El Semillero: Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising

In partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH), this workshop trains theological leaders with a commitment to the Latine/Hispanic community in fundraising and development.

“At El Semillero, I was surrounded by like-minded, passionate, and committed Latinos dedicated to driving the financial success of their organizations. The community really felt like “una familia.” My experience at El Semillero not only helped me grow in my career but also sharpened my storytelling skills—something that’s been incredibly valuable in my role as Director of Grants. Being able to clearly show funders the impact of their support is at the heart of what I do.” – Brenda Crespo, M.Div.


Program Highlights

  • Three day training on fundraising from a Latine/Hispanic Perspective
  • Possibility to earn an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising through The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving 
  • Ability to join a year-long cohort of theological leaders in the Church, academy, non-profits, and community spaces

Program Description

The HSP’s El Semillero Workshop in partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH) allows a cohort of theological leaders with a commitment to the Latine/Hispanic community to learn new skills in finance, fundraising, and development. This program was created due to the gap in Latine-led nonprofits and organizations in regards to their access to funding.

Program Certificate Requirements

In order to be granted the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising by the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving participants must complete the following requirements:

  • Attend El Semillero: Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising training
  • Propose and conduct a fundraising project
  • Provide a report on the fundraising project

Participants who attend the training can choose to not complete the fundraising project; however, they will then be unable to receive the certificate.

Program Dates and Location

  • Dates: Details forthcoming for 2027
  • Location: Details forthcoming for 2027

Program Fee

  • The fee for this program is $1,000
  • The program fee includes the cost of room, board, travel, and all program activities including facilitation

Program Eligibility

  • To be eligible for this program you must be committed to, and/or serving, the Latine/Hispanic community as a theological practitioner. We define theological practitioners as those who apply theological education to religious leadership, community organizing, faculty positions, and/or higher education and nonprofit administration.
  • Students are not eligible to apply unless they are in an institutional leadership position

Program Registration

  • Registration opens in fall 2026
  • This registration does not require a recommendation
  • The notification of registration is typically made within two weeks of registration closing

Once an applicant’s registration has been processed for the program they will receive an email with a matriculation form to accept their program registration. This matriculation form includes the process for paying the Program Fee and is due 2 weeks after the notification of registration.

The HSP accepts the following payment methods for the Program Fee after an individual has been accepted into the program:

  • Check: Please make checks payable to the Hispanic Scholars Program and mail to: Hispanic Scholars Program (42 Tiemann Place, Ste 310 New York, NY 10027)
  • PayPal: Payments may be submitted via PayPal using an existing account or by creating one and linking your credit card
  • Zelle: Zelle payments may be made to admin@hispanicscholarsprogram.org 

Please contact the HSP administrator, Elizabeth Niang (eniang@hispanicscholarsprogram.org), if you have any questions regarding payment options.

  • Travel: After you have been officially accepted to the program, submitted your matriculation form, and submitted the program fee, you may proceed with purchasing your travel to the program location. Upon purchasing your travel, you must submit your full travel itinerary via email to the HSP administrator, Elizabeth Niang (eniang@hispanicscholarsprogram.org).
  • Housing: All housing for the duration of the program is coordinated directly by the HSP. We recognize that travel schedules may require some participants to arrive prior to the program start date or depart after the program concludes. If you require housing outside of the official program dates, we will work with you to coordinate accommodations. Please note that the cost of any additional housing will be deducted from your travel reimbursement.

Since its first Summer Session in 1989, the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) has sought to be a place of welcome in which theological education is made available to all students. In keeping with this commitment, the HSP does not discriminate in its admissions or program practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, or any other status protected by law. Applicants are evaluated using program-related criteria such as academic preparation, vocational interest, character, and commitment to theological study. The HSP has always served students, faculty, staff, administrators, and leaders from a wide range of backgrounds. Guided by the values of en conjunto (working together as a community), lo cotidiano (attending to the realities of daily life), and acompañamiento (walking alongside one another), we affirm that all people are created in the image of God and journey together in learning and faith.