About The Partnership – Building Capacity for Change    Initiated in 2002, and now entering its second three-year phase, the US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) improves quality of life for low-income border families and communities by strengthening community foundation and promoting philanthropy in the US-Mexico border region.   BPP partners – 22 border community foundations, 12 regional, national, and international funders and the Synergos Institute – have already achieved significant milestones in pursuit of their mission. $15 million dollars have been mobilized towards the organization strengthening of border community foundations while border community foundations have collectively mobilized over $3 million in local philanthropy for investments in border communities.   A network of border community foundations and funders that is centered on peer learning and collaboration has been established across and along the border allowing for greater leveraging of resources and the growth of a learning community. Six start-up border community foundations have been established in communities previously not served by a local community foundation and 13 emerging border community foundations have increased their administrative and programmatic capacity; established border community foundations have increase their attention to and engagement of low-income border communities.   Border community foundations have embraced community leadership roles, launching roles, launching family asset building coalitions, supporting programs for youth, housing, the environment and convening community dialogues on critical community issues. Border community residents increasingly understand the community foundation as a premier vehicle through which one can participate and invest in our community. US - Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership:   In 2004, the Board of Directors of the Foundation voted to join with the Synergos Institute in an exciting initiative aimed at increasing philanthropy along our border area. Through participation in the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP), the community foundation is receiving challenge grants funded by the Houston Endowment, The Partnership’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the border region. BPP partners believe that strong and sustainable border community foundations, supported by a home grown network of learning and cross-border collaboration are an essential element to improving quality of life in a region with complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Community foundations enhance the quality of life in the communities they serve by making grants and helping build the capacity of local nonprofit groups. In addition, they provide services to local philanthropists and leadership on critical community issues.   The Partnership includes regional or national private or corporate funders from the United States and Mexico that have a strong commitment to the collaborative partnership process, interest in contributing to the development of border community foundations and border philanthropy. The nine Partnership funders include the Ford Foundation, Fundacion Gonzalo Rio-Arronte, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Houston Endowment, Inter-American Foundation, McCune Charitable Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Meadows Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Corporate partners include JPMorgan Chase and Pfizer. A total of 22 community foundations participate in the partnership. On the Mexico side they include Fundacion del Empresariado Chihuahuense-Juarez, Fundacion de Empresariado Chihuahuense-Ojinaga, Fundacion Comunitaria de la Frontera Norte, Fundacion Internacional de la Comunidad, Fundacion Comunitaria de Matamoros, Fundacion del Empresariado Sonorense and Fundacion Comunitaria de Tecate. Along with the Laredo Area Community Foundation on the United States border, the participating community foundations include Arizona Community Foundation, Brownsville Community Foundation, Cochise Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, El Paso Community Foundation, Frontera Womens Fund, New Mexico Community Foundation, San Diego Community Foundation, Santa Cruz Community Foundation and Texas Valley Communities Foundation. As managing partner of the BPP, the Synergos Institute administers the partnership’s pooled funds, mobilzes the human and financial resources available to the partnership, coordinates activities, and provides capacity building assistance to border community foundations.