Toward a Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development
July 5, 2020
The Economic Environment for Civil Society Organizations in Mexico
July 7, 2020
Mexico City, Monday, July 6, 2020. With the goal of promoting the country’s economic and social recovery to address the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in Mexico, Comunalia and the Coca-Cola Foundation launched the Active Communities Fund , through which more than 32 million pesos will be invested in 14 states across the country.
The initiative aims to strengthen the efforts that both community foundations and civil society organizations are undertaking in the areas of access to water, humanitarian aid, support for small businesses, and empowerment of young people and women in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Jalisco, Querétaro, Puebla, Morelos, Yucatán, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, and the State of Mexico.
The public health crisis has caused a sharp decline in local consumption, which has hit the economy hard—especially those “living hand-to-mouth” in urban and rural areas. And while organized civil society has continued to assist the most vulnerable populations, these efforts will be insufficient once the lockdown period ends.
According to the UK National Disaster Relief Fund, for every day of immediate support, at least 10 days of work are required for the medium-term recovery of the local economy and 100 days for long-term recovery; hence the focus of this collaborative initiative between Comunalia and the Coca-Cola Foundation.
This project stems from a local-level process to identify the need for increased funding and support for initiatives run by community foundations, civil society organizations, and grassroots groups that help build resilience.
“Among the strengths of community foundations are their role as connectors and their ability to forge partnerships with various stakeholders to develop local solutions and promote the regeneration and stability of their communities. And the Coca-Cola Foundation’s collaboration is an opportunity to strengthen them at this critical moment,” said Agustín Landa, president of Comunalia.
The organizations participating in this initiative and issuing calls for proposals in their respective localities starting July 6 are: Fundación Comunidad; Fundación Comunitaria de la Frontera Norte; Fundación del Empresariado Yucateco (FEYAC); Fundación Merced Coahuila; Corporativa de Fundaciones; Fundación Cozumel; Fundación Merced Querétaro; Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense (FECHAC); Fundación Comunitaria Malinalco; Fundación Punta de Mita; Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca; Fundación Comunitaria Puebla; Fundación Comunidar; Fundación del Empresariado Sonorense (FESAC); and Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad.
On August 15, the programs and projects that will receive funding from the Active Communities Fund—an initiative that concludes in March 2021—will be announced, in accordance with the guidelines established by Comunalia and the Coca-Cola Foundation.
About Comunalia:
Comunalia is the Alliance of Community Foundations of Mexico, with nine years of experience and a focus on local development and strategic social investment. It is dedicated to enhancing the collective work of the country’s community foundations to achieve greater reach, impact, and significance in their programs. It seeks to empower citizens, influence public policy, develop leadership, and replicate and consolidate the Mexican model of community foundations.
About the Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation's mission is to contribute to sustainable development (social, economic, and environmental) in communities across Mexico by building shared-value partnerships.
