Marisa Quiroz, President and CEO of the International Community Foundation, leads one of the few philanthropic organizations dedicated to supporting communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. In this episode of Border Masters, Marisa shares how ICF mobilizes resources across countries and cultures to address urgent needs — from environmental justice to education to healthy towns and cities — while centering the voices of those most impacted.

We unpack the complexities of cross-border giving: What does it mean to fund change in communities you may not physically live in? How do you build trust across borders, languages, and systems? And how can philanthropy shift from charity to solidarity? Marisa brings both passion and clarity to a conversation about reimagining philanthropy as a force for binational equity and transformation.

Algunos episodios serán en español y otros en inglés, conectando perspectivas únicas de la frontera.)

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Here are some notable moments from the interview:

00:52 - Introducing Marisa Quiroz and ICF

05:25 - Marisa’s Family Roots and Philanthropy Journey

08:28 - How and Why ICF Was Born

10:26 - Marisa as a Philanthropic Matchmaker

12:42 - Shifting Philanthropic Focus Areas

15:40 - Tijuana Food Relief Success Story

18:08 - Anyone Can Be a Philanthropist

21:15 - How to Start a Giving Circle

30:23 - The Future of Cross-Border Philanthropy

44:40 - What Being a Border Master Means to Marisa

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