The Resource Foundation
About Us
FAQs
Services to Donors and Member Organizations
Program Summaries
Locator Map
Volunteer Field Trips
What's New
Members' Message Board
Give a Hand Up
Participants' Stories
Contact Us


FAQs

What is The Resource Foundation's mission?
How does The Resource Foundation identify member organizations in Latin America?
What are the specific criteria for membership in The Resource Foundation?
What type of community development programs does The Resource Foundation support?
What are the sources of The Resource Foundation's funds?
What percentage of donations is used to support programs?
How can I contribute to the work of The Resource Foundation?
Who are The Resource Foundation's staff members?
Who serves on The Resource Foundation's Board of Directors?

What is The Resource Foundation's mission?
The Resource Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1987 for the purpose of cultivating productive relationships between sustainable private development organizations (PDOs) in Latin America and selective donors worldwide by leveraging capital and information resources to increase the self-reliance and living standards of the disadvantaged.
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How does The Resource Foundation identify member organizations in Latin America?
All of The Resource Foundation's staff and many of its board members have lived and/or worked in the region. Using its extensive network in the development field, The Resource Foundation selects PDOs with proven track records in effective program management, efficient use of funds and strong community involvement.
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What are the specific criteria for membership in The Resource Foundation?
The Resource Foundation's membership criteria include: strong executive leadership, committed Board, proven administrative capability, financial stability, focused and innovative programs, commitment to self-help activities among low-income groups, high regard for the environment and sustainability.

If you would like to recommend a Latin American organization for membership in The Resource Foundation, please send a one-page description (See Contact Us). We do not accept unsolicited proposals from non-member organizations.
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What type of community development programs does The Resource Foundation support?
All of The Resource Foundation's member agencies in Latin America collaborate with low-income communities to implement high impact self-reliance building activities that increase the participants' standard of living. Program activities focus on: basic education and job-skills training for children and youth, microenterprise support including credit, low-cost housing, primary health care, sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation.
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What are the sources of The Resource Foundation's funds?
The Resource Foundation receives financial support from dues paid by its member agencies, contributions from individual donors and religious groups, and grants from family foundations and corporate sources. For a list of key institutional donors, click on Funder Spotlight.
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What percentage of donations is used to support programs?
The Resource Foundation manages costs very efficiently. Every year since its founding in 1987, 90% or more of funds raised has been applied to programs and services.
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How can I contribute to the work of The Resource Foundation?
There are many ways to show your support by "giving a hand up, not a hand-out."  The Resource Foundation gratefully accepts contributions by credit card, check and marketable securities.  To make a donation, click on Give a Hand Up. Check out Volunteer Field Trips to learn about visiting member agencies and participating in work projects. To go directly to the online credit card payment page, click here.
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Who are The Resource Foundation's staff members?

Loren Finnell, founder and Executive Director, has devoted his life’s work to international development, beginning in 1964 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador.  His broad experience includes running volunteer organizations, co-founding collaborative initiatives (PACT) and consulting with nonprofits to build institutional strength by supporting the programmatic and management needs of U.S., Canadian, Latin American, African and Asian organizations.  In recognition of his lifetime achievement, in September 2006 the National Peace Corps Association honored Mr. Finnell with its Sargent Shriver Award.  He is fluent in Spanish and has a basic understanding of Portuguese.  Mr. Finnell graduated from Manchester College in 1964. 

Marcela López-Macedonio, Senior Director of Philanthropy, joined The Resource Foundation in 2000 as Director of Communications, after having worked for five years as an Associate Attorney at the New York City law firm of Goldfarb & Abrandt.  Ms. López-Macedonio holds B.A. degrees in Political Science and French from Rutgers University and a Law Degree from New York Law School.  During her graduate studies, Ms. López-Macedonio worked with two nonprofit organizations in New York City.  Ms. López-Macedonio is fluent in English, Spanish and French, and has a basic understanding of Portuguese.

Julia Love, Director of Communications, joined The Resource Foundation in September 2006, after working for nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Bolivia.  She holds a Masters of Government and Economic Policy from the London School of Economics, a Masters of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A in Public Policy from Duke University.  During 2002-2003, Ms. Love was a Fulbright scholar in Bolivia.  She has produced and directed five documentary films.  Ms. Love is proficient in Spanish.

