News

New structure for increased giving in the community

June 15, 2018

The Paso del Norte Foundation (Foundation) and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (Health Foundation) are pleased to announce a new organizational structure and relationship that will enable both Foundations to better meet their individual and joint missions on behalf of the people of the Paso del Norte region.

The Health Foundation, which was a private foundation, will now serve as a supporting organization to the Paso del Norte Foundation to grow its assets through philanthropy, increase partnerships with external funders and ultimately increase grantmaking to nonprofits in the region, leading to measurable improvements to health.

For the Paso del Norte Foundation, the new structure bolsters its mission to increase philanthropy in the region offering donors greater choice in their charitable and legacy giving and ensuring excellence in governance, stewardship and accountability paramount to donors.

“This change creates greater operating efficiencies for both foundations sharing executive, program and development staff as well as administrative, financial and investment support,” says Hector Retta, incoming Chair of the Paso del Norte Foundation and immediate past Vice-Chair of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. “It will also create an effective platform from which to grow philanthropy in the region, something we want to do for future generations.”

“While the structure is new,” says Sharon Butterworth, Chair of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, “the Health Foundation will maintain its name, mission, purpose and all of the responsibilities that we have today. We look forward to continuing our leadership and grantmaking in our five priority areas: Healthy Eating and Active Living, Tobacco and Alcohol Control, Mental Health and Emotional Well-being, Healthy Kids and Health Leadership. Our mission is to promote health and prevent disease in the region and we look forward to having greater resources to do this.”

“We created a great legacy with the formation of the Health Foundation 23 years ago. We are building on that legacy with the Paso del Norte Foundation,” says Steve Lauterbach, founding board member of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and founding board member and past Chair of the Paso del Norte Foundation. “The Paso del Norte Foundation is an effective vehicle for donors to support nonprofit organizations in our region and establish their legacy giving for the future.”

The Paso del Norte Foundation will offer opportunities to invest in the needs of the region beyond health. The Foundation manages supporting organizations, donor-advised funds, designated funds and agency funds to support the interests of donors and the needs of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes in the region.

“We look forward to serving our region through the strength of the Paso del Norte Foundation and the philanthropic foundations and funds under our umbrella that support a range of charitable causes,” says Tracy Yellen, who will continue in her role as CEO of the re-structured Paso del Norte Foundation. “We are here to support nonprofit organizations and charitable causes and to work with donors binationally to establish a legacy of giving and investing the future of our region. We are committed now more than ever to our core values of leadership, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and stewardship.”

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation (Health Foundation) was established in 1995 from the sale of Providence Memorial Hospital to Tenet Healthcare Corporation for $130 million. Since its inception, the Health Foundation has invested more than $164 million in grants and partnerships to improve health while growing assets to $241.7 million as of December 31, 2017. Governed by an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors, the Health Foundation’s mission is to lead, leverage and invest in initiatives, programs and policies to promote health and prevent disease in the bintational, tri-state region. In its 23 year history, the Health Foundation has supported successful efforts to reduce smoking, binge drinking, obesity and stigma associated with mental illness and increase healthy eating, physical activity, health leadership and health insurance enrollment.

The Paso del Norte Foundation (Foundation) was established in 2013 to support the philanthropic goals of individuals, corporations, foundations and nonprofit organizations to improve health, education, economic development and quality of life in the Paso del Norte region. The Foundation has an additional $5.5 million in assets in 78 funds. It has granted more than $5 million to charitable causes in its five year history. Governed by a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors, the Foundation manages supporting organizations, donor-advised funds, designated funds and agency funds to support the interests of donors and the needs of nonprofit organizations and charitable causes in the region.

The Paso del Norte Foundation and Health Foundation partner with the Fundación Paso del Norte para la Salud y Bienestar (Fundación), a Mexican Asociacion Civil, to inspire and grow philanthropic giving and advance partnerships and initiatives to improve the health and well-being in Ciudad Juárez. Led by an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors, the Fundación has invested over $1 million in nonprofits in Ciudad Juárez in partnership with generous donors and partners including the Hunt Family Foundation, FICOSEC and FC Juárez Bravos.