New Latina Giving Circle Debuts at Texas Women’s Foundation

By: Tim Lehnert

An excellent new development in the giving circle realm: The H100 Latina Giving Circle recently launched at the Texas Women’s Foundation (TWF). It was formed by the Hispanic 100 Network to further engage Latinas in philanthropy, and expand resources for local organizations empowering, educating and supporting Latinas.

H100 joins three other TWFhosted giving circles: Orchid Giving Circle, HERitage Giving Fund and The Village Giving Circle. The Hispanic 100 Network—founded in 1996 by prominent Dallas/Fort Worth area Latinas in business, education, arts, health, politics and community leadership—is helping launch the Circle by providing $50,000 in matching funds.

Patricia Rodriguez Christian, H100 Latina Giving Circle Chair, notes, “For over a decade, we have supported many non-profit organizations through our annual grants cycle. We have witnessed the life-changing impact that funding makes in the daily lives of the women and girls served through our funding. We also know that when women do well, the entire community does well.”

The H100 Latina Giving Circle allows donors of varying means to join a legacy of philanthropy that invests in the lives of young Latinas. H100 Latina Giving Circle donors have the opportunity not only to give, but also to participate in the grant-making process as they are able to review, vet and vote on a selection of grantees.

According to TWF Foundation president and CEO Roslyn Dawson Thompson, “Texas Women’s Foundation is honored to welcome the H100 Latina Giving Circle to our family of giving circles. Giving circles have grown in popularity as an important way for women of shared heritages and interests to raise and distribute funds to organizations that are creating positive change in our communities.” The Giving Circles at Texas Women’s Foundation have awarded more than $500,000 to community organizations in North Texas since 2016.

The Texas Women’s Foundation, the subject of a recent PW article “Founded in Diversity, Texas Women’s Foundation Expands with Participatory Approach,” is an ideal host for the H100 Latina Giving Circle given that both are committed to improving economic security for women, children and families, and supporting women in taking on leadership roles throughout society.

Texas Women’s Foundation, formerly Dallas Women’s Foundation, is one of the world’s largest women’s funds and has more than $35 million in assets. TWF raises approximately nine million dollars yearly and is responsible for six million dollars in annual grants, mission-focused gendered asset investments, and support for innovative programs and solutions to help Texas women and girls thrive. The Foundation also conducts and supports research on the status of women in Texas.

Giving circles are groups of individuals who donate collectively to an organization, cause or project of common interest. The difference between a giving circle and a typical philanthropic organization or non-profit is that donors themselves choose what to fund. Giving circles can range in size from a handful of people to hundreds of voting members. The number and diversity of giving circles has mushroomed in recent years, as was noted in the 2018 PW article “The Growing Influence and Diversity of Giving Circles: Two New Reports.”

The H100 Latina Giving Circle will deliver grants to North Texas nonprofits that reflect the mission of The Hispanic 100, and primarily serve the needs of Hispanic women and girls in low and moderate income communities. The H100 Latina Giving Circle is open to anyone who has a desire to join a legacy of philanthropy that creates positive change by investing in the lives of Latina women and girls. The Giving circle founders are Delia Reyes, Bertha Outler, and Patricia V. Asip, and the Board of Directors & Project Leads are Lucinda Rocha (President) and Linda Valdez-Thompson (President-Elect).

The H100 Circle embodies two growing movements: giving circles and Latinx philanthropy. Hispanics tend to be underrepresented as philanthropic targets, which is of particular concern in the Lone Star state as Hispanics are an important and growing bloc. As a group they comprise 39 percent of Texas’s population, or nearly 10.5 million people. Two of Texas’s six largest cities are majority Latino: San Antonio (63 percent Latino) and El Paso (81 percent), and the other four major cities are at minimum one-third Latino: Dallas (42.5 percent Latino), Houston (37 percent), Austin (34.5 percent), and Fort Worth (34 percent).

H100 Latina Giving Circle joins other Latina Giving circles around the country including the San Francisco Latina Giving Circle, the Phoenix-based Arizona Community Foundation Latina Giving Circle, the Latina Giving Circle of San Diego, the Latina Giving Circle of Greater Kansas City, and the Latina Environmental Giving Circle (a program of Americans for Conservation + the Arts of Puerto Rico and Boulder, Colorado).