Our Work in the Midwest

Headed by Sian Du’Prey, HF’s Midwest Program Director, and Roberto Valdez, HF’s Midwest Policy Director, HF’s office in Chicago, Illinois was established in 2022 and helps drive change throughout the midwest through community programs, advocacy, capacity building, and by elevating the voices of Latinos. Explore our midwest programs below.

Our Midwest Education Programs

Explore Education programs that are offered in the midwest that seek to empower Latino communities.

CREAR Futuros

CREAR Futuros is a free peer-mentorship program that recruits Latinx students in college to mentor, guide, and support younger students. In the midwest, CREAR Futuros is currently placed at the University of Illinois Chicago’s LARES program.

Career Pathways

Offered in Chicago and New York, Career Pathways provides funding and curriculum to local nonprofits to help students and parents navigate the college application process, financial aid, and more. Career Pathways also supports workforce readiness and certification programs that don’t require 4-year degrees.

Our Midwest Economic Empowerment Programs

Explore Economic Empowerment programs that are offered in the midwest that seek to empower Latino communities.

Latino Digital Accelerator

Hispanic Federation and Google.org collaborated to create the Latino Digital Accelerator combining HF’s mission of strengthening Latino nonprofits that offer digital skilling and workforce development as well as Google.org’s deep commitment to closing the digital divide.

Digital Career Centers

Digital Career Centers offer support to a network of 24 technology centers housed in Latino-led and -serving nonprofits to develop and strengthen their digital skills curriculum.

Additional Programs

In addition to our economic empowerment and education programs in the midwest, our team in Chicago also leads hunger relief, civic engagement, and policy and advocacy efforts.

La Voz de Mi Gente: Civic Engagement

Through La Voz de Mi Gente, HF’s culturally and linguistically competent civic engagement campaign, our team in Chicago keeps the community civically informed and registers and mobilizes eligible voters throughout the midwest.

Hunger Relief

Through HF’s hunger relief initiative, Lucha Contra el Hambre, our Chicago team partners with local food pantries and nonprofit organizations to provide food with a culturally and linguistically relevant approach.

Policy and Advocacy

HF collaborates with nonprofit, policy, advocacy and a network of local leaders and institutions in the midwest to advance Latino opportunity and equity in the areas of civil rights, justice, and equity and empowerment.

Nonprofit Grantmaking and Philanthropy

HF is a leading grantmaker for nonprofits across the country, having provided more than $125 Million since 1990 to support our network of more than 600 nonprofit members and partners. This grantmaking plays a crucial role in establishing programs that uplift Latino families while also supporting the operational needs of the grassroots, nonprofit organizations that serve the community.