María Eugenia Vásquez, Program Manager, coordinates the program funding activities and provides administrative support to the organization.  Prior to this, Ms. Vásquez was employed by FEPP, an affiliated agency of The Resource Foundation in Ecuador. She also has 15 years' banking experience. Ms. Vásquez holds a degree in Economics from the College of New Rochelle in New York and a Certificate in Translation from New York University. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Kris Merschrod has worked part-time for The Resource Foundation since 2004, conducting comprehensive project evaluations to ensure that contributions are used properly and are achieving results. He has 25 years of broad experience in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating high-impact development programs in the emerging world. In 1981 Dr. Merschrod received his Ph.D. in Developmental Sociology from Cornell University, with minors in Latin American Studies and Research Methodology. In 1974 he obtained a Master of Professional Studies from Cornell University, having graduated in 1966 from that school with a B.S. in International Agricultural Development. Dr. Merschrod has also taken graduate courses in Business Administration and Personnel Management at Florida State University. He is fluent in Spanish.

Carmen Ilizarbe has worked part-time for The Resource Foundation since September of 2005, assisting with the preparation of progress reports and proposals.  Ms. Ilizarbe is a Ph.D. student of Political Science at The New School for Social Research and holds a Masters degree in Political Science from the same university.  She also has B.A. degrees in Anthropology and Gender Studies from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.  After college, Ms. Ilizarbe worked with two nonprofit organizations and two prestigious universities in Lima.  She has also worked for the Ministry of Women and the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a technical advisor and researcher, respectively.  Ms. Ilizarbe is fluent in English and Spanish.


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Who serves on The Resource Foundation's Board of Directors?

The Resource Foundation is proud of its hardworking Board. Most Directors have business dealings in Latin America. Several are former Peace Corps volunteers. Many are Latin American, some represent member PDOs. All have an understanding of the social, political, economic and cultural characteristics of the countries we serve. All of them are committed to their responsibility to govern The Resource Foundation prudently and to make sure it offers high quality services to donors and member organizations.

*Executive Committee (1) Chairperson (2) Secretary (3) Treasurer

 

Director Emeritus

Rev. Alberto Jiménez, S.J., Director Emeritus, Servivienda, Bogotá, Colombia

 

Directors

Michael M. Archer, SVP, Managing Director, MasterCard International, Purchase, NY

Jovita Castillo, President, For a Better World Productions, New York, NY

Thaís Cedeño, The Róger and Thaís Cedeño Charitable Fund, Surfside, FL

Alain Concher*(3), Vice President, Global Procurement, L'Oréal USA, New York, NY

José M. de Lasa*, Of Counsel, Baker & McKenzie, New York, NY

Ramón Fuenmayor, Area President, Asia/Canada/LatAm, Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY

María A. García, SVP, Emerging Market Sales, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY

Rafael Guardans Cambó, Executive President, Fundeso, Madrid, Spain

William Hockman*, Chairman & CEO, Hockman-Lewis Limited, West Orange, NJ

Darryl Hunt*, Public Relations Consultant, New York, NY

Rudolf Laager, President, LuKaDa International, LLC, Larchmont, NY

Christina Leijonhufvud, Managing Director, Risk Management, Country & Emerging Markets, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., New York, NY

Pedro Lichtinger*, President, European Pharmaceutical Operations, Pfizer Inc, New York, NY

Colleen May, Owner/Chairperson, Intervine, Inc., Napa, CA

Carl Muñana, Development Finance Consultant, Madrid, Spain

Carla Volpe Porter* (1), General Counsel, Renaissance Technologies Corp., New York, NY

Lawrence Prince*, Chairman, J.B. Prince Co., New York, NY

Kenneth Ricci* (2), Principal, Ricci Greene Associates, New York, NY

Carmen Unanue, President, The C & J Unanue Foundation, New York, NY

John Welch*, SVP, Sovereign Strategy, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY

Peter O. Wirth, President, TWT Ltd., New York, NY



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