#WCW: Maria Guadalupe Jaime

Born to migrant farm workers, Lupe Jaime was born and raised in a small community outside of Sacramento on the River Delta. Driven to succeed and raised to give back, she pursued higher education. She received not only her Bachelors degree and her teaching credential from Fresno State University, but also a Masters degree in Education with a focus in Cross Cultural Curriculum.

For her, education evened out the playing field, positioning her to help support parents and children of the Central Valley. In her current position as the Director of Early Care and Education for the Fresno County of Education she helps bridge the gap for children heading into schools so that they can be prepared for kindergarten. She sees this as a way to connect with migrant families, like her own, that she knows need the support.

Like many others, Lupe got involved in HOPE through the advice of her mentor, Dr. Teresa Huerta, who encouraged her to apply to the HOPE Leadership Institute(HLI). After researching the organization and coming to the realization that she could grow in her understanding of the world of politics, activism, and advocacy she applied and was accepted into the program.

HLI was am amazing experience for her, and provided some great takeaways. The biggest of which was the network! Wonderful Latinas in various industries, with different backgrounds and alternative perspectives. “Hearing their take on things. Having them as a sounding board. They are some of my closest friends now. If I’m ever looking for direction, I know I can reach out to them,” she explained. Another of her takeaways was the hands on experience of going through the training and learning about the political system. Through the HLI program she was able to go to Sacramento and advocate for Latina issues as well as visit Washington D.C., where she was invited to The White House.

She has recently been appointed to the First 5 California Commission. Being not only a Latina but also the first person to represent the Central Valley on this commission makes it so much more meaningful for her, as she has a true understanding of the unique perspective the Central Valley has.

“It is very humbling to be selected, knowing the responsibility and the voice that I’m going to carry forward, I will not take it lightly,” she expressed.

When she reflects on the advice she would give her younger self, she said “I would have searched out more mentors, especially seasoned women.” “Network and be involved, sometimes you have to slow the process down to experience life,” she continued. “Don’t be embarrassed, reach out and ask for help.”

 

#WCW: Maria Anguiano

Hard work, dedication to education, and a love for numbers has helped shape Maria Anguiano her entire life. Raised by a single mother in National City, just seven miles from the Mexican border, Maria was taught that education could transform lives, and that it did. While on a full ride scholarship to Claremont McKenna College, she met a teacher who helped show her all the opportunities that were possible with higher education. After graduating with her Bachelor’s of Arts degree and working for a few years, she went on to attend Stanford Business School, one of the top institutions in the country. Dedicated to rounding out her financial skill set, she knew exactly where she wanted to be when she graduated, Lehman Brothers.

Though the firm was not recruiting for her position on her campus, she did not let that stop her. She did the research and cold called the person in charge. The risk was worth it as she ended up with an internship in New York that led to a full time position in the San Francisco office and mentor for life. Maria stayed close to her mentor, Peter Taylor, as he shifted careers and became the Chief Financial Officer of the UC system. Her relationship with her mentor and the financial skills she had acquired throughout her career led her to be poised for a position on his team as the Director of Strategic initiatives.

“I feel like I’ve taken a lot of risks,” she explained. Whether it was cold calling to get a job, moving to New York or taking an initial 50% pay cut to change industries, she knew that the risk was worth it if it meant doing something she for which she had passion.

Through her network, she learned about HOPE and the HLI program. For her, HOPE was her way back to the Latino community. After a career in finance and away from her family she looked around and realized that she was missing a connection to her Latina roots.

“HLI felt like I found a family, other women who cared about California, about Latina empowerment, and about economic and political equality. It really changed my life,” she said.

Today Maria is making an impact as the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget at the University of California, Riverside where of their approximately 22,000 students 60% are first generation Pell Grant recipients and 30% are Latino.  Her primary responsibilities include supporting all aspects of the Riverside campus’ capital and financial plan and the planning and budget process. This position has given her a seat at the table and allows her to help make strategic decisions on how the University can best use its limited resources.

A recent appointee to the James Irvine Foundation Board of Directors, a $2 billion foundation that helps California’s working poor, Maria sees another great opportunity to make a difference in the community. “I am really excited to be able to have a voice and help inform the evolution of their strategy over the next few years,” she explained.

When asked what advice she would give to her younger self and other Latinas she stated, “go ahead and be bold. Don’t be afraid to take risks!”

