FUNDERS BRIEFING
​Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 9 - 10am PST / 12-1pm EST
¡Juntos Nos Levantamos! Come join the staff, board and members of Somos El Poder as we explore our five years of work, learning and our vision for the future. We believe we can be pivotal for a better future for Latinos in the US today.
PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, & RESULTS
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Join us for a discussion about Somos El Poder future and aspirations! This is our way of updating our funders and members or our progress and challenges. Come visit with us, hear updates, give input and join the discussion as we work to make Somos El Poder ever stronger! Support us by telling your stories too! 

Somos El Poder programs, initiatives, and results. Why Latinx Fundraising and Giving Matters? and What comes next?

OUR PROGRAMS
  • Fundraising Con Ganas, In-person Training
  • La Vanguardia Academy, Online Fundraising Training
  • Consulting Sessions
  • Monthly Online Trainings
  • Juntos Podemos, Online Communities
AGENDA
  • Welcome & Intro by Diana DeJesus Medina, Somos El Poder Board Chair, and Armando Zumaya, Fouder & Executive Director at Somos El Poder
  • “Fundraising Is Self Determination” by Henry Cisneros, Chairman of American Triple I, former federal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and first Latino Mayor of San Antonio, TX.
  • “Why Somos El Poder, Why Now?” 
  • Our Strategic Plan
  • Listening Session: Open Mic for Members Testimonials/Input
  • Our Vision for the Future
KEY PRESENTERS
Henry Cisneros, Chairman of American Triple I and Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Dr. Henry G. Cisneros is Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of American Triple I, an infrastructure investment firm based in New York. He is also a Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors & Equity Owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co., L.L.C., and Principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC., a national municipal and corporate finance firm. Dr. Cisneros is the Founder and Chairman of CityView, a partner in building more than 100 communities in 13 states, building more than 7,000 homes with a total value of over $5 billion.
Dr. Cisneros’ community-building career began at the local level. After serving three terms as a City Councilmember, in 1981, Dr. Cisneros became the first Hispanic-American Mayor of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, Texas. During his four terms as Mayor, he helped rebuild the city’s economic base and spurred the creation of jobs through massive infrastructure and downtown improvements.
In 1984, Dr. Cisneros was interviewed by the Democratic Presidential nominee as a possible candidate for Vice President of the United States, and in 1986 was selected as the “Outstanding Mayor” in the nation by City and State Magazine. After completing four terms as Mayor, Dr. Cisneros formed Cisneros Asset Management Company, a fixed income management firm operating nationally and ranked at the time as the second-fastest growing money manager in the nation.
In 1992, President Clinton appointed Dr. Cisneros as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet, Secretary Cisneros has been credited with revitalizing many of the nation’s public housing developments and formulating policies that contributed to achieving the nation’s highest-ever homeownership rate. In his role as the President’s chief representative to the nation’s cities, Dr. Cisneros personally worked in more than 200 U.S. cities in every one of the 50 states.

Dr. Cisneros holds a Bachelor of Arts, and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University, where he has been designated a Distinguished Alumnus. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, was a graduate assistant in urban economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holds a Doctorate in Public Administration from George Washington University, and has been awarded more than 20 honorary doctorates from leading universities, Texas A&M University at San Antonio is the site of the Henry G. Cisneros Center for Emerging Leaders. He served as an infantry officer in the United States Army. Dr. Cisneros is married to Mary Alice P. Cisneros, who, from 2007–to 2011, served on San Antonio’s City Council. They have three children – Teresa, Mercedes, and John Paul – and four grandchildren.
Tony Bowen, Executive Director, Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund
​Tony and the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund have been long time supporters of Somos El Poder. He will talk about his organization's unique approach to strengthening the nonprofit sector, the urgent need for individual giving today and what they have learned in years of supporting Somos El Poder. 

Tony Bowen is Executive Director of the Catalyst Fund at Fidelity Charitable®, an independent 501(c)(3) public charity that has helped donors support more than 406,000 nonprofit organizations with $84.5 billion in grants. The mission of Fidelity Charitable is to grow the American tradition of philanthropy by providing programs that make charitable giving accessible, simple, and effective.
In his role at the Catalyst Fund, he partners with the Fidelity Charitable Board of Trustees to manage a grantmaking program dedicated to building bridges between donors and promising nonprofits. The Catalyst Fund makes grants to intermediaries that engage donors, elevate nonprofits, and conduct research on donors and philanthropy. The Center for High Impact Philanthropy has been a grantee of the Catalyst Fund since 2018.
He is currently co-chair of the Infrastructure Funders Group, on the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Board of Visitors and Giving Tuesday’s Data Commons Advisory Committee, and a Partner with Social Venture Partners Boston.
Tony has worked at community and family foundations, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Democracy Fund, and sector infrastructure organizations such as Candid, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and FMA. He graduated with an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University. He lives in Boston.
Diana De Jesus Medina, Board Chair, Somos El Poder
Chief, External Strategy and Affairs, LatinoJustice PRLDEF
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Diana joined LatinoJustice in 2009 to guide the organization’s fund development strategy and informs organizational planning. She has 30 years of experience in fundraising. Before joining the LJP team, Diana served as the national director of affiliate services at Family Promise, where she oversaw and implemented organizational development services, including strategic planning and board training, for more than 100 affiliates. Throughout her career, Diana has worked with myriad non-profit teams, including the YWCA of Brooklyn and the American Folk Art Museum, to strengthen organizational resources and capacity. A Brooklyn native and New Jersey resident, Diana volunteers with several nonprofit organizations and is an avid baker.
Armando E. Zumaya, Founder & Executive Director, Somos El Poder

​Armando is a veteran fundraiser with over 40 years of experience. He lectures internationally on fundraising in the US, Mexico and the UK. He lectures and writes about the Latinx experience in the nonprofit world. His work includes direct experience raising five, six and seven figure gifts from Latinx in the US. He is an active development officer. He has spent the bulk of his fundraising career as a Major Gift, Leadership Gifts and Annual Fund Officer on two $1+ billion dollar campaigns at Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is well known for his work in teaching prospecting, solicitation, cold calling, Latino Major Giving techniques and remote constituency fundraising. He is a well reviewed speaker.