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Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico
Strenthening Community Capital
OUR GOAL is to reach equity, social justice, and community prosperity, through the growth and strengthening of community capital: human, social, ecological, cultural, financial and physical. These capitals are the center of our strategic foci: quality education and capacity building, renewable energy, safe housing, potable water, and economic development.
To accomplish it, we award to non-profit organizations grants, technical assistance, and capacity building (to learn about financing to non-profit, press here).
“We contribute to the development of our communities while promoting social justice”, Dr. Nelson Colón, FCPR’s president.
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Access to renewable energy
- Toro Negro, Ciales, became the first solar community in Puerto Rico owned and managed by its residents, connecting 28 homes through 20 microgrid.
- Pirucho Coop, Caguas, became the first solar community with a cooperative energy model
- 9 low-income rental homes in Esperanza Village, Juncos, have their own microgrid, recognized as the first solar microgrid certified by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau.
- 30 homes in Loiza have solar energy systems
- 37 community health care clinics with access to solar energy for their emergency rooms and/or refrigerators
- 1 hydroponic center
- 3 mobile renewable energy systems
- 3 community resiliency hubs
- 6 community aqueducts empowered with solar systems
IN PROGRESS…
- Solarizing the Island of Culebra. The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $4.1 million grant to Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico for a project that will provide business and nonprofits organizations in Culebra access to solar energy and storage infrastructure.
- Non-PRASA Back-Up Energy Project: Solar energy system for 242 community aqueducts that include solar panels, a high-efficiency solar pump, complemented by a power generator with transfer switch and fuel storage capacity for three (3) days.
- Puerto Rico Community Energy Resilience Initiative (CERI), an ongoing initiative* designed specifically to use blended finance to scale clean-energy solutions to hundreds of critical facilities in Puerto Rico. *CERI was founded by The Rockefeller Foundation; RMI; Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico; The Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust; the Association of Renewable Energy Consultants and Contractors for Puerto Rico; and Resilient Power Puerto Rico.
- Community Green Energy Corridor | A study to explore the potential of boosting solar communities in the central area of the island.
Learn more Informe Anual 2019-2020 (Spanish Only)
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Access to Water
Agua Pa ’Nosotros is a program of Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico that provides access to potable water by strengthening the community aqueducts in four essential areas: infrastructure, community organization, administration, and compliance with regulatory agencies.
At present, Agua Pa ’Nosotros has had relations with 102 communities with community aqueducts, of which 60 aqueducts have received technical assistance, 20 communities have received grants to improve their infrastructure; two emergency centers have been developed in communities with community aqueducts; three gatherings among peers have been celebrated, and 13 community aqueducts received grants to support community actions against the Covid-19 pandemic.
IN PROGRESS…
- Non-PRASA Back-Up Energy Project (FEMA/COR3): Solar energy system for approximately 242 community aqueducts that include solar panels, a high-efficiency solar pump, complemented by a power generator with transfer switch and fuel storage capacity for three (3) days.
- Puerto Rico Community Aqueducts Network
- Strengthening community aqueducts in the southern region of Puerto Rico affected by the earthquakes.
This FCPR program has had the following partners and donors: Hispanic Federation, Global Giving, Oxfam, and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
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Access to Housing
For decades, Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico has facilitated affordable housing through philanthropic investments to home building organizations. With the passage of Hurricanes Irma and María, and then with the earthquakes of 2020, the need to provide safe homes to families increased. With funds granted in 2018, during the past two years (2019 and 2020), four organizations managed to complete the rehabilitation of 64 homes in 17 municipalities. Also, more than 5,000 people supported in their housing relocation process.
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Investing in Community Economic Development
Community Economic Development has been one of Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico foci throughout its history, as well as access to housing, community development and education. During 2019 and 2020, Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico has facilitated the strengthening of community incubators and social and solidarity economy initiatives. Also, the Community Investment Fund (FIC), established in 2014, is nurtured by private investors who wish to invest in social responsibility mechanisms in their own land – Puerto Rico. It has become the only source of financing for non-profit organizations interested in capitalizing community loan programs, buying and rehabilitating affordable housing, obtaining operational capital and financing projects that generate economic and social returns.
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Strengthening education
Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico is committed to strengthening education in Puerto Rico through various philanthropic initiatives that include the scholarship program and funding opportunities to educators to strengthen their educational strategies.
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During 2019 and 2020, Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico implemented a community development strategy in Loíza. With the aspiration of reducing the inequality gap, the support to Loíza has been multidimensional, working with non-profit organizations, many of them from loíceñas (from Loíza), to address the development of emotional and family health and expand educational, economic and housing opportunities. In addition, support the violence reduction strategies that were already being implemented. Its implementation is the result of efforts begun in 2015, aimed at promoting opportunities for racial and social justice in a municipality with a predominantly afro-descendant population. The strategies of the past two years have been supported by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Obama Foundation (My Brother’s Keeper / Alianza por la Paz: Por un Nuevo Loíza), NBPA Foundation, Enterprise, Marguerite Casey Foundation through Hispanic in Philanthropy; Benny’s Circle of Friends, Peter Alfond Foundation and Amgen Foundation, among other donors.
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#ImpulsoAlCapitalComunitario
FINANCIAL CAPITAL Financial capital is stimulated when the community receives a grant to install water metering equipment. The metering system will allow measuring water consumption per family in order to charge families for the use of the water. This is a very important step for community residents, as the amount charged will allow for maintenance, repair of the infrastructure and, better yet, becoming self-sustainable.
PHYSICAL CAPITAL Physical capital is strengthened through infrastructure improvements facilitated by grants, such as the ones given to support repairs and reinforcement of community aqueducts. It is also evident in each house rehabilitated through a Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs).
HUMAN CAPITAL Human capital is strengthened with capacity building and education received by community members in areas like incubation of micro-enterprises, housing development, and teachers’ leadership skills. It’s also reinforced with each scholarship awarded to support youth education.
SOCIAL CAPITAL Social capital is strengthened with the development and expansion of networks and alliances that promote long-term relationships and build trust. This is evident when 75 community aqueducts leaders convened at the Corujas community in Aguas Buenas to share lessons learning and experiences.
ECOLOGICAL CAPITAL Environmental capital is present in each solar energy project but also in grants made to support hydroponics, replant coral reefs, plant coffee, and create water collection and treatment systems for consumption.
CULTURAL CAPITAL Cultural capital is present through education and the dissemination of history and traditions and their conversion into economic activity. The support given to creative industries and to teachers to implement innovative strategies in the classroom are strategies set forth by the Foundation.
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