Restoring NAHJ will take more than words

I made a donation today to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

I did it because NAHJ needs the help of every member to meet its immediate and  long-term goals. Members want an effective website, a responsible and responsive staff (of more than just one overworked person), increased training and networking opportunities and a voice that will be heard and respected within and beyond our profession. It costs money to provide what NAHJ members deserve.

Renewing our membership and paying our dues is the least we can do to meet NAHJ’s financial need. Those of us who can do more, must.

I am a lifetime member of NAHJ. I never have to “worry” about paying dues again. But NAHJ still needs to operate and to build on the foundation laid by previous presidents and boards. This has never been true more than it is today. The last few years have been rough on non-profits, and NAHJ met the challenge with a series of difficult and painful but necessary decisions that kept the doors open and poised us for growth. But, as NAHJ President Hugo Balta said during his campaign, the decisions that saved NAHJ were not decisions that could be repeated. Simply put, there’s nothing left to cut.

Balta and the board of directors are already hard at work turning a campaign agenda into a concrete strategy for growth. By making my donation, I am sending him and the rest of the NAHJ board a message: I am inspired by you. I expect you to deliver on your promises. And I want to be a part of it.

Help me amplify that message today by making your own contribution to NAHJ. For those who, like me, are lifetime members, I ask that you make whatever donation you can. Balta has asked for $20 as part of NAHJ’s “1,000 Voces” campaign. If you can make that donation, it would be a huge help. But I would go further by asking lifetime members to give at least $75, the same amount we are asking first-time members to give when they join NAHJ. It’s the least we can do.

I am excited and proud to be a member of NAHJ, and I hope you can join me in giving this board the support it needs to follow through on its promises. It’s your move, members. GIVE HERE.