Study Describes Growth of Community Foundations in Mexico

“We are a relatively young foundation and for us, in Ciudad Juárez, the study tells people we are part of a larger group of community foundations that are working throughout Mexico, that they are growing in strength, and that we are making a difference and are here to stay.”

The study also documents how civic-minded people have been active in the creation of some of these organizations. It describes business people and other community leaders who are reaching into their pockets and volunteering their time to strengthen civil society.

“In Mexico, we have grave social and economic inequalities, and I have personally seen how these foundations can change people’s lives,” said Jorge Contreras, a Cuidad Juárez businessman who serves on the board of two community foundations. “It is gratifying that this study provides evidence that these community foundations offer an efficient, effective way to involve people in philanthropy, and I hope as a result that it motivates people to inquire about what they can do to help.”

Although Mexico has a charitable tradition, the professional practice of philanthropy is just emerging, the study points out, and challenges remain. In 2007, there were about 5,000 nonprofit organizations that have tax-exempt status. (That number has since risen to just over 7,000.) By contrast, the U.S. has nearly one million of these organizations.

Mexico’s civil society organizations have long competed for limited resources. One challenge highlighted in the report is the traditional view that it is the role of either the government or the church to meet the needs of the less fortunate.

At a time when global economics are affecting all countries, the work of the community foundations, especially in Mexico, will be even more demanding in the near future. The report says the community foundations face the challenge of raising money when resources have dwindled, the peso has declined and needs are escalating. But the study suggests that they offer a long-term investment for strengthening Mexico’s civil society and, in turn, its democracy.