A black and white photo of a Latino family, a mother, father, and three children. They sit on a bench in front of a brick building. Layered behind the family is the light blue TBF arrow icon

Latino Equity Fund

Creating more equitable access to prosperity and well-being

The Latino Equity Fund announces $600,000 in grants to 24 Latinx-led and Latinx-serving organizations

For the FY26 grant cycle LEF prioritized Basic Needs services and Economic Mobility programming, reflecting LEF's deep commitment to investing in community partners that offer stability to our families and advance long-term economic prosperity and well-being. The grants, made through an open request for proposals this fall, bring the Fund’s total grantmaking to $3 million since its founding in 2013. Over half of this year’s grantees are new partners to the Fund. Read the grant announcement.

Latino Equity Fund logo

The Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund), a unique partnership between local Latino leaders and the Boston Foundation, is the first Latino-focused fund in the Commonwealth. The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) uses its influence and platform to amplify diverse voices and perspectives within the Latino community and beyond in Greater Boston and the state, with a focus on achieving greater and more equitable access to economic prosperity and well-being.

A black and white headshot of Javier Juarez with the blue TBF arrow icon layered behind him in the image

To learn more, please contact Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Latino Equity Fund, at javier.juarez@tbf.org.

¡Pa’lante! 2025: The Latino Equity Fund celebrates Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month

The Latino Equity Fund at TBF "Pa'lante!" Honoring Jim Canales and JC Morales. Headshot photos of two men.

The Latino Equity Fund will once again host a series of community celebrations and forums throughout Boston that will feature Latinidad, music, performances and delicious local cuisine. 

¡Pa’lante! 2025

September 12, 2025

LEF’s annual community partner celebration honored JC Morales and Jim Canales for their outstanding leadership and service.

See photos from the event

Dia De Los Muertos Concert at Symphony Hall

November 1, 2025

In partnership with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

A Mexican tradition comes alive again as the Boston Pops returns to celebrate Día de Muertos. Join us for an evening filled with music that honors this rich cultural heritage where life and death intertwine in a beautiful tapestry of remembrance and reverence.

Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall

November 14, 2025

In partnership with IBA and the BSO

Continuing the BSO's exploration of Caribbean stories and music, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra makes its Symphony Hall debut under the direction of Maximiano Valdés. 

¡Pa’lante! 2024: A Decade of Impact Community Forum Series

The Latino Equity Fund hosted a series of community celebrations and forums from June-October 2024 that featured Latinidad, music, performances and delicious local cuisine. Thank you for joining us!



Check out the ¡Pa’lante! 2024 series recap
Watch LEF's community partner video series
Contribute to the Latino Equity Fund

We partner closely with nonprofits, funders, government leaders, and the private sector, leveraging the strengths of the Latinx community to educate stakeholders about issues and surface the most effective solutions to achieve systemic change. Since it was established in 2013, the LEF has raised more than $6 million, established an endowment to support the Latino community in the Commonwealth in perpetuity, made over $2.4 million in grants to community-based organizations, and created a dynamic platform to increase and galvanize Latinx philanthropy.

Over the past few years, the LEF has evolved from a grantmaking entity to an emerging civic leadership engine, commissioning research and reports that address critical issues facing the Latino community and other communities of color and lead to policy change.

Each of the following organizations is receiving a $25,000 grant in LEF's 2025 grant cycle.

Boston Community Pediatrics
Brazilian American Center (BRACE)
Brockton Workers Alliance
Casa Esperanza Inc.
Casa Mariposa
Centro Presente
Chica Project
Cultivate Pathways
Found in Translation
La Alianza Hispana
La Colaborativa
Latinx Community Center for
   Empowerment (LCCE)
Lawrence Community Works
LEAP for Education
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese
   Speakers (MAPS)
Neighbor to Neighbor
Neighbors in Need
Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project
Revival International Center
Urban College of Boston
Veronica Robles Cultural Center
WeReach
Welcome Immigrant Network
Women Encouraging Empowerment

THE LATINO EQUITY FUND’S UNIQUE ROLE

Research, Convening & Policy: Lift up the power of data to inform the public—raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the Latino community— and identifying more effective and innovative solutions for them. Engage with leaders and policy influencers on issues and work with partners to affect policy and positive change.

