Julián Castro tapped to run Latino Community Foundation

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro is taking over as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), a California-based nonprofit focused on expanding Latino economic, civic and political representation.

Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio and 2020 presidential candidate, will take over the organization on Jan. 1.

“One of the things that I find very appealing about LCF is that it does several things excellently and it combines them in a way that you don’t often find in Latino nonprofits,” Castro told The Hill.

“And by that I mean that it does direct service work like the Latino nonprofit accelerator and giving circles cultivating Hispanic philanthropy.”

As U.S. Latino-serving institutions have materialized and matured over the past century, philanthropy is one of the areas that’s suffered the greatest growing pains.

Over the past 15 years, Latino philanthropic donations have declined faster than for the general population due to a series of factors including economic stagnation and focus on direct donations, according to a recent study by Hispanics in Philanthropy and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Conversely, large national philanthropic organizations have struggled to make an impact in the Latino community; Castro said his job is now to highlight to those organizations the urgency of investing more in the Latino community.

“It’s a matter of money. It’s a matter of developing relationships. It’s also a matter of ensuring that the boards of big philanthropic organizations understand the urgency of investing in the Latino community, the destiny of this country is tied to the destiny of Latinos like never before,” he said.

“Already, more than a quarter of the children in this country are Latino. The United States can only succeed if the Latino community succeeds, and if the Latino community stumbles, if it sputters, the country is going to sputter.”

LCF’s mission also includes a large, nonpartisan political component.

“Next year in 2024, we need to make sure that Latinos are mobilized and that they turn out to the polls and so there’s a pressing issue there,” said Castro.

“What we want is for every single Latino voter to be mobilized, and I believe that when every voter is mobilized, that the policies that come out of that are going to be ones that better benefit our community,” he added.

LCF’s projects are deeply rooted in grassroots organization in California, where the group maintains a presence in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Central Valley.

“California and our Latino community is stronger today because the Latino Community Foundation prioritized and invested in grassroots organizations working to build the civic and economic power of Latinos,” said civil rights activist Dolores Huerta.

Castro aims to consolidate the group’s gains in California but also to expand its reach to Latino communities throughout the country.

In the philanthropic and grant space, Castro said LCF’s programs can easily be replicated outside the state.

“The Foundation is doing great work that I think is applicable in other large Latino communities and even some smaller ones,” he said.

“For instance, the Latino giving circles so that you’re cultivating Latino philanthropy that’s very transferable. The Latino nonprofit accelerator is also very transformed, transferable, and the dedication of grant funding to great Latino nonprofits in different places is also something that as the LCF builds up its endowment and budget, it’ll be able to better do.”

Castro, who will keep his residence in Texas but commute to California, will bring a national name to LCF, expanding its reach.

“I have no doubt that under his leadership, LCF will uplift Latino communities nationwide and, in doing so, build powerful partnerships that advance Brown and Black communities alike,” said former Attorney General Eric Holder.

Castro’s new job is already attracting attention from a variety of civil rights figures, including Huerta and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

“Julián’s leadership of our nation’s largest Latino-focused foundation comes at a critical time when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are being chilled by divisive legal and legislative threats,” said Abrams.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) both touted LCF’s new hire.

But Castro said he was attracted to the job in part because LCF has grown as a Latina-led organization.

“It’s grown a lot in the last few years so it has plenty of momentum and it looks ready to take the next step to keep doing great work in California and then also expand beyond that. This is also a full circle moment for me,” said Castro.

“As you know, I grew up with two very strong Latinas who shaped my life and especially my mom who worked as a Chicana activist, so it feels, you know, feels very natural, and an extension of what I’ve been doing in public service.”

Castro is taking over for current CEO Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, who raised $100 million during her tenure at LCF.

“Latinos have the power to safeguard our democracy and lead an economic renaissance for a more just, inclusive nation. Eight years ago, I made a commitment to build a foundation that would unleash that power in California,” said Martinez Garcel. 

“Leading with love, power, and culture, we have demonstrated that investing in the solutions driven by our communities yields transformative change and impact for all. I can’t wait to see that impact ripple and scale across the country with Julián’s leadership.”