DFW Hispanic 100 celebrated 30 years of leadership and service to the North Texas Latino community on Sept. 23 with an awards gala at the Arts District Mansion. The celebration brought together 350 of North Texas’ most influential Latina leaders, along with partners and allies.

The gala also marked a major milestone for the DFW Hispanic 100 Latina Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF), which has surpassed $1 million in cumulative giving. Since its founding in 2019, the Giving Circle has awarded $1,022,200 through 217 grants to North Texas nonprofits supporting Latina women, girls and families.

In 2026, the Giving Circle awarded $136,200 through 22 grants. This year’s Latina Giving Circle is led by Co-Chairs Yareli Esteban and Kim Cummings, Grants Chair Diana Aguirre and a committee of Hispanic 100 members.

Texas Women’s Foundation President and CEO Karen Hughes White said, “Texas Women’s Foundation is honored to partner with DFW H100 Giving Circle in support of their mission to engage more Latinas in philanthropy and to expand resources for North Texas organizations working to empower, educate and support the Hispanic community. And we extend our heartfelt congratulations for the more than $1 million in impact they’ve made in the lives of Hispanic women and families throughout our community.” 

Yareli Esteban, Co-Chair, Hispanic 100 Latina Giving Circle at TXWF, said, “Our greatest strength is proximity. We are women from this community investing in experienced nonprofit leaders who understand its needs and possibilities firsthand. We are not simply awarding grants; we are investing in the conditions that allow Latina women, girls and families to thrive, including expanding access to education and healthcare, strengthening economic security, developing leaders, creating safety from violence and advancing justice. Reaching $1 million proves that collective philanthropy can be both strategic and deeply human. With greater investment, these trusted organizations can move faster, reach further and create lasting change across North Texas.”

Sylvia Sotelo Kidd, 2026 President, DFW Hispanic 100, added, “As Hispanic 100 celebrates its 30th anniversary, we are deeply proud that the Latina Giving Circle has surpassed $1 million in giving. We are grateful to our members, Giving Circle leaders and committee, and Texas Women’s Foundation for making this milestone possible. This is our mission in action: mobilizing the collective power of Latina trailblazers to expand opportunity and create lasting community impact through philanthropy.”

At the gala, DFW Hispanic 100 also recognized Dr. Catalina Garcia as the inaugural recipient of the Mujer de la Década Award, a new honor to be presented only at the organization’s 10-year anniversaries. The award follows the recognition of Dr. Elba Garcia as the 2026 Latina Living Legend and Dallas ISD Trustee Prisma Garcia as the 2026 Emerging Latina Leader Award (ELLA) recipient.

Thirty years of service
Founded in 1996 as the Hispanic 50, Hispanic 100 has spent three decades bringing accomplished Latina leaders together to serve North Texas. Two of the organization’s three original founders, Delia Reyes and Bertha Outler, served as Honorary Chairs of the celebration. The other founder was Patricia Asip. The evening brought together three generations of the Hispanic 100 story: its founders, its Living Legends and its emerging leaders.

Grants were awarded to the following nonprofit organizations: 

Aspire – Family literacy and ESL programming (Dallas, 75247)

AVANCE North Texas –  Parent-Child education program for academic success (Dallas, 75212)

Cara Mia Theatre –  Third annual Latinidades Arts Symposium (Dallas, 75219)

Catch Up & Read – Bilingual literacy education for at-risk elementary students (Dallas, 75251)

The Concilio – General operations to expand bilingual programming (Dallas, 75208)

Grameen America – Microloans for small businesses (Farmers Branch, 75234)

Literacy Achieves – Family literacy program, two generation approach (Dallas, 75246) 

Representa DFW – Funds to expand Latin American cultural experiences (Dallas, 75219)

Volar – Organizational capacity and staff support (Dallas, 75204)

To learn more about donating or joining the DFW H100 Latina Giving Circle, visit https://txwf.org/impact-investing/giving-circle/ or email H100latinagc@txwf.org.

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