Mexican community fund drives post-pandemic recovery

Community foundations are nonprofit organisations that promote and fund local projects through donations. In Mexico, they have designed and implemented an efficient, swift mechanism with a focus on grassroots development to address local challenges in more than 35 communities across 15 states. The Active Communities Fund was created to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the following years.

The primary goal of the fund was to contribute to the economic and social recovery of Mexican communities during and after the crisis. The first phase, launched in June 2020, focused on addressing water access, humanitarian aid and the strengthening of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The second phase, implemented in 2021 and 2022, continued efforts in economic and social recovery, but with a deeper emphasis on grassroots development.

This intervention model was built on previous experiences of working in alliances under social investment schemes. Various actors in Mexico’s philanthropic ecosystem supported the initiative and amplified the results and impacts. Between 2020 and 2023, 80 projects in 15 states were supported, directly impacting nearly 45,000 participants. During this period, over $ 6.2 million were mobilised, with 12 % contributed by national and international investors, while the remainder was leveraged through contributions from community foundations, civil-society organisations implementing the projects, local partners and the communities themselves.

The project was structured into three levels. The first level focused on institutional strengthening and peer learning, fostering collaboration among community foundations through shared strategies. The next phase focused on designing a call for proposals to fund projects targeting economic recovery. Finally, the third intervention involved the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the selected projects, carried out by civil-society organisations, grassroots groups or the community foundations themselves.

Community foundations as key actors

Community foundations, with their flexible structures, have demonstrated their ability to maximise collective impact. Their intervention model, rooted in grassroots development, prioritises the needs, resources and potential of communities, positioning them as key actors in enhancing collective well-being and social cohesion.

According to Minerva Zamora, a programme coordinator at Comunalia and the Active Communities Fund, “collective decision-making and the participation of those directly experiencing the issues were fundamental to the success of the projects”.

By implementing the interventions at multiple levels, participating community foundations benefited from peer-learning that allowed them to exchange experiences and best practices. This strengthened their processes and deepened their understanding of local realities.

“This initiative has brought us closer to the realities faced by many communities in Mexico, encouraging us to engage and collaborate with those who inhabit them. In doing so, we foster a sense of territorial identity and community pride, paving the way for better living conditions,” reflected Agustín Landa, former Chair of Comunalia’s Board.

The Active Communities Fund exemplifies how local philanthropy, collaborative work and grassroots development can connect and generate long-lasting impact. Bottom-up approaches to addressing community challenges – instead of the more popular top-down approaches – produce more sustainable impacts.

Pamela Cruz is the Director at La Playa Centro Comunitario, a community centre in Baja Sur, and Strategic Advisor at MY World Mexico.
pamela.cruzm@gmail.com