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ICF Awards Grants to Organizations Working on Environmental Issues in the Border Region of Baja California

San Diego, CA. (January 15, 2002) The International Community Foundation (ICF) announced the issuance of its first round of grants through the foundation’s Border Environmental Fund (BEF). Today grants will be awarded to six different Mexican non-profit organizations working on a wide variety of environmental issues in the border area of Baja California.
Established through the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s San Diego Border Office and the generous support of private donors, including the Walton Family Foundation, ICF’s BEF works to promote institutional strengthening and leadership development among Mexican non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on border area environmental and conservation issues of importance to the Baja California including, but not limited to, environmental education, occupational health, water use and sanitation in colonias, air quality, emergency response, land and habitat preservation in rural and coastal areas, and sustainable communities.

"Given the pressing environmental issues along the California/Baja California border, more must be done to support the various Mexican non-profit organizations actively working to improve the quality of life and environmental sustainability of the region. This is particularly true given that limited funding options are available to Mexican non-profits, said Richard Kiy, President and CEO of the International Community Foundation. "Through its grantmaking efforts under its Border Environmental Fund, ICF hopes to provide strategic funding to non profits in Baja California so that priority environmental issues along our border continue to get addressed" stated Kiy.

A total of $43,144 will be awarded during this first round funding through the Border Environmental Fund. Grants will be awarded as follows:

Comite de Participación y Defensa Ciudadana A.C. (COPADEC), a Tecate environmental justice organization working to promote greater public awareness of environmental protection, conservation, and cultural preservation issues of importance to this area was awarded $8,000 for institutional development and capacity building of its volunteers and paid staff and to increase grassroots participation.