Border Philanthropy Partnership and ICF Spearhead Study on Corporate Giving Trends Along Mexico's Northern Border

Recognizing the need to redefine corporate giving among corporations operating along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP), an alliance of 9 funders and 21 U.S.-Mexico border community foundations, undertook a study led by ICF entitled Corporate Giving Trends in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. The study assesses general levels of giving by Mexico’s maquiladora industry to better understand their philanthropic policies. It identifies and describes specific cases of community participation by maquiladoras, and assesses some of the outreach efforts of nonprofit groups that are actively working with companies operating maquiladoras in the border region.

Surveys were conducted among nonprofits, maquiladoras, and corporations that operate in the six Mexican border states (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas). Over 800 maquiladora facilities were surveyed, with 110 maquiladoras from Fortune 500 companies and major third country multi-nationals participating in the study. The sample set represented 8.2 % of total maquila employment along Mexico’s northern border. Additionally, 50 Mexican border area nonprofit leaders were surveyed to gauge their perceptions of corporate giving in the region.

The report, released electronically on February 28th, 2006 found that while there are notable exceptions of corporations setting the standard through their philanthropic leadership, the vast majority of companies operating maquiladoras along Mexico’s northern border engage in low levels of charitable giving in Mexican border communities when compared to contributions made to comparable nonprofits in the United States. Of the companies surveyed, 65.5% claimed to have contributed $10,000 or less in cash donations to charitable causes annually along the Mexican northern border, while 25.5% claimed to have contributed nothing. Only 9.1% said that they gave over $10,000 annually.

The study was a year-long research project that was funded in large part by the Ford Foundation and led by a team composed of four member organizations of the BPP: the International Community Foundation (ICF), the Synergos Institute, the Fundación Empresarial Sonorense, A.C. (FESAC), El Paso Community Foundation and Cross Border Business Associates (CBA). In addition to exploring current giving trends, it also suggests steps for eliminating the challenges and impediments that hinder corporate giving along Mexico’s northern border; from legislative reforms to offering alternatives to how corporations and nonprofits can collaborate.

The complete “U.S. Corporate Giving Trends along the U.S-Mexico Border?report can be viewed online at www.icfdn.org/publications/cs/index.htm