News

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation is pleased to welcome new leadership for 2026 and extend a warm welcome to several new members joining our Board of Directors.

Over the past year, the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, alongside its sister foundations, engaged in a collaborative strategic planning process to guide our work through 2030.

Inspired by the life and legacy of longtime El Paso resident and their family matriarch Sylvia Wechter, Janet and Randy Wechter have generously established a charitable fund for arts and education, causes that held a special place in Sylvia’s heart.    

With major changes to charitable tax benefits coming in 2026, 2025 is a rare moment when your generosity can go even further. A gift this year, especially through a Donor‑Advised Fund (DAF) at the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, is more than a gift. It’s a strategic, meaningful way to care for our community now and for years to come.

Thank you, El Paso, for helping keep kids warm this winter! Operation Noel, a fund of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, has served children in our region for over eight decades. 

Our older adults are the heart of our community, pillars of strength, wisdom, and care. But as they age, many face quiet struggles that can rob them of their independence, health, or dignity. While public programs cover some needs, far too many essentials fall through the cracks, like hearing aids, grab bars, dentures, or adult incontinence supplies. These aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.

As we wrap up 2025, we want to take a moment to extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated leaders who served on the boards of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation this year.

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation (PdNCF) was named the 2025 Local Employer of Excellence for the Borderplex region at the Texas Workforce Commission’s 28th Annual Texas Workforce Conference, held December 3–5 in Corpus Christi.

After 25 years with our family of Foundations, we celebrate and thank Ida Ortegon on her well-earned retirement.

Big changes to charitable tax benefits are coming in 2026. A gift this year—especially through a donor-advised fund—can go further for you and the causes you love.When you give to charity, you’re not just changing lives—you may also receive a tax benefit. But starting in 2026, new federal rules will make it harder for many households to deduct their charitable giving. That’s why 2025 is a unique, time-sensitive opportunity to be generous and strategic, and as the end of the year approaches, it is important for you to keep your donor-advised fund (DAF) and/or Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) in mind.

The PdNCF proudly celebrated and recognized our 2025 Partners in Philanthropy.