Trailblazing 2018 Annual Report

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2018, forging new and expanding paths for philanthropy in our region.

We invested more than $4.1 million in charitable programs and projects driven by one or more of the 95 donor-advised, designated, scholarship and supporting organization funds under our umbrella which are committed to improving education, health, social services, economic development and quality of life in our region.

In partnership with our board, volunteers and staff, we:

• Honored the life and legacy of loved ones like Deby Lewis, Archie Duran and Steve Hoy with charitable giving funds that make a measurable difference in the lives of others in our community.
• Established new designated endowment funds like the Alan R. and Dr. Elizabeth Abbott Fund in honor of Dr. Jack Postlewaite for El Paso Children’s Hospital to provide resources for critical children’s healthcare.
• Welcomed new donor-advised funds like the Clement and Amy Marcus Family Fund, which joins other impactful donor-advised funds such as the Ginger G. Francis and L. Frederick Francis Foundation and the Joy and Anthony Martinez Fund, established to support charitable causes in the Paso del Norte region and beyond.
• Supported special initiatives like the Texas Mission of Mercy, led by the El Paso District Dental Society, providing $610,700 in pro bono dental care through 3,714 free treatments to 832 patients over two days.
• Partnered with three local film festivals including the El Paso Film Festival, Femme Frontera and Cine Fantastico with generous support from the Rio Bravo Film Fund and generous donors to expand access to the cinematic arts.
• Distributed more than $206,976 in classroom impact grants and scholarships to 115 students from generous partner funds including the EPISD Education Foundation, Bowie Jardin, Cocina and Mercado Fund, Deby Lewis Foundation, Women’s Fund of El Paso and designated funds established by an anonymous donor in honor of El Paso-area teachers Genevieve Gonzalez, Ronnie Parks, Coach Lou Robustelli and Ann Yerby Memorial.
• Led the third annual El Paso Giving Day, a 24-hour on-line fundraising campaign that raised $409,013.63 for 178 participating nonprofits from 2,747 donors, prize money from the Meadows Foundation and generous corporate matching/underwriting support. Forty percent of gifts received were from first-time donors.
• Worked with the Fundación Paso del Norte para la Salud y Bienestar to meet the Hunt Family Foundation Challenge Grant to grow philanthropy and charitable giving, awarding $650,000 for nonprofit organizations and programs in Ciudad Juárez.
• Welcomed Paso del Norte Health Foundation as a supporting organization under our umbrella and supported the Health Foundation in expanding the Playa Drain Trail with generous gifts from corporate partners like the Marathon Foundation.

Organizationally, we are pleased to report that we:

• Welcomed Paso del Norte Health Foundation as a supporting organization under our umbrella.
• Welcomed two new staff to our Foundation team including Mica Short, Vice President for Development, and Erica Salas, Director of Partnerships and Donor Relations.
• Applied to the Community Foundations National Standards Board for accreditation with the governance, fiscal and administrative systems in place to meet (and exceed) the 26 national standards of excellence.

With nearly 5,400 gifts from 3,773 donors in 2018, we are committed to ensuring the highest levels of accountability and transparency for the funds entrusted to our care.

We celebrate this trailblazing work thanks to the vision, leadership and commitment of our Board of Directors, the time, collaboration and dedication of hundreds of community partners and volunteers, and the effort and hard work of our incredible staff.

Thank you for joining us on this path to achieving our vision: ensuring that the people of our binational, tri-state region have the knowledge, resources, support and environment to lead happy, healthy and productive lives.