I want to start the new year by thanking you for the tremendous support and goodwill you provided to the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) during my first year as CEO. I’ve loved every minute of this role, from working with a fantastically talented team to witnessing the impact of dedicated partners and learning about philanthropy. Today, my thoughts are also on the year ahead. I want to share with you how LCF plans to meet this moment.
A historian once remarked “Change is certain. Progress is not.” While 2025 will bring considerable change, LCF will remain squarely focused on one goal: making progress happen for the Latino community, California, and our country. Two principles will guide us. First, we will lead with our values—love of community and culture, faith in the democratic process, respect for diverse perspectives, and a staunch commitment to building shared power in a multi-racial democracy. Second, we will concentrate on what we do best—investing critical resources in nonprofit organizations to advance civic engagement and economic justice, harnessing the nation’s largest network of Latino philanthropists, and advocating for policies at the local, state, and national levels that reflect the best interests of the Latino community—maximizing the tools we’ve sharpened over decades of work in California.
The incoming administration’s pledge to deport millions, dismantle DEI initiatives, and roll back civil rights protections has left many feeling anxious, threatened, and unsafe. The threat to our community’s well-being is real, and all of us—in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including in philanthropy—have a role to play in protecting vulnerable communities and promoting justice, fairness, and equity in this moment. At LCF, we are prepared and well-positioned to lead, coming off a highly impactful year. Our team achieved impressive wins last year to meet our mission of unleashing the civic and economic power of Latinos and to advance our movement of inspiring greater philanthropy for Latino advancement:
– We invested a total of $4.6 million in 146 grantees, 25 percent of which were first-time LCF grant recipients.
– We directed 34 percent of our grantmaking to the Central Valley, Central Coast, Imperial Valley, and Inland Empire.
– We reached new milestones with our Latino Giving Circle Network (LGCN), achieving a historic $3 million in grantmaking while expanding our impact in California with new circles in the Inland Empire and San Diego. We also laid the groundwork for the LGCN’s expansion into Arizona and Nevada.
– We secured recommitments to LCF’s mission from 20 institutional partners and welcomed 11 new foundation partners to our movement.
– We launched three new strategic programs: the Latino Capital Accelerator, designed to open doors for Latinos to achieve economic mobility through Latino- and Latina-led and -serving CDFIs; our Rest in Power Sabbatical program, which grants grassroots leaders the opportunity to recharge, receive professional coaching, and invest in succession planning; and Activate Imperial, a multi-pronged approach that centers community-led initiatives, addresses systemic challenges, and drives equitable economic development in Imperial County.
– Our longest-standing strategic program, the Latino Nonprofit Accelerator, engaged its fourth cohort of nonprofit leaders in our signature model for high-touch, culturally framed, direct technical assistance and capacity development.
– Our signature El Poder Latino event, produced in collaboration with CA FWD’s California Economic Summit, positioned our community as a key stakeholder in California’s largest economic development gathering.
– We expanded our Latino Power Fund with an additional $10 million goal by June 2026 in response to the results of the 2024 election and the readiness of our community to invest in the strength, resiliency, and capacity of Latino-led, community-based organizations. The Latino Power Fund is a bold declaration of the power and influence of Latino and Latina leadership in building lasting, transformative impact within our communities.
One of our core commitments in 2025 will be to invest in traditionally underserved regions, particularly in heavily Latino communities that have largely been philanthropic deserts. These regions are home to many of our community’s most powerful changemakers. We especially look forward to deepening our roots with our partners in the Imperial Valley, Inland Empire, Central Valley, and Central Coast, ensuring that community-based organizations are present, prioritized, heard, and resourced to shape their futures.
Our LGCN will be central to this strategy, strengthening the philanthropic infrastructure of local communities for the purpose of supporting local changemakers. We will also focus on expanding our own donor recruitment efforts, recognizing that building a robust and engaged donor network is key to creating lasting impact.
Our polling has consistently shown that the economy and cost of living are Latinos’ top concerns. In response, LCF will continue to help build a future in which all Latinos can achieve economic mobility. This means supporting small businesses, creating pathways to financial success, and connecting Latino families to the tools and resources they need to build wealth. Our work is driven by our vision of a future in which every member of our community can thrive, contribute, and succeed—a truly inclusive and just economy for all.
The coming year will be critical. Through leadership, grantmaking, and advocacy, we will unapologetically stand up for our communities. We will move with purpose and boldness, ready to broaden our impact as your community foundation, and we will always defend the most vulnerable among us. With the Latino Power Fund leading the way, we will invest in the future of Latinos, driving change in California and beyond.
Latinos already make up nearly a 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. Together, we can build a stronger, more equitable future for Latinos —a future that benefits our entire nation.
As we ring in the new year, I invite you to join us as a community partner, co-invest with us as a funder or donor, and stand with us in 2025 and beyond.
Together, we can make progress a certainty.
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