It’s yet another milestone for the Foundation and the fund, whose financial support will buoy the efforts of 22 organizations across the region. The annual grants will further expand support for housing, education, civil rights, and well-being in Latino communities across the area. 

“This year’s grantmaking is focused on moving resources where they can make a real difference for the residents of the Inland Empire,” said Jesse Melgar, IECF Board Chair and CIELO Fund founder and chair. “Surpassing $1.7 million in total investments since the CIELO Fund launched in 2022 reflects an intentional strategy by our leadership committee to back organizations that are meeting urgent needs and building long-term power and opportunity in every corner of our region.” 

He added that the groups the fund supports are “doing the hard work daily to expand access to health care, education, legal support, and economic opportunity. This is critical work at a critical time.”  

Overall, this round, the CIELO Fund’s total investment in grantmaking, research, narrative‑change efforts, and scholarships has resulted in more than 120 grants to nonprofits in 

Riverside and San Bernardino counties have received more than 300 scholarship awards to local students since it launched.  

“This happened because donors of all kinds, big foundations and local families alike, believed in the vision our Board set,” said Michelle Decker, President & CEO of IECF. “Their combined support through IECF has strengthened Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations across the region, and the Fund shows how powerful it is when a community invests in its own future.” 

Behind the scenes, CIELO Fund commissioned several reports from leading California universities to better understand the challenges facing the region, including its Latino residents.  

The latest report, which was partnered with UCLA’s Latino Policy & Politics Institute, revealed the underlying realities behind the numbers: how Latino workers drive the region’s economy yet continue to face persistent structural barriers. 

Angel Rodriguez, co-founder of the CIELO Fund, says that many people in the leadership committee are either from the Inland Empire and/or have established their careers in the region.                                                                                                                       

“I grew up here, went to school here, and built my career here,” Rodriguez said. “I know what it feels like when someone opens a door for you. CIELO is our way of opening more doors for students, families, and organizations across the Inland Empire.” 

That is essential on this side of the mid-2020s, when everything from federal funding cuts and divisive politics continues to be key issues to confront and surf through. 

“People are doing their best, but the cost of housing, food, health care, and education keeps getting harder,” Rodriguez said. “These grants support the local organizations people turn to when they need help, hope, or a path forward.” 

The 2026 grantmaking also included media partnerships to elevate positive regional narratives through original and effective programming. The CIELO Fund will continue to support KVCR’s IE Latino Voices segment which it helped co-design and launch in 2023. 

Additionally, the fund will continue supporting an innovative partnership with the LA Times’ Latino vertical, DeLos, to maintain special coverage of the IE. 

The 2026 CIELO Fund grantees include a vast array of vital nonprofits in the area. From Codex Creation Committee, which empowers communities by fostering educational opportunities in art, culture, health, and wellness, to Corona Relief Organization, an intrepid charity serving underserved communities with essential resources, the fund’s impact stretches far and wide. 

Other grantees include: Ives Torres Foundation, The Microenterprise Collaborative of Inland Southern California, Coachella Valley Parents, Danza Azteca Citaltonac, Rotary Club of Coachella East, Highlanders Boxing Club, and Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Service. (Check the CIELO Fund page for a full list of grantees.) 

“The Inland Empire is full of talent, heart, and ambition,” Rodriguez said. “CIELO helps put resources behind the people already doing the work to make this region stronger.” 

CIELO’s support also reaches students directly. In 2026, 33 students applied for a CIELO scholarship, and every one of them will receive $1,500 to help pursue their degree. This is the fourth year in a row CIELO has been able to support every student who applied. In recent years, CIELO has provided $300,000 in scholarships to more than 200 Inland Empire students. 

“CIELO is about investing in people who are already doing the work,” Rodriguez said. “That includes local organizations serving our communities every day and students who are working hard to build a better future for themselves, their families, and our region.”

Learn more about the CIELO Fund at iegives.org/cielofund

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, June 2026.

