Founded in 1983
HIP was founded in 1983 by a visionary trio of Bay Area Latinos. The founders, Herman Gallegos, Luz Vega-Marquis, and Elisa Arévalo, saw in organized philanthropy a vehicle for promoting social justice and for tackling the challenges facing Latino communities.
The founders also recognized that in order to capitalize on the potential of philanthropy, they needed to increase the representation of Latinos—as well as other underrepresented groups—on staff and boards of philanthropic institutions.
Inception
From its inception, HIP has been an organization rooted in the Latino tradition of giving and aimed at addressing the needs of Latino communities by creating a network of philanthropists representative of and sensitive to those needs.
Early programs focused on recruiting and convening members, surveying philanthropy’s investment in Latinos, and articulating a research agenda to identify gaps in knowledge about the needs of the Latino civil sector.
In 1990, Aida Rodriguez, chair of the HIP Board, hired Diana Campoamor as President. At that time, HIP’s annual budget was approximately fifty thousand dollars.
Throughout the 1990s, as the U.S. Latino population continued to grow, so did HIP. Our influence within the world of philanthropy expanded, and we began to take a leadership role among affinity groups, helping to convene the first meeting of the Joint Affinity Groups.
As we entered the new millennium it became clear that our traditional role as an affinity group was to bridge the gap bearing the dynamic and transformative effect that we had envisioned. Latinos were still underrepresented in the field of philanthropy, the quantity of philanthropic dollars funneling into Latino nonprofits was paltry, and the challenges facing the Latino population were mounting.
As a response to these realities, in 2000 HIP launched the Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities after a three-year planning process. The Collaborative was designed to strengthen funders’ knowledge of Latino communities and to build the capacity of Latino nonprofits through grantmaking and technical assistance. Since its inception, the Collaborative has raised more than $39 million from more than 150 funders, and has made grants to more than 500 Latino-led nonprofits across the Americas.
Today
Today HIP continues to offer an array of funder-driven, value-added programs and services, including the Funders’ Collaborative, membership activities, professional development and networking, and transnational work. We continue to evolve in response to the changing reality of our communities and the field of philanthropy, while remaining true to the vision and mission that have guided us for more than twenty years.
Providing Leadership
"As a Latino in philanthropy, it helps to meet other professionals dealing with the same challenges that I'm dealing with and to have the opportunity to learn from what they've experienced in the field."
— Edgar Aguirre
Loyola Marymount University
Membership Has Its Benefits
"HIP Membership has enabled me to broaden my reach into communities and to utilize resources I didn't know about before. As a funder, it has been great to associate with and learn from folks with such a depth of understanding about philanthropy and Latino communities."
— Larry Gonzales
The California Endowment
Increasing Diversity
"The field of philanthropy is not very diverse and the needs of the Latino community and Latino professionals in the field are not adequately met. HIP provides members with learning opportunities to increase their professional capacity as well as fun networking activities."
— Obiel A. Leyva
The San Francisco Foundation
Strengthening Our Culture
"The HIP Collaborative has helped in many ways over the past 10 years. It spurred us to recruit the first Latina foundation board member in the state and helped us develop relationships that have led to establishing several funds advised by Latinos. Our association with HIP has helped to strengthen our cultural competence as an organization."
— Tara Sandercock
Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
A Collaborative Vision
"The philanthropic world is always preaching that collaboration is important. We tell nonprofits that when resources are tight, you must work together--collaborate. The Funders' Collaborative model allows foundations to work together to address the issues affecting our communities."
— Evette Cardona
Polk Bros. Foundation
A Strong Vision
"The chief strength of the Funders' Collaborative is that it is a collaborative process rooted in a single vision--strengthening Latino communities. It allows grantmakers and grantees from all over the country to work together towards that vision."
— Marilda Gandara
Aetna Foundation
A Consistent Vision
"In the late '90s, the HIP board said, 'Getting more Latinos into the field just isn't enough-we need a new strategy for increasing giving to Latinos.' The result was the Funders' Collaborative, which proved incredibly effective — we raised more than $40 million for Latino community-based organizations."
— Diana Campoamor
President of HIP
Shaping Our Future
Our donors have been the backbone of our programs,
providing both financial and in-kind contributions for over 25 years.
Your contribution is a testament to the generosity of our supporters.
We couldn't continue to serve our community without your help.
Thank you for supporting HIP's work.
