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<p> “We all have a responsibility to what is happening in our community and the world,-the so called butterfly effect-, so nothing is foreign and we are all a part of the solution” explains María Aurora Garza Hernández, executive director of the Foundation for the Protection of Children, in Tijuana.</p>
<p> Five years ago, she became the director of the Tijuana office for the Foundation and has been dedicated to promoting philanthropy amongst business people and community groups in order to help those in need.</p>
<p> Her work is to raise awareness amongst donors about the importance of social responsibility projects, but she also strives to raise awareness amongst non-profit directives about the need to be transparent and accountable for the use of donated resources, to plan mid and long term projects and walk towards being self sustainable.</p>
<p> “Unfortunately there is a myth amongst some Mexican non-profits of “the more needy and poor I look the more donations I will get” and we need to get out of the victim’s role, we have to claim responsibility about the important work we do and show our success and grow towards the future” Garza explains.</p>
<p> Foundation for the Protection of Children is a privately funded institution born out of the hearts of a well-meaning family, who 18 years ago, donated part of their state to create this foundation working towards the wellbeing of Mexico’s children.</p>
<p> Today, the Foundation channels in-kind and grant donations to at least one thousand non-profits all across 23 Mexican states, and just their Tijuana offices are responsible of helping over 250 non-profits across Baja and Southern Baja, Sonora and Sinaloa.</p>
<p><strong>Overcoming distrust</strong></p>
<p> In Mexico, philanthropy has been historically linked to the work of the Catholic Church and latter, to the paternalistic political party system whose members have used philanthropy as a way to buy votes or favors from social groups.</p>
<p> This history has made it hard to create a culture of giving, because companies often distrust non-profits, because their perception is that they can be used as facades where executives can sell donations for a profit.</p>
<p> But this culture is being challenged by Foundations such as the one run by Garza, trying to guarantee the best use of donations by legitimizing non-profits and urging them to register to become tax-exempt organizations.</p>
<p> The Foundation leads with example by being a fully accredited tax-exempt organization both in the Mexico and authorized to receive US tax-deductible donations, having an annual financial audit and monthly and end of the year reports for donors.</p>
<p> But the challenge is even bigger in a border city like Tijuana, where there is a tradition for well-meaning Americans coming to give donations. But the point is not to come give donations and then leave, but that the donations get channeled to the organizations that truly need them and make good, transparent use.</p>
<p> Otherwise the donations get sent to a warehouse somewhere or sold for profit without benefactors ever knowing where their good intentions went and more importantly, without them ever reaching those in need.</p>
<p> “A simple way to avoid this is to make donations trough authorized non-profits who are legally registered and have the equivalent of a01c3 Status; someone who can guarantee the best use of the donation, that way we help stop bad practices in the philanthropic field” Garza explains.</p>
<p> An example of this good practice is the relationship built between the Foundation and the international consulting firm Deloitte, working together in social responsibility projects the Baja border region.</p>
<p> Deloitte Human Resources manager Diana Pacheco remembers the day she was contacted by the foundation, 4 years ago, and since then, she has relied on their professional services to promote social consciousness amongst employees.</p>
<p> “they have been so valuable, I didn’t know much about the subject and they acted as consultants” Pacheco explains, “they identify trustworthy non-profits and evaluate their needs and how can we meet those needs, they guarantee the institution is legitimate and they will make the best of our donation”.</p>
<p> Currently the Foundation works to organize their annual world volunteer program,“ Impact Day”, when the 250 Deloitte employees in the Tijuana office have held shoe drives, paid for medical services for the children, painted and fixed roofs in children homes and organized entire libraries.</p>
<p> Since 2007, the foundation has extended their involvement to include the Mexicali office and just last year, Hermosillo, Sonora was also organized with their help.</p>
<p> “The way we did it before, we depended on our clients making donations, but slowly we have moved towards a sustainable project, and this year 80% of the money needed for our volunteer project came from the work of our employees” Pacheco explains, “we have a lot of new staff and their coworkers are quick to get them involved, and that is great for an integrated work environment”.</p>
<p> If you are a person or group representative looking to help the border community and hope to join efforts with the Foundation for the Protection of CHildren, dont hesítate to contact them and talk about your donating needs.</p>
<p> Call al 011 52 (664) 6842318 y 15 or <a href="mailto:contactotijuana@infanciamexico.org">mailto:contactotijuana@infan…;
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