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As Latino Heritage Month plays out, the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) announces that the CIELO Fund has raised more than $3 million since its launch in 2022. 

The fund designed to support Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations and initiatives throughout the Inland Empire has now invested nearly $1.5 million into the region’s Latino community through grantmaking, scholarships, narrative-change initiatives, and original research.  

Add $1.2 million in grant awards to more than 100-plus grassroots organizations and $300,000 in scholarships distributed to Latino students and overall, these efforts can be seen as unique as they are ambitious.  

To ensure the vital grantmaking work continues for generations, the CIELO Leadership and Grant Committee also established the CIELO Endowed Fund in 2025 with an initial investment of $500,000, a lasting resource made possible through the generosity of many donors over the years and the visionary support of the James Irvine Foundation. 

“Our goal is simple: grow the CIELO Fund’s impact and secure the resources that keep this work ongoing for years to come,” said Angel Rodriguez, a co-founder of the CIELO Fund and the Associate Vice Chancellor of Associate Vice Chancellor of Government Relations and Strategic Communications for the San Bernardino Community College District. “Our Leadership and Grantmaking Committee took a major step toward this goal by establishing the CIELO Endowed Fund, seeded with $500,000, to ensure lasting support for the community organizations and student scholars shaping a more just, inclusive, and thriving Inland Empire.” 

But that was only the start. 

Rodriguez believes that building a lasting legacy will take continued investment from the people who call the region home and want to make it better.  

“Raising more than $2 million in our first two years is more than a milestone,” said Jesse Melgar, IECF Chair and Founding Chair of the CIELO Fund. “It’s a testament to the resilience, dedication, and unwavering commitment of our grantees, and the determination of our scholarship recipients, who are transforming lives and communities across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.” 

Those organizations and students are charting a new path for the region’s future, in fact, laying the foundation for what Melgar believes can be a more “just and equitable future.” 

It will take unity, Rodriguez added, noting that the stewards of the fund will make sure the work continues for generations to come. 

“Our goal is to grow the CIELO Fund’s impact and make sure it lasts,” he said. “The future of this region depends on people like us who call it home and want to make it more inclusive and stronger for everyone who lives and works here.  

“When we stop investing in each other, we lose the potential that makes the Inland Empire thrive,” he added. “Supporting the CIELO Fund helps keep this a place of opportunity.” 

Brie Griset Smith, CSPG, Chief Development Officer at IECF, believes that the early support IECF received has truly laid the foundation for the CIELO Fund’s success.  

“Now we’re harnessing that momentum to bring in more donors to uplift Latino communities and spotlight the opportunities ahead in the Inland Empire,” she said. 

Elizabeth Romero, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Governmental and Community Relations at UC Riverside, is quick to note the importance of the fund in an era of growing divisiveness. 

“Inland Latino residents are experiencing fear like we haven’t seen in decades based on recent federal actions,” she said. “We are witnessing a growing mental health crisis among students and workers who feel they might be targeted because of how they look, how they speak, or where they work.” 

“Yet, even in this moment of uncertainty, we are also seeing something powerful—a renewed sense of unity, purpose, and resilience across our community,” she added. “The energy, passion, and support we have received remind us that we are not alone, and that when we stand together, we can turn fear into action and isolation into hope.” 

Building a lasting culture of philanthropy involved shrewd planning. Partnerships were key.  

The fund’s $3 million milestone came in thanks to investments from the California Endowment, the Weingart Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the California Healthcare Foundation, Chavez Family Foundation, the S.L. Gimbel Foundation, and strong support from dozens of corporate and institutional donors. 

The CIELO Fund also released a new report produced by the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, looking at Key Facts and Worker Voices: The Latino Workforce in California’s Inland Empire.  

Another significant alliance is a partnership with KVCR/NPR on the popular IE Latino Voices radio segment. A collaboration with CalMatters and the Los Angeles Times’ Latino vertical, De Los, further spotlights Latino causes across the region. 

