HACER (Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research) is a community-based research organization dedicated to working in concert with Latino communities to generate and access to credible, relevant research in order to inform institutional decisions and public policy. As the only advocacy-driven, Latino-specific research organization in the Upper Midwest, grassroots organizations, service providers, and policymakers have come to rely on HACER to inform their work around institutional and policy issues that impact Latinos throughout Minnesota. We accomplish this through community based participatory research efforts, program evaluations, and leadership academies.