Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation

What Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation does

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation (ILLCF) is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002 and headquartered at 320 S. Canal Street, Suite 3300, in Chicago. Its stated mission is to foster the next generation of Latiné leadership while advocating for the needs of the Illinois Latino community, and it self-describes as the public policy arm of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus. ILLCF operates five program lines: (1) the Next Generation Scholarship Program (with the Michael W. Gonzalez scholarship awarding $5,000 to up to 20 Illinois students of Latino ancestry annually, open regardless of immigration status); (2) the Raíces Public Policy Program, which has hosted 11+ annual conferences organized around five pillars - Education, Health Equity, Immigration & Language Access, Economic & Business Development, and Latiné Representation; (3) Board Pláticas, a board leadership development series; (4) Rapid Response Grants of up to $5,000 per award to eligible Illinois 501(c)(3) organizations for urgent needs including disaster relief and COVID-19 response; and (5) an Alumni Association connecting past and present scholarship recipients. As of the most recent reporting it has awarded more than $1,000,000 in cumulative scholarships and engaged a 34-member board that includes sitting state senators and representatives.

The organization's business model is donations-based across three streams: tax-deductible individual and organizational donations via a web portal, event-driven fundraising (Annual Galas, Latino Unity Day, Latina Heritage Day Brunch, Board Pláticas, Raíces conferences) sold through the OneCause platform, and tiered corporate sponsorships (Presenting, Champion, Ally). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: in-person convenings in Chicago and Springfield anchor fundraising and program delivery, supported by Constant Contact email lists (newsletter and scholarship notifications) and partnership-driven promotion through a coalition of 15+ advocacy organizations including LULAC, MALDEF, the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Latino Policy Forum. Until 2022 ILLCF was governed primarily by its board; it then transitioned to a staff-led model under inaugural Executive Director Oswaldo Alvarez (former Illinois State Census Director), and currently operates with 6 paid staff alongside the 34-member board. ILLCF holds no disclosed proprietary technology, app, API, or AI/ML capability and serves exclusively the Illinois market.

Name

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation

Legal name

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation

Website

https://illcfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds Latino students, runs the annual Raices Public Policy Conference, and convenes Latino advocacy events and coalitions in Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Latino leadership development
• Scholarship programs
• Public policy advocacy
• Community foundation services
• Nonprofit policy platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting the organization's mission to foster Latino leadership and advocate for the community
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue from annual gala events, ticket sales, and sponsorship packages for signature events like the Annual Gala and Raices Public Policy Conference
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners including presenting sponsors, champion sponsors, and ally sponsors for Latino Unity Day and other events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation (ILLCF) is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that delivers Latino leadership development through scholarship awards, an annual public policy conference platform (Raíces), board leadership development (Board Pláticas), emergency Rapid Response Grants for 501(c)(3) organizations, and an Alumni Association network. The foundation serves as the public policy arm of the Illinois Latino community, bridging legislative leaders and community needs through scholarships, advocacy convenings, and grants.

Product overview

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation (ILLCF) offers a portfolio of programs focused on Latino leadership development and community advocacy. The core offerings include the Next Generation Scholarship Program providing financial support to Latino students; the Raíces Public Policy Program hosting annual conferences and defining policy priorities around equity, justice, and community development; Board Pláticas for leadership development; Rapid Response Grants for emergency needs; and an Alumni Association connecting scholarship recipients. These programs work together to foster Latino leadership while advocating for the needs of the Latino community in Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Next Generation Scholarship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,000,000+ in scholarships awarded to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Illinois Legislative Black Caucus FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Black and Brown Celebration partnership bringing together Latino and Black legislative caucuses to network and celebrate the end of legislative session in Springfield, Illinois. Represents a long-standing partnership celebrating collective achievements and community bonds.
• Hispanic FederationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of Latino Unity Day 2024, providing major financial and organizational support for the annual two-day advocacy event in Springfield.
• PepsiComajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion Sponsor of Latino Unity Day 2024, contributing significant sponsorship support for the annual advocacy and community event.
• Illinois Resource CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlly Sponsor of Latino Unity Day 2024, providing support for the annual community advocacy event.
• Chicago Latinos in PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Latina Heritage Day brunch events, collaborating with ILLCF to honor Illinois declaration of March 15th as Latina Heritage Day.
• Illinois Broadcasters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Latina Heritage Day brunch events, supporting visibility and recognition of Latina achievements.
• Latino Unity Day Planning CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of over 15 organizations including Illinois Association of Hispanic Employees, Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education, Illinois Unidos, Illinois Migrant Council, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, LARES, Latino Policy Forum, LULAC, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association, MALDEF, Illinois Latino Agenda, HLAI, Latinas on The Rise, Puerto Rican Agenda working together annually for Latino Unity Day advocacy efforts.
• Hispanic Lawyers Association of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HLAI for inaugural Lawmakers and Lawyers Latino Unity Day Reception during annual Unity Day events.
• Field MuseumminorOthersVenue host for 5th Annual Gala: A Night at The Museum on November 13, 2026.
• Ballet 5:8 Second CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPerforming arts partnership for Alumni Night Out event featuring The House on Mango Street ballet premiere; ticket proceeds benefit Ballet 5:8.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): Illinois-based immigrant rights coalition partner in ILLCF's Latino Unity Day planning. Operates with similar policy advocacy and community mobilization focus on Latino and immigrant communities in Illinois.
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): National Latino legal and civil rights organization participating in ILLCF's Latino Unity Day coalition. Shares focus on Latino education access and civil rights advocacy; operates as a comparable scholarship and policy platform at national scale.
• Latino Policy Forum: Illinois-based Latino policy and advocacy organization that is part of the Latino Unity Day Planning Committee coalition. Both organizations share a focus on Illinois-specific Latino policy priorities and operate as convening bodies for the community.
• Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy: Chicago-based Latino philanthropic organization partnering with ILLCF on Latina Heritage Day events. Directly comparable as a Latino-focused grantmaking and advocacy organization operating in the same Chicago geography.
• Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation: Direct peer organization that ILLCF partners with annually for the Black and Brown Celebration. Both are 501(c)(3) foundations affiliated with Illinois legislative caucuses serving minority communities through scholarships, leadership development, and policy advocacy.

Emerging players

• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): National organization supporting Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Latino student success through scholarships and advocacy. Comparable scholarship and education equity mission to ILLCF's Next Generation Leadership Program, but at higher education institutional level.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic Federation: National Latino advocacy and grantmaking organization that serves as ILLCF's presenting sponsor at Latino Unity Day 2024. Operates a far broader geographic footprint with comparable programs in education, civic engagement, and economic empowerment, making it both a partner and a strategic benchmark for ILLCF's eventual scale.
• UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza): Largest national Latino advocacy organization with affiliated charter school network, policy research, and community programs. Represents the scaled-up national analog of ILLCF's mission and offers a benchmark for what a regional Latino foundation could become.
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): National Latino civil rights organization and member of ILLCF's Latino Unity Day coalition. Operates with broader geographic scope but shares focus on Latino education, advocacy, and leadership development — comparable scholarship and policy programs.
• Chicago Community Foundation (CFF): Major regional community foundation serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Comparable as a grantmaking and community convener, though broader in scope than ILLCF's Latino-focused mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illcf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation