A Conversation with Alexandra Aquino-Fike, Director of New Initiatives at Hispanics in Philanthropy

Alexandra Aquino-Fike, Director of New Initiatives at Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), recently chatted with us about her organization’s work funded through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Catalyzing Community Giving grant opportunity. Hispanics in Philanthropy’s mission is to increase investments in Latino communities across the Americas and to increase Latino representation in the philanthropic sector.

Q:  What are your current efforts to catalyze community giving?

A: Right now we’re focusing on our latest initiative called HIPGive. It’s the first transnational crowdfunding platform specifically designed for nonprofits that work with Latino communities. HIPGive helps these community organizations to raise funds for innovative projects. Through the platform they also gain valuable training in key skills like social media, marketing, and online communications. HIPGive is really more than a crowdfunding site; by sharing stories through the platform we mobilize donors from and for Latino communities. Telling powerful stories about giving back inspires more action. We are already seeing that merging generosity and technology creates a powerful force. 

Q:  Do you think projects like yours are part of a larger movement to link community-based giving to critical issues in communities of color?

A: Definitely. You’re seeing every day now movements popping up behind the scenes. Now you see movements hit their tipping points because of social media. Black Lives Matter, for example, has grown so strong so fast in large part because of the rapid sharing of information and stories through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. You’re also seeing underserved communities creating their own narratives on social media channels; a great example of this is the #ImNotaCriminal campaign that went viral this summer in response to Donald Trump’s negative comments about Latinos. We believe the forward thinking and growth you see in social media and crowdfunding are powerful indicators of what’s to come. Last year, $16 billion were raised through crowdfunding and $34 billion is projected for 2016. Communities of color have a unique opportunity to use these tools to benefit and serve their constituents.

Q:  What would you say is your unique approach to philanthropy?

A: HIP’s unique approach is that we view our work through a transnational lens. Philanthropy and giving back in our community are not just about the United States or Latin America; rather, they are very fluid and constantly cross borders. We have members who live in the United States and have families in Latin America and vice versa. Our community transcends borders so our work must also. We feel you have to understand this reality to serve this community.

A recent example of our transnational approach to philanthropy is the emergency crowdfunding campaign – Protect the Children – that we ran last year on HIPGive. The goal of this campaign was to support the work of an inspiring cohort of organizations working on both sides of the border to provide legal and humanitarian services tothe massive influx of unaccompanied children coming to the United States from Central America and Mexico; children who were fleeing horrific levels of violence. In 30 days, 20 organizations raised $70,000 and received another $40,000 in matching dollars. HIP understood that we had to support strategies on both sides of the border to address this crisis.

Q:  How are you documenting this project?

A: We conduct numerous surveys and detailed interviews which we use as the basis for case studies. HIPGive requires participants to complete an exit survey and a three month impact survey. These surveys help us to find out how the tool is being used and what we need to improve. It tells us how the organizations are using the funds to improve their community. We also conduct an analysis of our top performers. Our donor surveys tell us why they give. Detailed interviews with those who didn’t have the best experience help us learn how to improve along the way. Thanks to the support of Kellogg’s evaluation consultants, we are strengthening our HIPGive surveys and interview questions so that we secure the data we want by asking the most targeted questions possible.

Besides our data monitoring and evaluation, we are focusing on collecting broader stories of the generosity that our platform is inspiring or facilitating. We’ve quickly learned that crowdfunding takes more time than people expect and ultimately it boils down to understanding the art of storytelling. Crowdfunding gives organizations an introduction to an audience, but it’s not just a tool for raising money. It mobilizes your base and shows your community why you’re important and why your work matters. Organizations who can tell an emotionally compelling story more often than not secure more donors and meet their goals, while inspiring unexpected actions of generosity beyond just a donation. We are actively working on sharing some of our inspiring stories and on incorporating storytelling into our trainings.

Q:  Where can people go to find additional information?

A: We encourage everyone to visit our platform at www.hipgive.org. There are always new and exciting campaigns opening on the site. Since HIPGive launched, we’ve helped organizations raise funds for 106 projects and initiatives!  There are contests on particular themes and issues every quarter for which we offer extra incentives like matching funds and pro bono prizes to mobilize donors. Our hope is that HIPGive becomes a household name for anyone doing work in the Latino community.

