It's created an awareness in the black community that indeed a mind is a terrible thing to waste. I want to do the same thing for the Latino community. Endowment money is hard to raise says Paul Ostergard, immediate past chair of the HSF board of directors and executive director of the Citigroup Foundation in New York City. But we on the board have to take this responsibility on. We'll contact wealthy individuals, ask our own board members to give, and lay out a whole array of options.
Challenge grants are one of the best ways to do that.
We want school districts to put us in their matching gift program. Mr. Ostergard, who has served on the HSF board since 1985, credits Ms. Martinez Tucker's presentation for convincing the Lilly Endowment of HSF's need. This is a very fast-growing, mostly young population. It sounds corny but education is absolutely essential for what is defined as success. Those who want a higher education should be afforded that opportunity.