The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) is the nation’s premier constituency-based organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the Hispanic/Latino elderly, their families, and their communities. Now in its 28th year, NHCOA represents a network of 42 community-based organizations across the continental U.S., the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NHCOA also maintains a broader network of 7,000 individuals and reaches 10 million Hispanics each year through its work and that of its affiliates.

NHCOA focuses on the following program priorities: health promotion and disease prevention, financial security and civic engagement, policy, leadership development, education and housing. Its policy priorities include addressing health disparities, promoting economic security, ensuring availability of affordable and elder accessible housing, and building stronger and more cohesive communities through provision of technical support and financial assistance to community-based organizations serving Hispanic older adults.

NHCOA operates on both a local and national level, working with its network of community-based organizations locally and implementing advocacy on behalf of its broader constituency of Latino elderly on a national level. Specifically, on the local level, NHCOA provides community-based organizations with training, technical assistance, sub-grants, and access to the latest research and best results-producing programs. NHCOA also helps local groups form partnerships and coalitions that enhance their resources, influence, and ability to extend their reach. On the national level, the Washington, D.C.-based NHCOA educates legislators on the aging community’s needs and contributions, and helps craft permanent solutions to the problems that compromise the security, health, happiness, and dignity of America’s fastest-growing senior population.

NHCOA is an expert in developing interventions based on research and building on work already done by elder- and Hispanic-serving organizations and agencies. The organization follows a proven approach. First, NHCOA conducts original research when needed or draws on professional studies to design effective community interventions. It then implements a needs assessment for participating community-based organizations and provides needed technical assistance and training to prepare the organization to implement the intervention. NHCOA uses program components that have been shown to be effective. For example, NHCOA is known for its use of community health educators or promotores in its health education and promotion programs. Promotores have been shown to be highly effective with hard-to-reach Hispanic populations, such as the aging population. NHCOA is also known for its dedication to implementing interventions in an age-sensitive, linguistic- and culturally-appropriate manner.