Inter-American Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Inter-American Foundation, or IAF, is an independent agency of the United States
government that funds development projects undertaken by grassroots groups and nongovernmental organizations in Latin America
and the Caribbean
. It was created through the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1969 as an experimental alternative to traditional foreign assistance that operates government-to-government on a much larger scale. The IAF receives its funds through annual allocations by Congress
and from the Social Progress Trust Fund administered by the Inter-American Development Bank
and consisting of payments on U.S. government loans extended under the Alliance for Progress
to various Latin American and Caribbean governments. Since beginning operations in 1972, the IAF has awarded 4,920 grants worth more than $665 million.
The IAF has had a low profile because of its comparatively small budget. However, during the mid-1980s, the IAF received some national attention when it became a political battleground for President Ronald Reagan
and Congressional Democrats.
With his articles in Foreign Affairs
and his book The Engines of Change, Harvard professor George C. Lodge
significantly influenced the intellectual climate that led to the passage of the IAF’s enabling legislation. Most notably, Lodge wrote that poverty was the greatest threat to U.S. interests in the Americas. In “U.S. Aid to Latin America: Funding Radical Change,” which appeared in Foreign Affairs in July 1969., he urged creation of an “American Foundation [to] find and fund the engines of change which work directly to revolutionize Latin American social and political structures.” Lodge was appointed to the IAF’s founding board of directors in 1971..
The guiding principle of the Inter-American Foundation is responsiveness to the ideas of organized people who are willing to invest and risk their own resources.
The IAF does not accept proposals presented or directed by government entities or by entities outside the country in which the project is located; proposals from individuals; proposals associated with political parties or partisan movements; proposals for purely religious or sectarian activities; proposals for pure research; proposals for welfare projects of any kind; proposals from charitable institutions; or proposals solely for construction and/or equipment.
The IAF looks for the following in a project it funds: innovative solutions; creative use of community resources; feasibility; a diverse array of community voices in project development and execution; substantial beneficiary engagement in (a) the identification of the problem addressed, (b) the approach chosen to solve it, (c) the design of the project, and (d) management and evaluation of activities; partnerships with local government, the business community and other civil society organizations; a potential for strengthening all participating organizations and their partnerships; evidence of eventual sustainability; counterpart contributions from beneficiaries and other sources as well as from the proponent; the potential to generate learning; measurable results; evidence of enhanced capacity for self-governance.
Between 2000 and 2006 the IAF suspended all Fellowships for budgetary reasons. In 2007, one component was reinstated: support for doctoral dissertation research undertaken by students in U.S. universities who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. Information and application procedures can be found at www.iie.org/iaf.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government that funds development projects undertaken by grassroots groups and nongovernmental organizations in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. It was created through the Foreign Assistance Act
Foreign Assistance Act
The Foreign Assistance Act is a United States Act of Congress. The Act reorganized the structure of existing U.S. foreign assistance programs, separated military from non-military aid, and created a new agency, the United States Agency for International Development to administer those...
of 1969 as an experimental alternative to traditional foreign assistance that operates government-to-government on a much larger scale. The IAF receives its funds through annual allocations by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and from the Social Progress Trust Fund administered by the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
and consisting of payments on U.S. government loans extended under the Alliance for Progress
Alliance for Progress
The Alliance for Progress initiated by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 aimed to establish economic cooperation between the U.S. and South America.-Origin and goals:...
to various Latin American and Caribbean governments. Since beginning operations in 1972, the IAF has awarded 4,920 grants worth more than $665 million.
The IAF has had a low profile because of its comparatively small budget. However, during the mid-1980s, the IAF received some national attention when it became a political battleground for President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Congressional Democrats.
