BRAVO: Building Resiliency through Active Voices & Opportunities
The BRAVO Fund is a fund of The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County. The vision of the fund is to improve the quality of life for Latino communities throughout Boulder County by encouraging interested individuals to pool their charitable dollars for grantmaking to Latino communities, thereby promoting social justice, strengthening opportunities for leadership, and empowering Latinos to give to a fund that will benefit their own communities.
Why is this important?
Community Needs and Challenges
Latinos make up 13 percent of the county’s residents and are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group. More than half of Latinos in Boulder County are under the age of 25, and one in three is under the age of 15. However, just because the census numbers are changing in our county doesn’t mean our personal networks and institutions are. Almost every major issue in Boulder County, whether it’s access to education, affordable housing, or well-paying jobs, has a greater impact on Latinos than non-Latinos.
We know about these disparities through the data in TRENDS (The Community Foundation’s biennial report that tracks community indicators), reports from local organizations that support Latino communities, as well as the stories from friends, family and neighbors that highlight the patterns of discrimination in our community.
The opportunity gaps between Latinos and non-Latinos are particularly evident in our community’s leadership positions. In 2015, out of the 104 people elected to office in Boulder County-from town councils all the way up to the U.S. Congress-there were just four people of color. In the same year a total of 764 people in the county serving on official governmental volunteer advisory boards and commissions but only 51 (or 7 percent) were people of color. In employment and appointed executive level positions, the number of Latinos holding such positions is very low or non-existent. The U.S. Census showed that out of all our chief executives and legislators: 97 percent are white, non-Hispanic. Two percent were Asian. One percent were Latino.
What can you do to make a difference?
Take Action by Donating
An art auction fundraiser, “Arte de Corazón”, will be held Kay Carol & Priscila Gallery, 364 Main St, Longmont, CO 80501 on February 12, 2016. All proceeds from the auction will go to The BRAVO Fund.
Entries and Submission requirements:
Open to all artists. All artwork must be originally created in concept and execution. All media will be accepted, and art with a Latino theme are encouraged to submit. Artwork must be ready to display. Artists must value their own work.
BRAVO is an endowed fund of The Community Foundation, which means that it’s a permanent resource for Latino communities in Boulder County.
Donations of all sizes help Latino communities to control their own philanthropic resources and decide what the priorities are in their own community.
For more information, please contact Maegan Vallejo at maegan@commfound.org
