Primary Contact Name
Describe your project
Our project is specific to empowering U.S. Latinos with relevant bi-lingual news, updates and information focused on increasing voter turn out at the election polls. Our hope is that the greater community is equipped with the insight of “Project Based Living” our notion of gaining the awareness to impact issues that affect them. Understanding the digital divide in terms of ethnic communities, our strategy will be to integrate both traditional media with web 2.0 technologies to deliver real-time news from a holistic approach that will include everyday people’s perspectives along with quality reliable sources. People will go to where they are comfortable and feel secure with information, we will provide this outlet. ONLINE, we will use www.explotaelvoto.org a mixed use web 2.0 site that will integrate a social network, and video content platform to include news, blogging, debates and forums for US Latinos to express themselves, share and communicate news and ideas along with our army of community reporters. OFFLINE, we will utilize traditional TV, we have secured a relationship with LATV television the fastest growing bi-lingual network that reaches Latinos in the US contingent on funding to promote our grassroots and voter awareness efforts built around up to date information that addresses issues that affect US Latinos. Under the leadership of Fred Sotelo and direction of Rick Najera VP of programming-LATV, Explota El Voto will be producing and launching a special election segment with LATV, along with a 12 episode “Explota El Voto” reality show that will allow our correspondents to interview civic, community, business leaders and youth in reference to real issues that affect Latinos in the US from immigration, health to education across both LATV’s TV network and EXPLOTOELVOTO.org in Key Latino Markets off line that include Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, Boston, Corpus Christi, Denver-Boulder, Hartford-New Haven, Laredo, Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz, plus new
Organization or Business Name
Who would want to use it and why?
US Latinos and those interested in US Latinos. We will create a sense of community in terms of perspective and interactions. The internet and technology are the next generation civil rights issue, the lack of inclusion in workforce development, training, access, and fair representation of content delivery and content production is no different today than traditional print and electronic media in the past. There has been an absence of backline programmers, producers, writers, personalities, ownership, etc….The need we will fill is simple: we will outreach to the U.S Latino community holistically as well as bring the communities perspective to life and leverage 2008 election year as the centerpiece for news content.
Why are you the best person or organization to develop this project?
Because I am a ‘Social Entrepreneur in Action’, committed to making it happen.” --Fred Sotelo. With over 20 years of business and activism as benchmarks of Sotelo’s life, he was 15 when he started his first business, Sonic Sound, a disc jockey business. As a student at SDSU, Sotelo’s activities included recruiting high school students to pursue a higher education and in 1991, he co-founded TRIBE (Training Right in Business and Education). The mentoring program involved at-risk middle school nd high school students in the San Diego Unified School District. As an activist, and community and civic leader Sotelo currently serves as chairman of the board of Casa Familiar a non profit community development organization. In addition, Sotelo also co-founded Explota El Voto, a nonprofit, nonpartisan voter outreach effort to inspire young people in disadvantaged communities of color to find their voice through civic engagement. His personal commitment and passion for giving back to his community by mentoring and motivating urban at-risk youth populations continues to be a personal driving force. Professionally, Fred Sotelo is the President and CEO of Toltec Media, a strategic marketing and promotions niche firm with enterprises focusing on ethnic-urban segments and online solutions utilizing cause-related marketing partnerships. Sotelo’s unique insight into the Urban/Latino community and his original and creative approach to market penetration utilizing relationship marketing and signature events, have been instrumental in delivering highly integrated marketing communications campaigns and online systems that have improved customer satisfaction, attendance/traffic, and overall marketing effectiveness on behalf of clients. With national accounts including State Farm, the National Council of La Raza [NCLR], The National Society of Hispanic MBA’s, [NSHMBA] Brinker International, US Bank, and the ALMA Awards to name a few. Today, Toltec Media under Sotelo’s helm has emerged as a sought-after practitioner of highly effective guerrilla
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What potentially bigger thing might happen if everything went perfectly and the stars all aligned?
