Members of the Latino Endowment Fund (LEF) at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving have approved grants to the Capitol Region Educational Council (CREC), Latinas and Power, Inc.,  and Mustard Seed Outreach Center (MSOC) totaling $75,000.

“This year’s grant awardees were selected for their demonstrated ability to chip away at barriers to leadership success,” said LEF Steering Committee Chair Yvette Martas. “They aligned with the inequity pillars identified by the members of LEF this year.”

A $27,500 LEF grant was provided to continue CREC’s “Empowering Latinas Leadership Alliance (ELLA)” mentoring program that supports chronically absent ninth grade Latina students attending Greater Hartford Academy of The Arts and Academy of Computer Science & Engineering. The program hosts Latina speakers to address participating youth with an emphasis on issues related to mental health, post–secondary choices, community advocacy, voting, and other topics impacting Latinas. Participating students will meet bi-weekly after school. 

LEF supported the initial launch of the ELLA program with a $20,000 grant in 2023. Since its inception, there has been increasing interest in the program, so CREC has now made ELLA open for students to join at any time over the course of the academic year. The primary goal of the mentoring project is to build strong, trusting relationships with the girls with the intent of growing their self-confidence and self-esteem and reducing the number of absences, while enhancing skill development and learning.

“On behalf of ELLA, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Latino Endowment Fund for awarding us the grant to continue our mentoring program for Latina students for the second consecutive year. We are deeply honored by your continued support and belief in the impact of our work,” said Katherine Nazario LMSW, CREC’s Family & Community Engagement Supervisor. “This funding will allow us to further empower and inspire Latina students, providing them with the mentorship, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive academically and personally. The LEF’s generosity plays a critical role in helping us break down barriers and create meaningful pathways for success.”

Latinas and Power, Inc. received a $27,500 grant to support its Latinas in Leadership Institute (LiLi), a six-month hybrid certificate program designed to work with bicultural and biracial Latinas in their early to mid-career stage of their workplace or entrepreneurial journey. The certificate program is comprised of two phases focused on leadership and advocacy. Phase 1 is 12 sessions of facilitator-led coursework. Phase 2 is 3 months of teams conducting independent work. Up to 15 participants will be recruited from towns across Hartford County. This group represents the fourth cohort of the LiLi program and Latinas and Power is hoping to build on the research conducted by previous cohorts, who explored and identified obstacles contributing to lower academic achievement and higher dropout rates among Latino students compared to their white counterparts.

“Our institute is dedicated to cultivating leaders, champions, and advocates within our community,” said Latinas & Power Corp. CEO Marilyn Alverio. ”The women who participate not only embark on a journey of personal growth but also raise awareness about critical issues affecting the Latino community through a capstone project. This grant will enable us to deliver our curriculum in a culturally relevant way while also identifying and empowering local leaders from the Hartford region.”

Mustard Seed Outreach Center (MSOC) has received a $20,000 LEF grant to support its MSOC Community Support Initiative which is centered on two key objectives: enhancing food security and promoting educational engagement, both through a bilingual lens. The MSOC Dinner Program will take place quarterly, serving 50 meals per event, with a goal of reaching 200 homeless individuals by the end of the year. The Summer Enrichment Program will be held in July, engaging 50 children in a full week of bilingual educational and recreational activities. This initiative is designed to provide essential services to vulnerable populations but also to strengthen the cultural fabric of the community by preserving the Spanish language and promote educational and social inclusion.

“This grant awarded by the Latino Endowment Fund is a transformative step for Mustard Seed Outreach Center, which will help expand the bilingual programming and provide essential support to underserved individuals and families in the Hartford region,” said MSOC Board Member Yesenia Fuentes. “With the support of the Latino Endowment Fund, MSOC will continue empowering the Latino community, celebrating the shared culture, and ensuring every individual and family who connects with us receives the tools they need to thrive.”

The Latino Endowment Fund was founded in 2003 by Latino leaders in Greater Hartford to increase philanthropy in their community and to strengthen nonprofits working to improve the quality of life for Latino residents. Members examine issues affecting the Latino community and recommend grants from the fund to address those issues.

In 2021, the Hartford Foundation established two five-year, $250,000 flex-funds to support the Foundation’s Latino Endowment Fund and Black Giving Circle Fund. These additional resources are intended to empower the two giving circles to increase their grantmaking capacity by up to $50,000 per year over five years and/or contribute up to $50 thousand per year to their endowment to increase their perpetual grantmaking capacity.

For more information on the Latino Endowment Fund, contact Ramonita Garcia at rgarcia@hfpg.org or go to www.hfpg.org/latino.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $998 million since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.