Barbara Fernandez Named Chair of Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Barbara Fernandez  has been named chair of the steering committee for the Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the community foundation serving the 29-town Greater Hartford region. She will be joined by Delpha DiGiacomo who will be serving as the fund’s vice-chair.  Fernandez will succeed the Fund’s outgoing co-chairs Jorge Casanovas and Moraima Gutierrez.

Fernandez currently serves as Special Assistant to the University of Connecticut’s Vice-President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. She is working to develop and implement a technology-based economic development strategy that will increase research funding, accelerate the translation of innovation to commercialization, and create the next generation of technology and technology driven companies at UCONN. She previously served as Director of Business Development for the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and was executive director of Guakia, Inc., a bi-lingual arts and cultural organization in Connecticut.

“As a proud charter member of the Latino Endowment Fund, I am honored to serve as the Fund’s chair during this exciting period of transition for the Fund and our region,” Fernandez said. “I look forward to building on the work of my predecessors and will look to increase our membership and raise funds to support the issues directly affecting the Latino community.”

DiGiacomo currently serves as Travelers’ Assistant Vice President of Strategy and Operations, where she is part of a leadership team that oversees the organization’s 290-person Investigative Services division. She has led Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and has served as the Travelers National Chair of the Hispanic Latino Network, supporting diversity-focused recruitment and retention strategies that have been implemented nationwide. Recently, DiGiacomo launched Delpha D, LLC. a cohort of her blog, Leadership and Lifestyle. Through Delpha D, LLC., she actively coaches professionals looking to elevate their career to the next level, while focusing on a balanced lifestyle.   

“As a member of the Latino Endowment Fund, it is an honor to deepen the relationship with the organization,” DiGiacomo said. “The focus on a thriving, successful Hispanic community in Hartford is at the heart of the organization.  I am proud to be part of this Giving Circle and to help shape the future in support of our community.”

The Latino Endowment Fund was founded in 2003 by Latino leaders in Greater Hartford to increase philanthropy in their community and to strengthen nonprofits working to improve the quality of life for Latino residents. Members examine issues affecting the Latino community and recommend grants from the fund to address those issues.

In October 2020, the Hartford Foundation announced the creation of two five-year, $250,000 flex-funds to support the Foundation’s key stakeholders of color through its Latino Endowment Fund and Black Giving Circle Fund. These additional resources will empower the two giving circles to increase their grantmaking capacity by up to $50,000 per year for the next five years and/or contribute up to $50 thousand per year to their endowment to increase their perpetual grantmaking capacity.

For more information, contact Susan Dana at 860-548-1888 or sdana@hfpg.org or go to www.hfpg.org/latino.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $785 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.