Our Work in Connecticut

With an office and dedicated team in Connecticut, Hispanic Federation is a leading grantmaker in the state, supporting Latino-led nonprofits and the communities they serve. Through our collaborative efforts with local, national governmental, and non-governmental entities, we have spearheaded 464 capacity-building projects, effectively enhancing the capabilities of nonprofit organizations in Hartford and its surrounding metropolitan areas. Learn more about this work below.

Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund

In 2014, the Hispanic Federation (HF) along with three community partners formed an alliance to provide capacity-building support to Black, Latino, and Asian-led community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout New York City. This pilot program named the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) was designed to help strengthen community-based organizations and since its inception has helped to support 464 capacity-building projects for nonprofit organizations.

In 2021, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and Hispanic Federation formed an alliance to provide capacity-building support to Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latino, and other People of Color community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout Hartford County, including all 29 cities and towns. Together we have developed the initiative to generate new levels of support for the organizations in the Greater Hartford Area.

As a result, the Hartford Foundation allocated $1 million to establish the first ever Connecticut Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund. The first Connecticut fund of its kind, CCNSF aims to build the capacity of the nonprofits in the Hartford Region of Connecticut in recognition of the fact that organizations led by people of the community are best equipped to meet the needs of the community. CCNSF is also intended to promote learning among CBO leaders.

Learn more about the CT CCNSF

Learn more about the Connecticut Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund and explore the latest grants.

Connecticut Social Equity Council’s Community Reinvestment Pilot Program

In 2023, Hispanic Federation allocated a total of $900,000 to 15 local, community-based organizations that are uplifting and strengthening communities and families of color in the City of Hartford.

Organizations selected lead programs that focus on youth, education, recreation and arts, homelessness, family stability, reentry programs that support formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, and more. These grantees have received up to $100,000 in funding to support their work.

Learn more about this initiative here. For more information about the Connecticut Social Equity Council’s Community Reinvestment Pilot Program, contact Kely Pimentel, HF’s Connecticut Programs and Grants Manager by emailing kpimentel@hispanicfederation.org.

The Financial Literacy Initiative

Thanks to the support of Congressman John B. Larson and in collaboration with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Congressional Community Projects, Hispanic Federation has launched the Financial Literacy Initiative to provide culturally and linguistically (Spanish/English) competent financial education to low- to moderate-income Latino communities in Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District (CT-1). This initiative will empower the community and equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make financial decisions for a sustainable future.

Through this Initiative, community-based nonprofit organizations will work with HF to Improve financial literacy in the Latino community through educational programs and resources to empower informed financial decisions; contribute to the development of a financial toolkit to uplift the Hispanic/Latino community in CT-1; foster economic health in CT-1 to promote growth and resilience, with a focus on Hispanic/Latino families; and deliver essential financial literacy services to economically vulnerable Latino populations in CT-1.

For more information about our Financial Literacy Initiative, contact Karlene Santiagoz, HF’s Connecticut Programs Coordinator by emailing ksantiago@hispanicfederation.org.

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.