All-volunteer effort incorporates as part of strategy to keep momentum going, increase representation and inclusion

A community dedicated to advancing Latino leadership, diversity and inclusion in associations is now a nonprofit organization. The news was announced at the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. 

Association Latinos incorporated in Illinois in August and will apply for tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. Association professionals who launched the community two years ago say nonprofit status will allow the group to obtain sponsorships, offer more programs and services, and have a greater impact. 

"People I feel are very thankful and they love learning from our (LinkedIn) page," said Norma Castrejon, a senior technology consultant at DelCor Technology Solutions. "So, we decided to be a nonprofit and keep moving forward with this momentum that we have."

Association Latinos grew out of a conversation Castrejon said she had with Michelle Mason, then CEO of Chicago-based Association Forum and now CEO of ASAE. Mason invited Castrejon to put together a "conversation circle" during National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2020 for the Association Forum community. The topic for that initial conversation on Zoom was the Latinx perspective. The effort quickly grew to include a LinkedIn page and website. Association Forum also established a Latinx advisory group to assist and inform its Welcoming Environment initiatives.

Carlos Cardenas, director of information technology at the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists, said these early opportunities with Association Forum provided an impetus to do more.

"We had regular meetings where we were unpacking what we just talked about. What can we do to increase the number of Latinos … in associations; what can we do to empower them?" Cardenas said. "We started to get the message across to say, ‘Latinos, we hear you. We see you. We want to hear from you.' We started to create our own opportunities," including providing a platform for Latinos to talk about their experiences and share their stories.

Cardenas said there are a variety of services the group can provide under its broad mission, including professional development, increasing Latino representation on speaker panels, collectively amplifying Latino voices and "educating and informing association professionals in general how to be better allies and partner together."

Jay Carino, vice president of membership services at the American Osteopathic Association, said Association Latinos will apply to be a CAE approved provider with ASAE, so that participants in future education programs can earn continuing education credits for the Certified Association Executive certification.

The Association Latinos board will have its first convening meeting in early October to talk about bylaws and how to make decisions as a board. The board includes Cardenas as secretary, Carino as treasurer and Castrejon as a member. The board also includes President Josie Hernandez, an account executive at association management and consulting firm Bostrom, and Jose Segarra, strategic director and senior account executive at Bostrom.

The organization does not offer memberships,  but the LinkedIn community page now has more than 700 followers. People can sign up for an email newsletter by clicking "Call to Action" on the AssociationLatinos.org website. The organization is also developing more volunteer opportunities.

"We are definitely welcoming everyone to be a part of our journey," Carino said. "It's not just about us. It's about the entire community and giving them an opportunity to contribute."