FSD envisions a world where all people have the opportunity and capacity to direct economic, social, and environmental resources toward sustainable outcomes that improve lives and communities.
Our mission is to achieve community-driven goals through asset-based development and international exchange in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
FSD has been described as the “gold standard for global engagement programs.” We offer student internships, volunteer global service trips, and group programs, providing intensive pre-departure and in-country support. Programs include rigorous development theory and practical training, continuing educational and cultural activities, personal and group reflection sessions, and accommodation and transportation support. Our dedicated teams at each site are available 24/7 to guide you with cross-cultural, development and safety & security support.
Our program sites are in six countries and 10 cities, where for almost two decades we have supported more than 300 community partner organizations and trained more than 3,000 volunteers. Our community development efforts have maintained an ongoing project sustainability rate of nearly 80 percent, addressing health, social, environmental, and economic issues by responding to community priorities and offering training, grants, and volunteer support to our community partners.
Annually we support more than 200 projects and invest more than $800,000 in our partner communities, and our work directly impacts the lives of (on average) 150,000 people around the world. From a women’s beekeeping business in Kenya to nutritional education for mothers in Nicaragua and cook stove projects in India, FSD listens to community priorities and supports local leaders to achieve their vision for a better future.
We know from our experience that this development approach provides stronger social returns for our communities – find out more at fsdinternational.org. We invite you to continue to join us in our investment of affecting long-term, sustainable change to better the lives of the people we serve abroad.
3. our
mission
FSD
achieves
community-‐driven
goals
through
asset-‐based
development
and
internaBonal
exchange
in
Africa,
Asia,
and
LaBn
America.
4. our
vision
FSD
envisions
a
world
where
all
people
have
the
opportunity
and
capacity
to
direct
economic,
social,
and
environmental
resources
toward
sustainable
outcomes
that
improve
their
lives
and
communiBes.
5. our
core
values
-‐
Start
With
Assets,
Not
Problems
-‐
MoBvate
Community
Ownership
-‐
Generate
Enduring
Results
and
Impact
-‐
Focus
On
The
Site
Teams
-‐
Build
Capacity
-‐
Be
A
Bridge
-‐
Change
PerspecBves
-‐
Promote
Reciprocity
6. SECTORS
FSD
at
a
glance
• health
• economic
development
• youth
development
• educaBon
• environment
• appropriate
technology
• human
rights
• gender
equity
PROGRAMS
• Capacity
building
of
community
partners
• Grants
for
community
partner
projects
• Training
programs
for
volunteers
7. 300
by
the
numbers
in
2014
242 $846,250
262 308
45 17
8. founding
principles
FSD
was
established
in
1995
in
Nicaragua
by
Alicia
Robb,
with
the
following
principles:
• Invest
in
local
leadership
and
organizaAons
to
advance
their
missions
• Use
a
community-‐driven,
asset-‐based
approach
• Reciprocity
is
key
• Operate
with
a
non-‐profit,
social
entrepreneurial
model
for
sustainability
9. community
partner
organizaBons
• 300
community
partners
across
our
10
program
sites
• Dynamic
leadership
|
Small
staff
size
|
Limited
resources
• Deep
roots
within
the
community
• Beneficiaries
are
‘poor’
or
‘extremely
poor’-‐
focus
on
marginalized
• Already
working
in
or
willing
to
try
our
development
approach
10. our
value
to
community
partners
• Leverage
community
strengths
to
address
pressing
issues
• Use
sustainable,
parBcipatory
approach
for
community
ownership
in
project
design
and
implementaBon
• Capacity-‐building
year-‐round
provides
organizaBonal
and
leadership
development
• Seed
funding
and
capital
investment
to
support
project
• Partnerships
and
networking
with
other
organizaBons
and
community
members
12. Economic
Development
in
Salta,
Argentina
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Fundación
Tejiendo
Sueños
Caroline
Yarborough,
FSD
intern,
worked
with
Fundación
Tejiendo
Sueños
to
address
unemployment
in
the
community
by
forming
a
permanent
marketplace
for
entrepreneurs
to
sell
their
goods.
