Hispanic Federation raises over $3 million dollars in record-breaking fundraiser

The Hispanic Federation’s annual gala, chaired by actor, playwright and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, raised over $3 million dollars to support its programmatic and COVID-19 relief efforts. The event was the first time the HF was able to host its annual fundraiser in person since the pandemic. The April 28 gala was held at the American Museum of Natural History and honored multi Grammy nominated Camila Cabello for her work launching The Healing Justice Project, which provides funds for mental health resources, training and youth organizing efforts across the country.

The night also honored Raul Alarcon Jr., President, CEO, and chair of the Spanish Broadcasting System, with the Lifetime Achievement award, American Express for the Corporate Leadership award and G-8 Inc. for the Community Service award. Some notable elected officials also attended the star-studded event, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams.

The HF works to empower the Latino community through its Latino nonprofit membership organization in the areas of education, health, immigration, civic engagement, economic empowerment and the environment by launching programmatic work and distributing funding. The work of the HF has expanded since its founding in 1990, serving 41 states and Puerto Rico and impacting 4.2 million individuals and families. 

During the pandemic, the Latino community experienced disproportionate health and economic impacts, and in response, the HF created an emergency assistance fund to provide funds for organizations providing essentials, such as food, and to ensure these organizations continue to operate and serve the Latino community. Some grants released from the HF to member organizations have eased restrictions for use of funding and these same grants would be provided faster than government assistance programs. By the end of November 2020, over $14 million had been committed by the Federation’s Fund to provide food, vaccine accessibility and more to the Latino community. 

“Over the last two years, Hispanic Federation has been at the forefront of supporting and empowering the Latino community by providing emergency relief to our member organizations, getting shots in people’s arms, and ensuring that our community is part of our country’s equitable recovery,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation. “We’re also setting the path forward, looking beyond the pandemic, to ensure that our communities can thrive in our economy and society not only during a crisis, but for the long term.”

The well-attended gala, which brought together hundreds of philanthropists, celebrities and activists, celebrated the ongoing resiliency of the Latino community despite the heavy impacts brought on by the pandemic.