Fundación Paso del Norte

What Fundación Paso del Norte does

Fundación Paso del Norte is a Mexican nonprofit civil association (Asociación Civil) with authorized charity (donataria autorizada) status, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Its stated mission is to generate alliances and initiatives that improve quality of life for the inhabitants of Ciudad Juárez through a binational philanthropic model. The foundation's role is two-fold: a grantmaker (allocating funds to local civil society organizations through public convocatorias, including a distinctive 2:1 matching challenge-grant called RETO OSC), and a direct program operator running six programs — Entrelazando Redes (gender and child sexual violence prevention, co-funded with FICOSEC), Juárez en Acción (a mass September volunteer campaign operating as the largest volunteering movement in the State of Chihuahua), REALIZE (a 10-month transformational leadership program), MyMachine (a children's creativity and innovation methodology licensed from MyMachine Global and run via partner Desafío), and Escuelas de Bienestar (life-skills through physical education, with regular operations discontinued at end of 2023).

Underlying technology is intentionally minimal: no proprietary platform is described, and operations run on standard nonprofit stack — website (fundacionpdn.org), email newsletter, broad social media presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), Calendly for CANDID directory consultation appointments, and Bakertilly as external auditor. Revenue mechanics are donation-based, with two parallel channels — domestic Mexican donations via bank transfer to a Banamex account with CFDI tax receipts, and US donations routed through sister organization Paso del Norte Community Foundation issuing US tax receipts — plus designated donor-advised funds and unrestricted contributions. The foundation explicitly does not sell products or services; all 'customers' are nonprofit organizations and end beneficiaries in Ciudad Juárez, with no commercial pricing tiers.

The organization is part of a family of foundations alongside Paso del Norte Health Foundation (El Paso) and Paso del Norte Community Foundation, enabling binational resource flows. Governance rests on a Board of Directors led by President Michelle Betancourt and Vice President Isabel Sánchez, with Executive Director Karen Yarza leading operations through a lean team of five (Program Coordinator Jesús Valenzuela, General Administrator Javier Ponce, Organizational Development Coordinator Yobana Cruz, and Entrelazando Redes Coordinator Jacqueline Nava), supported by an Advisory Committee.

Name

Fundación Paso del Norte

Legal name

Fundación Paso del Norte

Website

https://fundacionpdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundación Paso del Norte is a Mexican nonprofit foundation founded in 2015 in Ciudad Juárez that grants funds to and operates programs with local civil society organizations across violence prevention, leadership development, children's creativity, and community volunteering, funded via domestic and US-channel donations through sister foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Community development programs
• Civil society support
• Volunteer mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Ciudad Juárez

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions (Mexico): The foundation receives tax-deductible donations in Mexican pesos via bank transfer to its Banamex account (CLABE 002164701003704151). Donors can designate gifts to established thematic funds or as unrestricted donations. The foundation issues Mexican CFDI receipts for domestic donations.
2. Donations via sister foundation (US-based donors): US-based donors contribute through the Paso del Norte Community Foundation website, which acts as an affiliated channel. The sister foundation issues US tax receipts, enabling American donors to support the organization with US tax deductibility.
3. Designated fund administration: Donors can establish named funds at the foundation to support health, well-being, and quality-of-life projects. The foundation administers these funds and directs donations to aligned causes, using its administrative structure to achieve donors' philanthropic goals.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundación Paso del Norte is a nonprofit civil association that channels philanthropic resources to improve quality of life in Ciudad Juárez through challenge grants, capacity building for civil society organizations, and direct community programs. It funds and operates six programs — RETO OSC, Entrelazando Redes, Juárez en Acción, Escuelas de Bienestar, MyMachine, and REALIZE — and administers public competitive grant calls (convocatorias) for authorized nonprofits.

Product overview

Fundacion Paso del Norte operates as a nonprofit foundation offering six distinct social programs focused on elevating quality of life in Ciudad Juarez. The portfolio includes RETO OSC (challenge grant matching program), Entrelazando Redes (violence prevention strategy with FICOSEC), Juarez en Accion (community volunteer campaign), Escuelas de Bienestar (youth violence prevention through sports education), My Machine (creativity and innovation program for children and youth), and REALIZE (transformational leadership training). The organization also facilitates grantmaking through public funding calls, offers designated philanthropic funds, and connects nonprofits to international funding through CANDID directory consultation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RETO OSC: Annual fundraising challenge grant program for authorized charities in Ciudad Juárez where for every 2 pesos raised, the foundation contributes 1 peso.
• Entrelazando Redes
• Juárez en Acción
• Escuelas de Bienestar
• MyMachine
• REALIZE

