Bienestar Collective’s Cooperative Business Equity Funding Strategy
Launching a cooperative is an inherently challenging process, requiring countless hours of work, persistence, and collaboration. For privileged individuals with financial security, this unpaid labor can often be absorbed as part of their journey to economic growth. But for oppressed and exploited workers—individuals already navigating systemic inequities and economic precarity—this labor becomes an insurmountable barrier. The question is no longer one of ambition or creativity but one of equity: how can workers build economic independence through cooperatives when the very systems that exploit them also prevent them from dedicating the time and resources needed to succeed?
Reinventing Leadership: How Bienestar Collective Empowers Communities
At Bienestar Collective, we believe that true leadership emerges from the very communities we serve. As an organization deeply rooted in the experiences of Latina immigrant women, we are redefining what it means to lead in the nonprofit sector. Our approach is not just about providing services; it’s about cultivating a model of governance that is inclusive, equitable, and rooted in the principles of Community Health Work.
Shifting Power in Public Health: How Promotoras Are Transforming the System
For decades, Promotoras de Salud—Latina immigrant health workers—have been the backbone of public health outreach in underserved communities. These women, deeply connected to their communities, provide culturally relevant health education, build trust with families, and bridge gaps between institutions and those most in need. Yet, despite their critical role, Promotoras have been systematically undervalued and underpaid. Most are paid stipends of less than $600 per year, a reality shaped not by a lack of will on the part of the organizations supporting them, but by legal and systemic barriers that have historically prevented those organizations from compensating Promotoras fairly.