Community Advocacy and Outreach Program

Community Relations:
NOPA seeks to collaborate and assist organizations dealing on a day-to-day basis with all aspects of serving the Portuguese-American population. These affiliates that are familiar with the practical concerns and the policy issues affecting their constituencies and are actively engaged in developing and implementing innovative solutions to the problems they face will serve as NOPA’s link to the community. NOPA’s active and productive relationships with its community-based affiliate organizations are at the heart of its work and key to its ability to fulfill its mission.

Policy Analysis:
NOPA serves as a "think tank" on public policy issues, generating information for public- and private-sector policy makers, the Portuguese-American community and media. Current policy analysis priorities include education, language issues, immigration, voting, employment and training, community development and health care. NOPA’s policy analysis products are disseminated to a national network of Portuguese-Americans and other leaders, policy-makers and organizations, including members of Congress and their staff, state and local officials and corporate executives. Non-partisan legislative advocacy is carried out in accordance with regulations governing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.

Advocacy and Civic Engagement:
Consistent with its mission to improve opportunities and open doors for Portuguese-Americans, NOPA believes that advocacy, civic engagement, and community-based support are essential parts of any community-empowerment strategy. Advocacy and voting are two of the critical tools needed for a community to make its voice heard in policy debates and achieve equal and fair representation. Therefore, NOPA concentrates on advocacy activities at community levels through its Advocacy Initiative. In addition, NOPA strengthens Portuguese-American participation in the political process through various civic engagement projects, including collaborating with and supporting other organizations’ existing programs.