Connecting with Diverse Communities

Back in 2011, The Economist shared an article regarding the most recent population census, “Minority Report: White America’s Collapsing Birth Rate is Changing the Face of the Country.” As I update this article ten years later, Pew Research notes, “U.S. Hispanic population surpassed 60 million in 2019, but growth has slowed” (July 7, 2020).

Like people everywhere, those of Hispanic descent hold differing political opinions. Shown is a summer, 2012 Instagram of former Texas Governor Rick Perry addressing the Hispanic Leadership Network in San Antonio.

In Texas, Wikipedia notes,

“More than 8.5 million people claim Hispanic or Latin American ethnicity. This group forms over 37 percent of Texas’s population. People of Mexican descent alone number over 7.9 million, and made up 31.6 percent of the population.”

I have long wanted to see more nonprofit support organizations provide regular information to my fellow nonprofit fundraisers about how to reach out to Hispanic, African American and Asian American communities when it comes to securing funding for critical needs. Some organizations provide occasional educational programs, but we need more focus on this, and each and every year. We cannot take for granted that people of diverse communities view philanthropy through the same eyes. And America is not only becoming more diverse – and richer for it – across all sectors, it is “graying,” or becoming older.

From the Annie E. Casey Foundation, you might be inspired to learn:

“What we’re still working on is the stereotype that Latinos only care about immigration. We do care about immigration. But, in poll after poll after poll, it’s ranked number six or seven. Jobs, health and education — these are the issues that matter to Latinos, just like any other American.

If you look at kindergartens across the country, Latinos are a large number of the students and it’s a large portion of the population. We need these kids powered up, ready to go, educated and in a good place to carry this country into the next generation.”
Ana Marie Argilagos (April 29, 2020)

On the main menu of Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog, you will find several discussions about the importance of diverse communities. Quick links are provided at the bottom of this page. Let’s hope the nonprofit sector will deeply embrace diverse communities. And let’s hope the sector will make a concerted effort to engage and involve them in philanthropy in the years ahead. Our survival depends on it.