Corporate Donations to Charities in Cancún Drop 30%

Cancún, Quintana Roo — At least 30% of companies in Cancún have stopped contributing to charitable causes this year, forcing many social programs to be postponed, according to Jesús Ordaz, a representative of the Conmemorativo Rotary Club.

Ordaz blamed the country’s economic situation and said the trend is not limited to Mexico. “It’s mainly because of the economic situation, and it’s not only happening in Mexico but also in European countries, for example,” he said.

He added that some businesses have also lost confidence in the economic outlook, while rising costs for supplies and operations have made philanthropy harder to sustain.

The decline has hit charity races particularly hard. Victor Carrera, a sports event organizer, said these events can cost up to 1 million pesos to put on, making sponsorships essential.

Even though cause-related races have grown more than 50% in Cancún over the past five years, Carrera said it is increasingly difficult to find corporate sponsors. Infrastructure, including participant kits, adds to the expense.

“The organization depends on the number of runners, and sometimes we plan for 100 people but 300 or more show up,” Carrera said. “Some associations in Cancún already hold races that attract more than 1,500 people, which doubles their costs and can mean investing up to 1 million pesos.”

About 10 sports companies organize these events in the city, with each putting on three to five races per year — roughly 50 races annually. Carrera acknowledged that securing sponsorships has become more challenging in recent years.