Community College District receives grants to expand career training

Thirty-one Latino organizations receive grant funding

San Bernardino News Daily April 16, 2024

The Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity, or, CIELO Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) announced last week 31 Inland Empire Latino-led and serving organizations have been awarded grant funds totaling $360,000.

“We are proud to continue uplifting and investing in Latino community game-changers who are making immeasurable contributions to our region each and every day,” said Jesse Melgar, IECF Vice Chair and CIELO Fund Founding Chair. “This round of grantees embody the best of the Inland Empire – innovators who do all they can to provide critical services and resources to those most in need. We are inspired by these groups who make our neighborhoods, our communities and our region better.”

Latinos are now the majority of the Inland Empire, making up 51.5% of the population. Projections by the USC Center for Latinx Studies show that that number is expected to balloon to 74% by 2060.

Grant funding was prioritized for organizations working in the following areas: leadership development & capacity building, economic mobility, educational equity, health equity, housing security, environmental equity & climate change, racial equity and immigrant inclusion. Grants were also awarded to local and regional media outlets and projects aiming to uplift positive narratives with impact about the Latino community in the Inland Empire.

The 2024 CIELO Fund grantees are: