Looking at Latino Philanthropy

• Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic subgroup in the United States.
  
  
• A large amount of Hispanic giving goes to support relatives living abroad.
  
  
• Seventy to seventy-five percent of all Latino donations are given to religious organizations.
  
  
• Being able to get a charitable tax deduction is not an important consideration for Hispanic donators. Most do not itemize deductions on their income tax forms.
  
  
• Hispanics tend to give primarily to causes relating to children, the arts, culture and education.
  
  
• Most Hispanics volunteer because it involves or would benefit family or friends.
  
  
• Latinos have a tradition of mutual assistance groups (mutualistas) that provide individual support for Latinos experiencing social or economic difficulties.
  
  
• Most Latinos make contributions quietly and directly to those in need without going through an organization.
  
  
• When "asked," more Hispanics will donate to a cause than if they are not asked. While most households in the United States receive an average of 300 requests for donations a year, Hispanic households receive only 15 to 20 solicitations a year.
  
  
• Hispanics come from cultures where governments and churches, not private and nonprofit organizations, dealt with problems caused by social inequalities.
  
  
• Hispanics are only 5% of the professional staff of American foundations, far less representative of their population. Less than one-half of one percent of foundation/corporate board members is Hispanic. Without someone looking out for their interests, Hispanics are not in the limelight to get help from philanthropic groups.

To bring Hispanics into the mainstream of philanthropy, Hispanics in Philanthropy, one of the largest and most influential associations of grantmakers in the country, serves as the home of the Funders' Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities.