Covid prompts a new name, and new focus, for Latino fund

The state’s first philanthropic fund focused on the Latino community announced a new name last Friday and said it will seek to strengthen health equity and economic opportunity for a population that has faced a disproportionate toll from the pandemic.

The Latino Equity Fund, formerly the Latino Legacy Fund, is a partnership among local Latino leaders, The Boston Foundation, and Hispanics in Philanthropy. It will focus on two priority areas — addressing well-being and health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic, and achieving economic prosperity via “policies, programs, and initiatives that promote sustainable economic growth for Latinos.”

“Covid-19 was our reckoning,” said Juan Lopera, co-chair of the Latino Equity Fund. “We said, ‘Let’s rethink our areas of focus, let’s rethink what we are about.’ And that’s how we decided to rebrand. It’s hard to think about the legacy we’re leaving behind when we have such equity issues.


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