Families who achieve success often feel a profound urge and even a responsibility to give back. Whether through philanthropy or social investment, they are moved to contribute to the well-being of their communities. But once that desire takes root, a difficult question arises, which community foundations build trust to try to answer: To whom can I entrust my generosity so that it is used wisely and has real, lasting impact?

This is not a rhetorical question. In Mexico’s current climate — where international cooperation has declined and civil society is viewed with deep suspicion by the federal government — it is a practical and urgent one. Donors want to help. But they need clarity, confidence, and partners they can trust.

As Carmen Garza T., former board chair and co-founder of Fundación COMUNIDAR in Nuevo León, once said: “La pregunta es si estas organizaciones de la sociedad civil son confiables o no.” [The question is whether these civil society organizations are trustworthy or not.]

And then she offered an answer from her personal experience:

“Por eso COMUNIDAR, como fundación comunitaria en Nuevo León, está aquí para brindar esa confianza: acompañamos a las familias y a las empresas, y conocemos muy bien al sector social. Facilitamos las conexiones entre donantes y causas.” [“That is why COMUNIDAR, as a community foundation of Nuevo León, is here to provide that confidence: we accompany families and businesses, and we know the social sector very well. We facilitate connections between donors and causes.”]

Community foundations like COMUNIDAR can play precisely this role. They are local institutions, rooted in their communities, with deep knowledge of the civil society landscape. They translate generosity into long-term social investment.

Trust is not just a nice-to-have — it is the foundation upon which real change is built. As Agustín Landa observes, “Another key strength of community foundations lies in their ability to cultivate and maintain trust within their communities. Their close connection to the local area, deep understanding of its challenges, and familiarity with its people allow these foundations to build collaborative and trustworthy relationships.” That trust becomes the essential glue that connects donors and community actors, enabling not just individual projects, but long-term, collective impact.

Read the full article about community foundations in Mexico by Michael Layton at Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy.