The Latino Community Foundation has awarded $20,000 to the Inland Empire Community Foundation’s CIELO Fund to expand civic engagement efforts throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The Latino Community Foundation is one of the nation’s largest foundations focused on Latino communities. According to IECF, it will match the $20,000 for a total of $40,000 in grantmaking to support nonprofit organizations across the Inland Empire.
According to both organizations, the joint investment will support nonprofits working to increase nonpartisan civic participation, strengthen community leadership and make sure Inland Empire residents have a greater voice in decisions affecting their communities.
"This partnership with the Latino Community Foundation is an investment in local leadership and lasting civic infrastructure,” said Jesse Melgar, board chair of IECF and founder of the CIELO Fund. “Together, we're helping ensure that Inland Empire residents not only have a seat at the table, but the opportunity to help decide the future of our region.”
The CIELO Fund, formally known as the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity Fund, was launched by Melgar in 2022 as a “signature fund” to invest in Latino-serving organizations.
The fund has helped raise more than $3 million in three years to support grantmaking, research, scholarships and narrative change, according to IECF.
KVCR is a beneficiary of the CIELO Fund. The fund has helped support programs including IE Latino Voices, which airs on radio, television and streaming platforms.
The Latino Community Foundation has invested in the Inland Empire since 2020. The foundation says it hopes to deepen that investment and help build the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
“When Latinos can fully participate in democracy, the outcome is a stronger future for everyone,” said Julian Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. “This partnership with the CIELO Fund and the Inland Empire Community Foundation will help build a future where civic power is in the hands of the people.”
