Latino Issues Forum Receives $150,000 Grant From the Comcast Foundation to Support Online Civic Engagement and Education Project

Latino Issues Forum Receives $150,000 Grant From the Comcast Foundation to Support Online Civic Engagement and Education Project

Effort to Close Technology Gap in the Latino Non-Profit Sector Will Begin in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to close the technology gap in the Latino non-profit sector, Comcast and the Latino Issues Forum (LIF), a statewide public policy and advocacy institute, announced today that LIF has received a $150,000 grant from The Comcast Foundation to launch a program that will increase the technology use, community advocacy and civic participation of Latino-serving community-based organizations (CBOs).

LIF's assessment of these non-profit CBOs has found that the organizations face severe budget cuts across all levels of government and economic fluctuations. They are also weathering a changing political climate and reductions in corporate and philanthropic giving as they struggle for the funding and resources to effectively harness technology to better serve California's growing Latino community.

"What you have is a situation in which Latino non-profits are becoming more and more reliant on technology, yet as time passes, many are continuing to fall behind," said Luis Aretaga, Executive Director, LIF. "We're elated that The Comcast Foundation is providing these generous resources to help prevent the Latino non-profit sector from being cut off from the socio-economic and civic opportunities that technology can provide."

The $150,000 Comcast Foundation grant, to be paid over the next three years, will be used to launch the LIF's Online Civic Engagement and Education Project (OCEP) in Fresno County, a community with a 40% Latino population. LIF began the OCEP in the Bay Area in 2002 and is expanding the project to other cities in Northern California over the next two years.

The OCEP will assess the technology needs of Latino-serving CBOs and identify free or low-cost resources that the CBOs will be able to access. The project will also provide free or low-cost access to technical assistance for 35 Latino CBOs and work to increase understanding and support for broadband access by the Latino community. In addition, the OCEP will expand the LIF web-site to include an up-to-date non-profit directory of Latino-serving CBOs in the Bay Area and Fresno, as well as an on-line area for these organizations to share resources and promote civic engagement, networking and coalition building for the Latino community.

"Comcast believes strongly in supporting organizations that strengthen communities in the neighborhoods we serve," said Jill Schwinn, Director of Government Affairs for Comcast. "The Comcast Foundation provides financial support for these non-profit groups and we are thrilled to be working with the Latino Issues Forum to close the technology gap among the Latino non-profit sector in Fresno."

The grant and launch of the new project were announced this morning in Fresno at a press breakfast sponsored by Arte Americas (a Fresno-based cultural center dedicated to celebrating the arts of Mexico, Latin America, the Southwest and California) and Centro La Familia Advocacy, (a Fresno-based organization that assists parents who are in need of services to prevent an incident of abuse or neglect). Following the press conference at Arte Americas, attendees visited the computer lab at Fresno High School to learn more about the technology needs of low income communities and see how some of those needs are being met by Comcast's high-speed internet services and initiatives such as Cable in the Classroom.

About Latino Issues Forum

Established in 1987, Latino Issues Forum is a statewide, non-profit public policy and advocacy institute dedicated to advancing new and innovative public policy solutions for a better, more equitable and prosperous society. LIF also serves as a clearinghouse to assist and provide the news media with accurate information and sources in the Latino community for fair and effective coverage of issues. LIF addresses public policy issues from the perspective of how they will affect the economic future of the Latino community in California.

About The Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 and is the company's chief source of charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs that work to create a positive, sustainable impact within our communities in the areas of volunteerism; literacy; and youth leadership development. Since its inception, The Comcast Foundation has donated more than $30 million to organizations in the communities where Comcast serves. More information about The Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com under "In the Community."

Source: Comcast

CONTACT: Ana Montes of Latino Issues Forum, +1-415-284-7208, or
anamontes@lif.org; or Bryan Byrd of Comcast, +1-916-826-7983, or
bryan_byrd@cable.comcast.com

Web site: http://www.comcast.com/

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