November 4, 1999 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Hispanic Philanthropy: Exploring the Factors That Influence Giving and Asking
Edited by Lilya Wagner and Allan Figueroa Deck
This edition of the quarterly series New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising examines possible courses for the ethnic group that is growing most rapidly in the United States but is still underrepresented in philanthropy, according to the editors.
“Money allotted to Hispanic causes is scarce,” write Ms. Wagner, associate director of the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, and Mr. Deck, executive director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality, in Orange, Cal. In addition to being overlooked by grant makers, “Hispanics are often not thought of as prospective donors,” they write.
Yet values shared among Hispanics — such as familialisimo, the strong belief that places interdependence above independence — would seem to counter the stereotype of Hispanics as “the invisible minority” in philanthropy, they assert.
Eight other authors contribute their perspectives. Michael Cortes, an assistant professor of public policy at the University of Colorado, examines what circumstances might compel Hispanics to shift the focus of their giving from small, informal groups to larger, more-structured non-profit organizations. Jesse Miranda, president of Alianza de Ministerios Evangélicos Nacionales, provides a cultural context for Hispanic philanthropy in North America, and argues that Hispanic mores contrast with Anglo-American perspectives, notably the emphasis placed by non-Hispanics on seeing “bottom-line” results.
Other chapters examine the role of Hispanic women in philanthropy and the results of a program to train fund raisers at Hispanic religious organizations.
The series is sponsored by the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy.
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