Affiliate Funds

Hispanic Fund

Our Mission

The Hispanic Fund is committed to improving and promoting socioeconomic and educational opportunities within the Hispanic Community.  A volunteer Advisory Board encourages giving to establish new, and grow existing, endowment funds to support annual grants and scholarships that fulfill the mission.

Our History

The Hispanic Fund began in 1986 with a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Carlos Padilla in memory of a noted Hispanic physician, Dr. Jose Rivera. Several years later, leaders from the Hispanic community and staff from the Community Foundation created the Hispanic Fund to encourage ongoing giving to benefit the Hispanic population of Lorain County.

During the 1990s and until his death in 2002, Frank Jacinto often called the grandfather of the Hispanic community, lead the Hispanic Fund Advisory Board. Mr. Jacinto established the first sub-fund of the Hispanic Fund in his name in 1995. In 2002, the Hispanic Fund began providing two Frank Jacinto scholarships per year to Hispanic students in the Lorain School District. The Hispanic-Latino Scholarship Fund was established in 2007 to ensure that scholarships to Hispanic students would sustain over time.

$374K

in grants awarded to the community

1986

Hispanic Fund established

Video

Making an impact in Lorain County

Board members of the Hispanic Fund are active members, supporters, and advocates for the Latino community in Lorain County. Watch this short video to see our impact and to learn how you can become involved.

Hispanic Fund Grant Program

The online application opens April 30.

Application Deadline: May 31
Board Decision: August

The Hispanic Fund grant program provides funding to non-profit organizations and community members whose projects provide or work to improve: 

  • Citizen empowerment within the Hispanic Community 
  • Neighborhood revitalization or environmental issues within the Hispanic Community 
  • Public safety, education and prevention of crime/violence within the Hispanic Community 
  • Collaborative solutions or new approaches to a problem that exists within the Hispanic Community 
  • Projects/programs that address the root causes of social ills within the Hispanic Community 
  • Projects/programs that positively affect Hispanic educational achievement in public or higher education 
Hispanic Fund

Hispanic Fund Board

  • Eileen Torres, President
  • Martin Leibas, Vice President
  • Robert Garcia, Treasurer
  • Eddie Bauza
  • Selena Candelario
  • Monica Flores-Lorenz
  • Achilles Morales
  • Raquel Pacheco
  • Carol Rezaian
  • Rachel Ocasio, Staff Liaison

2007

scholarship fund established

$38K

scholarships provided