ICF 2006 Annual Report - 2006 Highlights

Leading | Public Policy

Shared Destiny: Shaping a Binational Agenda for Health Priorities
To engage civic leaders and elected officials in addressing critical health risks, ICF released “Shared Destiny: Shaping a Binational Agenda for Health Priorities in the San Diego-Baja California Border Region” with funding from the California Endowment. Shared Destiny is a binational call for action to raise the scale of investment and program engagement along the border to respond to the rising rates of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS as well as otherwise preventable diseases such as diabetes and obesity. In the coming year, ICF intends to build on the report’s findings to dramatically expand the foundation’s charitable giving in the area of border health. Details on the report can be found at www.icfdn.org/shared-destiny/index.htm

Improving | Local Decision Making

Picturesque scene of Loreto, Loreto, BCS, Mexico.
Photo credit: ICF.

Loreto Alternative Futures Study
A community of just 15,000 people, Loreto is considering expanding its urban footprint to 120,000 over the next 20 years. With funding and technical support from ICF, a binational team of academic researchers from Harvard University, SDSU, University of Arizona, UABCS, CIBNOR and Scripps Institution of Oceanography came together to study potential alternatives to the proposed plan. Long-term availability of freshwater was quickly identified as a limiting factor for growth; as a result, ICF went on to fund a water management study to help inform local civic and elected leaders. Today, urban development pressures remain but public dialogue is more robust and area nonprofits are more active in informing local residents about the risks of poor planning and water mis-management. ICF hopes that this example will catalyze improvements in planning in other parts of Mexico and beyond. Details of this study can be found at www.futurosalternativosloreto.org

Serving | New Communities

Hurricane Stan devastation, Guatemala.
Photo credit: SHARE-Guatemala.

Expanded Grantmaking in Central America
ICF’s grantmaking success in the tsunami-affected region of South Asia has led to expanded grantmaking to respond to disaster relief needs in Central America. Staff expertise in the region allowed ICF to respond quickly to Hurricane Stan in Guatemala with grant to SHARE-Guatemala to rehabilitate community water systems and provide water filters and training to vulnerable families living in the region of Comitancillo.

In addition, ICF has tackled a challenging environmental portfolio in Panama this year. With grants in communications, advocacy, enforcement, and institutional development, ICF has strengthened on-the-ground conservation in Panama’s national parks and marine protected areas supporting ANCON, Fundación Albatros, MarViva, STRI, and Fundación Avifauna Eugene Eismann.

Increasing | Philanthropy

First Needs Assessment Released for Baja California Sur

ICF released a blueprint for increasing private philanthropy, volunteerism, and collaboration in Baja California Sur (BCS) this year. This comprehensive guide to the five municipalities in BCS (Los Cabos, La Paz, Loreto, Mulegé, and Comondú) identifies needs and giving opportunities in all ICF program areas. In addition, ICF asked the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) to identify nonprofit organizations that are currently working across the state; out of 140 organizations contacted, ICF was able to certify 48 groups. For more information, visit ICF-Xchange at www.icfdn.org.

Preserving | World Heritage

San Ignacio Lagoon Protection
Since October 2005, ICF and its partners have protected almost 140,000 acres of wetlands, lagoons, beaches, and inland areas in Laguna San Ignacio. Working with local residents and landowners (called ejidatarios) to restrict development rights and preserve important biodiversity zones, the Laguna San Ignacio Conservation Alliance is just getting started. In addition to conserving this pristine whale-birthing lagoon, ICF also made grants to several local organizations, including Fundación Deborah Wayne (see page 15) and ProEsteros for local health and education projects. An annual grant to Maijañuí, A.C. will help establish alternative economic projects for local residents and business owners, as well as securing the continued promise to protect a portion of this critical sanctuary. ICF partners in the San Ignacio Alliance include: Pronatura, Wildcoast, NRDC, FUNDEA and Maijanu, A.C.

Grey whale at San Ignacio Lagoon, San Ignacio,
Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Photo Provided by: Pronatura Noroeste.

Educating | Future Generations

Promoting Educational Opportunities Across Borders
In the past year, ICF collaborated with The San Diego Foundation, Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad and the Inamori Foundation to support the Kyoto Scholarship Program, an innovative cross-border initiative providing financial assistance to graduating high school seniors from San Diego County and Tijuana to attend a four-year college. Inspired by Kyocera founder, Kazuo Inamori, the scholarship program encourages youth to serve their community. The cross-border collaboration by foundations resulting from the Kyoto scholarship program illustrates the potential benefits of expanded community philanthropy in the binational San Diego-Tijuana border region.

San Diego-Tijuana Kyoto Scholarship Recipients, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Photo credit: Inamori Foundation.

e-giving | ICF-Xchange

Serving International Giving Circle
During the past year, ICF launched ICFXchange, an online service to assist donors and grantees to identify common points of interest, potential projects to support, and opportunities for charitable giving and volunteerism. Launched in March 2006 thanks to the support from an anonymous donor, the Reinhart Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank, and Sempra Energy, ICFXchange is intended to increase the level of grantee specific information available to donors to faciliate grantmaking along the Baja California peninsula. In the coming year, ICF plans to offer expanded grantee profiles on nonprofits located in other communities served by the foundation throughout Asia and the Americas.

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