Philanthropy: Being Generous to Others

I am grateful to count working in philanthropy as part of my career; I have over 20 years of experience in the field of philanthropy. I have been a staff member, fellow, and/or consultant with at least 20 community foundations in San Diego, San Francisco, Slovakia, Vancouver, and along both sides of the Mexico-US border.  I have also provided workshops and trainings for family foundations throughout the United States and have done contract work for at least two corporate foundations.  My career has afforded me amazing opportunities including sharing a meal with some of the largest philanthropist in California….you know the ones whose names are on buildings. What I have learned through the years is that Latinos are some of the most passionate philanthropist I know.

For many, philanthropy means giving large donations to nonprofits, houses of worships, or educational institutions.  The truth is that philanthropy is much broader.  According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, philanthropy means: 1. goodwill to fellow members of the human race. 2. an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes.  We all have stories of our grandmothers, providing meals and housing to friends in need. Maybe your first memory is putting some coins in the offertory basket at church or bringing canned food to the temple during the high holidays. Did your mom volunteer in your class or school?  As a family, did you come together to make tamales or empanadas to be sold to support a community need or opportunity? Moreover, I bet most of us donated the clothes and toys we outgrew to others in the community.  These are all gestures of goodwill toward others and thus philanthropy.

Most of funding for nonprofits and schools comes from government.  Having said that it is important to note the power of private giving.  In 2014, total private giving in the United States was $358.38 billion, which was an increase of 7% from the previous year.  A majority, 72%, was from individuals while 15% came from foundations and 5% from corporations.  The top categories were religion (32%), then education (15%) and third was a tie between human services (12%) and gifts to foundations (12%).  According to Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) and the Foundation Center, “Over the past decade, U.S. foundation dollars explicitly designated to benefit Latinos have remained steady, comprising about 1% of total foundation funding, even as the Latino population has grown significantly over the same period.”  Please note that this does not represent all giving that may have benefited Latino communities. It just represents that giving that is clearly described as intended to benefit Latinos or Hispanics.

It is important to reiterate that the most generous group in the United States was not institutional philanthropy, but individuals.  Americans in general are very generous. Over 95% of households give to charity.  What is amazing as well is that the average household giving reached $2,030.  It is difficult to find statistics on giving by Latinos. We do know that Latinos’ giving is usually family or faith-based. In addition, when discussing giving it is also important to note that according to the World Bank and Pew Research Center migrant remittances (money migrants send back home) to all Spanish speaking Latin America was nearly $54 billion in 2013 with 78% coming from migrants in the United States.  Remittances are a larger source of money for Latin America than official foreign aid, which in 2011 totaled $6.2 billion. These monies are spent by households predominately on basic needs as well as allow families to save and invest and many times help villages build schools, roads, and churches.

Though Latinos are very generous, I would like to challenge us all to consider increasing our financial donations to at least 1% of our income to improve the outcomes of Latinos in California.  With the help of Pew Research Center, I calculate that if every Latino in California over the age of 20 donated 1% of their income, it would total over $2.1 billion a year!  A way to understand the enormity of our capacity to give is that U.S. foundations on average award only $206 million in grants per year to Latinos.

So what could 2.1 billion philanthropic dollars do for our communities?  A LOT.  For starters, it could buy 20 million school textbooks, help put at least 17 thousand student through all four years of college, or purchase 7 thousand average homes per year!

One percent may seem like a lot, but when you break it down into monthly payments, it is doable.  First, 1% of your 40 hour work week is 24 minutes…that is less than half an hour.  Financially, if you make $50,000, your monthly donations would be about $42 dollars, which is less than the cost of dinner and a movie with friends.  So let your mind wander and envision the difference you want to make in your community and begin to invest in this dream and get others to do the same.  Together our giving will assure that our communities improve. So let’s promote giving by Latinos for Latinos!  For more information or ideas on philanthropy by and for Latinos you can visit Latino Community Foundation or Hispanics In Philanthropy.  Your local community foundation or United Ways can help you identify Latino lead and/or serving organizations near you.

About the Author:

Patricia S. Sinay, HLI ’15, is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant, instructor of public services, as well as a member of the Encinitas Union School Board.  Her purpose is to connect the passion of individuals and organizations to action that results in better communities. You can contact her at patricia@cistrategies.org.