About Us > History
History of the Frontera Women's Foundation
Established in 2003 as a grant-making foundation, the Frontera Women’s Foundation (FWF) is located in El Paso, TX and is one of only two Women’s Foundations in the State of Texas. Our service area extends along the U.S. Mexico border from Southern New Mexico, through El Paso County, Texas and Cd. Juarez, MX, to Brownsville, Texas.
The founders of the FWF are dedicated women who have been active in "Frontera” communities for many years. The Foundation was established in response to our founders' own experiences and their awareness that there has always been a scarcity of resources to support the work of community based non-profits along the U.S./Mexico Border, particularly those run by women for women. The fact is that the amount of philanthropic dollars funneled to the border per capita is fifty percent less than the national average and of that fifty percent only seven percent reaches women and girls.
FWF raises money to support the work of non-profit organizations that serve low-income women and girls; to promote social change, provide health care, ensure economic justice, end gender violence and encourage education and workforce development. The FWF awards grants that serve as models of cross -border collaborations with positive results for U.S. and Mexican women alike. Some of the grant-making is directly linked to low-income communities on both sides of the Rio Grande borderline to encourage grassroots capacity building linked to sustainable development. In 2005 FWF completed its first round of grant-making and has awarded more than $160,000, to date.
The Foundation’s gender focus springs from the knowledge that the border region faces the same issues that are on the national agenda - issues such as family violence, economic development and access to health care. Women and children comprise the majority of those living at the national poverty level. To effect long-term social change we must direct our resources toward those who need them the most. The FWF and its Board Members are aware that few problems can be solved without effective programs and strategies that specifically address the needs of women and girls. We believe that by investing in the capacities, skills and assets of women along the border, we can help create lasting social change.
In the words of Kofi Annan:
"When Women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately…families are healthier; they are better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and eventually the world."
The Foundation’s grant-making is directly linked to low-income communities on both sides of the river and focused on building grassroots capacity tied to sustainable development. Since experts agree that development must be community-based to be sustainable, the FWF Board is committed to high profile and high level local fund development coupled with high quality local grant-making that is linked to positive community outcomes. In this way, the Foundation hopes to foster a growing base of investors, donors and community supporters, which will in turn help to develop additional capacity among its grantees.
The founders of the FWF are dedicated women who have been active in "Frontera” communities for many years. The Foundation was established in response to our founders' own experiences and their awareness that there has always been a scarcity of resources to support the work of community based non-profits along the U.S./Mexico Border, particularly those run by women for women. The fact is that the amount of philanthropic dollars funneled to the border per capita is fifty percent less than the national average and of that fifty percent only seven percent reaches women and girls.
FWF raises money to support the work of non-profit organizations that serve low-income women and girls; to promote social change, provide health care, ensure economic justice, end gender violence and encourage education and workforce development. The FWF awards grants that serve as models of cross -border collaborations with positive results for U.S. and Mexican women alike. Some of the grant-making is directly linked to low-income communities on both sides of the Rio Grande borderline to encourage grassroots capacity building linked to sustainable development. In 2005 FWF completed its first round of grant-making and has awarded more than $160,000, to date.
The Foundation’s gender focus springs from the knowledge that the border region faces the same issues that are on the national agenda - issues such as family violence, economic development and access to health care. Women and children comprise the majority of those living at the national poverty level. To effect long-term social change we must direct our resources toward those who need them the most. The FWF and its Board Members are aware that few problems can be solved without effective programs and strategies that specifically address the needs of women and girls. We believe that by investing in the capacities, skills and assets of women along the border, we can help create lasting social change.
In the words of Kofi Annan:
"When Women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately…families are healthier; they are better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and eventually the world."
The Foundation’s grant-making is directly linked to low-income communities on both sides of the river and focused on building grassroots capacity tied to sustainable development. Since experts agree that development must be community-based to be sustainable, the FWF Board is committed to high profile and high level local fund development coupled with high quality local grant-making that is linked to positive community outcomes. In this way, the Foundation hopes to foster a growing base of investors, donors and community supporters, which will in turn help to develop additional capacity among its grantees.
