Mission Statement
GALEO's mission is to increase civic engagement and leadership of the Latino/Hispanic community across Georgia.
Core Beliefs:
- Inclusive
- Non-Partisan
- Diversity
- Responsive
Membership
GALEO is YOU! GALEO is supported by individuals, organizations, and businesses who believe in enhancing the state's growing Latino community and envision a strong and engaged Latino community in Georgia.
GALEO’s mission is to increase civic engagement and leadership of the Latino/Hispanic community across Georgia. Our core beliefs are: Inclusion, Non-Partisan, Diversity and Responsive.
YOU can become a part of the GALEO Familia by becoming a GALEO member! Membership is open to anyone who would like to support GALEO’s mission and efforts. All elected officials are also encouraged to become members.
You can submit your membership application ONLINE or by MAIL. Please click on the appropriate link to the left. To mail in the application, please include the payment and mail to the address indicated on the application.
GALEO is a 501 (c) 6 nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, similar to a professional trade association or a chamber of commerce. None of the funds raised are used for political campaigns or for elected officials. All funds raised are used for the development of the mission of GALEO.
For Membership options, please see the links on the LEFT of this webpage.
GALEO Latino Community Development Fund: The GALEO Latino Community Development Fund is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. All contributions made to the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund are fully tax deductible.
Accomplishments:
In 2011, Jerry González appeared on MSNBC’s Chris Matthew’s Show. Mr. Gonzalez has also appeared on C-SPAN for a panel discussion in Washington D.C. with the Migration Policy Institute.
María Duarte, GALEO Program Coordinator, was selected to be part of LEAD Atlanta Class of 2012.
Jerry González, GALEO Executive Director, was selected to be part of Leadership Georgia’s Class of 2010.
GALEO has led the Georgia Latino Vote voter registration and mobilization efforts since 2003. In 2010, GALEO launched the ¡Orale 10! campaign, one of the largest and most successful Latino voter registration efforts in Georgia. In fact, the Latino electorate was only 10,000 strong in 2003 (prior to GALEO starting); and in 2009, the Latino electorate had grown to over 150,000 strong while also outperforming the national numbers on Latino voter participation rates due to GALEO’s constant efforts to promote civic engagement.
In 2010, GALEO led the Georgia Latino Complete Count Committee (GLCCC) for the 2010 Census. The GLCCC earned state and national recognition for its complete count efforts and was comprised of over 135 organizations, businesses, faith community groups and individuals. According to the 2010 Census numbers, the Latino community grew from 2000 to 2010 at a rate of 96%, representing almost 10% of the state’s total population and accounting for 28% of the state’s growth.
In March 2010, GALEO was one of three groups that organized travel to the historic March on DC for immigration reform. Over 2,200 people from Georgia joined over 200,000 people in Washington D.C. urging for immigration reform.
In 2010, Jerry González, GALEO Executive Director and Trustee of the Sapelo Foundation, was instrumental in the publication of the research paper “Immigration Enforcement and its Impact on Latino Children in the State of Georgia.”
In 2009, GALEO published “Georgia’s Latino Electorate in 2008: A Significant Segment of the Electorate with High Voter Participation and Engagement” in partnership with Trey Hood, Ph.D., Political Science Department at the University of Georgia and NALEO Educational Fund.
In 2007 & 2008, Georgia Trend Magazine named Jerry González, GALEO’s Executive Director, one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians.
In 2006, GALEO formed a strategic partnership with the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute and began offering grassroots leadership training across the state, known as the GALEO Institute for Leadership. GALEO is the only organization in Georgia providing a formal grassroots leadership development training targeting the Latino and immigrant community in both English and Spanish. Overall, the GALEO Institute for Leadership (GIL) has graduated over 380 leaders and trained over 50 Facilitators across Georgia.
In 2009, the GALEO Leadership Council (GLC) was formed by alumni of the GIL. Since then the GLC has been instrumental in numerous activities from César Chávez Day to voter registration, to immigration reform projects.
In 2005 & 2006, GALEO has been the host to U.S. Senator Mel Martínez (R-FL), U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA), while she was Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
In 2006, GALEO also hosted U.S. Representative Hilda Solís (D-CA) in Dalton, Georgia, during her visit for Congressional Hearings regarding immigration. She met with local Dalton leaders and others actively involved in pro-immigration efforts due to GALEO’s efforts.
In 2004, a collaborative report with NALEO was published, Latino Voting Strength in Georgia 2004, documenting Latino voter registration numbers and voter registration growth rates.
In 2004, GALEO worked with the Pew Partnership for Civic Change and Kennesaw State University on establishing national Hispanic outreach for LeadershipPlenty®, leadership development training. This initial program was implemented in 2004 across the state in Atlanta, Smyrna, Athens, and Dalton. This program eventually evolved to the GALEO Institute for Leadership and led to the recent partnership with the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute for Leadership.
September 2005 - December 2007: Published Immigration: Facts, Myths and Public Policy through Kennesaw State University Press and in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League and the Hispanic Studies Center at Kennesaw State University.