Latino Leadership

In 2015 the Community Foundation Sonoma County established the Latino Leadership Fund, recognizing the opportunity to act as a catalyst in building diverse leadership so that our future leaders reflect the demographics of the communities they are serving. Through the grants we make with this fund–and through our advocacy and support beyond our grantmaking–we seek to cultivate a stronger network of leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and support to create real and lasting change to benefit all residents in Sonoma County.

We also recognize that there are many facets of leadership, and many opportunities for service in a leadership role. We are proud to support a variety of programs in 2015-2016 that focus on professional and personal development to lead social change.

  • Los Cien Sonoma County to enable them to hire an organizational development consultant that is assisting the board in creating a plan of action to successfully transition to a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
  • Centro Laboral de Graton to support their Alianza de Mujeres Activas y Solidarias (ALMAS) program, which provides leadership and community organizing training for domestic workers; through this program women are able to pursue both their internal or personal goals as well as their collective goals as domestic workers.
  • North Bay Organizing Project to support the Latino Student Congress, providing Latino high school students with leadership training, a mentoring component with Latino college students, and opportunities to translate their learnings into action through a local grass-roots campaign.
  • On The Move to support On The Verge, an intensive yearlong leadership program that provides a cohort of emerging leaders with personal, interpersonal, and professional skill development to support their growth.
  • Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy to support scholarships for emerging Latino leaders for their flagship program, create an advisory council, and hire a bilingual outreach coordinator.
  • Hispanics in Philanthropy to host their 2016 Leadership Convening and Gala in Sonoma County, bringing together Latino philanthropic leaders from across the country for professional development, networking, and shared learning.
  • Los Cien Sonoma County to host their annual “State of the Latino Community” event at Sonoma State University in October.

Photo by Jesse Irizary

Lauren McNerney