Border Philanthropy Convening brings new paths to community prosperity

In the heart of the Arizona-Sonora borderlands, a story of community resilience, innovation, and collaborative philanthropy continues. At a time when complex issues require collective problem-solving, convenings like ACF’s Border Philanthropy Convening, the most recent of which took place at the end of 2024, remind us that collaboration strengthens philanthropy’s ability to drive meaningful, lasting change in the region.

The Arizona Community Foundation’s Border Philanthropy Convening, a gathering of thought leaders and changemakers, which has been held in southeastern Arizona since 2021, is an example of what can happen when communities on both sides of the border come together to seek solutions to some of the area’s biggest challenges. This year’s convening specifically focused on the growing environmental challenges.

“Having worked in the nonprofit sector my entire career it’s remarkable and inspiring to see the depth of collaboration that exists among conservation groups working in the borderlands, and it motivates me to match that collaborative spirit to build equally impressive collaborative funding efforts to support the work,” said ACF’s Senior Community Impact Officer, Environmental Initiatives, Nic de la Fuente. “We all play different roles, but if we are going to break free of old models then we must refocus our attention on the possibilities in front of us and what we can achieve if we work as one consolidated, collaborative effort.”

Initiated by volunteers and staff of ACF’s Cochise region, the Border Philanthropy Convening has and will continue to recognize a fundamental truth — challenges facing border communities cannot be addressed through traditional, top-down approaches. What is needed is to listen to local voices, understand unique community factors, and support grassroots initiatives to affect positive change.

With a heavy focus on environmental concerns in southern Arizona and northern Mexico, the collaboration with local business owners and leaders offers a chance to find new ways to approach the ever-increasing challenges along the border. The most recent convening included site visits in Sonora, Mexico and conversations with leaders of organizations using innovative approaches to build business while supporting community needs. 

Community Transformation in Agua Prieta

In Agua Prieta, Mexico the group saw firsthand the impact of community-led organizations with DouglaPrieta Trabaja. This women-led collective uses a multifaceted approach to address critical community needs through self-representation and self-determination.

• Community Gardening: Creating self-sustainable food supplies to address food insecurity through the sharing of permaculture knowledge and practice and the promotion of region-appropriate, food-production systems.
• Sewing Room: Providing opportunities to work together, gain practical skills and experience sewing, knitting, crafting, and studying, to sustain themselves, their families, and the co-op.
• Children’s Enrichment Center: Providing space for children to learn and grow together, connecting over healthy meals from the garden.

Café Justo Redefines Fair Trade

More than just a coffee grower cooperative, Café Justo, which was founded by farmers in 2002, demonstrates how thoughtful business practices can create systemic change. Their model goes beyond traditional fair trade by:

• Ensuring fair wages for local farmers, even beyond those considered “fair trade” standards
• Supporting sustainable, small-scale production, while shipping products across the United States
• Creating economic alternatives to migration, so generations can remain on family farms.

Guided by Mark Adams, Jocabed Gallegos, and Miriam Maldonado Escobar, Café Justo strives to show how economic innovation can address complex social challenges.

These businesses offer insight into improvement based on collaboration. ACF invited other local business and public service leaders to convene at Cochise College’s Douglas Campus to brainstorm ideas for ways to collaborate toward the common goal.

Abraham Villarreal, Dean of Cochise College – Douglas Campus, set the tone with welcoming remarks from the Douglas Campus while ACF’s Colleen Iuliucci, Regional Director in the southeast, shared the context and history of the border convening. Nicolas de la Fuente, ACF’s Senior Community Impact Officer, Environmental Initiatives, explored innovative, collaborative funding strategies he and others are working to bring to fruition. Rodrigo Sierra Corona and Jordan Sene of Borderlands Restoration Network shared the organization’s deep commitment to cross-border environmental and educational work in rural, binational communities.

Their approach prioritizes shared learning, collaboration, and community to ensure local voices shape their work. By partnering with organizations on both sides of the border, they restore landscapes, strengthen biodiversity, and foster sustainable livelihoods. The Border Philanthropy Convening exemplifies this holistic approach, supporting community-driven solutions, breaking down barriers, and creating sustainable pathways for economic and social progress.

Together, we can transform challenges into opportunities, one community at a time. Interested in learning more about the exciting work happening in and around Southeast Arizona? Contact Regional Director, Colleen Iuliucci at ciuliucci@azfoundation.org or 520.505.3678.

Our thanks to Jose Grijalva, Douglas Ward 6 Mayor-Elect; Ana Urquijo, Douglas City Manager; Rita Vargas Torregrosa, Mexican Consul in Douglas; Alexandra Boneo, Arizona Border Alliance; and Melissa Dye, Arizona Complete Health for joining us for this year’s convening.