8 Lessons From Latine Generosity
Drawing from the voices of our collective corazón
Generosidad is in our DNA. It's not just about giving, it's how we show up for each other, build together, and create the conditions for all of us to thrive. Here are the powerful lessons about Latine giving, straight from our collective corazón – our comunidad.
1. Sharing What We Have, Even When It's Not Much
As Jazmín Chávez, Interim CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy, reminds us: generosidad is "more than giving. It's standing together when our people are under attack. It's what our abuelas taught us—to share what we have, even when it's not much, because survival has always depended on community."
Daisy Moran, HIP Member, witnessed this firsthand when her mother, working multiple jobs as a single parent, still provided free accounting services to families in need. When Daisy asked why, her mother's response was simple but profound: "Our community needs us and we can provide for our community in many ways, whether it's in time, in service, or with money."
2. Showing Up in Material, Emotional, and Actionable Ways
HIP Líder, Kristell Caballero Saucedo of Colmena Consulting defines generosidad as "the understanding that our lives are scientifically interconnected. And in order for us to live in a world where everyone can live with dignity, we must show up for each other in material, emotional, and actionable ways."
She recalls community meetings where her family fought unjust expropriation of working-class family homes: "Everyone brought what they could: food, paper, chairs, meeting space, or the skills to organize, facilitate, and take notes. Even when not everyone would benefit from this work, everyone knew, everyone understood that these efforts would set a precedent of justice for the future."
3. Practicing Mutual Care and Solidarity Economy
At Colmena Consulting, generosidad takes the form of structural commitment. As Kristell explains, "We practice solidarity economy. We are deeply committed to mutual care. We share resources, opportunities, and support so that each of us can thrive. We show up for each other, even in hard times. Because we know and we understand that our individual well-being depends on the collective."
This model of generosity isn't transactional—it's relational and reciprocal, grounded in the understanding that we rise together.
4. Recognizing We Are Already Philanthropists
Daisy learned a crucial lesson from her mother's example: "Solo el pueblo, salva el pueblo. It's up to us to help each other, lift each other up, empower each other."
She calls on our community to own this identity: "Latinos have always been philanthropists, and my vision and hope is that we start calling ourselves philanthropists. Whether it's being madrinos and padrinos para quinceañeras y bodas, whether it's helping each other for life events such as a down payment on a house or helping with a wedding in the family... Latinos have always known the value of generosity and giving to each other to ensure that we have sustainability for our futures."
5. Giving Because Giving Has Changed Us
Stephanie Valencia, HIP Board Member, shared a poem from Arizona poet laureate Alberto Ríos that captures the spirit of generosidad.
"We give because somebody gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us... You gave me blue and I gave you yellow. Together, we are simply green. You gave me what I did not have. And I gave you what I had to give. Together, we made something greater from the difference."
This is the heart of it: generosidad transforms us and creates something greater than what we had alone.
6. Funding with Courage
Jazmín is clear about HIP's role. "Philanthropy must move beyond transactional giving. Generosidad, real generosity, means funding with courage—supporting organizers, artists, and advocates who are building the conditions for justice and joy."
She emphasizes that HIP invests "in the long arc of transformation—strengthening organizations, leadership, and infrastructure—so communities thrive on their terms... Not charity, but strategic investment in our future. Long-term, flexible, rooted in trust."
7. Building Networks That Strengthen Us All
Daisy celebrates the power of connection through HIP. "As a member of Hispanics and Philanthropy, I truly value the network I have grown across the country. Whether it's my friends Antonio and Emilia in Louisiana, my friend Camelia in Minneapolis, or the countless new connections I've grown at the HIP conference this past summer. It's incredibly inspiring to be part of a collective that's strengthening our communities and also activating an alliance across the globe."
8. Reclaiming What We've Earned and Returning Resources Where They Belong
Kristell reminds us of our power and responsibility. "No matter our status or class or education, we are worthy of dignity. And even when the oppressors try to deny our dignidad, they cannot tell us who we are and what we're worth. Our responsibility is to reclaim what we've earned and return those resources, material or spiritual, back to where they belong: in our hands."
The Power of Generosidad
As Jazmín powerfully stated, "our communities are not a problem to be solved—they are the solution. Generosidad is how we've always survived. Now, it's how we'll lead."
Our generosity isn't weakness or charity—it's strategy. It's power. It's how we've always built the world we need, together.
What does generosidad mean to you? Share your story with us.