The Paso del Norte Community Foundation (PdNCF) is looking forward to 2023 and celebrating its 10th year of service to the El Paso community. It truly is awe-inspiring to think of the impact that has been made since the foundation was established in 2013. This year, we've been blessed to work with many generous donors, and passionate community members whose designated funds make a difference in our community.

This past spring, we welcomed nonprofit leaders and volunteers to our nonprofit conference after having hosted the conference virtually last year. The energy in the room was electrifying, as so many nonprofit leaders reconnected after a couple of years of intense work pivoting service delivery models and responding to crisis situations throughout the pandemic.

These same nonprofit leaders worked hard this past fall to share their stories of impact as part of El Paso Giving Day, and collectively raised nearly $1.2 million to support important causes ranging from education and animal services to the arts and social services. We also held the inaugural Gator Tank event, a fast-pitch competition among nonprofits highlighting and requesting an investment in their work — evaluated by judges and awarded monetary prizes.

The PdNCF is committed to supporting our region’s nonprofits by providing opportunities for professional development and collaboration, as well as growth and sustainability through exceptional management of endowed funds.

We were proud to continue our work this year in community resilience and response, having managed an additional $12 million in rental assistance, part of $38 million in rental assistance to over 8,500 families over the past two years. It was rewarding to be recognized this year by the United Way of El Paso County with the Community Partner Award for our work on rental assistance. We also partnered with the county of El Paso and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation for the prioritization and distribution of $9.7 million in ARPA funds for nonprofit organizations.

We experienced great success this year serving important causes in partnership with our donor-advised and designated funds. Green Hope Project led a collaborative effort to bring world-renowned artist, Bordalo II, to El Paso to install a 64-foot mountain lion mural on in the One San Jacinto building in downtown El Paso, adding vibrancy to the community while also bringing awareness for endangered species in our region.

Over $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to deserving students, through scholarship funds such as the Richard Castro Scholarship, Travis and Annabelle Johnson Scholarship, and Ann and Matt Fennell Memorial Scholarship.

We were grateful to honor the legacy of Andrea Dorsey Kirs with a fund in her name while working with dozens of new donor-advised funds established by individuals and families. Next year will bring great opportunity to grow funding for our community projects such as the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation Star Ceiling.

The PdNCF is a proven partner for those looking to leave a legacy in our community through a family foundation, memorial fund, or scholarship. As the end of 2022 approaches and you evaluate the tax benefits through year-end giving, consider establishing a donor-advised fund, which allow donors to make larger, tax-deductible contributions in a single year and then recommend grants to the charitable organizations of the donors’ choice over multiple years. If you simply wish to support an organization that works with several community partners and makes an impact on our community in a multitude of ways, the Paso del Norte Community would be appreciative of your support.

None of the successes we have experienced would be possible without the support of the passionate, giving individuals who comprise our community of philanthropy, including our donors, designated fund leaders, committee volunteers, and dedicated board members. We look forward to all we will accomplish together next year!

Mica Short is vice president of development for the Paso del Norte Foundation. She may be reached at 915-218-2641 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso’s community of philanthropy continues to have impact: Mica Short