos' self-esteem. The study, proponents argued, should augment a current federal
study on the impact of media violence.
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) hopes to accomplish several goals with this
new initiative, namely:
• Define and provide the conceptual framework for the subsector Approach and the
analytical practice that underlies it, known as Subsector Analysis.
This initiative is aimed at grassroots Hispanic institutions who have watched as economic
opportunities have continued to bypass their communities and who want to develop the
tools they would need to become more effective economic development players and, by
so doing, provide stronger benefits to their communities. These grassroots groups include
both community-based organizations (CBOs) with essentially social missions, and
community development agencies (CDCs) that have been involved in a range of
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economic initiatives, including housing and other real estate projects, workforce
development like JTPA job training, and small business development, often working
exclusively at the neighborhood level.
The purpose of this initiative is to empower these local Hispanic agencies to confront the
economic obstacles facing their communities by taking a pro-active role in developing
new opportunities.
Moderator
Jorge Hinojosa, Director, Midwest Field Office, NCLR, Chicago, IL
Panelists
Joseph R Galvan, AICP, Subsector Industrial
Facilitator, Eighteenth Street Development
Corporation, Chicago, IL
The Vice President made a statement transcending Spanish language and Latin culture by
coming to the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest
Hispanic advocacy group.
Although the VP did not mentioned Governor Bush by name, he underscored some of the
social problems in Texas, and he took a glancing swipe at the Republican presidential
candidate's description of his beliefs as ''compassionate conservatism.''
''I'm certainly not satisfied when over 10 percent of all uninsured children in America live
in the state of Texas,'' he said, then used a phrase that became a refrain: ''Nuestras
familias merecen lo mejor,'' or our families deserve the best.
The VP also said the GOP tax-cut plan would endanger Medicare, upon which elderly
and disabled Hispanics are disproportionately reliant.
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Gore criticized the Texas governor for presiding over a state where a quarter of the
children have no health insurance and more than half of the uninsured are Latino.
He also criticized Republicans for proposing a huge tax cut without dedicating "one
dime" to strengthen Medicare, which provides health insurance to 2 million elderly and
disabled Latinos.
They are facing a new competition that is relentless, intense, complex, dynamic,
ambiguous, knowledgeable and powerful.
Nonprofit organizations have to accept the new reality that reform is inevitable and the
only choice they have is whether the reform is going to be externally controlled or
internally managed.
No organization has the intrinsic right to exist. It earns the right only by creating value
that customers will buy.
The organizations have to adjust to a new intellectual capitalism that requires skills;
knowledge and talents of the frontliners, support staff; specialized experts, leaders, and
the customer will decide what they want.
Outsource services you don't have internal mastery of.
Don't forget that your Must Valuable Assets (MVA) walk in and out of the door every
day.
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Micromanaging instead of leading and denying it.
Fearing diversity
Overly cozy social relationships.
Wasting time.
Tolerating board disfunctionality.
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How to reduce the rate increase?
It is always possible by fine tuning the plan to reduce the rate increase on the premium.
Keep the employees updated on how the plan works best for them. This can be achieved
by regular direct meeting between the employees and the insurance company
representatives.
Announcement
Loan Fund for Latinos Announcement
The National Council of La Raza and Bank of America announced a $20-million
revolving loan fund to finance Latino community development groups across the country.
The fund, which has Treasury Department Community Development Financial Institution
certification, is the first of such funds with a national scope that targets Latinos.
Among early recipients of the so-called Hope Fund is Ventura-based Cabrillo Economic
Development Corp., a nonprofit developer of affordable housing. The partnership was
announced at the annual conference in Houston this week.
The money will be available to NCLR's 240 affiliated Latino community organizations
around the country for projects such as affordable housing and for community facilities
such as day-care centers or charter schools. Local organizations can also apply for lines
of credit to help them purchase property or cover operating expenses, NCLR
spokeswoman Lisa Navarette said. "The community organizations are the backbone of
our organization," she said. "A lot are already involved in community development
efforts or want to be. What they lack is initial capitalization."
"Investing in low- and moderate-income communities truly is good business," added
Walter Davis, strategic alliances executive for Bank of America. The assistance that
flows to projects through the loan fund is likely to bring other business to the bank, such
as home mortgages, gap financing and equity investment.
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