Founded in 1983 to promote stronger partnerships between organized philanthropy and Latino communities, HIP has developed into a transnational network of grantmakers committed to strengthening Latino communities across the Americas. 

As a membership organization, HIP seeks to share with funders the needs of the Latino community.  To this end, we sponsor regional, national and international conferences and briefings, research and publications, professional development programs, as well as providing referrals for foundations seeking Latino staff and trustees. 

In addition, HIP seeks to increase resources for the Latino civil sector by leading a funding collaborative, which focuses foundation, corporate, government and individual dollars on supporting Latino nonprofits.  Concentrating specifically on building the capacity of Latino nonprofits, the Funders' Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities further serves HIP’s mission of strengthening Latino leadership, while at the same time increasing awareness about Latino issues and stimulating dialogue about how to better serve the Latino community and Latin America.

To date, through the Funders' Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities,  HIP has raised nearly $35 million and has made grants to 427 Latino-led nonprofits across the Americas.

Latinos are the second largest population group in the U.S., representing 14% of the total population.  Yet less than 1.5% of foundation grant dollars are targeted to Latinos.  And in Latin America, where organized philanthropy is just emerging, the gap is even wider.

As our network continues to grow and as the Funders’ Collaborative enters a new phase, we look to develop models of work that recognize current trends and that build on our strong foundation.  To that end, we hope to continue shaping the craft of philanthropy into a vehicle for strengthening Latino communities across the Americas.