Leverage Philanthropic Resources: Partner with individual donors, foundations and companies with aligned missions and values to deploy resources to impactful Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations—helping to build their capacity and lift up Latino leadership.

Partnerships & Collaboration: Collaborate with grantee organizations and other strategic partners to advance the economic prosperity, health and health equity of the Latino community—and in doing so, the region overall.

For the En Comunidad East Boston event, LEF Director Javier Juarez and TBF Program Director of Shifting Power & Advancing Justice Vetto Casado stand outside at standing microphones to give welcoming remarks
At the En Comunidad East Boston event, a group of partners stand and pose for a photo outside in a park

Photos by Angela Rowlings

Latino Equity Fund Research

Tienen alas, pero no las pueden usar: Stories of immigrants in search of work credentials Read Tienen Alas
State of Latino-Serving Organizations cover Read the State of Latino-Serving Organizations
Brazilians in Greater Boston cover Read Brazilians in Greater Boston
Read Avancemos Ya
Latino Report cover Read Powering Greater Boston's Economy
ROI of ESOL cover Read The ROI of ESOL

Your donation, driving impact

Community support for the Latino Equity Fund has made it possible for the Fund to:

  • Commission a major research report which evaluated the social and economic return on investment in the region’s ESOL system. Produced just before the COVID-19 pandemic, this report may prove to be an important baseline for further analysis on the connection between ESOL and post-pandemic employment levels.
  • Develop a wide-reaching and culturally sensitive educational campaign in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This campaign connected thousands of Spanish-speaking individuals to information and resources for support.
  • Provide rapid response grants to a dozen Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits across the state.
  • Double the impact of funds directed towards the city of Chelsea by matching $16,000 in received donations.

In total, the Latino Equity Fund was able to contribute over $80k towards emergency relief through a combination of funding from the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund, the Latino Equity Fund and dollars entrusted from members of the community.

News from the Latino Equity Fund

The State of Latino-Serving Community-Based Organizations in Massachusetts

Commissioned by the Latino Equity Fund and conducted by the Mauricio Gastón Institute at UMass Boston, this report takes a first-of-its-kind look at the geography, scale and reach of nonprofits and grassroots initiatives serving Massachusetts Latinos.

Read the report here
State of Latino Serving Organizations cover on illustrated background
Two children with their faces painted play together at a TBF community event in East Boston

The Latino Equity Fund announces $450,000 in grants to 13 Latinx-led and Latinx-serving organizations

The grants, made through an open request for proposals this fall, bring the Fund’s total grantmaking to over $2.3 million since 2013, with $1.2 million distributed since Javier Juarez became the Fund’s Director in early 2023.

Read the December 2024 grants press release

Javier Juarez, Executive Director of LEF, honored on the Chamber Foundation & City Awake's 2025 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders list

Named annually by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Foundation and City Awake, this recognition celebrates the bold leadership of 10 honorees for their innovative approaches, leadership, and steadfast dedication to improving their communities and industries.

Read the announcement here
Javier Juarez poses for a photo for his profile for the 2024 BBJ 40 Under 40

Javier Juarez, Executive Director of LEF, honored on the Boston Business Journal’s 2024 40 Under 40

Read Javier's profile here

¡Pa’lante! A Decade of Impact

2024ed marks the 10th anniversary of LEF's first grant cycle as an established equity fund at TBF. To commemorate LEF’s impact as the only philanthropic fund dedicated to Latinos in MA, the Fund hosted a community celebration at Bow Market in Somerville. Thank you for joining us to celebrate!

