SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — On the Big Day of Giving, it's all about supporting the 700-plus nonprofits serving El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties.
This year, Big Day of Giving also falls on Cinco de Mayo. In celebration, three local Latino-led nonprofit organizations are encouraging people to support Hispanic and Latino communities.
That includes the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California and La Familia Counseling Center.
"Hispanic communities and programs that support Hispanic communities do not get their fair share of the pie," said Veronica Delgado, board chair for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
According to the Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), an organization that works to bridge the gap between funders and Latino nonprofits, Latino-led organizations receive less than 1% of all philanthropic giving in the U.S. The data from the LatinxFunders, an ongoing research project, also shows funding for Latino-led organizations dropped to about .8% in the past two years.
In its 50th anniversary, the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched ACCESO Sacramento.
The program will distribute grants totaling $50,000 in direct economic support to small businesses. Even funding was provided, in part, by Sacramento County, the Chamber is still in need of donations to help keep small businesses afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of challenges to our small businesses here in the Greater Sacramento Region," Delgado said. "Our ACCESO Sacramento grants will help bring economic relief and business growth opportunities to many of these businesses during these uncertain times. And our grants are opening the pathways for our small businesses that have not been available to them in the past."
The Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California also needs consistent funding for public programs and community events. That includes scholarship opportunities for children, annual "Dinner Dance Gala," Mexican visual arts and sculpture exhibitions, and educational projects, like the "artist in the classroom" workshops with K-12 grade students.
The mission of the Center is "to enrich the Sacramento and Northern California communities through education, entertainment and outreach activities that preserve Mexican heritage by fostering the cultural, artistic and historical legacy of Mexico."
"Give, every amount counts," said Marco Rodriguez, president, Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California. "100% of your donation goes directly to scholarships for children that really need it - that want to go to college, or a program that we're going to have, like bringing mariachis, artwork, bringing new artists from Mexico to present poetry and other things we do throughout the year. We do not have staff. So, all the money goes directly to our programs."
La Familia Counseling Center is also counting on the public for donations, too. The mission of the Center is "to improve the quality of life for at-risk youth and families of diverse backgrounds by offering multicultural counseling, support and outreach services and programs to help families to overcome adversity, to become empowered, and to succeed in their lives."
La Familia is encouraging people to donate to the nonprofit to help support a summer lunch program for children, along with other programs and center services. That includes mental health counseling services for children and their families, La Familia's training center and employment services for the public and birth and beyond and effective parenting programs, and so much more.
"We cannot do the work that we do without generous donations," said Rachel Rios, executive director, La Familia Counseling Center. "Each and every year, La Familia's Big Day of Giving campaign has been to support our summer youth program. Our program is an opportunity to be able to have activities for kids, to be able to have a healthy meal for them, and provide a safe place to be during the summer."
Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California, and La Familia Counseling Center are working to raise $50,000, collectively, for Big Day of Giving. To donate to each organization or to learn more, visit the donation website.
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