It has been over 20 years since the International Community Foundation (ICF) was founded on the vision of promoting philanthropy and grantmaking in underserved communities in the Americas and Asia. During this time, over $33 million in grants has been made to charities in the communities that we serve internationally.

During the past decade, the International Community Foundation had sought to stay true to its founders’ original vision of serving as a philanthropic connector for both the Americas and Asia. However, the need for expanded grant compliance and oversight prompted the foundation’s Board to refocus our grantmaking priorities on two key geographic priorities: Mexico and Central America.

In the past fiscal year, 121 grants totaling almost $5.8 million were made to 90 nonprofits, representing an increase of 5% over the prior fiscal year. Through this funding, a wide range of projects and initiatives was supported in the areas of education, the environment, health & human services, community development and arts & culture.

Beyond its grantmaking in the San Diego-Tijuana border region, the Foundation published a study highlighting cross-border challenges and opportunities in tuberculosis. With financial support from Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach Initiative, the Foundation also helped forge an innovative, cross-border, public-private partnership that has led to the development of a wireless diabetes management solution for underserved patients in Tijuana..

Given that over 50% of the International Community Foundation’s current donors are retirees or second homebuyers in Mexico, the Foundation has sought to better understand how the ongoing economic recession has impacted this unique subpopulation. To learn more, the International Community Foundation embarked on a year-long effort to study U.S. retirement trends in Mexican coastal communities, which resulted in four research reports published since March.

In the coming decade, it is our hope that the International Community Foundation can inspire more U.S. donors to expand their level of giving to Mexico and Central America. Increased giving will empower and enable more worthy nonprofits to proactively respond to growing challenges and needs using community-based solutions that government is unable to provide alone.

Thank you for your steadfast support of the International Community Foundation over the past two decades. It is thanks to your generosity that our work is possible.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Hammond Chair

Richard Kiy President & CEO