Brownsville - A City of Contrasts

Located at the southernmost tip of Texas, historic Brownsville sits on the border with Mexico. This former frontier outpost of nearly 200,000 population includes a range of residents from recent immigrants to executives lured here by needs and opportunities in manufacturing, health care and retail.

Among the city’s challenges: high rates of poverty, below-level high school and college rates, and a fast-growing population impacted by immigration and language barriers.  While Brownsville is one of America’s fastest growing cities, it is the poorest large city in the United States.  The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 36.3 percent of all families here live below the poverty level, while nearly 41 percent of all individuals also live below federal poverty standards.

The Brownsville Herald reports that according to a Johns Hopkins University study, all five of Brownsville’s public high schools fit the description of a ‘dropout factory,’ meaning 60 percent or less of freshmen students graduate with their class four years later.   The school district tracks 95 percent of its nearly 48,000 students as economically disadvantaged, 43 percent have a limited English proficiency and 3 percent are migrant students.

Yet the prevalence of poverty in Brownsville masks the wealth of many of its residents. According to the 2000 Census, over three thousand households in Brownsville earn income in the top 20% nationally.  Historically, there has been no sustained community driven effort to develop a culture of philanthropy among these individuals.  Outside of the University of Texas at Brownsville, the community can boast of only a few small private foundations with narrow interests and limited reach.  The only local organization created to address a broad range of community needs and provide donors with flexible, tax-free vehicles to invest is the Brownsville Community Foundation.

Since the City of Brownsville was founded more than 150 years ago as an outpost on the frontier, local residents have faced challenges and taken advantage of opportunities with hard work, ingenuity, and a strong sense of community. The Brownsville Community Foundation seeks to harness these values and abilities by supporting the programs, and building the capacity of local residents and organizations that work to enhance the community.