Meanwhile, the CIELO Fund Leadership and Grantmaking Committee consists of Inland Latino leaders who live and work in the region. This includes university presidents, college district chancellors, several vice chancellors, community-based organizational leaders, leaders in academia, and corporate leaders.  

“We know the impact of this moment will be felt for many years, even decades,” Romero said. “That is precisely why the work of the CIELO Fund will continue to matter—not only to respond to today’s challenges, but to help build a stronger, more compassionate Inland Empire for generations to come.” 

For more information, visit iegives.org/cielofund   

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And all by using creativity and gardening as a powerful tool for mental health. 

By cultivating gardens, Chinampas will nurture and maintain a holistic well-being and knowledge of ecosystems based on the seasons and, in many ways, one’s cultural heritage. 

“This is one of the first grants that we received,” said Sahara Daniela Huazano, Executive Director and CEO of Chinampas. “It’s more like, ‘thank you for believing in us.’  But the other co-founders and I have more than 10 years of nonprofit work and social organizing here in the community.

“Starting this nonprofit was really an opportunity for us to explore social justice and mental health through a different lens,” she added. 

It’s a bold endeavor, and one filled with a lot of heart and passion. 

“We’re a local non-profit from people born and raised in Mecca,” Huazano said. “Gardening is a powerful tool for mental health, and we want to share this knowledge with people here. It’s taking the therapeutic process, which is within four walls—when you see a therapist, for instance—and taking it out in nature, in the community.” 

There is an ancestral piece to the endeavour, too. 

“I look at my own heritage,” Huazano said. “My parents are Mexican and Mexican-American. This is about how to address mental health issues through the lens of nature or the psychology from back then. It’s about tapping into our roots and removing the barriers for people to access those roots.” 

Chinampas, she added, is a Spanish word indicating, “a small floating garden” from Mesoamerica. 

“This was before the Aztecs, before the Mayans. It’s a floating garden that was built in a swamp.” 

Meeting in the chinampas, then, can be very beneficial, for in this gathering ground, tensions can be eased, and connections can be made. 

“We see today that young people in our local schools are experiencing higher levels of anxiety, higher levels of harming themselves, and we have to ask, ‘how can mental health meet the demand?’” Huazano said. “We see that there’s a lot of great mental health providers in the county, but there’s still much more ground to cover. We need more therapists; we need more ancestral knowledge keepers in our community to be part of this process for youth.  

“That’s why we’re like, ‘Let’s meet in chinampas,” she added. “Let’s see and integrate the knowledge that we have through this lens to break the barriers and increase access to diverse forms of mental health.” 

It’s fitting then that history tells us that chinampas could transform a swamp into a fertile lake.

Huazano, who proposed the name for the nonprofit, said the chinampas are still around today, and used all over the world. 

“We can create our own gardens in our own homes, in our own minds, but this is really about expanding from the traditional community garden setting, like the urban versions, which is away from your home, and more into accessible plants that are close to you,” she said. 

“In many ways, it’s about creating your own well-being through plants.” 

Learn more at chinampasca.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, August 2025.

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The

The recent grant helped the nonprofit with the 2025 Mobius Conference, an annual event held in April, which unites intrepid thought leaders, performers, artists, and pacesetters. With its aim to celebrate the vitality and creativity that exists in the Valley, the conference acts as a vital resource for like-minded souls to connect in a productive and impactful way.

“We couldn’t create the conference programming in an empowering and relevant way if it weren’t for something like The CIELO Fund,” said Tizoc DeAztlan, Executive Director of The Codex Creation Committee. “We create educational programming for students and bring different speakers in front of them to help engage students and get them to learn from one another.”

“The level of what we’re able to produce is not possible if it weren’t for that fund recognizing the needs in our community and making a real direct impact,” he added.

The Mobius Conference uses several key sites throughout the Coachella Valley with varied engagement formats. It rallies a select group of talented students, educators, leaders, and activists striving to positively affect the collective community.

