National Council of La Raza Affiliate Member Services business plan Executive Summary The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Since 1968, NCLR has been instrumental in improving the social, political and economic empowerment of the Latino population. NCLR has been a leader in uniting the Latino constituency and translating that power into groundbreaking policy wins shaping legalization legislation in the mid-1980s; working to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and restore food stamps and medical benefits in the 1990s; amending federal education legislation and bringing millions of dollars of resources to English language learners; and expanding and improving Head Start. Through the years, NCLR has been at the forefront of the struggle to protect civil rights and ensure that all Latinos have the opportunity to succeed in America. However, there is still much work to be done. With poverty rates among Hispanic families double those of non-Hispanics; rates for certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes, significantly higher than those for non-Hispanics; and only about half of Hispanic students graduating from high school, the fight for equity must continue. NCLR believes that its original mission to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for Hispanics is still relevant today. In addition, NCLR believes that its approach working at both the national level and in partnership with its community-based Affiliates at the local level is still the best way to advance that mission. On January 1, 2005, NCLR began a new chapter with the selection of Janet MurguĂa as its President and CEO. The organization believed that this leadership transition provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen and enhance the value of its relationship with its Affiliates and to refocus itself institutionally in order to improve the socioeconomic status of Hispanics. In this context, NCLR embarked on a planning process in 2005; highlights and key recommendations are outlined below.
Strategy Through this process, NCLR has developed a two-pronged strategy: Work with Hispanics to increase their ability to improve their socioeconomic status. Ensure that Hispanics have the opportunity to fulfill the promise of that ability. To increase ability, NCLR will work to better understand the needs of the population, develop services to address those needs, and empower Hispanics to take advantage of
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those services. To ensure that opportunities exist, NCLR will work to eliminate both social and legal barriers to equity. NCLR recognizes that achieving that vision will require participation from many individuals and organizations. To be effective, NCLR must define its unique role in working to create change. Given its history, its strengths, and the community s most significant needs, NCLR can have the greatest impact by serving as the voice of the Latino population, developing and advocating for culturally- and linguisticallyappropriate programs and services, and building community engagement.
Value Provided by Affiliates and NCLR The work of NCLR s Affiliates is central to this effort. Affiliates are the on the front lines, bring attention to the needs of their constituents, developing and delivering innovative services, and working within the community to make a difference in Hispanics ability to improve their lives. Affiliates also serve as the voice of the community through their advocacy work in the Capitol, state houses, and city halls throughout the country. In addition, through their organizing efforts Affiliates are a critical part of the fight to break down barriers and improve opportunities for the Latino population. In these capacities, NCLR s Affiliates reach and represent millions of Hispanics each year. NCLR s efforts are critical to the work of its Affiliates. NCLR s policy expertise and relationships provide the Affiliates and the Latino community a vital voice on Capitol Hill and around the country. By representing the Affiliates and their constituents, NCLR aggregates the power of the community in a way no single Affiliate could. Furthermore, NCLR s program work can also achieve impact in the community on a broader scale. NCLR makes it possible for its Affiliates to share what they are learning and leverage each other s power. For example, by incubating, supporting, and replicating effective services, NCLR helps Affiliates deliver impact in their communities. Moreover, NCLR helps to raise the visibility of Affiliates to funders, providing the vital financial support these organizations need. Finally, NCLR works to create a network of like-minded organizations, all striving to improve the lives of those in the Latino community. NCLR and its Affiliates possess strengths and skills that, when combined, represent a powerful force for positive change in the life opportunities and status of Latinos in the U.S.
Identifying Gaps
The Affiliate Survey
As it embarked upon this planning process, NCLR believed that it was not maximizing the power of its relationship with its Affiliates. There was a sense that there were areas in which NCLR could engage more deeply with its Affiliates to better achieve advocacy and programmatic impact, and that the Affiliates desired more from their relationship with NCLR. To test that assumption, the organization conducted an extensive survey to gain a better understanding of what Affiliates value most about their relationship with NCLR and how they would like to deepen their engagement with NCLR.
