FESAC (Fundación del Empresariado Sonorense A.C.)
FESAC is an independent community foundation, integrated by the Mexican state, of Sonora’s business organizations with a council formed by Sonoran business people. As a civil association (Asociación Civil), it is philanthropic in character, private and autonomous, without political affiliation, religious denomination, and non-profit. FESAC is dedicated to meeting the most pressing needs of the community, generating opportunities for development and improving the quality of life of Sonorenses. For more information about FESAC, visit their website and social media.
Our partnership
BCA and FESAC have had a close relationship since our founding. FESAC helps BCA build relationships with community organizations in Nogales, including the ones we visit on our Social Investment Tours. Our unique arrangement allows BCA serve as a “pass-through” organization for people in the U.S. who wish to donate to community organizations in Nogales, totaling $750,000 in the past decade. FESAC also supports our Borderlands Ambassador Internship Program by helping place interns for service learning projects.
Social Investment in Sonora, Mexico
We are proud to work with FESAC to uplift a number of community organizations in Sonora, Mexico through a strategy of social investment, not charity. Since our founding, BCA donors have contributed over $750,000 to these social investment projects. We are passionate about spreading the word about the incredible work that these organizations do.
You can join us for a day in Nogales, Sonora and tour three of these projects on our “Nogales, Sonora Social Investment Tour,” which is offered monthly from October through April. You can also contact us to set up a one-on-one conversation. We look forward to learning about your interests and helping you decide how to support community organizations in Mexico!
ARSOBO
A revolutionary organization in the region, ARSOBO (Arizona Sonora Border Project for Inclusion) serves the disabled community in Sonora and helps restore mobility, independence, and opportunity. ARSOBO’s mission is assisting in alleviating the physical, psychological, and economic barriers faced by individuals with disabilities by providing appropriate, adaptive-technology, low-cost, assisted devices that improve access and participation in their communities. ARSOBO was founded by Francisco Trujillo, who was nominated as a CNN Hero in 2026. Their work has been featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition and in Arizona Luminaria. You can also watch this introduction video.
Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones
Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by Alma Angélica "Lika" Macías Mejía, Casa’s mission is to temporarily house women and families who have been forced to migrate in vulnerable conditions, providing them with a safe, hospitable and supportive space. Casa is the only migrant shelter in Mexico that offers state-certified multigrade education for the children and young people who live there, as well as psychological counseling, skills training for adults, and legal advice. The shelter has been featured by The Arizona Republic, KJZZ, and others.
DEIJUVEN
DEIJUVEN (Desarrollo Integral Juvenil de Nogales) is a community center that offers an array of services and after-school youth programs in one of the Nogales most underserved areas, including skills training and music lessons. Their work has been featured in Arizona Public Media. To learn more about their programs, check out this video.
Guadalupe Community Center Sewing Workshop
The Taller de Costura at the Centro Comunitario Guadalupano is a women’s self-employment sewing workshop. It teaches women of all ages how to build a better future for themselves through their work—or simply for the joy of having a hobby that benefits their families. The group also partners with ARSOBO (see above) to manufacture harnesses for prosthetic patients. They have had a longtime partnership with the sewing ministry at the Desert Hills Lutheran Church in Green Valley, Arizona. Click here to read the social investment profile about Lorenia Zamora, a teacher at the workshop.
Albergue San Juan Bosco
Founded in 1982, this family-run shelter offers temporary housing, meals, religious services and access to further social resources to migrants deported to Nogales as well as people who are about to make their journey into the United States.
Additional social investment projects:
Asilo de Ancianos San Francisco (home for the elderly)
Asilo de Ancianos Magdalena (home for the elderly)
Banco de Alimentos de Nogales (food bank)
Casa Hogar para Niñas Madre Conchita (support for girls)
Casa Hogar de Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Cristo Rey (orphanage for boys)
La Ciudad de los Niños (orphanage)
Asociación Down (support for individuals and families with Down Syndrome)
Imagina (educational support for vulnerable children)
Manitas Que Hablan (support for children with hearing disabilities)
Want to learn more before you make a donation? Contact us to schedule a conversation or join us on a Social Investment Tour!
Ready to donate? Visit our donation page and select the “Mexico Pass-Thru” designation, then the name of the organization. If donating by check, write the name of the organization in the memo line.