Julián Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is now channeling his dedication to community service into his role as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation (LCF). Castro, who was raised with a strong sense of civic duty by his activist mother, aims to significantly increase philanthropic investment in Latino communities nationwide.
Castro's political career includes a term on the San Antonio city council, five years as the city's mayor, and a presidential campaign in 2020. His brother, Joaquin Castro, has served as a Texas congressman since 2013. This background has informed his current efforts to address disparities faced by the Latino population.
According to a 2025 Pew Research Center report, Latinos constitute one in five Americans and were responsible for 28.2% of U.S. economic growth in 2024, as found by the Latino Donor Collaborative. Despite this economic impact, philanthropic dollars directed toward the Latino community remain below one percent. LCF seeks to change this imbalance, with Castro stating, "The country can only prosper if the community does well."
In March, LCF announced plans to expand its grant-making nationally and establish a $250 million endowment, a substantial increase from its current $35 million endowment. This expansion is projected to enable an annual grant-making baseline of $10 million, allowing LCF to support a greater number of organizations consistently.
LCF has also focused on supporting organizations assisting immigrant families impacted by federal immigration policies. In February, the foundation launched the Community Protection Fund, providing grants to grassroots organizations in California, Nevada, and Minnesota. These groups offer aid to families affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions or challenge detention abuses. Castro noted the critical role of nonprofits amid intensified immigration enforcement, stating, "Immigrant families and mixed-status families are under attack by an Administration absolutely determined to target both legal and undocumented immigrants, and sometimes even citizens. And so we decided to double down on investing in immigrant-serving nonprofits."
Castro expressed disappointment over the impact of immigration and deportation policies on Latino communities but hopes that this period will inspire a collective vision for a diverse, inclusive, and equitable future. He added, "My hope is that the Latino Community Foundation, as it grows, can help accelerate that progress."