“It’s a unique arts, culture, and politics conference,” DeAztlan said. “The whole purpose is to widen the tent of people having discussions so that folks aren’t having them in silos. We want diverse perspectives; folks from different sectors coming together to meet with students, to share their stories, to discuss problems that are relevant to people here in the Coachella Valley.”

The conference also attracts key speakers who pique student interest.

“This year, we had programs that were dedicated to health and wellness,” DeAztlan said. “We had a program that was dedicated to the performing arts. We had a program that was dedicated to leadership. We had a program that was geared to astronomy, and the Salton Sea, and more science-based.”

“We want to let students know that regardless of what field they are interested in, that there’s always a way to be engaged in your community,” DeAztlan said, “and that there’s always a way to scratch that itch of intellectual curiosity.”

The conference intrigues on a number of levels. One of the programs, “Leadership Sessions,” for instance, was designed to inform individuals how to move confidently forward together. 

Another standout program took place on the grounds of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Codex brought in 100 dance students from throughout the Coachella Valley. They met with entertainment producers AEG Worldwide and Golden Voice team members to discuss career opportunities. 

“The students were able to go into the Yuma Tent to learn choreography from an L.A. choreographer who does big work,” DeAztlan said. “It was a chance to learn from experts but also an opportunity to dance with, celebrate with, and enjoy community with other dancing members throughout the Coachella Valley.”

“We took great pride in bringing those experts and leaders throughout our country to the Coachella Valley to meet with our students,” he added.

While the conference has been running for seven years, the Codex Creation Committee was established approximately 18 months ago. Its dedication to creating a brighter future is key, and it does so, mainly by developing inclusive, thoughtful, and multicultural coding practices. 

DeAztlan also noted that the nonprofit’s main goal is to empower communities through the creation of educational opportunities in a diverse array of mediums—from art, culture, and health to wellness, technology, and entertainment.

However, other initiatives stand out within Codex, particularly Run with Los Muertos. 

The annual event, which unfolds in November, brings together a bevy of runners, artists, teams, groups, musicians, and thousands of attendees throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to celebrate art, wellness, music, and culture.

“The event encompasses a 5K race, a car show, an art show, and art walk, and more,” DeAztlan said. “We have a procession that brings together 20 student organizations to perform. We have multiple stages of entertainment. It just turned into a big block party.”

He said about 7,000 people attended last year. 

“We’d certainly love to have folks support us and join in our efforts,” DeAztlan noted of the road ahead. “We’re trying to create a community where intellectual curiosity is celebrated and where people can find opportunities. And especially for students to find opportunities that help them excel.”

“We want to empower them to look forward to their futures,” he added.

Learn more at codexcreation.com.

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, June 2025.

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College of the Desert Nursing Students

Calling all students! IECF is excited to announce that our 2025 scholarship applications are now open! With just one Common Scholarship Application, students can access over 30 scholarship opportunities available to students in the Inland Empire and beyond. Awards range from $1,000 to more than $5,000, with many being renewable.

Whether you’re a graduating high school senior, a current college student, or returning to school to pursue your dreams, now is the time to apply!

Deadline: April 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM PST

From Scholarship Recipient to IECF Board Chair: Jesse Melgar’s Story

For many students, scholarships aren’t just financial aid—they are a lifeline to opportunity. IECF Board Chair Jesse Melgar knows this firsthand.

When Jesse was preparing for college, his family had saved $5,000—enough to help with his first year, but not nearly enough to cover the full cost of his education. Like many first-generation students, he had to navigate the college process largely on his own, seeking advice from teachers, counselors, and mentors.

Jesse Melgar

Through his determination and community support, Jesse secured $15,000 in scholarships, including one from IECF (then known as The Community Foundation). That critical funding helped him attend UCLA, where he became the first in his family to graduate from college.

Years later, after earning a full-ride scholarship for his master’s degree at UC Riverside and then working in Sacramento as press secretary for Gov. Gavin Newsom, Jesse returned to the Inland Empire to give back. Today, he serves as IECF’s Board Chair and is the founder of the CIELO Fund, which uplifts Latino-led organizations and initiatives in the region. His journey—from scholarship recipient to regional leader—shows the lasting impact of community generosity.

Our Donors Make Scholarships Possible

IECF’s scholarship program is made possible by the vision and generosity of donors who invest in students like Jesse. Each scholarship tells a story of commitment to education and belief in future generations. Here are just a few:

Drs. Herb and Cheryl Fischer Scholarship Fund: Established in 2007, this fund provides scholarships for seniors graduating from high schools in San Bernardino County. Scholarships are awarded through both the San Bernardino Valley Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, and the San Bernardino County AVID Program. Drs. Herb and Cheryl Fischer have long been dedicated to education and philanthropy, working to ensure that every high school in the region has at least one scholarship per 100 AVID students. To date, their efforts have helped raise $435,000 in scholarships for Inland Empire students.

SBVC Students

The Elizabeth C. and Jack B. Clarke, Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund honors the late councilman and his wife for their service to the Riverside community. This scholarship provides financial assistance to outstanding African-American or Hispanic/Latino students residing in Riverside or San Bernardino counties.

The David and Mary Hjorth Family Endowment Fund: Supports graduating seniors from Upland High School, providing two students with $11,000 scholarships to pursue higher education.

The Dr. Horace Jackson Legacy Scholarship was established in 2021 to award scholarships to John W. North High graduating students who demonstrate the same commitment to education and inclusivity as Dr. Horace Jackson, principal of North High in Riverside, California, from 1970-1976.

By establishing or contributing to a scholarship fund, donors create life-changing opportunities for Inland Empire students. Their generosity ensures that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of hardworking students achieving their dreams.

Want to make a difference and help open doors for the future generations? Contact our Charitable Giving Team at giving@iegives.org

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Thank you to our incredible CIELO Fund donors for your unwavering support and generosity! Your commitment to recognizing, uplifting and propelling achievement in the IE’s Latino community has made a profound impact. At our recent Funders Briefing, we were inspired by first-hand testimonials from grantees and scholars, and we learned about the CIELO Fund’s initiatives and accomplishments.

A very special thank you to our grantees who shared their stories: Gerardo Pulido, Executive Director of Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Services; Maria Alonso, Executive Director of Huerta del Valle; and Yunuen Ibarra, Program Manager with Lideres Campesinas. We’re also grateful to UCR graduate student Jolene Saldivar and CSUSB student Steven Serrano Yepez, who received scholarships and spoke about the difference those funds have made on their college journeys.

It’s been an incredible two years since we launched the Fund. Your investments have enabled us to focus on data-driven decisions, ensuring our grants have the greatest impact and address the true needs of the Latino community. Your contributions allowed us to grant $650,000 to 56 nonprofits across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. These organizations are making a tangible difference in areas such as supporting farmworkers, addressing food insecurity, and tackling environmental issues.

The successful CIELO Fund Scholars Program has now supported 148 IE Latino students in their pursuit of college dreams to the tune of $232,000 in scholarships! Empowered by your generous funding, we’re shifting the narrative from highlighting deficits to celebrating the promise, positive achievements and potential of the Latino community.

Reaching for el cielo and beyond

All of this is thanks to you, our visionary funders, whose belief in the power of local grassroots organizations and the region’s future leaders has helped us exceed our initial fundraising goal of $80,000 to an astounding $1.7 million! And we’re not stopping there.

We’ve set our sights on opening even more doors for the Latino community. To that end, we’ve established a goal of reaching $2 million by October 5th. That’s the date of our annual celebration of grantees and scholars, where we’ll come together to recognize and celebrate the inspiring work happening across the Inland Empire. You’ll find sponsorship and donor opportunities here for your consideration and further support.

Thank you again for your generosity. Alongside our dedicated leadership committee and with the support of our talented IECF board members and staff, we’re driving positive change and building a brighter future for the IE Latino community. Together, we are reaching for el cielo!

