National Nonprofit Unveils Direct Impact Fund for Donors Committed to Latino Student Success Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 17, 2024) – Excelencia in Education (Excelencia), the nation’s leading organization focused on accelerating Latino student success in higher education, concludes its 20th year of service to its mission this month by announcing the Excelencia Futuro Fund. This new direct impact fund will facilitate investment and collaboration among donors committed to advancing Latino college enrollment, success, and graduation.

“Anniversaries remind us of where we’ve been, but they are not destinations. The Futuro Fund marks a significant milestone in our organization’s history with action. We launch the Fund and continue advancing Latino student success with colleges and universities serving all their students,” said Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia. “We invite you to join us in supporting the institutions playing an outsized role in helping more Latino students thrive in college and graduate ready for the workforce and civic leadership. Simply put, this is about investing in what works.”

The announcement of the Futuro Fund comes at a pivotal moment — and a shifting policy environment — for American higher education and Latino communities. Hispanic enrollment in higher education has more than doubled since 2008, reflecting the growing share of Hispanic Americans in the U.S. population. Yet there are many more Latino students who could enroll. For those who do, 44% of Latino college students are the first in their families to attend college. That statistic underscores the need to connect Latino students with institutions well-equipped to meet their needs and prepare them for the world of work.

Since its founding in 2004, Excelencia has demonstrated a proven track record of identifying evidence-based practices and influencing policy to improve Latino student outcomes. To accelerate this vital work, the Futuro Fund will mobilize support and investment around institutions in the Presidents for Latino Student Success network that are making significant strides toward the ambitious goal of enrolling and graduating 40% of all Latino undergraduates by 2030. The Fund will support greater impact by expanding at least 20 proven strategies that drive measurable improvements in Latino student outcomes.

“For 20 years, Excelencia has proven itself an indispensable partner to countless college leaders, educators, and policymakers by transforming research into action, policy into impact, and mere conversation into institutional commitments,” said Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University at Albany, which welcomed a record number of first-year Latino students in 2024. “The Fund will support the network of colleges and universities committed to providing learning environments where every Latino student can thrive — and inspire others to join us.”

Contributions to the Fund also will provide resources and financial support to the more than 45 colleges and universities that have earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia, a nationally recognized certification for institutions that go beyond enrolling Latino students by intentionally supporting their success. Using Excelencia’s framework, Seal-certified institutions outperform other institutions, HSIs and non-HSIs, in Latino student success metrics such as retention and completion rates.

“Making good on the promise of college and documenting return-on-investment to the nation through evidence-based outcomes for today’s Hispanic students is vital to the workforce of the future — and the civic and community leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr. Elizabeth Béjar, provost at Florida International University, a top 50 public research university, one of the nation’s strongest Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Seal of Excelencia-certified university. “For those looking to make a positive, meaningful impact for Hispanic students, the Futuro Fund provides a platform for investing in advocacy, action, and research.”

For more information on the Excelencia Futuro Fund and how to support this initiative, visit: EdExcelencia.org/about/donate

About Excelencia in Education

Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia in Education leads a national network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to tap the talents of the Latino community and address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. With this network, Excelencia accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, informing educational policies with a Latino lens, and advancing evidence-based practices. In 2024, Excelencia marks 20 years of commitment to Latino student success. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org