April 24, 2018 (New York, NY) – The Hispanic Federation today announced a $500,000 gift from The Bittel Family Philanthropic Fund towards engaging and registering Latino voters in Florida from now through 2020. The Federation, the nation’s premier Latino nonprofit membership organization, supports an array of services, advocates for policies that advance Hispanic communities, and reaches both longtime and emerging voters through grassroots engagement and mass scale public education efforts.
“The Hispanic Federation is committed to ensuring that our people are aware of how to vote and exercise that right,” said José Calderón, president of the Hispanic Federation. “At a time when some leaders are doing their best to alienate our community, this generous donation from The Bittel Family Philanthropic Fund is going to make a critical difference in making sure the voice of Latino voters is heard loud and clear.”
Founded by Stephen Bittel, the Bittel Family Philanthropic Fund advocates an ongoing commitment to giving back and supporting the community. The foundation focuses on cultivating creativity and support for the arts, encouraging community engagement and participation, empowering our youth by improving education, and making life better for people with Parkinson’s and working toward a cure.
“For our democracy to be authentic, it has to be inclusive,” said Stephen Bittel, head of the Bittel Family Foundation, and also chairman and founder of TerraNova. “The Bittel Family Philanthropic Fund is thrilled to be a part of any effort that builds awareness about the importance of voting and that increases the participation rate of the U.S. electorate, including that of Latinos, the nation’s fastest growing community.”
With the large influx of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos settling in Florida over the past several years, the grant from Bittel comes as welcomed support for enhancing the Federation’s ongoing voter engagement work in the Sunshine State.