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Inland Leaders, a CIELO Fund grantee

The Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO Fund) at Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) recently announced that $360,000 will be distributed to 31 Riverside and San Bernardino County Latino-led and serving organizations and initiatives. The announcement adds another milestone to the fund, which has invested more than $765,000 in grants and scholarships to the area’s Latino community since it launched in 2022.

“We are humbled by the impact the CIELO Fund has made in just two years and are proud of the number of organizations we’ve been able to support and the research we’ve produced,” says Jesse Melgar, IECF Vice Chair and CIELO Fund Founding Chair. “This round of grantees embodies the best of the Inland Empire—innovators who do all they can to provide critical services and resources to those most in need. We are inspired by these groups who make our neighborhoods, our communities and our region better.”

To be sure, the impact of the Latino community is significant throughout the region. Latinos comprise the majority of the Inland Empire, making up 51.5 percent of the population, and projections by the USC Center for Latinx Studies reveal that the figure will rise to 74 percent by 2060.

The growth breeds opportunity but also illuminates areas where disparities persist for Latinos in the region. To that end, the CIELO Fund’s Leadership and Grantmaking Committee is funding organizations in the current round with several key components in mind.

“This round of grants supports organizations with a $500,000 operating budget or smaller and a greater impact at the community level,” Melgar explains. We’re investing in those local community-based, community-driven organizations throughout the Inland Empire. This fund has invested in about 60 organizations throughout the region in its first two years.”

That includes partnerships in the media, he points out. One example is KVCR’s weekly segment of “IE Latino Voices,” a five-minute segment featuring interviews with Latino-led and serving organizations.

“We have invested into community-led organizations doing really impactful work on the ground,” Melgar adds. “That’s a powerful and inspiring thing our committee has been able to do thanks to the support and investment of other organizations, businesses, and individual contributions who have invested in the fund.”

Funding was prioritized for organizations working in the following areas: leadership development and capacity building, economic mobility, educational equity, health equity, housing security, environmental equity and climate change, racial equity, and immigrant inclusion.

Grants were also awarded to local and regional media outlets and specific projects hoping to uplift positive narratives with an impact on the Latino community in the Inland Empire.

The list of grantees comprises a wide variety of organizations in the region—from the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California and Get in Motion Entrepreneurs to Ezekiel’s Gift of Love Coachella Valley Down Syndrome Foundation and Inland Equity Community Land Trust. Find the full list of grant recipients here.

“Part of what we’re doing here is building and strengthening a culture of philanthropy among the region’s Latino community,” Melgar adds, also pointing out several memorable high points over the last year, including supporting a leadership institute for Latino students through the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program. Other milestones include the investment the fund has provided for farmworker communities.

“The CIELO Fund was created because there wasn’t a regional Latino philanthropic effort that centered on the voices, the experiences, the impacts, and also some of the struggles and opportunities of our community,” Melgar adds.  “With the help of the IECF staff, who’s really stepped up to help launch this effort, we’re very humbled by the impact we’ve made with our partners over the last two years – and we look forward to the continued work ahead.”

You can help us continue this work by donating directly to the CIELO Fund! Our Charitable Giving Team is here to answer any questions about your goals for establishing a fund, creating a scholarship, or leaving a legacy so future generations can benefit from your generosity. Contact them today.

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One Year of Impressive Achievements

In September 2023, the CIELO Fund recognized its one-year anniversary with the announcement that over $1 million had been raised to support IE Latino communities! Over 200 supporters, sponsors, nonprofits and student scholars gathered for a jubilant celebration in honor of the fund’s achievements. View photos of the event here.

In collaboration with Latinos Lead, a nonprofit organization that promotes more inclusive and effective civil society organizations, the CIELO Fund released a new report, Inclusive Leadership. The report analyzes Latino representation on 198 nonprofit boards in the Inland Empire. Findings highlight disparities in board diversity across sectors. For example, in Health & Human Services, 38.4% of boards had no Latino members, while Arts & Culture had 62% without Latino representation. Despite these challenges, a commitment to diversity is growing, driven by foundations and community leaders. The report sets a baseline for measuring Latino board representation and plans a follow-up in 2025, covering 1,933 boards.

