2020 Annual Report

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation (PdNCF) partnered with individuals, corporations, foundations, and nonprofit organizations to help the community respond to the most pressing needs related to COVID-19.

The PdNCF facilitated more than $8 million in COVID-19 response funding, including the management of $7 million from the City of El Paso Treasury Cares Act and CDBG-CV funding to provide rental assistance through the EPRentHelp.org program, which helped more than 2,900 families stay in their homes.  COVID-19 response funds further supported families through gifts to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, food pantries, homeless shelters, childcare services, and mental health providers. Individuals were also inspired to take action and give back including Maggie Asfahani, the owner of Salt + Honey, who established the El Paso Food and Beverage Workers Fund, Nicolas Spurbeck, a college student, who established the Fortify the Heroes Fund to provide meals to frontline healthcare workers, and Charles Horak, who established the EP COVID-19 Medical Equipment and Supply Fund to produce medical supplies for frontline workers on both sides of the border. 

“Restaurants, bars and coffee shops are inherently social places. The executive order mandated by the City related to the coronavirus pandemic forced many restaurants, including mine, to temporarily close and lay off the employees who are the backbone of my business.”

Maggie Asfahani Owner
Salt+Honey Bakery Café

Asfahani established the El Paso Food and Beverage Workers Fund within the Paso del Norte Community Foundation. The fund supported a grant to Workforce Solutions Borderplex along with generous donations from the community to provide support to qualifying food and beverage workers in El Paso, Sunland Park, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico who were laid off or working significantly reduced hours due to a temporary closure as a result of the pandemic.

A year after the world observed the tragedy of August 3, 2019, we we remember our loved ones who were needlessly taken, along with those who came together to provide support. On August 3, 2020, the Paso del Norte Community Foundation lit the star on the mountain to pay tribute to those we lost and to recognize the acts of generosity and kindness to support victims and their families. A tribute video and stories are available on the Paso del Norte Community Foundation website – www.pdnfoundation.org.

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation established the El Paso Victims Relief Fund in the early hours of the tragic shooting of August 3 raising $5.86 million as part of One Fund El Paso, a partnership with the City of El Paso and the El Paso Community Foundation, which provided $11.8 million in direct assistance to victims and families. As part of its commitment to transparency and stewardship, One Fund El Paso worked with the National Compassion Fund to engage an external audit firm to conduct an independent review of the contributions and distributions made to support victims and families. The firm conducted the review in late 2020, after 100 percent of the funds were distributed per the distribution guidelines established with input from the public in the fall of 2019. The firm reported “no findings” to the One Fund of El Paso Task Force as a result of the review.

“We continue to be deeply affected by the needless tragedy of August 3rd that took too many lives and scarred so many more. We are thankful for the generosity of thousands of donors, near and far, who reached out to support victims and families. We are further thankful to the One Fund El Paso Task Force and Board for their oversight of this generosity to ensure that funds were allocated to support victims and families.”

Tracy J. Yellen CEO
Paso del Norte Community Foundation

On October 15, 2020, El Paso Giving Day celebrated its fifth anniversary providing an online charitable giving platform designed to ignite the spirit of giving and support nonprofit organizations and charitable causes in the community. Once again, thousands of Individuals answered the call contributing more than $1.9 million in funding for 216 participating nonprofit organizations to help meet the community’s needs. Walmart provided $300,000 in matching funds this year – which provided support to 82 organizations with a match ceiling of $10,000; $31,000 in incentive prizes further sparked giving this year. In all, a record 5,700 unique donors made 7,637 gifts as part of El Paso Giving Day, a true testament to El Paso’s giving spirit.  

“This was our first year to participate in El Paso Giving Day and were overjoyed by the support we received in building our fundraising campaign and the number of donors that contributed.”

Iris Lopez Founder/Executive Director
Mija, Yes you Can

Mija, Yes You Can is a nonprofit organization created by women FOR women to provide a platform that allows all women to come together to learn from each other, relate to each other and achieve their ambitions in life.

El Paso Giving Day is an online charitable campaign designed to highlight the essential work of nonprofit organizations and inspire the spirit of giving in the El Paso community. Founded in 2016 by the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, El Paso Giving Day has raised more than $6 million from thousands of donors for more than 200 nonprofit organizations.

El Paso Giving Day Grant List

One of the most effective ways to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the community is by starting a charitable giving fund. In 2020, several new funds joined the PdNCF’s community of philanthropy including the Mija, Yes You Can Fund and La Rodadora Fund.

The Foundation further welcomed new Donor-Advised Funds including the Judy and Kirk Robison Foundation and the Yolanda Arriola Memorial Fund for Children. These funds helped in growing new gifts and pledges by more than $13 million, with grants and charitable expenses to more than $12 million.

“We are pleased to work along side the Paso del Norte Community Foundation as they assist us in supporting our charitable organization.”

Judy Robison Community Advocate and Founder of Judy & Kirk Robison Foundation

List of Funds

Scholarship Funds create new opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. By providing scholarship support, new doors open and make a lifetime of impact for our community’s youth.

In 2020, more than $206,000 was awarded to 140 students through several of the PdNCF’s scholarship funds including the EPISD Education Foundation, Deby Lewis Foundation, Women’s Fund of El Paso, Carl L. and Sandra Wright Scholarship Foundation for Women in STEM, and Richard Castro Community Service Scholarship Fund, among others.

“We offer scholarships to high school graduates who strive for academic achievement, community service, and community involvement. Because of our partnership with the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and the community, we have been able to grow our contributions and provide additional scholarship support.”

Jessica Bernal Member of Canutillo Alumni Foundation for Education - CAFÉ

Scholarship List
Ann Yerby Memorial Scholarship Fund

Awarded $1,000 scholarship to one graduate.

Bowie High School Scholarship Fund

Awarded $1,000 scholarships to three graduates from Bowie High School Class of 2020.

Ben Narburth Kiwanis Club of Horizon City Ben Narbuth Endowed Scholarship
Awarded $1,000 scholarships to three graduates from Americas High School and San Elizario High School.

Carl L. & Sandra Wright Scholarship for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Awarded $5,000 scholarship to one graduate.

Canutillo Alumni Foundation for Education (CAFÉ)
Awarded $1,000 scholarships to 25 graduates from Canutillo High School and Northwestern Early College High School.

Deby Lewis Foundation

Awarded $1,000 scholarships to eight graduates from Eastwood High School.

EPISD Education Foundation

Awarded $71,500 to more than 77 seniors from their scholarship funds.

Lou Robustelli Memorial Scholarship Fund
Awarded $1,000 scholarship to one graduate.

Nathan W. Jones Memorial Scholarship

Awarded $1,000 scholarship to a junior at New Mexico State University.

The FirstLight Community Foundation

Awarded $1,000 scholarship to eight high school graduates from El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM.

Women’s Fund of El Paso

Awarded scholarships to 24 women to impact the educational and leadership advancement of women in El Paso, Hudspeth, and Doña Ana counties.