Hispanic Impact Fund Updates Grantmaking Strategy

May 22, 2025

Launched in 2017, the Hispanic Impact Fund aims to support the economic mobility and advancement of Hispanic Central Texans. The Fund operates as a collective-giving network and is committed to community-led and data-informed grantmaking. For nearly a decade, these principles have guided our investments in Early Childhood Education, Health & Wellness, Job Skills & Entrepreneurship, and Leadership Development.

Earlier this year, as we prepared to release our latest report, Advancing Latino Futures, focused on the well-being of Latino families in Central Texas, we asked ourselves some critical questions:

• Does the data we’re sharing reflect the impact we’re working toward?
• And, just as importantly: Are we still aligned with what our community needs most?

To address these questions, we hosted Strategy Labs for three of the Hispanic Impact Fund’s four strategy areas this spring: Health & Wellness, Job skills & Entrepreneurship, and Leadership Development. Facilitated by Nicholas Jayanty and his design research team, these workshops were aimed at translating fresh data into focused action, revising our current strategy statements to guide our collective grantmaking.

More than 70 Latino leaders, nonprofit partners, investors, and community members came together to ground our work in real experiences.

We are deeply grateful to every person who attended, bringing their unique perspective, lived experience, and willingness to shape the future of the Hispanic Impact Fund. These conversations served as a powerful reminder that the most meaningful strategies emerge from within the community.

What did we discover?

Our three Strategy Labs highlighted that Latinos in Central Texas are not a monolith. The Central Texas community is richly diverse in culture, language, experience, and identity—and the systems meant to serve us must reflect that complexity. Representation matters not only in leadership roles, but also in healthcare settings, financial institutions, and every space where decisions are made that affect our lives.

The updated strategies reflect these insights and will guide the grantmaking of the Hispanic Impact Fund. Plus, they will inform nonprofits as they consider applying for our next grant cycle, opening on June 2, 2025.

• Early Childhood Education: Kindergarten-readiness is essential for improving long-term academic outcomes for Latino children. The Fund will invest in organizations that provide access to affordable, high-quality Pre-K and early childhood education starting at age 3, building the pipeline from cradle to career for Latino families.
• Health & Wellness: Access to affordable, preventative healthcare is a key factor in helping Latino families avoid unexpected health crises and resultant financial ruin. The Fund invests in organizations that expand access and create pathways to quality physical and mental healthcare services that are culturally competent, secure, and honor privacy.
• Job Skills & Entrepreneurship: Many Latinos are confined to minimal incomes. The Fund invests in organizations that advance workforce development and entrepreneurship through skills training, expert advising, and access to capital—enabling individuals to build careers and grow sustainable businesses.
• Leadership Development: Latinos in Central Texas represent a third of the population, however, they are not proportionately reflected in key leadership positions across all sectors. The Fund invests in organizations that develop the potential of emerging Latino leaders by expanding access to tailored training and opportunities that unlock pathways to increase representation across sectors.

What’s next?

Later this year, guided by the revised strategy statements, the Hispanic Impact Fund will award $550,000 in grants to 16 organizations—our largest investment in Latino-serving organizations to date.

But this isn’t just our work. It’s yours, too.

When you invest in the Hispanic Impact Fund, every gift is amplified through collective grantmaking. Investors at the $300 level or higher are eligible to join our Grants Committee and work alongside other passionate community members to review applications, hear directly from nonprofit leaders, and help determine where the funds go.

Join us and make your gift before the end of the summer to secure your spot on the Grants Committee and be part of this exciting next chapter. Together, we can build a Central Texas where everyone can thrive.