Photo Credit: Giving Back Magazine
For Mario and Linda Sierra, their decades of nonprofit support started with MAAC – the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee, a local nonprofit founded in 1965 that helps individuals and families create the life they want and deserve through economic mobility.
“I was introduced to nonprofit organizations in high school,” Mario shares. “As part of a MAAC summer youth employment program, I worked for the Chicano Federation. I saw first-hand the difference MAAC and the Chicano Federation were making by providing work opportunities to local youth.”
Coincidentally, Linda’s first job at 16 was with MAAC, too. While they didn’t meet there, the husband and wife continue to support nonprofits serving San Diego County, including San Diego Foundation’s El Camino Fund.
Creating Opportunities for Others
With family roots in Mexico – Mario was born in Tijuana and Linda’s family is originally from Coahuila and Monterrey – the Sierras grew up in San Diego, with both going to school in southeastern San Diego and attending University of California San Diego and National University. Both have had successful careers, Linda as a human resources professional and recruiter in the life sciences and biotech industries and Mario as a director for the City of San Diego and currently an administrator in Facilities Management at UC San Diego. They see the value in giving back to others, especially when it comes to access to opportunity.
Mario shares, “Everyone needs to recognize their success can be attributed to an opportunity someone else provided them. It’s important to do well in our careers, but also acknowledge our responsibility to help create opportunities for others to succeed.”
And the two – through their volunteering, board service and philanthropy – have helped create that opportunity. For Linda, her philanthropic causes are tied to the issues she experiences in her role as an executive recruiter.
“I’m intentional in supporting causes that support underrepresented communities, Latinos, people of color and women and girls, especially when they touch STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), since we struggle as an industry to get people of color, women and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) individuals into the executive level and board seats,” she notes, sharing that she supports MANA de San Diego, San Diego Squared and Life Science Cares, among other local nonprofits.
Additionally, Mario has volunteered on several nonprofit boards, including Chicano Federation and CASA Familiar, two local Latina-led and Latino/a-serving nonprofit organizations. He also currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the board for the Urban Corps of San Diego County.
“Nonprofit organizations provide opportunities that otherwise would never be given to under-represented individuals,” he comments. “Many nonprofit organizations believe and invest in people who want to improve their lives regardless of where they’re from or who they know.”
From left: Mario and Linda greet other guests at the kick-off event for El Camino Fund in June
Empowering Latino/a Leaders
This commitment to ensuring opportunity for under-represented individuals is what drew them to El Camino Fund, a new initiative with a $2.5 million endowment to empower local Latino/a leaders and strengthen economic mobility and generational wealth-building projects led by Latino/a-serving nonprofit organizations in San Diego County.
“I feel strongly about San Diego Latinos being represented … especially since we are a border town with a 40% or so demographic,” Linda says.
Meanwhile, Mario was drawn to the fund’s goals.
“I decided to support El Camino Fund because they are strategic in investing in local nonprofit organizations that are driven to serve the Latino/a community needs,” he states. “Through their generous financial investments, El Camino Fund will help close equity gaps and help overcome systemic barriers under-represented communities continue to face.”
Together, the couple hopes that El Camino Fund will develop and strengthen partnerships between nonprofits and the San Diego business community, help develop a San Diego region in which Latinos/as are equally represented in all industries and positions, and provide opportunities for their hard-working community.
About El Camino Fund
Above: Our inaugural El Camino Fund grantees
El Camino Fund is a charitable fund that raises money from Latinos/as and their allies to support the local Latino/a community, close equity gaps and provide opportunities to thrive, prosper and belong in the San Diego region.
El Camino Fund also provides an opportunity for those engaged with and passionate about San Diego’s Latino/a community to express their generosity and support through philanthropy. El Camino Fund is a unique opportunity to harness the great potential of our region’s philanthropy and, together, make a meaningful impact through targeted, aligned charitable giving. Aligning our collective giving in areas of mutual focus can more fully leverage impact and support for the Latino/a community.