Beginnings
Representative Dante B. Fascell (D-Fla.) was the architect of the legislation to establish the Inter-American Foundation, which redesigned foreign aid to benefit the poorest of people in developing countries.With his articles in Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
and his book The Engines of Change, Harvard professor George C. Lodge
George C. Lodge
George Cabot Lodge II is an American professor and former politician.-Early life:His father was Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, U.S. Ambassador to United Nations and South Vietnam, and 1960 vice presidential candidate for Richard Nixon against John F. Kennedy-Lyndon B....
significantly influenced the intellectual climate that led to the passage of the IAF’s enabling legislation. Most notably, Lodge wrote that poverty was the greatest threat to U.S. interests in the Americas. In “U.S. Aid to Latin America: Funding Radical Change,” which appeared in Foreign Affairs in July 1969., he urged creation of an “American Foundation [to] find and fund the engines of change which work directly to revolutionize Latin American social and political structures.” Lodge was appointed to the IAF’s founding board of directors in 1971..
Mission Statement
“…it shall be the purpose of the foundation, primarily in cooperation with private regional and international organizations, to- strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding among the peoples of this hemisphere;
- support self-help efforts designed to enlarge the opportunities for individual development;
- stimulate and assist effective and ever wider participation of the people in the development process;
- encourage the establishment and growth of democratic institutions, private and governmental, appropriate to the requirements of the individual sovereign nations of this hemisphere.” —Part IV, Section 401(b), Foreign Assistance Act of 1969
The guiding principle of the Inter-American Foundation is responsiveness to the ideas of organized people who are willing to invest and risk their own resources.
Grant Program
The IAF funds initiatives received in response to its call for proposals from grassroots groups and the organizations that support them in Latin America and the Caribbean. Projects are selected for funding on the basis of merit rather than by sector. Successful applicants receive between US$25,000 and US$400,000 over a period of from one to five years. IAF grantees are required to contribute in cash or in kind toward the success of their projects and are encouraged to mobilize resources to continue their impact after their IAF funding has ended.The IAF does not accept proposals presented or directed by government entities or by entities outside the country in which the project is located; proposals from individuals; proposals associated with political parties or partisan movements; proposals for purely religious or sectarian activities; proposals for pure research; proposals for welfare projects of any kind; proposals from charitable institutions; or proposals solely for construction and/or equipment.
The IAF looks for the following in a project it funds: innovative solutions; creative use of community resources; feasibility; a diverse array of community voices in project development and execution; substantial beneficiary engagement in (a) the identification of the problem addressed, (b) the approach chosen to solve it, (c) the design of the project, and (d) management and evaluation of activities; partnerships with local government, the business community and other civil society organizations; a potential for strengthening all participating organizations and their partnerships; evidence of eventual sustainability; counterpart contributions from beneficiaries and other sources as well as from the proponent; the potential to generate learning; measurable results; evidence of enhanced capacity for self-governance.
Fellowship Program
The IAF is the only institution that specifically funds research targeting grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its Fellowship Program launched in 1974 has supported doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, master’s degree candidates and, between 1991 and 1995 a handful of outstanding Latin American and Caribbean grassroots leaders awarded the Dante B. Fascell Inter-American Fellowship to pursue independent study. Alumni now total 1,047 individuals; they worked in 35 countries and represent 117 U.S. universities in 36 states. [citation]Between 2000 and 2006 the IAF suspended all Fellowships for budgetary reasons. In 2007, one component was reinstated: support for doctoral dissertation research undertaken by students in U.S. universities who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. Information and application procedures can be found at www.iie.org/iaf.
Organizational Structure
The Inter-American Foundation is governed by a board of directors appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Six members are drawn from the private sector and three from the federal government. A president, appointed by the board, serves as the Inter-American Foundation’s chief executive officer. The current president is Robert N. Kaplan. Previous presidents have included Larry Palmer (2005–2010), David Valenzuela (2000–2005), George Evans (1994–1999), William Perrin (1990–1994), Deborah Szekely (1984 to 1989), Peter Bell (1980–1983) and William Dyal (1971–1980).Publications
Detailed information on grassroots approaches to improving conditions for the poor and disadvantaged can be found in the IAF’s annual report and in its journal, Grassroots Development..External links
- Inter-American Foundation Official Website
- SourcewatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
, Inter-American Foundation