Building the Capacity of Latino Organizations and Leaders
The Funders’ Collaborative brings together local and national funders to build the capacity of small- to mid-sized Latino nonprofits through grants and technical assistance. Rather than fund programs and services, the Collaborative funds projects that strengthen organizational systems and build the knowledge and skills of their staff, board, and volunteers. These projects develop leadership in the Latino community, while enabling organizations to better serve and mobilize their communities by becoming more efficient, strategic, and sustainable. The program is based on the theory of change that building stronger Latino leaders and nonprofits will build stronger Latino communities.
The Collaborative brings together local funders in various regions, or sites. In each of these sites, local partners contribute funding and form a site committee to guide all grantmaking decisions for the site. HIP’s national funding partners provide $1 in matching funds for every $2 raised locally, thus bringing national dollars to the local community. The Collaborative allows funders to build meaningful partnerships with their peers while leveraging their combined resources for greater impact.
Since its inception in 2000, the Collaborative has achieved impressive results:
HIP offers information sessions to all eligible applicants in all Funders’ Collaborative sites. These sessions provide detailed information on the application process as well as an interactive training on capacity building and organizational development. Applicants have the opportunity to share potential capacity-building projects and receive immediate guidance on conceptualizing and presenting a strong proposal. HIP program managers offer additional technical assistance in person and by phone as needed.
In addition to capacity-building grants, the Collaborative provides regular convenings of grantees’ board and staff members, offering opportunities for peer learning and networking as well as training in areas such as financial management, effective proposal writing, succession planning, and developing strategic alliances to maximize cost efficiencies.
In 2008, an independent evaluation of the Funders’ Collaborative was conducted by Arete Consulting. The evaluation found that the Collaborative “achieved virtually every one of its aims.”
Download Reports:
Executive Summary (Size: 138 KB, Pages: 9)
Full Report (Size: 815 KB, Pages: 95)
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.
