Members of LatinasGive! and Latinos Impacting Our Futures Together (L.I.F.T.) // Photo Credit: The Denver Foundation

In Denver, Colorado, Latino culture represents a significant and dynamic part of the city’s fabric. With more than 30 percent of the city’s population identifying as Latino, the Latino community will play a crucial role in shaping Denver’s future.

There are many nonprofits committed to addressing the needs of the Latinx community, from educational initiatives and economic empowerment to health and legal assistance. Collective giving groups are filling in funding gaps to ensure nonprofits have the resources necessary to support their immediate and long-term efforts.

LatinasGive! And LIFT are two giving circles prioritizing the dreams, quality of life and equitable futures for Latinas.

Denver’s first Latina giving circle, LatinasGive! has a membership of more than 40 members with ages ranging from the 20s to 70s. “We don’t always want to be the people asking for the money, we want to be the people giving the money,” LatinasGive! Co-founder and Chair Marlene De La Rosa said in a previous Philanthropy Together interview. “And we recognized that we have that ability.”

LatinasGive! and LIFT have a unique connection. It all started with a simple question, “Would LatinasGive! accept funds from men?” Marlene saw the need to help start an all-male giving circle, one of Colorado’s first all-male Latino giving circles. Today, LIFT, which stands for “Latinos Impacting our Future Together,” and LatinasGive! still support each other, often in collaboration on projects and greater efforts within Denver.

Connect with LatinasGive! on Facebook or LIFT on Facebook for more on Latino philanthropy, and check out nonprofits working with the Latino community in Colorado.

Adelante Community Development (ACD)
ACD serves Latino families and entrepreneurs by featuring small and medium-sized business leaders and owners in order to democratize business strategic planning and economic justice in Colorado. Learn More

Aurora Community Connection Resource Center
Aurora Community Connection Resource Center works to improve social equity for families in the Aurora and Denver areas by providing programs and services as well as increasing access to education, health and wellness. Learn More

Casa de Paz
Casa de Paz (House of Peace) helps families separated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention to reunite with their loved ones. It provides temporary housing to those recently released from detention centers, giving them a safe place to locate and reconnect with family. Learn More

Centro San Juan Diego
Since the 1990s, Centro San Juan Diego has served as a welcoming space to Hispanic immigrants. It has helped remove barriers and met the changing needs of immigrants, so they can successfully become integrated leaders in society and the Catholic Church. Learn More

Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy Research Organization (CLLARO)
CLLARO, formerly the Latin American Research and Service Agency, works to empower the Latino community in Colorado through advocacy, collective funding, community development and policy research. Learn More

Colorado Soccer Foundation (CSF)
CSF helps provide the joy and athleticism of soccer to all children who are interested in the sport. The foundation helps to build community with its unique “Pick-up Play” motto that encourages members, friends and family to play pick-up games with each other every day. CSF also offers after school programs and summer camps. Learn More

Convivir Colorado
Convivir Colorado is a leadership program for refugee, immigrant and first-generation youth (grades 6 to 12) that supports and encourages them to tap into their power, agency and leadership through their migrant journeys. Learn More

Expunge Colorado
Expunge Colorado helps give those affected by the legal system a fresh start by offering education, training, consultation and access to legal services for record sealing. Record sealing can remove the burdens caused by criminal records, such as access to housing, employment, education, public assistance and voting rights. Learn More

Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
Girls Inc. of Metro Denver’s mission is to inspire every girl to be strong, smart and bold by offering decision-making education, teaching physical-emotional well-being and tackling the effects of poverty. Learn More

Hands of the Carpenter (Hands)
Hands is a faith-based nonprofit that supports working single mothers’ unique needs and overlooked challenges, such as transportation. Hands relieves the financial burden and related stress of transportation issues with automobile repair, maintenance and replacement, ultimately promoting economic self-sufficiency.  Learn More

Juntos 2 College
Juntos 2 College helps undocumented students through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) pipeline to pursue quality jobs/careers and build generational wealth. The nonprofit assists high school students, recent high school graduates, college students, their parents, educators and school leaders in the process of the DACA application with the goal of giving applicants a chance to thrive financially. Learn More

Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center (JAMLAC)
JAMLAC  is a faith-based organization that is guided by the scripture from Micah 6:8 that compels Christians to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God. JAMLAC offers culturally sensitive legal representation and works to improve the quality of life for the “poor and needy” through additional services, such as holistic advocacy and legal workshops. Learn More

Latina Safehouse
Latina Safehouse provides bilingual and culturally sensitive services to Latina survivors of domestic violence and their families. The safehouse fosters community and offers services that address intersectional barriers, multiple kinds of victimization, and additional trauma, such as the heightened fear of deportation. Learn More

Latinas First Foundation
Latinas First Foundation celebrates and elevates the Latina communities of Colorado by honoring their past and creating opportunities for the future. The foundation provides resources, networking, mentorship and scholarships to support Latinas in reaching their highest potential. Learn More

Law School… Yes We Can
Described as the first law school pipeline of its kind in Colorado, Law School… Yes We Can is a four-year program that identifies and recruits high-performing diverse college students to train and mentor them to become successful legal professionals. Learn More

NEWSED Community Development Corporation
Since 1973, NEWSED has been serving the underserved communities within Denver’s seven counties by securing and coordinating resources to promote affordable housing, nurture small businesses, advance economic growth and increase asset creation. Learn More

Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation
The Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation helps high school students attain financial assistance and improve their chances of entering college in order to fulfill their dreams. The foundation offers services such as college application support and essay writing as well as workshops on time management, reading and test-taking to ensure student success. Learn More

Rocky Mountain Welcome Center
Rocky Mountain Welcome Center, an immigrant-led nonprofit, builds upon its community assets, partner organizations and Colorado’s receiving communities to help immigrants and refugees integrate into society through programs and activities that foster intercultural learning, understanding and welcoming environments. Learn More

Servicios de la Raza
Servicios de la Raza aims to build a more equitable future for Latino communities in Colorado to thrive by advocating for culturally responsive, essential human services. Its mission is to provide greater opportunities and stronger support systems to promote self-sufficiency, self-determination and a higher quality of life. Learn More

The Latino Cultural Arts Center
The Latino Cultural Arts Center’s mission is to honor, uplift and showcase the meaningful work and contributions of Latinos in Colorado through mentorship, education and training and to serve as an incubator for emerging creators. Learn More

Thriving Families
Thriving Families is an organization that supports parents dealing with pregnancies and new babies to increase healthy outcomes for parents and children. Its flagship program, MotherWise, is six weeks long and includes workshops and a one-on-one coaching session.   Learn More

Tomorrow Maker Studio
Tomorrow Maker Studio is a multimedia production company and after school program for students in the Denver Metro Area that provides a space for the training and creation of short and full-length films, a comic strip and card game. Learn More