Let’s Make Progress Together: A Message From Our CEO

Welcome to the Latino Community Foundation (LCF)! We’re proud to be the nation’s largest Latino and Latina-serving foundation on a mission to unleash the civic and economic power of Latinos in California and beyond.  

There is a Spanish proverb, “Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.” Tell me with whom you walk, and I’ll tell you who you are. 

At LCF, we walk in partnership everyday with leaders and organizations deeply rooted in Latino communities that are working to make life better for farmworkers, domestic workers, immigrants, small business owners, students, street vendors and so many others who make up America’s beautifully diverse, hardworking and aspiring Latino community.  

Our work is multidimensional. As a grantmaker, we have invested in hundreds of grassroots organizations over the past decade—the vast majority of them Latino or Latina led—to boost civic engagement and advance economic opportunity and justice. Through our Latino Giving Circle Network, we harness the collective giving power of the nation’s largest network of Latino philanthropists, which has invested more than $3 million in deserving nonprofits. As an advocacy organization, we make our voice heard at the local, state and federal level as policy makers deliberate policies that affect the well-being and livelihood of Latinos.  

The values that drive us are simple: love for our community, love for our culture, and a commitment to building power in Latino communities. We put these values into action every day. Through our Latino Power Fund, we’re delivering resources to excellent grassroots organizations working to inform and mobilize Latino voters at the local level, draw down state and federal resources, and push for just economic policies. Through our Activate Imperial initiative, we’re investing in the capacity of community-based organizations in the Imperial Valley to serve their community as the region undergoes an economic transition. Our Latino Nonprofit Accelerator and Latino Capital Accelerator sharpen the management and fundraising skills of nonprofits and CDFI’s to help them scale their impact. And through PoderArte, we lift up the work of grassroots Latino arts organizations.  

These are just some of the many exciting things we’re doing at LCF. During this critical moment, we will move purposefully and boldly to promote and protect our community, especially the most vulnerable among us, as we grow our impact in California and beyond.  With the Latino Power Fund leading the way, we will invest in the future of Latinos to drive lasting progress.  

Our work isn’t just important for the success of Latinos—it’s vital to building a prosperous American future. Today, Latinos make up a nearly one-fifth of our nation’s population, two-fifths of California’s, and more than a quarter of all children in the United States. That means America can only succeed in the years to come if the Latino community succeeds, and vice versa. We can build a stronger, more equitable future that benefits our entire nation. I invite you to collaborate with us as a community partner. Co-invest with us as a funder or donor. Stand with us at this pivotal moment. Let’s make progress together. 

Julián Castro 

Chief Executive Officer 

Latino Community Foundation