National Hispanic Heritage Month coincides with the independence days of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and celebrates the diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of the American Latinx community. Latinx New Yorkers are one of the city’s largest communities, representing almost a quarter of our population and driving dynamic growth and progress. This year, you can invest in the continued sharing of Latinx stories and culture, and help neighborhoods and leaders flourish, with a grant to any of the nonprofits below.
Promoting Arts and Culture
Latinx arts and cultural organizations share stories of communities spanning time from many generations past to the newest New Yorkers. They reach audiences across a wide array of cultures, races, and generations—and steward and preserve long cultural legacies while promoting pride and connection in the neighborhoods of today. Make a grant, join a program, or pay a visit to these nonprofits and support their enduring impact on our region.
Calpulli is the indigenous Nahuatl word for “family” and “big house.” Calpulli Mexican Dance Company presents and preserves Mexican cultural heritage through dance and live music. It offers free and affordable dance and music classes to Mexican immigrants and Mexican-American families, and creates and tours original dance theater productions locally and around the world.
The Latinx Arts Consortium of New York is a network of Latinx-serving groups that increase understanding and public support of Latinx arts and culture. It helps members share information, advocate and promote civic engagement, and advance cultural policy, including the preservation of local heritage and public spaces.
People’s Theatre Project creates and produces original work by immigrant artists of color, partners with public schools to provide in-school theater instruction, and serves immigrant youth through a theater and social justice leadership program. It recently announced plans to open the city’s first immigrant performing arts and research center, in Inwood.
Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja uses participatory theater as a tool to empower, build community, and promote social justice for Long Island’s Latinx communities. Teatro organizes theater workshops and cultural activities that create opportunities for new immigrants and long-time residents to work together across racial and ethnic boundaries, develop trust, and build long-term social change.
Building Latinx Movements and Leaders
The Latinx community is pan-ethnic, multiracial, and incredibly diverse. As our region continues to grow, welcome newcomers, and nurture the next generation, these groups are empowering leaders and ensuring Latinx New Yorkers have a say in the issues that affect them.
Dominicanos USA promotes the well-being and increases the civic participation of Dominican Americans and other Latinx groups in New York City. It registers voters, conducts citizenship drives, and eliminates barriers to civic engagement, and has particularly strong outreach to young adults through both traditional community organizing and technology-based strategies.
Hispanic Federation is a membership organization that works with Latino-serving organizations, particularly grassroots groups, to help set policy agendas, drive civic participation, and support programs in the areas of education, health, immigration, economic empowerment, and the environment.
The Long Beach Latino Civic Association supports Latinx families and individuals in Long Beach, Long Island. It advocates for better policies in environmental justice, education, human and immigrant rights, and civic participation to increase community integration. It has conducted extensive get-out-the-vote efforts, provided legal services, and helped to pass a city-wide language access policy.
Neighbors Link empowers and educates immigrant families in Westchester about their rights and opportunities and supports the integration of new immigrants into community life. In addition to know-your-rights workshops and advocacy training, it provides job and volunteer placement, educational assistance, legal services, and early childhood programs.
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) provides advocacy, job placement, and human services to immigrants, with a focus on day laborers, domestic workers, and newly arrived immigrants. It recently helped secure the passage of Carlos’ Law, a bill named after a NICE member who died following a construction site accident, to increase penalties for construction companies responsible for the death or injury of a worker.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many incredible nonprofits helping to make our city a better place for all; we are highlighting a few that may not be on your radar, but please reach out to our philanthropic advising department at info@nyct-cfi.org if you would like recommendations tailored to your charitable goals.