The Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund), a unique partnership between local Latino leaders and the Boston Foundation (TBF), is the first Latino-focused fund in the Commonwealth. The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) uses its influence and platform to amplify diverse voices and perspectives within the Latino community and beyond in Greater Boston and the state, with a focus on achieving greater and more equitable access to economic prosperity and well-being.
We partner closely with nonprofits, funders, government leaders, and the private sector, leveraging the strengths of the Latino community to educate stakeholders about issues and surface the most effective solutions to achieve systemic change. Since it was established in 2013, the LEF has raised more than $4 million, established an endowment to support the Latino community in the Commonwealth in perpetuity, made over $1.1 million in grants to community-based organizations, and created a dynamic platform to increase and galvanize Latino philanthropy.
Over the past few years, the LEF has evolved from a grantmaking entity to an emerging civic leadership engine, commissioning research and reports that address critical issues facing the Latino community and other communities of color and lead to policy change.
The Latino Equity Fund is accepting submissions for its FY24 grantmaking cycle.
For this cycle, LEF seeks applications from community nonprofits in Massachusetts who are working towards the advancement of Latinos by creating economic prosperity opportunities or addressing health disparities and well-being.
Deadline: Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Resources for Applicants:
RFP information and guidelines
On May 12, the Boston Foundation in partnership with the Latino Equity Fund and the Gaston Institute at UMass Boston hosted a forum to share and build upon the findings of a new report by Boston Indicators, '¡Avancemos ya!: Persistent Economic Challenges and Opportunities Facing Latinos in Massachusetts.' Following a presentation of research findings, WBUR’s Cristela Guerra facilitated a panel of experts who discussed strategies to expand the tremendous assets Latino communities bring to the Commonwealth. The event included live translations in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
Research, Convening & Policy: Lift up the power of data to inform the public—raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the Latino community— and identifying more effective and innovative solutions for them. Engage with leaders and policy influencers on issues and work with partners to affect policy and positive change.
Leverage Philanthropic Resources: Partner with individual donors, foundations and companies with aligned missions and values to deploy resources to impactful Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations—helping to build their capacity and lift up Latino leadership.
Partnerships & Collaboration: Collaborate with grantee organizations and other strategic partners to advance the economic prosperity, health and health equity of the Latino community—and in doing so, the region overall.
Community support for the Latino Equity Fund has made it possible for the Fund to:
In total, the Latino Equity Fund was able to contribute over $80k towards emergency relief through a combination of funding from the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund, the Latino Equity Fund and dollars entrusted from members of the community.
Massachusetts is one of six states to attribute all of its population growth to the Latino population, but the Latino community continues to be underfunded. A report by Hispanics in Philanthropy showed that only 1.3 percent of spending by U.S. foundations is specifically targeted to Latino programs, even though Latinos are the fastest growing part of the American population, and comprise nearly 25 percent of all children and youth. The Latino Equity Fund is looking to change that.
Since 2014, the Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund) has provided annual grant opportunities for Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits. The program was paused in 2017, so the Fund could partner with the Boston Foundation to found Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico, the Massachusetts effort to help the thousands of Puerto Ricans affected by Hurricane Maria. With the support of Boston Mayor Matrin J. Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker, MUPR raised more than $4 million to help with emergency needs, recovery and support for the thousands of Puerto Ricans temporarily or permanently displaced to Massachusetts.
In 2017, the Fund worked in collaboration with Boston Indicators and the Boston Planning and Development Agency on the publication of Powering Greater Boston’s Economy: Why the Latino Community Is Critical to Our Shared Future, a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of the growth of Greater Boston's Latino population on the region's demographics and economy. The report highlighted the sharp growth in Greater Boston's Latino population since 1980, noting that virtually all of the City of Boston's population growth since 1980 can be attributed to its growing Latino population. Even so, the report noted that Latino representation in leadership, government and business sharply lags the overall population percentage.
The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at UMass Boston: $50,000
Lawyers for Civil Rights – Boston: $25,000
Sociedad Latina: $25,000
Agencia ALPHA: $25,000
Mujeres Unidas Avanzando: $25,000
Maverick Landing Community Services: $25,000
Brazilian Workers Center: $15,000
Amplify Latinx: $10,000
Founded: 2013, as the first Latino-focused fund in Boston
Grantmaking: Typically on an annual cycle
To learn more about the Fund, contact our Donor Services team.
The Latino Equity Fund presents a unique opportunity for donors who want the flexibility of supporting a broad range of organizations and initiatives while meeting the future needs of the Latino community. Any individual, family, or organization can support current grant making through gifts by check, credit card, distributions from Donor Advised Funds or gifts of appreciated stock or other assets. Here is more about the many ways to support the Latino Equity Fund:
Call 617-338-1700 for more information.
Zamawa Arenas
Founder & CEO
Flowetik
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors
Carolina Avellaneda
Chief Strategy Officer & Counsel
University of Massachusetts President's Office
Aixa Beauchamp, Co-chair
President
Beauchamp & Associates
Co-Founder, Latino Equity Fund
Dr. Joseph Betancourt
Senior Vice President, Equity and Community Health
Massachusetts General Hospital
Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors
Rafael Cofiño
Partner
Great Hill Partners
Betty Francisco
CEO
Boston Impact Initiative
Co-Founder, Amplify Latinx
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors
Yvonne Garcia
Chief of Staff to Chief Executive Officer
State Street Corporation
Rita German
Vice President, Northeast Community Engagement
JP Morgan
Phillip O. González
Director, Community Investments
Point32Health Foundation
Juan Lopera, Co-chair
Vice President, Business Diversity
Tufts Health Plan
Lazaro Lopez
Director of Engineering Southern New England
Charter Communications
Juan Carlos Morales
Founder & President
Surfside Capital Advisors
Co-Founder, Latino Equity Fund
Mary Skelton Roberts
Senior Vice President of Programs
Energy Foundation
Ruben F. Salinas, MBA
Managing Director
Salben Research and Salben Aerospace LLC
Serial Entrepreneur and Ph.D. candidate