Assessing Philanthropic Support for Latines in the Chicago Area

Executive Summary:

On October 28, GCI released the “Assessing Philanthropic Funding Support for Latines in the Chicago Area” report with partners Nuestro Futuro, and The Chicago Community Trust.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the philanthropic funding landscape for Cook County’s Latine organizations in priority issue areas. Latines account for 26% of Cook County’s population and Latine. Latine-serving organizations play a critical role in addressing the needs of one of Cook County’s fastest-growing populations.

The report provides a brief profile of the county’s Latine population, explores philanthropic support over time to Latine organizations and populations, and analyzes support in five particular issue areas: economic development, education, health equity, housing, and immigration and language access. This report’s findings explore philanthropic support for Latine-led and Latine-serving organizations compared to Latine population size in Cook County. Key findings include a disparity in philanthropic support to Latine-led and Latine-serving organizations in Cook County.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations to guide philanthropy toward more effectively supporting Latine communities and populations. Key among the recommendations is the need for philanthropy to adopt a more proactive, intersectional funding approach. This includes advocating for improved data quality to better understand community and organizational needs and to ensure those are met through targeted, equitable funding strategies.

Additionally, increasing the representation of Latine voices in philanthropic leadership will ensure that decision-making processes are informed by the lived experiences and insights of the communities philanthropy aims to serve. By taking these steps, philanthropy can better align its investments with the diverse and evolving needs of Latine communities in Cook County, ultimately fostering greater equity and impact.