Latino Community Foundation

LCF traces its origins to 1989, when it began coordinating workplace fundraising efforts on behalf of the Bay Area United Way. In 2003, the nonprofit reorganized as an affiliate of The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF), focusing primarily on healthcare and other quality of life issues for Latino communities across the city. Upon registering as an independent foundation in 2016, LCF became more directly involved in fundraising and political advocacy, while expanding its outreach statewide.

LCF engages with its constituency through several core programs. The organization primarily conducts its grantmaking efforts through its Latino Entrepreneurship Fund, a fundraising initiative designed to fuel economic growth by directing financial and technical support to small businesses. In 2022, LCF awarded USD 1 million in grants to 17 nonprofits working to promote entrepreneurship across California. 

The foundation supports philanthropic activities through its Latino Nonprofit Accelerator. Designed to harness what LCF’s website calls the “power of culture,” the accelerator helps grassroots groups develop into durable institutions through a combination of funding, training and mentorship. The accelerator places a strong emphasis on marketing and branding campaigns, with the goal of teaching nonprofits how to increase the visibility of Latino causes. 

The Latino Giving Circles network enables LCF to coordinate its efforts statewide. Most groups are organized by region, while a handful are affiliated with specific industries or identity groups, among them the Latinos in Healthcare and the LGBTQ Latinx Giving Circles. These giving circles sponsor regular gatherings where members are encouraged to form connections based on mutual interests. 

LCF also conducts political advocacy through the Latino Power Fund. The USD 50 million project supports grassroots activism, promotes community leadership and organizes voter outreach efforts. During the 2022 mid-term election, the Power Fund helped raise the Latino voting rate to 73%, its highest level in state history.

In addition to its diverse ongoing initiatives, LCF organizes specific fundraising efforts in times of crisis. LCF helped many Latino businesses remain solvent during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has organized relief aid for communities impacted by wildfires. 

LCF plays a crucial role in promoting the collective political and economic interests of California’s Latino population. By bringing communities together in pursuit of shared prosperity, the foundation offers a model for activism built on identity, culture and values. 

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Stephen Meyer