New Phase for Latina Associates for Collaborative Endeavors Announced

Mr. Jim White, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) and Dr. Guadalupe Guajardo, founder of Latina Associates for Collaborative Endeavors (LACE), are pleased to announce the next phase of development of LACE as LACE seeks its own nonprofit status as an organization.

Now registered with the State of Oregon under a new name Latina Associates for Collaborative Engagement, LACE was officially launched with seven women in 2013 by Dr. Guajardo to address organizational development needs of the state’s growing Latinx population as well as resourcing organizations who serve Hispanic/Latino communities.  With 30 years as a senior consultant with NAO and its predecessor TACS, she crafted LACE as a timely and visible initiative of the NAO.  

Anchored on the vision of weaving the promise for an equitable and inclusive community, LACE not only evolved as a professional consultant group now with 25 bilingual, bicultural women, but also a unique venue for Latinas to explore professional and personal intercultural issues, share wisdom and life experiences, and special ways to support one another. This strengthened and deepened their capacities to serve diverse communities from urban, suburban to rural and coastal settings.

Hence, as part of NAO’s larger strategy and commitment to equity and inclusion for all Oregon nonprofits, NAO made significant investments to further the work of LACE team members and secure over $300,000 from the Ford Family Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, M.J. Murdock Trust and the Oregon Community Foundation, as well as smaller grants from other funders and sponsors. The funding also supported the hiring of Sara Curiel Paez to coordinate LACE, organize capacity building sessions, and convene a new cohort of 12 LACE women for on-line Cornell certificate and Board Source trainings. Concurrently, other LACE women were part of NAO’s rosters of Interim Executives and Business Verified Affiliates fulfilling contracts throughout Oregon from NAO’s Referral Service.

With the announcement in 2018, that NAO was shifting away from direct-delivery consulting in favor of a referral-based model, LACE staff and leadership began thinking how best to continue its own expanding services and cultural knowledge to the community.  Given that NAO affirmed the self-determination and independence of LACE, LACE leadership put into motion a transition plan for LACE to seek a new home and ultimately its own nonprofit status.  LACE will temporarily be fiscally sponsored by Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development.

”NAO and LACE are committed to honoring the years of our common journey of offering quality service to the community grounded in our core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, said Dr. Guajardo.  We are looking forward to new ways of supporting one another as each organization continues to thrive and serve nonprofits and communities across Oregon,” said Mr. White

For more information about LACE or NAO please contact us at:
LACE: [email protected] 
NAO: 503-239-4001 or [email protected]