The potentially bigger thing that might happen is the unleashing of a social movement propelled by a Latino community civically engaged and empowered to affect their future. What else big and unexpected? That as a result of the momentum being generated by Explota El voto and the ancillary activities a key presidential debate would take place. Imagine the candidates debating during an Explota El Voto produced event…where Hispanics would be the main audience and candidates would be presented with the documented issues of a community of color poised to continue to play a significant current and future role in this country. Asking the candidates their platform and how they would address the various social and economic concerns of the millions of Americans of color…and be aired/televized across mainstream networks…giving a voice and bringing Latinos out of the shadows of social and economic disenfranchisement by reaching our goal: to create a movement of like minded individuals, groups, and organizations that will share and distribute information to promote civil engagement, voter awareness and activism among Latinos in the US. We are on the verge of changing history. We feel that a better America starts with fair representation and the right of “one person equals one vote” being fundamental to achieving equality. We will encourage people to invite others to join EXPLOTA EL VOTO and together [we can] make a difference today. EXPLOTA EL VOTO hopes to see the increasing population of Latinos reflected at the ballot box in November 2008 and represented in mainstream America, as a result. Social empowerment starts with an awareness that is relevent to the community. Our approach is to work from the ground up and execute a grass roots civil engangement movement in the US Latino community. Our key vehicles are going to be integrated via 1. LATV 13 episode reality television series Explota El Voto in 25 major Hispanic Markets that include the big three Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. 2. A bi-lingual trusted dynamic user genera
How will you be able to measure whether or not your project has really made a difference?
We will measure in various formats—but specifically in a qualitative and quantitaive models. Qualitative: increased particpation [engagement] of Latinos in on/offline forums, events and LATV Explota El Voto reality show viewership… potentially we estimate that via our 13 week series on LATV nationally along with online efforts of www.explotaelvoto.org and youtube.com viewership we have a potential 9-13 million homes that we will have reach to and if we have a 2% viewership, would result in 180,000-260,000 homes reach each week. Most importantly, our goal is to go beyond the linguistic approach of dominate spanish language coverage, media placement, etc and truly implement a bi-lingual strategy with an inter-generational approach. Recognizing the diversity of Latinos in the Uniteds States in terms of acculturation and thought. Explota El Voto will utilize its tools of realtime news postings, and feed back loops that will allow us to respond to various needs and identigy gaps. We will create mechanisims to review and document activities. Last, we will utilized part of our funding to publish a Research Journal of year long campaign with both theroy and measured outcomes. Quantitative: By the number of new and unique registered voters enlisted and tracked through the online and offline systems…
Requested amount from Knight News Challenge
What unmet need does your proposal answer?
There is a need to provide unique communication and interactive vehicles to express the Latino voice. Our proposal will go beyond what every one else is doing and expand on an integrated bi-lingual, generational strategy, including tradtional media , web 2.0, integrated with traditional grassroot organizing. Two big gaps in creating social impact in the U.S Hispanic community are a lack of financial resources and utilization of technoloy. We believe that in order to create change there is enough room for a hundred more organizations like Explota El Voto and our approach will be to enable others with “Human Resources” to learn and do what we are doing, our system is going to be replicable. We will be using opensource technology solutions as well as including all of our resources as public domain. Last, we are working on creating a generational movement of civic engagement and the notion of getting involved in activities that influence your everyday life similar to the educational concept of PROJECT BASED LEARNING, we believe that everyday is PROJECT BASED LIVING and in order to develop and make it you have to participate.