Riding on an early momentum of successful fundraising, the CIELO Fund’s impact has been felt in the region. It has granted $280,000 to 25 organizations, awarded $125,000 to Latino college students, published original research that further fuel its reach, and worked hard to uplift more positive narratives for Latinos in the region through partnerships with Desert Sun and the popular IE Latino Voices radio segment on KVCR/NPR.

“We are truly grateful for our donors, sponsors, and supporters who have helped the CIELO Fund raise more than $1 million dollars to invest directly into the Inland Empire’s Latino community in our inaugural year,” says Jesse Melgar, IECF Board Member and CIELO Fund founding chair.”

Melgar went on to say that as the organization honors the incredible milestone it reached and the impact CIELO Fund has made through grantmaking, scholarships, research, and narrative change, the focus remains on creating an even brighter future filled with opportunities.

“We also know that there’s work to do to continue strengthening our region which is on track to be 70 percent Latino by 2050,” Melgar adds. “We look forward to continuing that work in the years to come.”

Melgar has worked diligently alongside regional Latino leaders who comprise the Leadership and Grantmaking Committee. One interesting component of the work is the vast amount of research that was done, which the organization can use to plan effective strategies.

A 2022 report produced by the USC Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies, called “Se Ve! Se Siente! El Pueblo Está Presente: A Qualitative Analysis of a Region in Transition from the Perspectives of Latino Organizational Leaders,” offers ideas to empower Latino communities for the future based on conversations with select Inland Empire Latino leaders.

The CIELO Fund leadership and grantmaking committee itself consists of Inland Latino leaders who live and work in the region. The $1 million raised was made possible from investments from the California Endowment, the Weingart Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the California Healthcare Foundation, and support from dozens of corporate and institutional donors. The Fund has also been strengthened by altruistic individuals whose donations have greatly contributed to reaching the organization’s first-year landmark achievement.

“This is a terrific milestone for the Inland Empire and our Latino-led nonprofits,” said Brie Griset Smith, Sr. VP of Charitable Giving at IECF. “We are so appreciative of those who gave generously to support the CIELO Fund at IECF, and to our Board and leadership who created this inspiring opportunity to benefit our region. I look forward to engaging more donors to advance this important cause because by making the needs and opportunities of Latinos visible in the IE, we can close persistent equity gaps in education, health & wellness, wealth, and more.”

For information about the CIELO Fund, see iegives.org/funds/cielofund/

A version of this story originally appeared in the San Bernardino Sun, September 2023.

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The CIELO Fund is celebrating an incredible year of achievements! Join us for an inspiring afternoon on Saturday, September 16th as we mark this significant moment in our journey to uplift Latino communities and help them thrive.

Celebrating a year of impact, the CIELO Fund invites you to attend its Brunch Celebration Event on Saturday, September 16^th at California State University, San Bernardino! You’ll enjoy a delightful brunch and an afternoon of inspiration as we recognize the accomplishments of the Fund in grantmaking, scholarships, narrative change, and research over the last 12 months.

Launched during Latino Heritage Month in 2022 as an IECF signature fund, CIELO’s mission stood out: To uplift and invest in the region’s Latino community. Thus far, the CIELO Fund has awarded $280,000 in grants to 25 Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations and, in August, awarded $125,000 in scholarships to 83 Latino students throughout the Inland Empire. The action is part of a remarkable effort through the inaugural CIELO Fund Scholars Program.

“The CIELO Fund leadership committee decided to directly invest in the next generation of Latino leaders and students through the CIELO Fund Scholars Program, which was created to tackle some concerning statistics head on,” says Jesse Melgar, IECF Board Member and CIELO Fund Founding Chair.

The Fund will also be making some exciting announcements during the program to further this work.

Come celebrate with us!
Saturday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m. at Cal State San Bernardino.
Tickets are $50.
Seating is limited

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