Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos

Our colleagues here in the Research Department have just released a new report that examines foundation giving to Hispanics in the U.S. and for Latin America over the last decade, with a particular focus on the years 2007 to 2009.

Commissioned by Hispanics in Philanthropy, a transnational network of over six hundred grantmakers committed to strengthening Latino communities across the Americas, the report, Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and for Latin America (22 pages, PDF), found that over the past decade, U.S. foundation giving intended to benefit Latinos remained steady at about 1 percent of total foundation giving, even as the Latino population in the U.S. grew significantly. The report also found that for the 2007-09 period, foundation giving for Latinos in the U.S. averaged $206 million annually.

(Click for larger image)

 

Other findings from the report:

• Among the major areas of activity, human services (27 percent) and health (26 captured the largest share of grant dollars;
• Nearly two-thirds of the grant dollars targeting Latinos in 2007-09 were for program support;
• Organizations in the West received the largest share (42 percent) of foundation grant dollars intended to benefit Hispanics, with the vast majority of those dollars going to organizations in California;
• Among metropolitan areas, the greater Los Angeles area received the largest share (17 percent) of grant dollars and grants (13 percent) over the three-year period -- more than 1,000 grants totaling some $107 million.

Internationally speaking, U.S. foundations gave more than $1 billion for Latin America-focused activities between 2007 and 2009, with just under half of these funds awarded to organizations based in Latin American countries, while just over half went to U.S.-based international programs.

The report also found that Mexico and Brazil each received about a quarter of all grant dollars directed toward Latin American countries, and that the largest share of grant dollars (33 percent) was awarded to environmental organizations and causes, followed by international affairs (20 percent) and health (14 percent).

(Click for larger image)

To download a copy of the complete report, which includes statistical analyses of U.S. foundation giving for Hispanics/Latinos by funder type, issue area, geographic area, and type of support, click here.