Capacity-‐building
workshops
were
also
created
to
strengthen
financial
management
and
cooperation
among
local
entrepreneurs.
13. Health
in
Cochabamba,
Bolivia
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Instituto
para
el
Desarollo
Humano
Instituto
para
el
Desarollo
Humano
recognized
a
connection
between
lack
of
HIV
diagnosis
and
transmission
to
others.
With
the
support
of
FSD,
they
developed
an
HIV
Rapid
Test
Diagnosis
Program
to
increase
the
availability
of
confidential
screening
services
and
mobilize
at-‐risk
groups
to
obtain
free-‐of-‐charge
testing
and
counseling.
14. Appropriate
Technology
in
Masaka,
Uganda
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Kitovu
Mobile
AIDS
Organization
FSD
Intern,
Tanya
Probert,
worked
with
Kitovu
Mobile
to
utilize
indigenous
micro-‐organism
(IMO)
technology,
which
teaches
enhanced
farming
methods,
allowing
community
members
to
do
more
with
limited
resources.
This
project
now
serves
as
a
model
for
other
farmers,
providing
training
and
information
they
can
bring
to
their
own
homes.
15. Youth
Education
in
Udaipur,
India
FSD
Partner
Organization:
ALFA
Educational
Society
ALFA
Educational
Society
and
intern,
Tucker
Kelleher-‐Brozost,
received
an
FSD
grant
to
building
a
library
in
its
community
center
procured
by
locally-‐sourced
books
and
materials
that
will
enhance
access
to
education,
increase
political
awareness
and
empowerment,
and
strengthen
ALFA-‐run
youth
groups.
16. Environmental
Sustainability
in
Masaka,
Uganda
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Renewed
Efforts
to
Alleviate
Poverty
(REAP)
FSD
supports
REAP
in
developing
“model
homes”
for
other
communities
to
replicate.
For
example,
FSD
supported
a
sustainable
“biogas”
system,
which
is
a
locally
identified
solution
to
addressing
deforestation,
depleting
natural
resources
and
lack
of
electricity
by
maximizing
farming
methods
in
remote,
rural
villages.
17. Health
in
Udaipur,
India
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Jagran
Jan
Vikas
Samiti
(JJVS)
Remote
villages
in
Udaipur
lack
access
to
basic
health
services.
Therefore,
JJVS
provides
these
communities
with
awareness
and
education
on
traditional,
local
medicinal
resources.
FSD
supported
their
Guni
Training
and
Treatment
Center,
a
traditional
source
medicine
and
education
to
serve
as
primary
healthcare.
18. Economic
Development
in
Tola,
Nicaragua
FSD
Partner
Organization:
The
Association
for
Sustainable
Development
of
Limon
2
“Getting
Down
to
Beesinuss”
is
a
project
funded
by
FSD
and
facilitated
by
intern,
Jacqueline
Bruns,
to
expand
the
organization’s
beekeeping
business
and
generate
profit.
Critical
to
this
initiative
is
also
the
development
of
a
training
program
for
community
members
in
the
honey
producing
process.
19. Appropriate
Technology
in
Ciudad
Sandino,
Nicaragua
FSD
Partner
Organization:
MASINFA
FSD
funded
a
grant
for
FSD
Intern,
Allison
Smith,
and
MASINFA
to
address
both
malnutrition
and
unemployment.
Community
members
mobilized
construct
10
community
garden
beds
with
training
in
bio-‐intensive
gardening
for
improved
access
to
nutritional
foods
and
generating
income
by
growing
and
selling
their
own
crops.
