Central America received 1.1 percent of U.S. foundation funding for international causes in 2013, while Latin America received 9.4 percent, a fact sheet from Foundation Center and the Seattle International Foundation finds.

According to U.S. Foundation Funding for Central America in Context (1 page, PDF, English or Spanish), a thousand of the largest U.S. foundations awarded a total of $6.4 billion in support of international causes in 2013, with $605 million directed to Latin America, of which $68 million was directed to Central America. By way of comparison, sub-Saharan Africa received $2.2 billion, Asia and the Pacific region received $1.8 billion, and Western Europe received $1.2 billion. The analysis also found that organizations outside the U.S. received $2.5 billion of the $6.4 billion total in grantmaking for international causes in 2013 — of which $172 million (6.9 percent) was directed to organizations in Latin America and $13 million (0.5 percent) went to organizations in Central America.

The fact sheet puts into international context data detailed in a 2015 research brief, U.S. Foundation Funding: Latin & Central America (8 pages, HTML or PDF).

"Central America, and especially the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, are faced with severe poverty, high levels of inequality, and an ongoing immigration crisis," said Seattle International Foundation CEO Mauricio Vivero. "This new information shows we as a sector are failing to address the critical needs of our Central American neighbors at this important moment in their history. U.S. philanthropy needs to prioritize Central America and seize upon this great opportunity to improve millions of lives in the region."

"Gaining a clearer picture of the global funding landscape is essential for foundations seeking to have an impact in Central America or any other region," said Lawrence T. McGill, vice president for knowledge services at Foundation Center. "By showing how grant dollars are flowing to Central America within the broader scope of international funding, this new fact sheet can help funders in the U.S. and around the world better target their resources to ensure the greatest impact."