CONAHEC’s Border PACT grants program is unique since it provides the critical seed money necessary to get higher education institutions, NGOs and the private sector working together with the communities in which they are located on projects to improve life for residents of the U.S. – Mexico borderlands. Projects are supported in the areas of education, health, environment, community development and economic development. Each is selected based on the quality of its design, the potential it has to have a positive impact in its host community and the likelihood that it will be able to continue to find support subsequent to the expenditure of this initial seed funding.

Past results of funded projects have been excellent and have addressed important areas of study and current borderlands issues. To learn about each project, click on the area links to your left.

The first competition, funded by the Ford Foundation, took place in 1999 and $60,000 was awarded to five projects. The Hewlett Foundation and the Ford Foundation jointly funded the second competition in 2001 when $216,000 was awarded to 19 projects.

In June of 2003, a third round of Border PACT grants funded 14 projects for a total of $209,400. For the 2004 Border PACT grants competition, CONAHEC selected 10 projects to be funded at $15,000 per project.