20. Environmental
Sustainability
in
Tola,
Nicaragua
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Colegio
Nancimi
In
an
effort
to
introduce
a
new
habit
of
recycling,
FSD
intern,
Daniela
Lopez,
and
Colegio
Nancimi
were
awarded
an
FSD
grant
to
develop
a
project
to
provide
training
to
youth
in
developing
skills
to
turn
“trash”
into
handicrafts.
This,
in
turn,
also
serves
as
a
source
for
youth
to
generate
income.
21. Economic
Development
in
Mombasa,
Kenya
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Golden
Financial
Services
FSD
funded
this
capacity-‐building
initiative
to
equip
women
with
business
skills
and
financial
support
in
order
to
manage
income-‐generating
activities,
improve
their
economic
capacity
and
livelihoods,
and
help
to
liberate
them
from
the
bondage
of
poverty
and
discrimination—a
clear
example
of
a
long-‐impact
project.
22. Health
in
Kakamega,
Kenya
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Emusanda
Health
Center
Emusanda
Health
Center
wanted
to
strengthen
their
services
to
HIV
positive
individuals
and
diminish
the
stigma
through
empowerment
efforts.
With
the
support
of
FSd
intern,
Joseph
Bejany,
and
an
FSD
grant,
they
developed
a
goat
rearing
business
to
provide
a
new
skill
and
source
of
income
for
those
with
HIV/AIDS,
while
teaching
the
nutritional
benefits
of
goat
milk.
23. Economic
Development
in
Salta,
Argentina
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Fundación
Impulsar
The
“Sustainable
Salta”
project
funded
by
FSD
with
Intern,
Sabrina
Kerin,
support
sustainable
entrepreneurs
so
to
grow
their
businesses
while
strengthening
their
social
and
environmental
impact
through
the
creation
of
a
network,
educational
workshops,
and
a
formal
certification
process.
24. Environmental
Sustainability
in
Kakamega,
Kenya
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Western
Water
and
Sanitation
Forum
(WEWASAFO)
Mwiyala
Primary
and
intern,
Dillon
Zang,
were
awarded
an
FSD
grant
to
pilot
an
Ecosan
latrine
addressing
a
recurring
need
for
improved
sanitation
at
this
school.
The
latrine
serves
as
a
fertilizer
for
more
environmentally-‐friendly
waste
disposal
and
an
example
for
others
to
replicate
in
the
surrounding
area.
25. Human
Rights
in
Ciudad
Sandino,
Nicaragua
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Alternativa
As
a
result
of
extreme
poverty
in
Nicaragua,
many
families
depend
on
child
labor
for
their
survival.
FSD
supports
Alternativa’s
programs
to
curb
such
dependency
by
providing
small
loans
and
workshops
on
financial
management
to
provide
families
with
the
skills
and
tools
necessary
to
acquire
and
manage
income.
26. Economic
Development
in
Jinja,
Uganda
FSD
Partner
Organization:
Baitambogwe
SACCO
This
Savings
and
Credit
Cooperative
(SACCO)
aimed
to
support
the
fishing
community
in
enhancing
their
profits.
To
address
improper
handling
and
increased
spoilage,
FSD
awarded
a
grant
to
intern,
Thomas
Palcynzski
and
Baitambogwe
to
develop
a
modern,
more
efficient
method
for
fish
drying.
Supplementing
these
methods
were
also
trainings
in
safety
and
marketing.
27. Youth
Development
in
Cochabamba,
Bolivia
FSD
Partner
OrganizaAon:
Aldeas
Infantiles
SOS
The
“Libros
for
Literacy”
program
was
funded
by
FSD
and
facilitated
by
intern,
Jane
Finocharo
to
provide
access
to
education
for
orphaned
and
abandoned
children.
Aldeas
Infantiles
SOS
constructed
a
small
library
at
their
center
supplemented
by
books
from
a
local
seller.
28. SUPPORT
FSD!
join
us!
Your
funds
will
support
the
criBcal
efforts
of
community-‐based
organizaBons
to
achieve
long-‐term
change.