Leadership matters
At the IAF, empowerment, engagement, and consensus with community partners and beneficiaries are central elements of our vision and values. We carry out our mandate of identifying, supporting, and partnering with disadvantaged people in Latin America and the Caribbean by responding with grant support for the most creative ideas for self-help from community organizations. We call upon these marginalized communities to create and lead their own projects, and we help mobilize matching resources.
We work with local leaders to address challenges on behalf of their communities and to promote accountability and transparency within their own governments. This approach allows community leaders to innovate and gain experience that will continue to serve them as they fulfill their roles. In this way, we also support growth within the next generation of private, public and civil society actors in the region.
We also practice adaptive management, which allows our core constituency—community organizations at the beginning stages of development—the time needed to use their resources responsibly. Our investments often focus on building the skills and capacity leaders need to sustain their efforts beyond our support.
Talk about community-led development!
Recent News and Stories
Partnering to Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis
In the wake of COVID-19, we have broadened our alliances with current partners to help at-risk communities adapt and recover. We have also identified promising new private sector partners and funding opportunities to scale our efforts even further.
Give Peace a Chance
Grantees in our Colombia peacebuilding initiative raise awareness about human rights, prevent violence, promote economic opportunities, and support community involvement in local development plans.
Building Park Benches (and Community Trust) in El Salvador
In an area known for its high homicide rate, young Salvadorans are reclaiming public spaces to gather and reconnect neighborhoods.