Despite growth in the Latino population, philanthropic giving to organizations serving this community has not kept pace with its increasing needs.
The Foundation Center in collaboration with Hispanics in Philanthropy conducted a study that found in the last decade, 1 percent of total foundation funding was designated for agencies that serve Latino communities. Funding levels have remained the same over the past 30 years.
In Illinois, the Latino population has increased by 32 percent during the last decade. Latinos are the state’s largest minority, accounting for about 16 percent of the total population and 30 percent of Chicago’s population. Yet none of the top 10 foundations whose grants explicitly target Latinos were located in the Midwest.
Mujeres Latinas en Acción, or Latina Women in Action, is one of many organizations in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods that benefit from philanthropic funding. The group’s development director, Sandra Del Toro,...