Shortly after stepping into my role as the manager of the Hispanic Impact Fund a few months ago, I was awestruck by our community’s generosity and passion for advancing the prosperity of Latinos. The Hispanic Impact Fund recently awarded $365,000 to 28 organizations working to advance economic opportunities for Latinos in Central Texas. This year marked significant milestones for the program’s growth including offering grants in a new impact area, Leadership Development, and awarding its one-millionth dollar since its founding in 2017.
The Hispanic Impact Fund is a signature program of Austin Community Foundation established to leverage the assets, resilience, and strength of the Latino community. The fund uses data and community voice to make grants to local nonprofits. The top grant finalists in each impact area are determined by an annual vote of the Hispanic Impact Fund membership, which includes approximately 150 individuals, families, and businesses.
Since 2017, leaders of the Fund have worked toward creating a more equitable Central Texas that’s responsive to the unique needs of nonprofits and their clients. This year, we improved our grantmaking by providing flexible, multi-year general operating support to organizations that focus on four areas critical to the economic security of Latinos: early childhood education, health and wellness, job skills and entrepreneurship, and leadership development. These are just a few of the many steps on this long journey towards ensuring equity and advancement for Latinos and the organizations that serve them.
All 28 nonprofit organizations show a commitment to Latinx inclusion and belonging at staff, executive leadership, and board levels.