Highlights from LEF's 10 Year Celebration

Grantmaking and Research

Massachusetts is one of six states to attribute all of its population growth to the Latino population, but the Latino community continues to be underfunded. A report by Hispanics in Philanthropy showed that only 1.3 percent of spending by U.S. foundations is specifically targeted to Latino programs, even though Latinos are the fastest growing part of the American population, and comprise nearly 25 percent of all children and youth. The Latino Equity Fund is looking to change that. Since 2014, the Latino Equity Fund (formerly the Latino Legacy Fund) has provided annual grant opportunities for Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits. The program was paused in 2017, so the Fund could partner with the Boston Foundation to found Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico, the Massachusetts effort to help the thousands of Puerto Ricans affected by Hurricane Maria. With the support of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker, MUPR raised more than $4 million to help with emergency needs, recovery and support for the thousands of Puerto Ricans temporarily or permanently displaced to Massachusetts.

Powering Greater Boston's Economy

In 2017, the Fund worked in collaboration with Boston Indicators and the Boston Planning and Development Agency on the publication of Powering Greater Boston’s Economy: Why the Latino Community Is Critical to Our Shared Future, a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of the growth of Greater Boston's Latino population on the region's demographics and economy. The report highlighted the sharp growth in Greater Boston's Latino population since 1980, noting that virtually all of the City of Boston's population growth since 1980 can be attributed to its growing Latino population. Even so, the report noted that Latino representation in leadership, government and business sharply lags the overall population percentage.

Read the report

For donors:

The Latino Equity  Fund presents a unique opportunity for donors who want the flexibility of supporting a broad range of organizations and initiatives while meeting the future needs of the Latino community. Any individual, family, or organization can support current grant making through gifts by check, credit card, distributions from Donor Advised Funds or gifts of appreciated stock or other assets. Here is more about the many ways to support the Latino Equity Fund:

  • Planned Gifts – The Boston Foundation offers a full range of planned and legacy giving options.  Planned gifts may be made to the Latino Equity Fund through bequests, retirement plan and life insurance gifts.  In addition, the Boston Foundation offers charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts, all of which may benefit the Latino Equity Fund.
  • Outright Contributions – The Boston Foundation can accept all types of gifts into the fund including cash, publicly traded securities, restricted stock, real estate, and more.
  • Donor Advised Funds – Donors with existing Donor Advised Funds can recommend a grant to the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation.
  • Succession Plans for Existing Giving Vehicles – Donors with a private foundation or Donor Advised Fund can name the Latino Equity Fund as the successor entity to their giving vehicle.

Call 617-338-1700 for more information.

Contribute to the Latino Equity Fund

The Latino Equity Fund Advisory Committee

Zamawa Arenas, Co-chair
Founder & CEO
Flowetik
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors

Joseph Betancourt, M.D., M.P.H.
President
The Commonwealth Fund

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors

Rafael Cofiño
Partner
Great Hill Partners

Betty Francisco
CEO
Boston Impact Initiative
Co-Founder, Amplify Latinx
Member, The Boston Foundation Board of Directors

Yvonne Garcia
Executive Vice President and Client Portfolio Head - Asset Managers in North America
State Street Corporation

Phillip O. González
President
Metrowest Health Foundation

Lazaro Lopez
Vice President Engineering & Construction
Tillman Fiber Co. 

Juan Lopera, Co-chair
Chief Community and Health Impact Officer
Beth Israel Lahey Health

Juan Carlos Morales
Founder & President
Surfside Capital Advisors
Co-Founder, Latino Equity Fund

Miriam Ortiz
Chief Impact Officer
Eastern Bank Foundation

Lorna Rivera, Ph.D.
Director, Mauricio Gaston Institute
UMass Boston

Rich Robles
Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
Boston Children's Hospital

Mary Skelton Roberts
President & CEO
Philanthropy MA

Julio E. Vega
Partner
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Member Emerita

Aixa Beauchamp, Co-chair
President
Beauchamp & Associates
Co-Founder, Latino Equity Fund

Carolina Avellaneda
General Counsel
Emerson College