In Mexico, where business philanthropy is still a rare commodity, Fundacion Azteca stands out not only for its high profile but for the ingenious way in which it combines the resources of one of the country's wealthiest family dynasties with charity causes that range from helping drug addicts to providing education for underprivileged children. Founded five years ago by Ricardo Salinas Pliego and his wife, Ninfa Sada de Salinas, the foundation first earned recognition with the airing of a one-hour weekly television show, To Whom it Concerns, on TV Azteca.

The programme spotlights cases of people in need, ranging from victims of abuse or fraud to the elderly, and then searches for a solution, either by hiring lawyers, pressuring government or donating goods. It has since expanded to include a department dedicated to helping victims of natural disasters and an anti-drug campaign, Living Without Drugs, which answers 4,000 calls a day from people suffering from addictions.

Both causes are widely publicised on TV Azteca's stations. But beyond providing basic necessities and helping out in times of need, the main goal of Fundacion Azteca is to improve the living standards of Mexico's more than 40m poor through education, says Ms Sada de Salinas. In 1997 the organisation opened Plantel Azteca, Mexico's first and only fully-funded, privately run school for gifted children from poor families.

"More than giving food or money, education is the single most important tool for people to succeed in Mexico," says Ms Sada de Salinas, who runs the foundation's operations on a daily basis. Other than having a low family income, the only prerequisite for Plantel Azteca students is an 8.5 grade point average (out of a total of 10), which they must maintain while attending the school.

To date, the school, which advertises for students on TV Azteca, has received more than 100,000 applications - which are made available at retail chain, Elektra. Plantel Azteca has so far accepted more than 2,000 students in grades seven to nine and will eventually expand to include up to grade 12. In addition to regular courses, it offers 600 hours of computer training a year, allowing students to graduate as computer technicians or database programmers after three years if they cannot afford to continue their studies. The job-orientated programme is combined with a holistic approach to education.

Each month, the school has a different moral theme in which students are expected to demonstrate examples of respect, generosity, honesty and order. Students are given take-home assignments which must be approved by their parents. Even parents are included in the curriculum. On Saturdays, they are encouraged to attend counselling sessions touching on topics ranging from drugs to sex. Since a study by Fundacion Azteca found that most Mexican students drop out after primary school because they cannot afford to fund their studies, students are provided with books, uniforms, school bags and even tennis shoes. The school is also furnished with 200 Pentium computers, a luxury for any Mexican school. The only thing the foundation doesn't pay for, at least directly, are the teachers. A private teaching institute, Grupo Isel, provides some 80 teachers in return for free air time on TV Azteca.

Once the students graduate, Fundacion Azteca plans to provide grants for those wishing to continue on into university. For those who choose to work, the organisation is looking to establish a job market listing employment opportunities within the Salinas group of companies. The candidates would be able to sell pagers for the group's pager company, Biper, or do telemarketing for Unefon, the telephone company, says Ms Sada de Salinas, who prefers not to reveal how much the family has donated to its various causes. "The students might be overly qualified to start but at least they will enter a company where they have hope of rising through the ranks," she says.

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