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The survey highlighted two important findings. In general: Levels of satisfaction are high. Affiliates are very interested in helping NCLR achieve its goals. Additionally, the survey showed that Affiliates see their role as a conduit between NCLR and the community, helping to reach Hispanics and providing information to NCLR about the community s needs. Specifically, results show that Affiliates desire: More state policy work Networking Communication Overall, the survey helped NCLR get a clearer picture of what the Affiliates hope to get out of their affiliation. Based on that, NCLR determined that it needed to clarify its general membership package and think about new ways to engage its Affiliates in the important work the organization is doing. A New Approach to Engaging Affiliates: Defining Partnerships to Leverage Power The first step was to clarify what it means to be a General Member of NCLR. Based on Affiliate feedback, NCLR will focus the core of its services on national advocacy work, creating networking opportunities for the Affiliates, and increasing general support both regionally and nationally. In addition, NCLR felt it was important to define some of the other, deeper ways it engages with its Affiliates. NCLR has long relied on Affiliates in their roles as advocates, program innovators and implementers, institutional supporters, and conduits to the emerging issues of the community. However, those roles will now be more clearly defined in categories of partnerships that will facilitate collaboration between NCLR and its Affiliates in specific areas of work, all designed to achieve impact in the Latino community. All Affiliates will be considered General Members. In addition, NCLR is proposing four types of partnerships for those Affiliates who engage more deeply with NCLR beyond the General Membership Partner category: Advocacy Partners Those Affiliates whose relationship with NCLR is primarily focused on policy and advocacy efforts Program Partners Those Affiliates whose relationship with NCLR is primarily focused on programs, such as education, health, housing/community development, or workforce development Institutional Partners Those Affiliates who have high profiles, are influential state-wide or nationally, and meet specific tenure and budget criteria Next Generation Partners Those Affiliates who are young, emerging, and in their early stages of development institutionally or programmatically
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Each of these partnerships includes a set of responsibilities and benefits for both NCLR and the Affiliate geared toward achieving impact on specific dimensions of the strategy. Organizational Recommendations for NCLR This new set of relationships will require a shift in NCLR s organizational structure and its functions. Two new approaches are proposed: 1. Elevate the Role of Affiliate Member Services (AMS). NCLR will elevate the role of AMS within its headquarters and the organization more broadly to ensure that its activities and strategy take into account the Affiliate perspective. New communications, planning processes, and information systems will be put in place to support this transition and strengthen the organization. 2. Increase Field Staff. In an effort to provide a greater level of localization and customization, NCLR proposes to shift more of its resources into its field offices, including the addition of more senior-level policy staff in each region. Financial and Administrative Implications for NCLR. In order to effectively implement the recommendations proposed in this document, appropriate resources will need to be identified and allocated. Therefore, NCLR will need to: Raise Additional Funding to Support this Effort. The incremental annual cost of this strategy is estimated to be between $1.5 million to $2.8 million beyond the approximately $595,000 currently spent on these services, but the final total will depend on the services delivered. New General Member costs make up approximately 29% to 41% of this incremental total. The cost to serve Advocacy Partners requires an investment of 10% to 12% of the total; Program Partners require approximately 14% to 17%; Next Generation Partners require between 10% to 12%; and Institutional Partners approximately 5%. These services represent a new investment in Affiliates, enabling these partnerships to reach their full potential and achieve impact in the Latino community. Establish a New Fee Structure that Reflects Partnership Categories. NCLR is proposing a new fee structure that will reflect this change in philosophy. Specifically, NCLR proposes to move to a sliding scale for dues; the fee paid by all Affiliates will vary based on their organizational budget and ability to pay. NCLR is also proposing to increase the fee for certain partners commensurate with the value they receive from NCLR. This increase will cover approximately 13% to 22% of the costs of the new set of services; NCLR will seek to pay the remainder through various fundraising activities.
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With this investment, NCLR will be able to maximize the impact of the organization and its network of Affiliates as they strive to bring the Hispanic population to a position of parity in the United States. Ultimately, this work will ensure that the American Dream is possible for all Latinos.
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