El Paso Fund Deserves Attention

To the Editor:

Thank you for featuring U.S.-Mexico border philanthropy in your September 20 issue (“Bolstering Border Philanthropy”). As a native borderlander and a scholar who has conducted border research over the last three decades, I was pleased with the information provided to your readership.

I only wish to add some historical depth pertaining to the work undertaken in the region by the El Paso Community Foundation. Some of its contributions were mentioned in the article, but I believe more should be said.

I have followed closely the work of the foundation since its institutional beginnings a quarter of a century ago. This foundation started functioning in the tricky binational environment of the U.S.-Mexico border long before other organizations, charitable and otherwise, took notice of the monumental philanthropic needs of borderlanders.

Over the years the El Paso Community Foundation has made thousands of grants and sponsored a multitude of projects in many fields, including the environment, the arts, waterworks, education, health, poverty, and culture. Notably, many of these projects have had an international dimension. One particularly significant accomplishment is the successful effort to harmonize U.S. and Mexican laws to facilitate cross-border charitable contributions.

The El Paso Community Foundation has also led the way in solidifying cross-border institutional relationships. The close cooperation and effective working arrangement forged between the foundation and the Ciudad Juárez-based Fundación Margarita Miranda de Mascareñas, A.C. is a model that other foundations may wish to examine for possible replication. Another initiative worthy of imitation is the Mascareñas Foundation, the new binational fund that is blazing a trail in transboundary philanthropy. The El Paso Community Foundation played a central role in the creation of this institution.

I also wish to mention the initiatives of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Through the efforts of David Lorey, Hewlett’s Latin American Program has funded a variety of projects of great benefit to the border. The $1-million grant for environmental projects recently awarded to the Mascareñas Foundation is particularly significant because of its binational character.

Oscar J. Martínez
Professor of History
University of Arizona
Tucson