What Foundation for Puerto Rico does

Foundation for Puerto Rico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 66-0776227) founded in 2011 by Puerto Rican entrepreneur Jon Borschow — an MIT-educated engineer and former CEO of the island's largest healthcare distribution business, which was acquired by Cardinal Health in 2008. Headquartered at El Colaboratorio, an 8,700+ sq ft award-winning coworking and event facility in Santurce's Ciudadela (San Juan), the Foundation's mission is to transform Puerto Rico's economy into a thriving, sustainable one. Its programmatic work is organized around three focus areas — Visitor Economy, Education & Leadership, and Resiliency & Infrastructure — and delivered through a portfolio of more than 15 named initiatives including the Whole Community Resilience Planning Program (WCRP; $37.5M CDBG-DR allocation, 78 resilience plans across 30 municipalities), the PULSO five-stage small business program (delivered with Colmena66, Centro para Emprendedores, INprende, Brands of Americas, and LEDC), the Eastern Region Strategic Vision, the Community Innovation Hub, Destino 191, [re]ACTIVA, Emprende 360°, the Foundation Fellows program, and AI/applied research.

The organization's revenue mechanics are those of a federally-funded nonprofit: charitable contributions (tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3) and PR Section 1101.01(a)(2), and Act 22/60-eligible) are received via the website, mail, and ATH Móvil (FoundationPR); federal grants flow from the Puerto Rico Department of Housing (CDBG-DR, $37.5M), the U.S. Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural Development (including a $250K award in November 2024), and the SBA; and ancillary revenue is generated through El Colaboratorio room rentals (Auditorium, Conversatorio, Foro, Theatre, Interactive Lounge). Distribution to end users is hybrid — direct program delivery for SMBs and communities, physical convening at El Colaboratorio, and digital distribution via a bilingual website, social channels, and the 'Una Cita en el Colab' podcast on YouTube, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Podchaser. The technology stack is not a proprietary SaaS platform; it comprises digital research and analytics (e.g., the Visitor Economy Performance Model estimating $7B direct visitor contribution), the AI research initiative, podcast production, and the high-grade AV/conference infrastructure of El Colaboratorio.

Name

Foundation for Puerto Rico

Legal name

Foundation for Puerto Rico, Inc.

Website

https://foundationforpuertorico.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Foundation for Puerto Rico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that drives Puerto Rico's economic transformation through federal grant administration (notably a $37.5M CDBG-DR WCRP program), small business support (PULSO), community resilience planning, and an award-winning coworking venue, El Colaboratorio, in San Juan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Economic development nonprofit
• Community resilience planning
• Small business support
• Visitor economy research
• Disaster relief funding

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Private donations and philanthropy: Foundation for Puerto Rico's primary revenue stream: tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and philanthropic organizations via the Foundation's website, mail (P.O. Box 364029 San Juan, PR 00936), and ATH Móvil (FoundationPR). Qualifies as an eligible donation under Act 22-2012 and Act 60-2019. Hurricane Maria Relief Fund alone converted more than 1,000 donations into $4.22 million.
2. Federal grants (reimbursement basis): Federally funded programs including the WCRP program (CDBG-DR via PR Department of Housing, $37.5M allocation), the Bottom Up program expansion (US Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration), and a small/medium business support program in the Northwest area (USDA Rural Development). All federal funds are paid through a reimbursement process; more than 80% of WCRP funds flow to communities.
3. Coworking and event space rentals: Revenue from renting the El Colaboratorio's Auditorium (up to 20), Conversatorio (up to 10), Foro, Theatre (up to 60), and Interactive Lounge (up to 50) within business hours Monday-Friday 9am-6pm; weekends and after-hours bookings incur a $200 additional fee and require a 50% deposit. Direct-to-consumer booking via [email protected].
4. Government funding (minimal): In 2015 Foundation for Puerto Rico received $15,000 from the Legislative Commission of Funds (Comisión de Fondos Legislativos) for the Juntos por Puerto Rico project; the funds were returned in 2016 because the project dissolved. Not a current revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Foundation for Puerto Rico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers economic development programs across Puerto Rico in three focus areas: Visitor Economy, Education & Leadership, and Resiliency & Infrastructure. It runs the Whole Community Resilience Planning Program (WCRP) with $37.5M in CDBG-DR funds, the PULSO multi-stage small business support program, the Bottom Up Destination Recovery Initiative, the Eastern Region Strategic Vision, community resilience planning, and leadership development through the Foundation Fellows and Leadership Academy programs.

