Latino Equity Fund names five Latina leaders 2026-2027 Poderosas Fellows

Boston – The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) welcomes five Latinas who have been named as the recipients of the second annual Poderosas Fellowship. The Poderosas Fellowship supports Latinas with mentorship, leadership training, a $5,000 professional development stipend, and strategic connections that widen their professional networks.

Cohort 2 represents the breadth of mission area and geography in which Latinas lead across Massachusetts. This year’s Poderosas work in organizations supporting Latino communities statewide, with specific focus on Boston, Cambridge, Lawrence, and Waltham. A community review team, consisting of LEF advisory board members and the inaugural Poderosas cohort, evaluated applications and welcomed the following leaders to Poderosas:

• Ana Hidalgo, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
• Diana Durán, Breakthrough Greater Boston
• Magali García-Pletsch, Waltham Partnership for Youth
• Sara Morin, Groundwork Lawrence
• Stephanie Martínez-Hernández, Atrius Health Equity Foundation

 “The Poderosas Fellowship is vital to sustaining and growing Latina representation in philanthropy,” said Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation. “Each Poderosa carries LEF’s mission forward, strengthening our sector and shaping the future of philanthropic leadership. Our first cohort was extraordinary, and I look forward to building on that momentum with Cohort Two.”

The fellowship comes at a time when Massachusetts nonprofits continue to face funding gaps as a result of changes in the federal funding landscape. In a recent survey from MassiNC, the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Council of Nonprofits, 47% of Massachusetts nonprofits lost some or all of their federal funding since January 2025, while another 44% say their funding was delayed, paused, or frozen. Massachusetts nonprofits continue to serve vulnerable communities amid financial strain and rising operating costs. At this moment, Latina fundraisers' proximity to community issues and ability to drive financial resources to their nonprofits are critical to bringing stability to the organizations working at the front lines tackling equity issues.

“At a time when the needs are growing and the funding restrictions are well-documented, LEF is excited to continue strengthening the pipeline of Latina leaders and fundraisers who are advancing the wellbeing of Latino communities across Massachusetts,” said Juarez.