The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic organization based in California that is dedicated to strengthening the Latino community in the United States. Julián Castro, a former presidential candidate in 2020 who now serves as CEO, excels at philanthropic engagement with the goal of helping Latino communities in the United States.

Four months after taking office, Castro plunged the LCF into the 2024 elections, focusing on key states like Arizona, Nevada and California. He believes that expanding the foundation's work beyond California is urgent to improve the economic prospects of Latinos and ensure their voter turnout.

In addition, Castro is also committed to ensuring that Latinos in California's Imperial Valley benefit from the lithium mining boom in the region, according to the same NBC News report. He wants to prevent the economy from being merely extractive and ensure that the local population enjoys the economic benefits, as well as improvements in health, education and quality of life.

LCF has invested more than $25 million in more than 375 grassroots organizations, predominantly Latino-led. Among its initiatives are "giving circles," groups where Latino members donate $1,000 a year and choose which community organizations will receive the money raised.

To broaden the foundation's impact beyond California, Castro directed donations to groups such as Make the Road Nevada and the Arizona Center for Empowerment, which work to register and attract Latino voters. In addition, LCF hired BSP Research to conduct a survey of 1,200 registered Latino voters to gauge their opinions and likelihood of voting, according to NBC.

Castro, who was previously mayor of San Antonio and housing secretary in the Obama administration, emphasizes the need for political candidates of all ideologies to address the concerns of the Latino community. He believes that Latinos should not only work hard to achieve their American dream but also contribute to the betterment of their communities and society at large.

Among the projects highlighted by Castro are work with ALAS, which provides services to farmworkers and their families, and the Community Water Center, which ensures safe and affordable water for communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Castro sees great potential for organizing Latino communities in several states and investing in Latino-led nonprofits.

For Castro, the challenges in philanthropy are important, as less than 1% of philanthropic funding benefits Latino communities. However, he is optimistic about the growth of Latino philanthropy, both formal and informal. He points out that Latinos are often underestimated in terms of philanthropy, but that they contribute significantly through giving in churches, neighborhoods and to family members.

According to Castro, the Latino community is deeply invested in the future of the United States and that the fate of the country is intrinsically linked to the fate of the Latino community.