Growing up in a Catholic, Mexican American family in Phoenix, my understanding of reproductive rights was limited—abortion was stigmatized, and contraception options weren’t discussed. But a friend’s experience in college changed my perspective, highlighting how economic and reproductive justice intersect. Today, I advocate for abortion access as a fundamental right, recognizing its impact on communities. That's why I’m voting YES on Proposition 139, Arizona’s abortion access ballot measure. Join me and the Instituto Power team in protecting the right to choose. Let's secure reproductive justice for all — vote YES on Prop 139 in this election.

It's official! Twenty leaders across seven Arizona counties are finally Monzón Fellowship Alums! They joined the 60 alumni in our Instituto Alumni Power Network. A couple of weeks ago, they received their certificates and Arcosanti bells during a joyous and heartening graduation ceremony. We're excited to see them regain all the skills and knowledge they will take back to their work and communities. You can see the Monzón magic in our new blog if you missed it! Congratulations to our 2023 Monzón Fellow alums!

Instituto’s Development Coordinator and 2023 Monzón Fellow, Mo Osman, has one birthday wish - to raise $1,000 to continue providing capacity building to our communities and partner organizations. From October 16th to the 27th, we’re asking our supporters to help us reach our fundraising goal. The first 10 donors who give $25+ will receive Instituto swag!

Instituto launched Building for the Future (BFTF) project on Thursday, led by Data and Research Manager Victoria Villalba — in partnership with Vitalyst Health Foundation, Valley of the Sun United Way, and Movement Voter Project — among a full room of partner organizations and Arizona-based philanthropists at The Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain in South Phoenix!

The power of grassroots organizations to make a difference in local communities is undeniable. From providing resources to those in need to leading campaigns for social justice and environmental advocacy, grassroots organizations are at the forefront of positive change within and beyond Arizona.

The 2023 and third Monzón cohort represent seven counties from Navajo to Yuma County, and their backgrounds span from former elected officials to nonprofit directors to community organizers. Please welcome and meet the 21 Monzón Fellows of 2023, know their stories of community impact, and what they look forward to in this fellowship.

Here are eleven organizations that are anchors in the Black community in Arizona, providing political homes, deeper connections, resources, and empowerment:

On Instituto’s Job Board, you’ll find new positions from our partner organizations and other organizations within the movement from around Arizona and the country. Our mission is to help build sustained political power with low-income and communities of color, and what better way to do that than to connect people to work that’s moving our communities forward?  In this blog, we’ll show both job-seekers and employers how to use our new job board.

The Arizona Legislature dealt with everything, from attacks on voting rights, attempts to further restrict reproductive rights, and direct attacks on some of the state's most marginalized identities. It's easy to get lost in the negative among the Arizona Legislature. But, AZ community organizations were on the ground for the entire session and were an integral part in successful attempts to prevent some extreme bills from becoming law. Here are seven of the most vital wins of the 2022 Arizona Legislative Session!

We helped train over 150 people in partnership with Arena on campaigns, communications, digital, data, finance, and organizing at Arena Academy from May 4-8, 2022 in Phoenix. Check out all the photos and tweets from the conference!

When we first started our search for someone to lead Instituto, we knew we wanted a person who was committed to building power with communities most impacted by social inequities. We needed an educator, a curious learner and facilitator, someone who would center the brilliance and clairvoyance of communities in Arizona.