Council on Foundations - Philanthropic Initiative for the Americas elaborates its mission

In May 2007, the Council on Foundations and Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) convened the second advisory committee meeting of the Philanthropic Initiative for the Americas (PIA) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Eleven representatives of US, Latin American and Caribbean foundations met to review a consultant’s study of existing philanthropic networks and initiatives in the region and a concept paper for the PIA.

As a result, the group adopted the following as the Initiative’s overall mission: ‘to enhance philanthropy’s role in the transformation toward greater economic and social justice in the Americas.’

Within this broad framework, three specific goals and related activities were identified.

• First, to encourage philanthropic leadership and enhance institutional capacity. Activities include travel seminars to Latin America and the Caribbean as well as creating a website with materials on philanthropy available in Spanish.
• Second, to share information in order to foster trust and collaboration among philanthropic networks. Activities include making existing research available online, and if necessary translating it, and identifying gaps for new philanthropy-related research.
• Third, to increase philanthropy’s investment in and engagement with the Hispanic/Latino communities in the US and with the rest of the Latin America/Caribbean region. Potential COF-HIP collaborations with existing organizations and networks will be explored as well as possible partnerships with corporations and community foundations.

The Initiative was conceived jointly in 2006 by the Council and HIP to strengthen philanthropic ties between the US and Latin America. A number of factors underlie its creation: among them, the extreme poverty in Latin America that is fuelling migration while extreme wealth offers philanthropic opportunities; and the growing importance of US Hispanic/Latino communities both within the US and as bridges to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Council on Foundations
Director, International Programs: Rob Buchanan
T +1 202 466 6512
International@cof.org
Buchr@cof.org
www.cof.org