SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) is excited to announce a critical mobilization of resources to California’s rural communities through the Love Not Fear Fund. To date, LCF has raised over $1,000,000 to advance the long-term vision of the Love not Fear Fund.
33 Latino-led grassroots organizations across the Central Valley and Inland Empire received immediate relief funds to meet the needs of elders, undocumented families, farmworkers, and working-class Latino families. This first phase of funding will support on the ground efforts to distribute food, resources and cash stipends to essential workers and their families. Phase II will invest in organizational capacity to ensure grassroots Latino nonprofits can weather the economic recession, and Phase III will focus on community organizing to build community power and advocate for increased digital literacy, affordable housing, and an inclusive economy.
“In our most difficult moments, we lean on the assets that make the Latino community strong—our generosity, our culture, and our resilience,” shared Jacqueline Martinez-Garcel, CEO of Latino Community Foundation. “Now, more than ever, Latino-led organizations are stepping up provide hope and healing for our families and LCF is proud to invest in their short-term relief efforts and long-term sustainability.”
The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) has also mobilized its network of Latino Giving Circles—with 500 members, it is the largest in the nation -- to take collective action. Several of the Circles have made emergency grants to their local partners and to support the grassroots nonprofits in regions traditionally under sourced by mainstream philanthropy.
“I did a double take when I read your emails about our relief grant,” said Sagrario Diaz, Executive Director of Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) in Fresno. “Literally, even now I can feel the emotion in my throat fighting back the tears of gratitude, of joy, of agradecimiento (sincere gratitude). Thank you for giving us a voice in the Valley.”
Latino families rely on the frontline organizations who work every day to support and uplift the community. Yet, long before the pandemic began, these Latino-led organizations experienced philanthropic inequity. Merely 1.1% of grantmaking dollars are invested in Latino orgs with huge funding gaps especially in the Central Valley, Inland Empire and other rural regions of the state. California funders invest around $2.6 billion annually, from that only 2% reaches the Central Valley.
Public relief dollars to our community are also limited. Through the advocacy of LCF and our allies, Governor Newsom created an unprecedented fund for undocumented Californians. Yet, the program aims to reach 150,000 people which only accounts for 7.5% of the state’s total undocumented population.
“Philanthropy is responding by funding groups they already know and ‘trust’ once again perpetuating the philanthropic redlining for Latino-led orgs,” said Masha V. Chernyak, LCF, Vice President of Programs. “Luckily, Latino philanthropists in our 23 Latino Giving Circles are quickly moving resources to grassroots leaders on the frontlines, especially those overlooked by mainstream philanthropy.”
“Thank you, LCF, for giving us the opportunity to have an impact during this crazy time - it makes me feel hopeful instead of helpless,” said Natasha Cougoule, member of the San Francisco Latina Giving Circle who also organized a fundraiser with her Salesforce Employee Resource Group.
Along with the grant announcement, Latino Community Foundation issued a Love Letter to the Latino Community. An excerpt from the love letter reads: This is tough, but so are you. Together, we’ll get through this. We see you because we are you. Farmworkers. Community advocates. Nurses. Cooks. Musicians. Teachers. Business Owners. Childcare workers. Healers. Familia. We see you, we love you, and we value you. Read the full love letter here: https://latinocf.org/love-letter-to-latinos/
To learn more about the Love Not Fear Initiative visit: https://latinocf.org/covid/ or contact Masha V. Chernyak, LCF, Vice President of Programs to speak with Latino leaders around California on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief and power building work.
About Latino Community Foundation:
The Latino Community Foundation is on a mission to unleash the civic and economic power of Latinos in California by investing in Latino-led organizations dedicated to the transformation of their communities. LCF has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested millions of dollars to improve the livelihood of Latino families. It is the only statewide foundation solely focused on investing in Latino youth and families in California.
Love Not Fear Fund Phase I Grantees:
- Alianza Coachella Valley | Inland Empire
- California Farmworker Foundation | Kern County
- California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance | Statewide
- Central Valley Healing Collective | Central Valley
- Cultiva La Salud | Fresno County
- Dolores Huerta Foundation | Kern County & Central Valley
- Every Neighborhood Partnership | Fresno County
- ExpresArte Wellness Collective | Tulare
- Faith in the Valley | Central Valley
- Fathers and Families of San Joaquin | San Joaquin County
- Fresno Barrios Unidos | Fresno County
- La Cooperative Campesina | Central Valley & Statewide
- The Latino Commission | Tulare County
- Lideres Campesinas | Central Valley wide
- Nuestra Casa of East Palo Alto | San Mateo County
- One Day At a Time (ODAT) | East Contra Costa County
- Pequenos Empresarios | Madera County
- PIQE | Fresno & Statewide
- Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos | Santa Cruz County
- Services and Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) | Santa Clara County
- South Modesto Partnerships | Stanislaus County
- TODEC Legal Center | Riverside County
- United Farmworkers Foundation | Central Valley & Statewide
- Western Service Workers Association | Sacramento
- Youth Alliance | San Benito County
Latino Giving Circle Network Rapid Response Grantees:
26. ACT for Women and Girls | Tulare County
27. Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indigena Oaxaqueno (CBDIO) | Fresno and Madera Counties
28. Community Center for Arts and Technology (CCAT) | Fresno County
29. Centro La Familia | Fresno County
30. Inclusive Action for the City | Los Angeles County
31. La Luz Center | Sonoma County
32. Monument Impact | Contra Costa County
33. West Side Youth | Fresno County
