Hispanic Scholarship Fund
A diploma is forever™
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Latinos have progressed tremendously in educational attainment and workforce participation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in fall 2021, there were 3.7 million Hispanic/Latino students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2021, Latinos are responsible for 18% of the U.S. Labor force. However, this growth, so vital to the strength of the US economy, is not reflected in many in-demand industries, For instance, the National Science Foundation states that Hispanics with science and engineering degrees make up larger shares of those employed as social workers or health technicians than they do of computer, math, and physical scientists. This is indicative of chronic inequity in Hispanic employment-top graduates simply are not being hired to the positions for which their credentials make them eligible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Scholarships
The HSF Scholarship is a merit-based award, designed to aid students of Hispanic heritage in their pursuit of a college degree. Scholarships are available to high school seniors, undergraduate students (all years), graduate students, and community college students transferring to four-year universities. Final scholarship amounts range from $500 to $5,000, based on demonstrated financial need.
• Scholarship recipients are also offered a range of Scholar Support Services, including mentoring, leadership development, career services, knowledge building, and personal wellness training (physical, emotional, and financial).
• Each year, 10,000 applicants will qualify as HSF Scholars. All HSF Scholars have access to HSF Scholar Support Services, regardless of whether or not HSF is able to offer them a financial award.
College 101
College 101 is a free, bilingual, three-hour program that provides valuable information to middle and high school students and their parents about how best to prepare, plan, and pay for college. The sessions, which are offered on weekday evenings in various cities across the country, address the steps necessary to plan for a college education, apply for scholarships, and research additional financial aid opportunities.
College Camp
College Camp is a free, bilingual, half-day, college preparation program designed to help middle and high school students and their parents prepare, plan, and pay for college. The program is held in cities across the US and covers key information on preparing for and applying to college, writing a personal statement, choosing the right college fit, researching financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and understanding the real cost of a college education. Students are grouped by grade level, and parents can choose to receive information in either English or Spanish. Participants have the opportunity to interact with HSF Scholars, staff, Alumni, and other supporters, including local business leaders, sponsors, and educators.
Youth Leadership Institute
HSF’s Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) is a college empowerment program (two days virtual/five days overnight) for Latino, rising high school seniors, selected through a competitive application process. It is designed to give young leaders the practical tools they need to successfully apply to top universities, have full access to scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and set a course for academic and career success, through early introduction to in-demand fields. The program also offers the opportunity to experience living on a college campus, while interacting with college students and professionals who serve as mentors. YLI programs are hosted each summer at college campuses across the country.
Industry Conferences
These career and networking conferences include the STEM Summit, Finance Conference, Media & Entertainment Summit, and Healthcare Summit. The programs provide industry-specific opportunities for students interested in STEM, finance, media and entertainment, and healthcare careers. Industry Conferences provide attendees with the opportunity to meet and learn from experts, network, and acquire inside tips on internships, jobs, and other career-enhancing opportunities. Additionally, each program includes a career expo, through which participants interact with corporate talent acquisition representatives, receive career development training and guidance, and have the opportunity to interview, on-site, for internships and full-time job opportunities with HSF corporate partners.
Leadership Conferences
These professional development conferences include the National Leadership Conference (NLC), Entrepreneurship Summit, and Alumni & Leaders Convening. NLC gives the best and brightest HSF Scholars an inside track to academic and professional excellence through a combination of mentoring, professional insights, and career guidance, while the Entrepreneurship Summit introduces Scholars to the value and importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Meanwhile, the Alumni & Leaders Convening unites distinguished HSF Alumni from wide-ranging industries and with diverse professional experiences to advance a community of leaders and cultivate relationships that will enhance their careers and support HSFs Mission and Vision.
College Prep Saturday
College Prep Saturday is a free, half-day program designed to provide ALL middle and high school students—and their families—from a diverse cohort of historically under-represented socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, with the resources and knowledge to prepare, plan, and pay for college. Sessions are tailored by age group (6-8th graders, 9-10th graders, 11-12th graders, and parents) and are offered in multiple languages, as necessary, to better serve attendees.
Young Leaders Summit
The Young Leaders Summit (YLS) –YLS is a college empowerment program (two days virtual/five days overnight) for a cohort of top-performing, low-income rising high school seniors, selected through a highly competitive application process, from varied geographic regions (urban and rural), representing the diversity of racial and ethnic groups in the US (African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander American, Hispanic, and White). Planned and executed by HSF in partnership with YLC, it is designed to give young leaders the practical tools they need to successfully apply to top universities, have full access to scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and set a course for academic and career success.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of conferences held
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of youth programs offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of one-on-one coaching sessions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of career coaching sessions at HSF Industry and Leadership conferences. Career Coaches train Scholars in the core areas of resume writing and reviewing, cover letters, and interview preparation
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
HSF's primary objective is to empower students and parents with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing support services and scholarships to as many exceptional students, Scholars, and Alumni as possible. HSFs strategies and programs accomplish this goal through two primary avenues: Scholarships and Support Services.
