Over the past ten 10 years, SIF has supported 243 organizations in 81 countries and has contributed to the growth of 650 high-impact social change leaders. In addition to its grants portfolio, SIF implements key initiatives in the region, including the Central America Donors Forum, the Central America and Mexico Youth Fund, Centroamérica Adelante, the Independent Journalism Fund and the Anti-Impunity Fund.
Mission
To champion good governance and equity in Central America through rule of law and a robust civil society.
The interconnected nature of our four focus areas:
Good governance
and rule of law
Equity
Migration and displacement
Strengthen civil
society
Vision
We are guided by a vision of just, peaceful, and prosperous societies in Central America
Our new vision strengthens SIF’s interventions in Central America, and more specifically in northern Central America —Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras— and Nicaragua. We focus on these neighboring countries, with growing economic, political, social and cultural interdependence with the US, to increase the efficiency, impact and sustainability of our efforts.
Our Values
Informed interventions
An evidence and results-based approach is imperative in galvanizing engagement and creating sustainable philanthropy. We value the feedback of our counterparts working on the ground and allow it to inform our interventions.
Integrity
Doing what is right and fostering personal integrity and courage of conviction is critical in creating positive social change.
Social change
Social change takes time and patience, but with determination and collaboration we can achieve a more just and equitable future.
Local leadership
Local leaders in the public, private and social sectors play a key role in shaping lasting solutions to problems in their communities. Outside support will help them accomplish their goals.
Strength in multi-stakeholder partnerships
Better solutions and the fulfillment of Human Rights emerge through partnerships and collaboration across sectors. Civil society is an important stakeholder in the region, and supporting its efforts is a key factor to achieving social change.
Ethics and Justice
Seeking just practices to ensure respectful, diverse and non-discriminatory spaces in our work allows us to live out an ethics of Human Rights.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Statement
At Seattle International Foundation, we advance inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) every day—in our mission, team, and community.
Our history is rooted in the idea that philanthropy thrives when it encompasses a deep richness of backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences. Today, in the face of Central America’s most complex and urgent challenges, diversity is among our strongest assets. In achieving our mission, a wide range of ideas and perspectives is key to developing models and solutions that include everyone.
From the inside out, SIF advocates for the participation of all people and works to ensure a sense of belonging for all those with whom we work. We achieve this by acknowledging our implicit biases and, through honest conversation, we identify opportunities for growth and healing. To dismantle these biases, SIF fosters a culture of self-reflection, collective care and celebration of our team and our partners.
We value and model transparency, respect and a strong commitment to anti-racism, decolonization, feminism and social justice. We strive each day to create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone — employees, grantees, partners, and all our community — feels empowered to show up as and grow into their full, authentic selves. Inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility drive this work forward.
Together, we achieve more for an equitable and just region.
