Chispa Florida

About us

MISSION
We build political power to protect our environment, protect our democracy, and create a healthy and sustainable future for everyone.

We do this by educating and organizing people to take action, holding elected officials accountable, winning elections, and advancing just environmental policies.

VISION
Our vision for Florida’s future is one where every community enjoys clean air, clean water, parks, protected wildlands, and the security of a healthy and vibrant planet sustaining us today and for future generations. 

We envision a democracy that is accessible so that all people, especially those historically and presently excluded from public decision-making processes, can participate in choosing who will represent them. It’s a future in which elected representatives at every level of government honor the people’s will to protect our living planet, overcome the climate crisis, and create healthy, sustainable communities for everyone.   

We envision FCV as helping to build a powerful environmental movement in which leadership and power are shared, especially with Black, Latine, low-income, and other communities most harmed by pollution, extraction, and destruction of our planet. 

VALUES
We are inclusive.
Each of us values the perspectives, experiences, and strengths of others because we know our differences contribute to our collective wisdom and create a more effective, strategic, and authentic organization. We actively listen with humility. We seek to understand each other, our members, our partners, and community members while always challenging each other to learn, especially when necessary to dismantle racism and other forms of oppression. We are committed to understanding the culture and struggle of people who are different from ourselves, whether we are different because of race, class, sexual orientation, or other identities. We step back and refrain from taking space when we, as individuals or as an organization, are not the authentic, credible messenger or voice. We “meet people where they’re at,” and we share information in a way that is usable by community members.

We are collaborative.
We lift each other up by fostering and encouraging a caring and supportive environment where each person can learn, create their best work, and achieve their potential. We value each person’s strengths, talents, and contributions. We invest in and support one another, we share leadership, and we seek input from others before jumping into action because how we get things done is as important as what we achieve. We are more effective when we take the time for thoughtful preparation and planning and intentionally establish our shared goals as well as our individual roles. We follow through on the commitments we make, and we respect each others’ work, time, and energy. When we align around our individual roles towards achieving collective goals, we all contribute to and are accountable for our success or failure.

We are transparent.
We are open, clear, direct, and honest in our communications. We build trust by sharing how and why we make decisions, naming and respecting personal and professional boundaries, and erring on the side of sharing information and resources with each other and with our partners. We are open about the outcomes we are seeking. We nurture trust with Black, Latino, low-income, and other communities disproportionately harmed by pollution and the disruption of natural systems by respecting and trusting their leadership.