Since our founding in 1975, HSF has awarded $730 million in scholarships. Each year, more than 120,000 students submit an HSF Scholarship application. HSF selects 10,000 of those applicants for the designation of HSF Scholar, and disburses scholarships to as many Scholars as possible. HSF's proprietary technology platform, HSF 4.0, makes it possible for us to recruit, select, award, and provide Support Services to the nations top Latino Scholars with a high degree of efficiency, ensuring maximum impact of every scholarship dollar. HSF also leverages its technology platform to administer more than two dozen endowed and tenant scholarship programs, including The Gates Scholarship, funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
HSF also provides Support Services to thousands of students, families, HSF Scholars, and HSF Alumni across the nation. For middle and high school students and their families, HSF provides Student and Parent Programs, including College Camp, College 101, College Prep Saturday, the Youth Leadership Institute, and the Young Leaders Summit. At these programs, HSF provides information and resources needed to plan, prepare, and pay for college. For Scholars and Alumni, HSF Scholar Support Services including MentorMatch, Career Coaching, Industry Conferences, Leadership Conferences, and Career Services offer mentorship, leadership development, career services, knowledge building, and wellness training. The same technology platform that makes it possible for HSF to administer highly effective scholarship programs, also underlies HSF Support Services, making it possible for us to identify and recruit Scholars for Industry and Leadership Conferences; connect Scholars with mentors, career coaches, and other professional opportunities; and provide a wealth of resources and information for students and families as they walk through the college application process. HSF 4.0 includes the Hispanic Career Pathways Initiative (HCPI). HCPI offers a multi-tiered approach to providing career discernment and career development programs directly to hundreds of thousands of college students nationwide.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In order to achieve our major goals, our top strategic priority is to use state-of-the-art, web-based technology to expand our scholarships, services, programs, and community outreach. We call this strategy, HSF 4.0. We believe, and are proving every day, that technology is the key.
HSF 4.0 is allowing us to improve every aspect of our organization, from how we review scholarship applications, run the organization, and execute our programs, to how we provide content to the millions of families and students who need our support. It directly helps us select scholarship winners, match award dollars to students, match mentors to students, pair students with internships and career opportunities, and track how the students who come through our gateway.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our capabilities include:
•Communication, recruitment, and marketing, including a network spanning thousands of partners, Alumni, and volunteers, which enable us to reach millions, nationwide
•Integrated technology tools and application expertise, including best-in-class mobile/web technology, which provides college readiness, access, and support services, in-person and virtually, to thousands of students, scholarship recipients, and families, at every step
•Efficient scholarship administration, enhanced by superior technology and grants compliance practices, enabling us to carry out scholarship programs with low administrative costs
•Expertise in executing dozens of small and large programs and events, including multi-day conferences and workshops, to meet the needs of varying constituencies across different venues
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since our founding 49 years ago, our commitment to stewardship, transparency, fiscal responsibility, and impact, has enabled us to award $730 million in scholarships. We also provide support services to help Scholars attend top colleges, do well in their course work, graduate, enter professions, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor future generations.
One key instrument to our sustainability is HSF's Career Services program, including its model for providing Scholars with access to professional opportunities with our corporate partners. This mutually beneficial pipeline of outstanding young talent places living paradigms of HSF's value in top US companies and organizations. This yields consistently recurring and increasing funding commitments and flourishing partnerships among our corporate and institutional funders, while also providing HSF Scholars with some of the most attractive career opportunities in the nation.
HSF also relies on its network of Alumni and Advisory Council members, and on its Board of Directors. In keeping with HSFs model of paying it forward, our extensive community of Alumni serves as HSF donors, volunteers, mentors, and program ambassadors. Meanwhile, HSFs 570+ Advisory Council members, many of whom are HSF Alumni, are entrepreneurs, representatives of HSF corporate partners, and community leaders, as well as representatives from higher education, school districts, other like-minded nonprofits, and community-based organizations. They volunteer their time to HSF Support Services, make significant financial contributions, and serve as local-market advisors and ambassadors in 50 major markets throughout the country. The Board of Directors similarly supports HSF as brand ambassadors, financial supporters, and networking associates, helping expand HSF's reach and propelling the ongoing fulfillment of our mission.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, HSF 4.0 (our own technology platform) it has been going through updates, which we resolved.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Board of directorsas of 02/28/2024
Mr. Gene Camarena
La Raza Pizza, Inc.
Term: 2018 -
Maria Elena Salinas
MES Multi-Media LLC
Gene Camarena
La Raza Pizza Inc.
Fidel A. Vargas
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow
The Oliver Group, Inc.
Michael J. Bender
EyeMart Express, LLC
Phillip Hyun
Gamevice
James McNamara
Pantellion Films
Bea Perez
The Coca-Cola Company
Peggy Turner
Toyota Motor North America
Stephanie Bell-Rose
Corporate, Philanthropy, and Governance Professional and Mental Health Advocate
Rita Ferro
The Walt Disney Company
Andres J. Espinosa
American Express
Patty Juarez
Wells Fargo Bank
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/23/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.