Gilbert & Jacki Cisneros Foundation

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OVERVIEW: The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation supports policy and programs that support Latino college access and success. It also supports a few Catholic organizations in Orange County, California.

IP TAKE:  The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation’s main goal is “to identify and contribute to the key factors that lead to Latino student success.” It only makes a few grants each year, however, and two of its grantees receive ongoing support. Although it does not accept applications, if your organization works in this specific area of education, reach out using the contact information below.

PROFILE: The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation was formed in 2010. It was founded by Gilbert Cisneros, a former shipping and manufacturing manager for Frito-Lay, and Jacki Cisneros, a broadcast journalist, who won the California Mega Millions Lottery, netting $266 million. Its mission is “to bridge the existing disparities in college attainment by establishing a robust and accessible network, providing essential resource, as well as building a supportive ecosystem to empower and guide Latino students toward higher education.” In addition to its extensive grantmaking for college access and higher education, this funder has supported Catholic organizations in Orange County, California.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

The Cisneros Foundation’s education giving focuses on “shaping a culture where college is not just a remote possibility, but a tangible expectation backed by support mechanisms” and “actively cultivating a transformative legacy of empowerment, education, and achievement for future generations of Latino students.” It pursues these goals through three main strategies.

  • The foundation provides support for Policy and Awareness toward recognition of “the distinct circumstances that affect first-generation, college-bound Latino students” and creating “an inclusive, effective, and sustainable environment.” Specific topics of interest in these areas include institutional supports, financial aid, recruitment campus representation, research opportunities and alumni connections.

  • The Cisneros Foundation also strives to Create Access to higher education for first generation Latino students. The foundation has supported programs and interventions including “college essay prep, college tours, application process support, financial literacy, scholarships, as well as ‘Town Hall’ events where families came together to learn more about the college process.”

  • Cisneros also works to Empower Students. Its main investment in this area is the George Washington University Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute, which was launched in 2016 “help qualified students attain academic achievements, build leadership skills, and engage in a long-term commitment to making a difference within the Hispanic community.”

One of the Cisneros Foundation’s grantees, Excelencia In Education, is an education policy institute that researched and authored From Selectivity to Success: Latinos at Selective Institutions, a study that “examines the profile of Latino students at the most selective institutions in the U.S. and reviews the institutional efforts at four universities in California to frame a better understanding of factors that might explicitly and intentionally support Latino student success.” Other grantees include the Pegasus School, a rigorous private school in Huntington Beach, California, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Grants for Religious Causes

A portion of the Cisneros Foundation’s grantmaking supports Catholic organizations in Southern California, although the foundation does not articulate a strategy for this giving. Grantees include the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County, the Orange Catholic Foundation and Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish in Newport Beach.

Important Grant Details:

Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000.

  • This funder’s main focus is college access and success for Latino students.

  • The Cisneros Foundation does not make many grants each year. Its signature program at George Washington University and Excelencia in Education have both received ongoing support.

  • A smaller portion of its giving supports Catholic organizations in Orange County.

  • The Cisneros Foundation does not accept applications for funding at this time.

  • For information about past giving, see its resources page or its past tax filings.

Contact this funder via email at acorrea@foundationsource.com or use the online form on its contact page. The foundation’s phone number is (800) 839-1754.

PEOPLE:

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