Our Work
Economic Empowerment

Our Economic Empowerment Work

Hispanic Federation understands the potential Latinos have to increase their economic prosperity for generations to come. With the right tools and resources on key topics including credit, capital, digital skilling, and so much more, communities can be transformed and revitalized. HF’s economic empowerment offers a variety of programs and leads advocacy campaigns in four focus areas: Workforce Development + Digital Equity, Financial Education, and Small Business Support.

Narrowing the Digital Divide

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Latino community members that have participated in HF’s digital skilling programming since 2020.

Empowering the Workforce

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is the average salary increase of participants who completed our digital skilling programs.

Increasing Financial Literacy

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community members served through financial literacy workshops since 2008.

Supporting Small Businesses

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in grants provided to 700+ small businesses throughout the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Workforce Development & Digital Equity

According to the National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, over 92% of U.S. jobs now require digital skills, but nearly a third of American workers and, most notably, Latinos lack basic digital proficiency and have limited internet and computer access.

To help address this disparity, HF leads a number of workforce development and digital skilling programs to empower Latinos with the 21st century skills they need to succeed in our economy. HF also advocates for policies that aim to address the digital divide across the country. Explore more about this work below.

Workforce Training & Digital Skilling

HF meets communities where they are with culturally and linguistically competent resources they need to excel in our 21st century economy. We offer trainings and workshops throughout the country that help individuals build digital skills.

Explore our training programs

Workforce Development & Digital Equity Resources

If you are interested in exploring other resources, including additional workforce trainings, digital skilling courses and more, please visit our resource page.

Explore our digital equity resources

Campaign for Digital Equity

Alongside other national Latino civil rights organizations, Hispanic Federation advocates nationally and locally for policies that bridge the digital divide in the U.S., such as the Affordable Connectivity Program and Digital Equity Act.

Explore our campaign for digital equity

Research

In September 2022, HF released a detailed report–Closing the Latino Digital Divide: Lessons Learned from Community-Based Approaches to Latino Digital Skilling–which highlights the impact of our Digital Accelerator training program since its launch in 2019.

Read the report here

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Financial Education

Financial health is at the core of a family’s ability to thrive; it affects almost every aspect of a person’s well-being and has the ability to impact future plans. HF offers a variety of financial literacy workshops focused on budgeting, saving, investing and building credit. Since 2008, HF has trained more than 18,000 individuals to help them improve their money management and budgeting skills, save money, and manage their credit. Explore these workshops and events below.

Financial Education Workshops & Events

Browse Financial Education Workshops and Events

Financial Education Resources

Hispanic Federation is continuously compiling resources on a wide range of financial topics such as credit building, savings strategies, and affordable banking options for our communities.

Explore our financial education resources

Small Business Support

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the disproportionate access to funds and resources endured by Latino entrepreneurs. HF quickly mobilized to support small businesses locked out of traditional recovery resources in Northern Manhattan and across the US through small business relief programs in partnerships with New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Moet Hennessy USA, Google.org and others to provide over $ 7 million in grants to more than 700 businesses throughout the country at the height of the pandemic.

Based on this experience, in Spring 2021, Hispanic Federation and New America released a report, Overcoming COVID-19: Economic Barriers for Latino Communities, describing how the pandemic has affected Latinos in critical aspects of life, specifically: Work, Food, and Shelter. This report provided robust program and policy recommendations to ensure equitable recovery from the pandemic including the need for expanded and better target relief and assistance and providing culturally competent services to small businesses owners.

Crear su Negocio

Hispanic Federation is committed to deepen its impact to better equip local Latino small business owners with the knowledge and resources to thrive.

Thanks to the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the support of New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat, HF launched a small business support initiative called Crear y Crecer su Negocio in 2023 to provide a wide range of technical assistance programming and tools to strengthen the growing Latino small business community in Congressional District 13 in New York City.

Hispanic Federation is working with local community-based organizations to offer small business resiliency workshops and facilitate conversations on strategic planning, financing, digitizing, successes, and challenges.

Small Business Updates

If you’re a small business owner, or work for an organization supporting entrepreneurs, sign up to receive updates on our small business resources and programs.

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Fueling Progress: Latino Nonprofits as Engines of Economic and Social Development

Hispanic Federation and RBC Foundation USA are joining forces to launch a landmark research initiative, Fueling Progress: Latino Nonprofits as Engines of Economic and Social Development , uncovering the often-overlooked economic and social impacts of Latino nonprofits. By highlighting the critical roles these organizations play as community anchors, vendors, and employers, this research aims to convey the breadth of impact these organizations have as economic and social engines.

Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) Program

In 2022, HF kickstarted the FFWR program that provides one-time relief payments of $600 to 62,900 qualifying farmworkers and meatpacking workers thanks to a two-year, $44.3 million grant administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Workers who incurred pandemic-related health and safety costs in 19 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible for rewards through the grant.

Economic Empowerment Grantmaking

Our economic empowerment team often offers nonprofit organizations grant opportunities to directly support small business owners, expand digital skilling, and more.

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