Total cost of project, including all sources of funding
What specific, unique opportunity do you see that will make this project more successful than others trying to fill that general
The opportunity lies in both the conceptual framework we are proposing and in the practical implementation of the activities. In essence, the approach, the strategies, the innovative spirit and the passion and conviction of those involved providing a platform to impact change for the Hispanic community is what will make this project more successful than others. In addition, the following specific strategies will be set up to support this vision: ExplotaElVoto.ORG- Bi-lingual Social Network web 2.0 site. Will have all the latest interactive community features of MySpace such as community journalist blogs, photos, instant messaging, alerts, peer 2 peer communications to be launched in February 08. “Explota El Voto…The Media Machine”: Explota El Voto will create interactive digital commercials, psa’s and ads from user community for targeted media partners and online properties to include coverage of news and issues, interviews, and sound bites of local community persons, celebrity endorsements encouraging the importance of voting and voter turnout. Street Teams: We deploy a strategy similar to those used by radio stations and record companies that includes heavy guerrilla marketing, face to face interaction and on site remotes that include high traffic areas such as colleges, retail outlets, concerts, clubs and special events. Online Voter Registration drives: Explota El Voto.com will present links to where users can access voter registration forms and information. “Explota El Voto Election Tour”: In 2008, Explota El Voto will have a “La Lucha” Street Team in select targeted cities in the Southwest United States, where we will organize events, create awareness, register voters and engage the greater Latino Community. There will be targeted campaigns in San Diego, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Berndino County, Las Vegas, Phoenix and select markets in Texas. They will include: Special events with celebrity and media tie ins, an aggressive email campaign and mini websites; Intense street canvassing with face to face mar
Expected amount of time to complete project (in whole years):
How will people learn about what you are doing?
People will learn about what we are doing through word of mouth, online social networks [my space etc], offline and online media advertising, grassroots marketing, viral human relationship factor of the community taking intrinsic ownership of Explota El Voto. There will be a full blown media and marketing campaign deployed.
Do you have any other funding or investment? We’re interested in knowing who else is interested in your project.
Partnerships: We are proud to announce a number of key partnerships that will help us “Create Awareness and create content for the Explota El Voto Network” with a “Que Pasa!”-“Whats up!” And “My vote counts” - LATV – We have an MOU with LATV Vice President ofü“Mi Voto Cuenta” message. Programming Rick Najera, to cross promote our grassroots and voter awareness efforts. We will also be launching a special Explota El Voto 13 episode series with LATV, in more than 25 major Latino markets across the country, Explota El Voto and LATV will bring together young people and the elderly for “concilios” [councils] to discuss key issues in communities in a reality show format with Citiüreal people asking and answering the questions as our correspondents. . Group – Southern California VP of Commuity Relations Gustavo Bidart has expressed Citi Group’s commitment to undisclosed amount of financial support for 2008.
Are you working with anyone else to complete this project? If so, please give names and what they would do?
While this project is unique to us we will engage commnuity partners throughout the country to broaden our reach and penetrate communities. In addition we will engage street promotion teams to canvass and blanket communities with specific and powerful GOTV messages while educating people on the issues that affect their lives the most [ie health, education, jobs, environment, etc]. We have solid and synergistic relationships with national organizations and local non profits in most major Hispanic Markets.
Who else is working in this area? How does your work fit into the larger context of work in this area?
While there are online voter registration efforts underway such as Move On and others, the unique wraparound nature of our approach encompasses attitudinal shifts and social interactions as well as reality show type of viewership with ultimate goal of turning passive viewership into action…. We feel that our activities are complimentary to organizations such as NALEO, SouthWest Voter Registration, NCLR, MALDEF, LULAC in fact Explota El Voto can enhance others efforts based oun our mass media appeal and technology, our priority will be to include other CBO’s in our www.ExplotaElVoto.org social network as key VIP resources with each having their own mini sites in ExplotaElVoto.org. Last we will invite other organizations to be part or our trusted resource network for our army of social journalists, movement historians, and street promoters.
What do you guarantee will happen if you complete the activities in this proposal?
We guarantee that the manner of traditional GOTV [Get Out To Vote] campaigns and their established but predictable mechanisms will change forever once exposed to our robust holistic and multimedia approach in Explota El Voto. We guarantee that the Latino voter will have found an outlet, a portal, a community to inquire, review, research and self-empower to claim their stake in the American dream through embracing the notion of “PROJECT BASED LIVING” a way of life, working together, everyday, to make this world better for all.