Our Impact

Based on 15 years of experience, Segal Philanthropies is ready to share our know-how for establishing meaningful, trust-based giving to organizations inside and outside of the United States.

The formula is simple and replicable: 

• Build strong teams based in the countries where you want to fund.

• Trust the decision-making of these teams.

• Create systems for vetting small organizations that reduce barriers while respecting due diligence best practices.

Focus Central America demonstrates the replicability of this process. From its founding in 2021, Focus Central America received guidance from Segal Family Foundation and Focus for Health on

• the philanthropy landscape

• creating a culture that centers the needs of grantees

• due diligence within international grantmaking

• safeguarding policies and procedures

• reducing reporting burdens 

In addition, Focus Central America benefited from introductions with trusted experts in localization efforts.

The invaluable support of these two sister foundations helped Focus Central America to rapidly develop as a foundation in a region often overlooked by philanthropic organizations. Focus Central America now has three full-time Program Officers in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, who are pivotal in evaluating and selecting over 70 grantees, 92% of which are locally led. Focus Central America is excited to continue this growth in the years to come, providing critical funding support to community voices across the region.