Our History

---

The Arizona Border Alliance (ABA) was born from a shared recognition that Southern Arizona’s border and rural communities face deeply interconnected challenges, yet too often lack coordinated and equitable access to the resources needed to thrive.

In early 2023, a group of community leaders and founding board members began shaping a new regional approach rooted in collaboration, efficiency, and community voice. Their vision was to strengthen existing systems, reduce duplication, connect underserved communities with resources, and create new solutions where gaps remained.

Formally established on March 24, 2024, the Arizona Border Alliance received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation on June 4, 2024. From the beginning, ABA embraced a collaborative, cross-sector approach reflecting the social, economic, and cultural realities of Southern Arizona and the U.S.–Mexico border region. The organization was built to bring together local governments, nonprofits, schools, healthcare providers, businesses, philanthropy, and community leaders while also developing and implementing programs that respond directly to locally identified needs.

ABA grew rapidly from that original vision. Early investments strengthened organizational infrastructure and supported initiatives in community health, education, economic opportunity, public safety, and regional engagement. Partnerships expanded across Southern Arizona and into Mexico, creating new opportunities for collaboration in public health, economic development, environmental stewardship, tourism, education, and regional planning.

By 2026, ABA had grown into a regional nonprofit serving communities across Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz, Pinal, Yuma, and other rural areas of Arizona. Through partnerships with more than 50 local, state, philanthropic, and cross-border organizations, ABA has brought new resources and programs into communities that are often overlooked by traditional systems.

Today, ABA serves both as a connector and an implementer. We build partnerships, identify gaps, secure resources, and turn community priorities into action. Our work spans public health and prevention, youth and education, food security and agriculture, workforce and economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, water resilience, and community development.

Throughout that growth, ABA's founding principles have remained constant: integrity, accountability, collaboration, and service. Our work is guided by community voice, informed by data, and designed to create practical solutions that can produce measurable and lasting impact.

As ABA looks to the future, we remain committed to strengthening the communities of Southern Arizona and the border region by bringing people, organizations, and resources together around shared challenges and opportunities. What began as a regional idea has become a growing network of partnerships, programs, and people working toward a healthier, stronger, and more connected Arizona border region.