Ana Marie Argilagos is the president and CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy, where she works to build, fund, and fuel philanthropy for Latinos across the Americas.
“At my core though, I’m a builder. I’m constantly evaluating our programs, looking at data, and thinking about how we can refine our approaches,” she says.
Prior to joining HIP, Argilagos was a senior advisor at the Ford Foundation and spent eight years as a senior program officer at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. She was appointed to serve in the federal government during two presidential administrations, and when she was deputy chief of staff at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, she created the Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation to scale collaboration between the public and philanthropic sectors.
Argilagos serves on the boards of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, CANDID, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, PoderLatinx, and the Sante Fe Community Foundation. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University and her bachelor’s degree in international relations from American University.
How does your Latino heritage influence you as a leader?
Of course, my identities and experiences have significantly influenced me as a leader. I enter the room as a CEO but also as a woman, a mother, a wife, an amiga, and so much more. I’ve learned to embrace the fluidities of my identity and stand on the depth of experience I have in my career. Although Latinos are not all the same, we have a lot in common regarding our values.
We are relationship-oriented, making us so much more collaborative. My home in Puerto Rico and later Miami was always full of family and friends alike. I was surrounded by generosity and optimism that fueled my family to stay resilient as we confronted so many changes. It influenced the way I champion my peers in their work and most importantly allows me to maintain a strong sense of justice and equity. I prioritize initiatives promoting social justice and uplifting historically underrepresented communities. We all have the right to thrive and find security in the place we call home.
Outside of work, what are you passionate about and why?
I serve on the board of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, which allows me to give back locally in really meaningful ways. I’m also a member of President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. The work of promoting equity and access in education has driven me to continue my passion for bringing multiple sectors together to drive change.
Outside of work, I’m passionate about a few things. I actually just became a dog mom to the most adorable puppy named Koko. She has stolen my heart and puts a huge smile on my face every single morning. I absolutely love going on long hikes with Koko—watching her boundless energy and getting exercise together is such a joy. When I can tear myself away from cuddle time with my furry best friend, it’s because I’m busy with my community and board involvement.
It’s a balancing act between my work in philanthropy and community projects with my personal life, but keeps me energized and fulfilled.
The Alumni Society’s theme of this year is Leadership for a Changing World. What does it mean to you to lead in a changing world?
To lead in a changing world, I embrace a servant leadership approach that focuses on deep listening, flexibility, a multigenerational mindset, and embracing the power of partnerships and interconnectedness. When I started at HIP over five years ago, I took the time to go on a “listening tour” to understand the different perspectives of our network. I did my best to remain curious and learn from everyone, recognizing that our organization is a living, breathing movement of diverse people. It is a true collective corazón. Throughout those moments I was reminded that while having a clear direction is important, I must also remain flexible and adaptable to change. Additionally, I consider sustainability and long-term work as a servant leader, considering the impact of my actions on future generations, not just short-term goals.
What major changes have you observed in your industry over the past year?
This moves beyond philanthropy, but there is a real danger in the decision of the US Supreme Court in 2023 to challenge Affirmative Action and in the Fearless Fund case that is before the courts now. That decision [will] completely change everything. Essentially, anything that is a contract or funding agreement would be impacted. This has put a major target on organizations that seek to achieve equity for people of color and for those who have been historically excluded.
As I mentioned earlier, we just celebrated our fortieth anniversary last year. I spent that time reflecting on our legacy and envisioning the future of our work. Part of what we do is advocate for systems changes in philanthropy. Through internal learning and external advocacy, HIP creates spaces to review philanthropic practices through the lens of the ancestral wisdom of our Latine, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Our network understands how important this work is to move towards a more equitable and inclusive philanthropic landscape.
True equity cannot be achieved through traditional philanthropic approaches alone. That’s why we advocate for race-explicit grantmaking and focus on the priorities identified by our communities over what the existing philanthropic norms or trends are.
What are you doing to ensure you remain a nimble and adaptable leader during these changing times?
Personally, this means I make an effort to keep myself engaged in deep listening through gatherings across the country and around the world. I attend events like our own HIP conference, the Skoll World Forum, and the CHCI Conference—these are spaces where I have the opportunity to listen to a diversity of perspectives to learn from global leaders. I also remain actively involved with organizations such as CHANGE Philanthropy and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which have provided valuable platforms for understanding emerging trends and challenges in philanthropy.
And of course, I am deeply committed to our board members at Hispanics in Philanthropy to create opportunities for gatherings with partners like Native Americans in Philanthropy and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, allowing us to explore shared practices in greater depth to foster cross-cultural understanding. Finally, HIP cultivates in-person and virtual learning communities and organizes study trips—these are opportunities where we learn firsthand from our grantees and partners about the challenges and opportunities present in the ecosystem.
I also recognize the importance of wellness, self-care, and family. I prioritize spending quality time with my loved ones and friends. As they say, rest is truly revolutionary—it allows me to recharge and approach my work with renewed energy and clarity. Next year, I’ll be taking a 3-month sabbatical and I’m enjoying dreaming up all the different possibilities of things for me to do during that time.