A Conversation with Sara Velten, Vice President of Philanthropy at the Latino Community Foundation

In a recent conversation, Sara Velten, Vice President of Philanthropy at the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) in California, shared her organization’s work funded through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Catalyzing Community Giving grant opportunity. Latino Community Foundation has a mission to inspire philanthropy by and for Latinos to invest in Latino communities and to lead transformative solutions for change.

Q:  What are your current efforts to catalyze community giving?

A: Almost three years ago, we hosted our first Latina Giving Circle meeting in San Francisco with 14 women. These diverse and intergenerational Latina women were given the opportunity to share their personal stories, to learn about Latino issues, and to donate $1,000 into a pool of resources that would be invested back into the community. In three years, those women have raised and granted out $80,000 in grants.  More importantly, they ignited a movement! Today, we have recruited 135 Giving Circle members in 7 active chapters.

This investment goes beyond the dollars. We’ve created communities of donors, a sisterhood and brotherhood in the cases of the female and male groups, who would otherwise never have gotten an opportunity to make change together. It’s also a really diverse group of Latinos. They range from their mid-twenties to mid-sixties with very diverse professionals, immigrants, and many others. The community is just amazing! We are really growing a movement. It’s very inspiring.

Q:  Do you think projects like yours are part of a larger movement to link community-based giving to critical issues in communities of color?

A: Totally. The Latino community is very generous with giving back to our families, churches, and sending money back to our home countries. Giving to institutions is not yet part of our culture, we have to create it. At LCF, we are educating Latinos about what it means to give back to local Latino nonprofits. This is especially true for first-generation immigrants. We also need to help generate trust in Latino institutions. By connecting Latino donors to Latino nonprofits, we are helping create that trust and understanding.

Also, some members have told us that “You’re the first to ask me to become a donor.” Giving Circle members are starting to see themselves as philanthropists. We are very intentional in ensuring that they inspire their friends and colleagues to also get involved. We really believe that the network is helping shape a new narrative about our community. Latinos see themselves as donors who can make a big difference when they give together.

Q:  What would you say is your unique approach to philanthropy?

A: I think we are the first to tap into this powerful demographic! The statistics on philanthropic giving to Latino nonprofits are very disheartening. Less than 1.4% of all dollars go to support Latino nonprofits in the U.S. We give diverse Latino leaders and opportunity to change that reality. We share the facts and ask people to do something about it. Our members are speaking up about the issues and about the lack of resources for our nonprofits. These conversations are making an impact.

Also, a lot of our members tell us that no one has invited them to be a donor before. They like being a donor. We bring experts to the meetings to cover different issues so they are learning along the way, and they are learning together. 

Each giving circle defines its own funding priorities and the Latino Community Foundation puts together a list of grassroots Latino-based organizations that are making a difference in the community. The top finalists come to present in person to the whole giving circle and members get to know their grantees better. We bring wine, food, and conversation to every meeting. The discussions are rich and really challenge mainstream philanthropic thinking. We want to trust Latino-based nonprofits and ensure that there is a long-term partnership. In summary, I would say that our approach is very entrepreneurial and it is fun. People like coming to Giving Circle meetings. We laugh together, and we get things done together.

Q:  How are you documenting this project?

A: It’s very anecdotal. We ask each member for a quote of why they joined the giving circle and a year later we ask them again. We also ask why they remain involved and what impact it has had on them. Each grantee is also asked about their experience with the grant, the impact it’s had on families they support and on the institution.

We are now working with a consultant to evaluate the giving circle network overall. We hope that in ten to twenty years, someone will tell us that she/he has been a member all that time and now her/his daughter or son is part of the circle. We’re also tapping into the power of social media. Not only to attract new members, but to share our successes. We write blog posts and are hoping to get coverage in local and national newspapers/outlets. Our movement is challenging the traditional narrative of Latinos. We are inspiring others to get together to give.

Q:  Where can people go to find additional information?

A: Our website has information about what we do and testimonials from the giving circles. There's our Facebook page.

The men’s giving circle was featured on The White House Initiative for Educational Excellence in Hispanics Facebook page. We also have a radio interview with Stanford Hispanic Broadcasting.

Our blog is another great way to connect with us.