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 (Asociacion 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 Sonorans. For more information about FESAC, visit their website and social media.

Our partnership

BCA and FESAC have maintained 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 over half a million dollars in the past decade. FESAC also supports our Borderlands Ambassador Internship Program by helping place interns for service learning projects. We are proud to work with FESAC to lift up the community in Nogales through a strategy of social investment, not charity.

Alma Cota de Yanez

Executive Director of FESAC, Nogales Chapter

  • Alma Cota de Yanez was born in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, and graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the Technological Institute of Monterrey (ITESM). Alma began working with NGOs as a part time translator for Save the Children during her university studies.  Since January of 2003, Alma has served as Executive Director for Fundación del Empresariado Sonorense AC (Nogales Chapter). Since taking charge of this position Alma has overseen FESAC becoming the local leader in mobilizing resources and education in philanthropy for donors (individual and corporate), government agencies and NGOs.  FESAC works to promote civil society, philanthropy, culture and a NGO network. As a result of this work, FESAC has helped Nogales, Son. to work towards the objective of improving the quality of community life. FESAC works in close partnership with the Border Community Alliance in Arizona on a variety of cross border programs. Read more about Alma and her work with FESAC in this social investment profile.

Examples of Social Investment Projects in Nogales, Sonora

ARSOBO (Arizona Sonora Border Project for Inclusion)

A revolutionary organization in the region, ARSOBO is redefining what it means to be “disabled” in Nogales, Sonora. 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.

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 (Desarrollo Integral Juvenil de Nogales)

DEIJUVEN 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 created by our BCA Borderlands Ambassador interns.

El Taller de Costura Guadalupana

This group hosts sewing workshops for women. 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.

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 U.S.