ICF Releases Landmark Study of Baja California Sur, Mexico

To publicize the current and future needs of Baja California Sur, Mexico and expand charitable giving, the International Community Foundation (ICF) is releasing “Baja California Sur’s Community-Based Opportunities and Needs.” This volume follows a similar ICF publication in 2003 for Baja California, which helped expand the level of the foundation’s overall grantmaking in the border region. The full report is available online at: http://www.icfdn.org/publications/na2006/index.htm.

ICF President and CEO, Richard Kiy, stated “with the growing number of baby boomers looking to the Baja California peninsula to retire or purchase a second home, interest in charitable giving is growing.” Noted Kiy, “Among would-be donors, there is a desire to make a difference in their adopted community, but they also need to know the details on credible nonprofits that will make good use of charitable gifts. This publication provides that analysis.”

To meet this new donor interest head-on, ICF took it upon itself to research and publish “Baja California Sur’s Community-Based Opportunities and Needs.” The publication provides:

• Synthesis of community needs, as well as opportunities for giving and volunteering.
• Chapters on education, health, community and economic development, environment and arts and culture.
• Notes for public sector funding gaps where private philanthropy and nonprofit action can make the most impact
• Needs by municipality (La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, Mulegé and Comondú)
• Nonprofit overview for Baja California Sur, as well as lists of nonprofits that have completed ICF’s due diligence process for easy reference.

Commissioned by ICF with research undertaken by Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), the report encompasses over 18 months of analysis, interviews, community-led meetings, rural site visits, and literature review. Some key findings include:

• 64% of ejidos (16 out of 25 interviewed) have the intention to sell or to continue selling their land. Baja California Sur has 100 ejidos, which control over 60% of the state’s surface area.
• Baja California Sur is the least-populated state in Mexico, yet it has the third highest growth rate (3%).
• Migrants account for 11% of the state’s population, with 95% coming from other parts of Mexico.
• Educational attainment rates are high in Baja California Sur – 8.2 years of schooling. BCS also has the second highest rate in Mexico for students 15 years or older that stay in school; one out of ten students has a scholarship to attend school.
• Water scarcity is a growing problem – of the 4% of BCS that can be exploited for groundwater, 18% of those aquifers are overexploited. 60% of the state’s surface area has limited or no access to surface or groundwater resources.
• Baja California Sur ranks low in access to financial services, especially in rural areas. This is affecting productivity, remittances, and economic growth in the business sector.
• Over 40% of the state’s territory is in natural protected areas, attesting to Baja California Sur’s pristine and diverse ecosystems. Most of the state’s 170 oases currently have no protected status.
• Cancer rates are higher in Baja California Sur than the national average. Lung cancer rates in men are the highest in Mexico; breast cancer rates in women are the second highest in Mexico.
• Emerging health issues include obesity, diabetes (Types 1 and 2), and heart disease. Drug and alcohol addiction are recurring problems in the state with other social consequences (increases in domestic violence and school dropout rates).

The report also includes an analysis of Baja California Sur’s nonprofit sector. While 140 local groups were identified, only 48 organizations were able to complete ICF’s due diligence process. The report also highlights the work of 40 additional U.S.-based nonprofits actively supporting programs across the state.

About the International Community Foundation
The International Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity that works to increase charitable giving and volunteerism across U.S. borders to benefit communities and local nonprofit organizations with an emphasis in Baja California (http://www.icfdn.org). Last year, ICF made over $4 million in grants to local nonprofits in Mexico, China, and Guatemala, among other countries.