For 18 years, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) has been working to provide a critical voice to Latinas to develop their personal growth, prosperity, and political clout. Throughout the years, HOPE has served the Latina community with innovative programming that provides leadership development, statewide networking opportunities, experiential learning, and one on one interaction with local, state, and federal officials and agencies.

Founded in 1989, HOPE serves over 3,000 Latinas annually.  Programs include the HOPE Leadership Institute, established to train Latina leaders in advocacy skills enabling them to foster healthy communities statewide; the Youth Leadership Through Literacy Program, established to provide Latina teens with the skills necessary for self-empowerment; Financial Success and Financial Success College Edition, an innovative financial literacy program designed for the emerging Latina professional to build her foundation, the established Latina professional to add to and safeguard her financial investments, and the Latina college student; Latina History Day established to celebrate historical accomplishments of Latinas and to present forums on issues such as health, education, and economic empowerment; Latina Action Day – Sacramento established to mobilize professional, civic, and community Latina leaders from across California to voice concerns at the state level on issues that most impact Latinas and their communities.

HOPE’s Strategic Direction

As Latinas have grown in their leadership roles across the state, HOPE has grown with them and in many cases HOPE has acted as a catalyst, a point of inspiration, a voice and resource for their development. As demographics change in California, and we see a rise in the Latino population, one of the pressing questions facing the Latina community is, “What will political representation look like in the future?” HOPE takes this question very personally and asks, “What role does HOPE play in ensuring the pipeline of Latina leaders is filled?” The HOPE Board has adopted key strategic priorities to guide the organization’s three areas of focus, Advocacy, Leadership, and Education, to ensure the pipeline of Latina Leaders is overflowing. HOPE will spend the next 5 years focused on the following priorities:

PROMOTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ADVANCE LATINAS STRENGTHENING LATINA LEADERSHIP PROMOTING & DEVELOPING EMPOWERED LATINAS

Advocacy

GOAL:  PROMOTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ADVANCE LATINAS

OBJECTIVES

• Continuation of key policy recommendations and tracking of specific legislation around HOPE’s issue areas (healthcare, economic empowerment and education)
• HOPE’s “Latina Smart” Agenda
• Mobilize network around specific policy initiatives
• Latina Action Day Sacramento & Latina Action Day D.C.
• Action Alerts
• Affiliates
• “State of Latinas” reports

OUTCOMES

• Increased access to quality healthcare for Latinas
• Increased Latina graduation rates from college
• Increased prosperity for Latinas

Leadership

GOAL: STRENGTHENING LATINA LEADERSHIP

OBJECTIVES

• Train Latinas in vital advocacy skills, enabling them to create fundamental change within their communities via civic engagement
• HOPE Leadership Institute
• Develop the skills of young Latinas to promote self-sufficiency, allowing for future economic and political parity
• Youth Leadership Through Literacy Program (YLTLP)

OUTCOMES

• Pipeline of Latina political / community representatives
• Pipeline of college bound Latina leaders

Education

GOAL: PROMOTING & DEVELOPING EMPOWERED LATINAS

OBJECTIVE  

• Produce events, information and media images that support the Latina Leader
• “Profiles in Leadership” publication
• Glass Ceiling and Leadership Roundtables
• Latina History Day Women’s Conference
• Career development website

OUTCOMES

• Pipeline of Latina leaders
• Promotion of an empowered Latina image