COVID-19 has turned our world upside down, and at times, it’s hard to know how to begin to help. As individuals and families continue to struggle, giving circles are responding to meet the needs of their neighbors. The Peninsula Latina Giving Circle, established in 2014, is continuing its tradition of pooling together resources to support other Latinx women, children and families in need. The Peninsula LGC is one of 22 giving circles forming the Latino Giving Circle Network of the Latino Community Foundation.

This group began organically as a group of women sought ways to support their communities, specifically those made up of Latina women and children.

Bego Lozano, one of the founding members of the Peninsula Latina Giving Circle, believes strongly in the principle that philanthropy is most effective when people who come from communities directly give back, since they wholly understand the lived experience of those in need of support. The giving circle she founded embodies this spirit and gives between $30,000-$40,000 per year to a variety of grassroots Latino-led nonprofit organizations in the San Mateo County of California. Their funding priorities include: early childhood education, mental health, and power building/civic engagement.

What began as a project of collective agency, allyship, and working together has taken on new meaning during a time when so many of us are suffering. The women of Peninsula Latina Giving Circle, including Philanthropy Together’s Executive Director Sara Lomelin,  wanted to showcase the importance of showing up as true partners with their nonprofit leaders. The importance of creating real and meaningful relationships with each other and with the community.

Learn more about Peninsula Latina Giving Circle's grantees on Philanthropy Together's website.