News + Events
EASTSIDE MAGAZINE: HONORING THE LEGACY OF CARMEN CASTELLANO
On behalf of the ¡Si Se Puede! Collective, we honor the legacy of Carmen Castellano – a devoted wife and mother, community advocate, philanthropist, and the inspiration behind the Castellano Family Foundation’s mission to cultivate and enrich Latino family values and...
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS FEATURE
Remembering Carmen Castellano and her impact on the arts in San Jose Foundation leader famous for $141 million lottery win died Sunday at age 81 By Sal Pizarro | spizarro@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News GroupPUBLISHED: July 22, 2020 at 3:39 p.m. | UPDATED: July...
The New York Times Interview and Feature: Al + Carmen
Winning the lottery can be a bolt of amazing luck. But whether the luck lasts depends on whether lottery winners fritter away their unexpected largess or manage to achieve financial security. When Alcario and Carmen Castellano won $141 million in California more than...
15th Anniversary Celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza
The anniversary celebration highlighted the foundation’s 15-year history of supporting Latino arts and culture, education, and leadership development through the accomplishments of its grantees who received $5 million in awards and donations during that period....
Honored by ACE Charter School
Former San Jose Mayor, Susan Hammer and Executive Director of The School of Arts and Culture, Tamar Alvarado were honored by ACE Charter School for their service as the organization’s founding board chairs in October 2016. The event also served as an opportunity to...
$141 million Lotto winners from San Jose still active in philanthropy years later
Long before they made headlines after winning a $141 million California lottery jackpot in 2001, Alcario and Carmen Castellano were stalwart supporters of San Jose’s Latino community and its events. Sure, their lottery windfall allowed them to make a much larger...
Statement from the Castellano Family Foundation
In light of recent events, the Castellano Family Foundation reaffirms our mission to enable Latino youth and youth of color achieve their education goals; promote Latino arts and culture; invest in the leadership of Latinos and our nonprofit partners; and use our...
Comunidad del Valle interview: Carmen Castellano
On Saturday, December 19th, Comunidad del Valle host and NBC Bay Area news reporter, Damian Trujillo interviewed CFF Board Member Carmen Castellano. The interview aired on NBC channel 3 at 9:30 A.M. Grant Application Interested applicants should register online to...
30th Annual PACT Luncheon
On November 13th, Alcario and Carmen Castellano attended PACT’s 30th annual leadership luncheon honoring Judge Ladoris H. Cordell, among other community builders. As former honorees and long-time PACT supporters, Al and Carmen were asked to read a vignette describing...
Macario Production
From October 15th-25th, Teatro Visión will present its annual MACARIO production at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The theatrical adaptation of the classic Mexican novel by Bruno Traven has captivated local audiences for the last three years, promising to become a Día de...
Cornerstone of the Arts Award
On October 2, 2015, Carmen and Alcario Castellano were awarded the prestigious “Cornerstone of the Arts” Award by the City of San José Arts Commission in partnership with the Office of Cultural Affairs. The award honors individuals who have had a significant and...
Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey
A documentary film directed and produced by Ray Telles and Yvan Iturriaga with support from the Castellano Family Foundation is a featured co-presentation of VOCES and American Masters. It premieres on Friday, September 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS (please check your local...
PACT VIP Reception
In June, Al and Carmen Castellano hosted a reception at their home to recognize the 2015 PACT honorees including the Honorable Judge LaDoris Cordell, Independent Policy Auditor and SanDisk executives Sanjay Mehrotra and Tom Baker. Over 100 PACT friends and supporters...
Association of Fundraising Professionals Luncheon
Armando Castellano spoke at a recent luncheon hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Silicon Valley chapter. The panel on “Embracing the New Diversity of 21st Century Philanthropy” explored philanthropy within the Latino, Chinese and...
I am family philanthropy: Carmen Castellano and Carmela Castellano-Garcia
Every day we see committed and generous families making positive impacts on the communities and issues they serve. We want to share their stories and are delighted to announce our new I Am Family Philanthropy video series. Each month, we will share a new compelling...
2015 HIP Conference and HIPGiver Gala
Carmen and Al Castellano, and Carmela Castellano-Garcia, attended the 2015 HIP Conference and HIPGiver Gala in San Francisco. The conference theme "Celebrate Giving, Strengthen Latino Leadership” explored Latino leadership in the philanthropic sector, as well as the...
30 Portraits of Latino Giving & Leadership
Carmen Castellano was featured in “30 Portraits of Latino Giving & Leadership,” a special publication created to celebrate Hispanics in Philanthropy’s 30th anniversary. The publication honors the inaugural cohort of HIPGivers, a title bestowed upon 30 exceptional...
Latino Heritage Leadership Award
On October 17, 2014 Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski hosted the 2nd Annual Latino Heritage Leadership Awards Ceremony where Alcario and Carmen Castellano received a commendation for their contributions to addressing the needs of the local Latino community.
The Latino Comics Expo
The Latino Comics Expo featuring famed Chicano cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, creator of the nationally-syndicated newspaper strip LA CUCARACHA takes place on October 11 & 12 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on the campus of San José State University. The...
Teatro Visión
Teatro Visión will present their second annual theatrical adaptation MACARIO, from October 9-19, 2014, at the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. Click here to learn more about this exciting production http://www.teatrovision.org/macario [button...
ART and Revolutions
ART and Revolutions tells the story of Mexican artist and printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) whose 23-year collaboration with Mexican publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo (1852-1917) created a vast portfolio of work that inspired and influenced the graphic...
Latino Focus is Here
Latino Focus is a hot, new, entertaining TV series showcasing the Latino community in San José . It premieres this Thursday, September 4 at 7:00 p.m. on CreaTV's Cable Channel 30 or via live-stream at [button style="big rounded flat" color="#ff9900"...
Carmen Castellano Fine Arts Center & Multi-Disciplinary Complex
The award-winning design of the Carmen Castellano Fine Arts Center & Multi-Disciplinary Complex at San Jose City College focuses on sustainability – maximizing open space, natural daylight, and ventilation. This flagship project brings Math and Arts together,...
Latino/a Education Association
Following the dedication of the Carmen Castellano Fine Arts Building in 2012, Carmen was honored by the Latino/a Education Association (LEA) for her role as a founding member of the organization, her 33 years of service as an employee of the college, and her continued...
José Valdés Math Institute
The José Valdés Math Institute, a local nonprofit organization, was founded by a high school math teacher from Cuba who wanted to improve the math skills of academically-challenged students who were preparing to enter high school at Andrew Hill. His vision was to...
Grantee Convening 2013
Some 12 years ago, Alcario and Carmen Castellano experienced a windfall of money which today, looking back, has benefitted the local Hispanic/Latino community of the County of Santa Clara in ways that will amount to a unique legacy of altruism and ‘service to others’....
Launch Event 2012
Over 125 people attended a Next Generation Launch Event at the Castellano family home in September 2012. The purpose of the event was to honor the past and celebrate the future as the leadership of the Castellano Family Foundation transitioned to a new generation of...
Actress Lupe Ontiveros recieves the Maverick Spirit Award
On March, 2003, Carmen & Alcario Castellano took a photo with Actress Guadalupe Ontiveros at the San Jose Cinequest Film Festival, where she was honored with a Maverick Spirit Award.The Maverick Spirit Award is the most prestigious award given at the Cinequest...