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   Over the last year, the Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca and the International Community Foundation have been raising funds to support the Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca’s programs to address the needs of indigenous communities in three of the most marginalized areas of the impoverished southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. Every dollar raised is being matched by the Ford Foundation up to a maximum of $300,000. The Ford Foundation’s commitment expires in June 2009. So far, with gifts from such contributors as the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, Fundemex and other individuals, nearly $250,000 has been raised. With a quarter of Oaxaca’s population – about 1 million people – migrating north to the United States, mostly California, the International Community Foundation and the Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca hope to encourage Oaxacan immigrants to support community and economic development back home. The programs provide consulting for micro enterprises, and instruction in basic accounting, technology, and management. “We’re looking at a transnational program to link foundations, donors and students to get them to spend time in Oaxaca communities,” said Julieta Mendez, International Community Foundation's program officer for health and human services. “We want to partner with local universities for students to go to Oaxaca and encourage youth philanthropy.” In July, Oaxaca Community Foundation Executive Director Jaime Bolaños and Development Officer, Michelle Ortega, along with Julieta Mendez undertook a California Tour to meet with five community foundations, including The Community Foundation serving Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, the California Community Foundation, Ventura County Community Foundation, Silicon Valley and The Fresno Regional Foundation. In addition, the three foundation representatives also met with Hispanics in Philanthropy and the Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales. The purpose of this meeting was to generate awareness about the binational initiative, and to explore ways in which these institutions could begin working together across borders. The majority of the foundations were interested in promoting youth philanthropy, as a way to begin to educate younger populations on how to engage effectively to support communities beyond our borders. The Oaxaca Community Foundation will be carrying out a pilot Oaxaca youth camp project this Spring 2009 and will be working collaboratively with the International Community Foundation to engage high school and college students from the U.S.
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