Great news! There's no better time to make a gift to Latinas en Acción. New or increased gifts will be matched by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Cultures of Giving Program with major funding by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Our Mission

We are Latinas leading change through strategic philanthropy that builds and strengthens community assets for a just society.

Our Vision

Latinas en Acción effects social change by leveraging and mobilizing human and fiscal resources that enhance the quality of life for Latinas in southeastern Wisconsin and that will leave a legacy of leadership, excellence, respect, health and education.

Our History

Latinas en Acción grew out of the Latina Task Force, a statewide group that helped women of Latino heritage develop the skills to organize their communities around important issues, encouraging political participation, leadership development and educational support. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Latina Task Force met monthly to work on projects that would advance positive, proactive change in the community. In 2006, several of the founding members of the Latina Task Force worked with the Women's Fund to create the Latinas en Acción Fund as a permanent community resource that would preserve a legacy of Latina advocacy and activism. The goal is to grow the Fund to $50,000 in gifts and pledges before allocating grants.

Why Action Is Needed

Latinas are a force for social change in the greater Milwaukee community. We are a diverse segment of the population with a growing list of achievements that influence and improve the lives of those around us. Nationally, Latinas are the fastest-growing segment of the small business economy, with a 64% increase in the number of Latina-owned businesses between 1997 and 2004. Latinas are pursuing postsecondary education, and with even one year of college, poverty rates for Latinas drop significantly. In fact, in 2004 61% of all Latinos who earned their Bachelor's degree were women. However, in Wisconsin, Latinas still face significant challenges to economic, political and social equality:

• Latinas earn the lowest wages of all racial and ethnic groups in Wisconsin
• 37 percent of Latinas lacked health insurance coverage as of 2001
• 19 percent of Latinas held a two- or four-year postsecondary degree as of 2000
• Latinas are significantly underrepresented in Wisconsin state government

Center for Women's Business Research, "Hispanic Women-Owned Businesses in the United States, 2004: A Fact Sheet." 2 National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2005 32004 Status of Women In Wisconsin Update Report

Leading Change Through Philanthropy

Historically, Latinas have always been a positive force for change in our community. Now through strategic philanthropy, the thoughtful, purposeful funding of programs that support Latina women and girls can create a ripple effect that will improve the lives of those touched now as well as future generations of Latinas. With the Latinas en Acción Fund, we pool our gifts to create a permanent community resource with lasting impact.

Latinas en Acción Steering Committee