Year 5 of the Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy will be the largest in the program’s history, with 34 participants from 19 Illinois-based Latino-serving nonprofits set to participate in the intensive nine-month program.  Embracing the cultural strengths of the Latino community, the Academy invests in leadership to remedy two conflicting trends: the growth in the Latino population and the decrease in resources available to the organizations that serve them.  

Even as the Latino population remains one of the fastest-growing segments in the country, just 1 percent of total foundation funding in the US has been dedicated to serving Latinos over the past decade,... Continue Reading

The line for the early train toSpringfieldwas decidedly Latino on May 7, Latino Unity Day at the state capitol. With 2013 marking its second year, Latino Unity Day is a relatively new but vital opportunity for leaders from Latino-led, Latino-serving organizations, as well as the community at large, to send a collective, coordinated message to legislators:  The state’s investment in Latinos must keep pace with the community’s growth—and its economic, cultural, and civic contributions.

The coordinated events planned for the day would be a clear demonstration of collaboration between co-conveners, including: Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association,Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees, Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE), Illinois Latino Family Commission, Latino Policy Forum,... Continue Reading