Products and services

• RETO OSC (Challenge Grant) Annual challenge grant program for authorized nonprofits in Ciudad Juárez to strengthen fundraising activities. Selected organizations raise funds for approximately six months, and for every two pesos raised, the foundation provides one additional peso as a matching grant.
• Entrelazando Redes por una Vida Libre de Violencia Multi-year gender violence and child sexual violence prevention strategy implemented in partnership with FICOSEC. Finances and strengthens social projects in high-incidence areas of Ciudad Juárez, including specialized training, psychological support, and leadership development for funded organizations.
• Juárez en Acción Monthly volunteer campaign held each September inviting the community, companies, and organizations to register projects and activities with positive community impact. Includes cleanup activities, public space rescue, sports, culture, emotional well-being, and community assistance. Mobilized over 18,000 volunteers in 2024.
• Escuelas de Bienestar Program that trains and provides materials to Physical Education teachers using the Coaches Across Continents methodology to teach values and develop skills through play and sports. Discontinued regular operations at end of 2023, with ongoing support for the Impulsor Group of trained teachers.
• MyMachine Creativity and innovation program for elementary school children, university students, and technical career students. Children imagine and draw their dream machines, university students conceptualize and design them, and technical students build them, fostering interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. Operated by partner Desafío on behalf of the foundation since 2023.
• REALIZE Liderazgo Transformacional Ten-month transformational leadership development program for senior managers of nonprofits and public institutions. Includes 360-degree leadership evaluation, executive coaching, two out-of-town retreats, and a network of program graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3 million pesos invested via RETO program in 2024 alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• DesafíocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Desafío is a nonprofit dedicated to youth development in vulnerable situations in Ciudad Juárez. Since 2023, Desafío operates the MyMachine program on behalf of Fundación Paso del Norte, achieving strong results in implementing the creativity and innovation methodology.
• FICOSECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFICOSEC (Fideicomiso para la Competitividad y Seguridad de Ciudad Juárez) is a long-standing strategic partner co-funding the Entrelazando Redes violence prevention strategy. The partnership began in 2016 as annual collaboration and evolved into an established multi-year fund (adopted as Entrelazando Redes por una Vida Libre de Violencia in 2022) targeting gender-based violence and child sexual violence in Ciudad Juárez.
• MyMachine Global FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMyMachine Global Foundation created the MyMachine methodology (originating in Belgium) that Fundación Paso del Norte brought to Ciudad Juárez. The foundation operates the program under a licensing/adoption arrangement, implementing the three-step methodology: primary school children imagining dream machines, university students designing them, and technical school students building them.
• PrologisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrologis supports the annual Corredor Santa Cruz rescue and cleanup effort as part of Juárez en Acción, contributing volunteer support and resources for the foundation's community park rehabilitation activities in the Parajes del Sur neighborhood.
• Paso del Norte Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister foundation based in El Paso, Texas, sharing a binational vision for the Paso del Norte region. The REALIZE leadership development program was originally developed and implemented for 8 years by this foundation before being brought to Ciudad Juárez in 2019. Organizations operate independently with shared vision and collaborative spirit.
• Paso del Norte Community FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister foundation in the United States that enables US-based donors to make tax-deductible contributions to Fundación Paso del Norte. Foreign donors are directed to the sister foundation's website where they can make credit or debit card donations. The sister foundation issues US tax receipts, enabling American donors to support Ciudad Juárez programs.
• CANDIDsupportingOthersCANDID is an international subsidy directory available to nonprofits through a consultation station at Fundación Paso del Norte. The foundation offers appointments for OSC organizations to access this tool to identify US-based funding opportunities.
• BakertillysupportingOthersBakertilly is the external auditing firm that conducts annual audits of Fundación Paso del Norte's financial statements. Audited financial statements (Dictámenes) are published annually from 2016 through 2024.
• Coaches Across ContinentssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaches Across Continents designed the methodology used in the Escuelas de Bienestar program, which uses play and sports in physical education classes to teach life skills and address school violence and bullying in Ciudad Juárez.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Paso del Norte Community Foundation: US-based sister foundation that channels American donor contributions to Cd. Juárez programs and issues US tax receipts. Operates the same binational philanthropic mission from the US side and shares governance DNA with Fundación Paso del Norte.
• Paso del Norte Health Foundation: US-based sister foundation focused on regional health; originally developed the REALIZE leadership program that Fundación Paso del Norte adapted for Cd. Juárez in 2019. Same binational family of foundations with overlapping programmatic lineage.
• Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense (FECHAC): Chihuahua-state community foundation funded by local employers, with a nearly identical model of pooled philanthropy, nonprofit capacity-building, and public convocation-based grantmaking. Operates in the same geography and competes for the same donor and nonprofit partner pool.
• Fundación Origen: Mexican foundation focused on preventing gender-based violence and supporting women's rights — directly aligned with Entrelazando Redes. Operates grantmaking and direct programs for vulnerable women and girls across multiple Mexican states.
• Fundación Merced: Mexican foundation focused on strengthening civil society organizations and nonprofit capacity building — directly comparable to REALIZE leadership program. Funds and trains Mexican NGOs with similar mechanisms (convocatorias, technical assistance).
• FICOSEC (Fideicomiso para la Competitividad y Seguridad de Ciudad Juárez): Cd. Juárez trust dedicated to safety and competitiveness, co-funds the Entrelazando Redes violence prevention strategy with Fundación Paso del Norte. Same city, complementary grantmaking for civil society, and a long-standing strategic partner since 2016.

Broad incumbents

• Fundación Harp Helú: Mexican foundation supporting education, sports, and indigenous community development. Operates with significantly greater endowment and geographic reach but shares the model of strategic grantmaking to community-serving nonprofits in Mexico.
• United Way International: Global federated-giving organization with pooled workplace fundraising, donor-advised fund mechanics, and nonprofit capacity building — the same conceptual model that Fundación Paso del Norte implements at a city scale. Operates as the archetype of community-anchored federated giving.
• FEMSA Foundation: Large Mexican corporate foundation with significantly greater scale, funding water, community development, and early childhood programs across Latin America. Operates in the same nonprofit-philanthropy space with overlapping beneficiary populations but at a national/multinational level.

Regional players

• International Community Foundation: San Diego-based cross-border US-Mexico community foundation enabling US donors to fund Baja California and northwest Mexico projects. Comparable binational grantmaking model and donor-advised fund infrastructure, but focused on a different border region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fundacionpdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacionPDN
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacionpdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacionpdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundación Paso del Norte