Product overview

Foundation for Puerto Rico delivers its mission of transforming Puerto Rico's economy through a platform-plus-modules architecture of distinct programs and initiatives rather than a single unified software product. The core platform is the 501(c)(3) organization itself, around which a portfolio of economic, community, and resilience modules is organized: the Eastern Region Strategic Vision (ERSV), Community Innovation Hub, Rural Advancement Initiative, Yunque's Sustainable Recreation Management, Artificial Intelligence research, the Whole Community Resilience Planning Program (WCRP), Destino 191, PULSO (a five-stage small business program: Business Assessment, Business 101, Business Plan Innovation, Marketing and Digital Presence, and Business Financial Literacy), [re]ACTIVA, the Bottom Up Destination Recovery Initiative, Emprende 360°, the Small Business Support Program, Hurricane María Relief Fund, the Leadership Academy (Academia de Líderes), and the Foundation Fellows Program. Supporting infrastructure includes the El Colaboratorio coworking space in Santurce, the Una Cita en el Colab podcast (distributed on Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Podchaser), and research publications such as the Visitor Economy Performance Model and the Case for Support. Together these modules cover destination recovery, small business support, rural advancement, community resilience, and leadership development across Puerto Rico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• El Colaboratorio: Foundation for Puerto Rico's "Laboratory of Collaboration" — an over 8,700 sq ft award-winning co-working and event space in the Ciudadela of Santurce (San Juan), rented out for meetings, conferences, workshops, and events.
• Una Cita en el Colab

Products and services

• Whole Community Resilience Planning Program (WCRP) Multi-year, whole-of-community resilience planning program administered by Foundation for Puerto Rico with $37.5M in CDBG-DR funds, supporting resilience plan development at the municipal and community level across Puerto Rico. Delivered for the Puerto Rico Department of Housing (Vivienda).
• PULSO (Small Business Program) Five-stage small business support program (Business Assessment, Business 101, Business Plan Innovation, Marketing and Digital Presence, and Business Financial Literacy and Credit Counseling) delivered free to Puerto Rican small business owners through a consortium of partner organizations.
• Eastern Region Strategic Vision (ERSV) Strategic regional development study and vision for Puerto Rico's Eastern Region (Naguabo, Ceiba, Fajardo, Luquillo, Canóvanas, Loíza, Culebra, and surrounding municipalities), providing a guiding plan for economic and community development in that territory.
• Community Innovation Hub Program that activates community-level innovation events and convenings across Puerto Rico, delivered in collaboration with partners such as the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce; brings together local leaders, NGOs, government, and the private sector to co-create solutions.
• Bottom Up Destination Recovery Initiative Bottom-up destination recovery initiative that works at the community level to rebuild and reposition Puerto Rico's visitor economy following major disruptions, funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
• Emprende 360° Small business support program launched in 2019 that provides holistic, wraparound support to Puerto Rican small businesses via a multistage incubation model.
• [re]ACTIVA Economic reactivation initiative supporting recovery and growth of local commerce and communities in Puerto Rico.
• Destino 191 Rural placemaking initiative aimed at revitalizing Puerto Rico's Route 191 corridor in Cubuy, Barrio Río Blanco, Naguabo through destination development, community engagement, and place-based investment.
• Small Business Support Program General small business support program offering resources, technical assistance, and programming for entrepreneurs across Puerto Rico, including a Northwest SMB support area funded by USDA Rural Development.
• Hurricane María Relief Fund Disaster relief fund established in 2017 in response to Hurricane María, mobilizing private-sector resources for island-wide relief and recovery efforts.
• Leadership Academy (Academia de Líderes) Leadership development program designed to build the capacity of community leaders and emerging leaders across Puerto Rico.
• El Colaboratorio 8,700+ sq ft award-winning coworking and event space located in Santurce's Ciudadela, with bookable rooms (Auditorium up to 20, Conversatorio up to 10, Foro, Theatre up to 60, Interactive Lounge up to 50); rented for meetings, conferences, workshops, and events.
• Una Cita en el Colab (Podcast) Official Foundation for Puerto Rico podcast featuring conversations with public, private, and community-sector leaders on the visitor economy, AI applications, sustainability, and economic development; distributed across YouTube, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Podchaser.
• Foundation Fellows Program Fellowship program for emerging leaders, students, and professionals to apply their skills to FPR projects through mentorship, immersive learning, and hands-on economic development projects; 50% of participants emigrated and returned to Puerto Rico, 30% chose to settle there, and 20% were locally educated and remained on the island.
• Visitor Economy Performance Model Research deliverable providing an analytical model that measures the true economic impact of visitor spending on Puerto Rico's economy, estimating direct contribution at $7 billion.
• Rural Advancement Initiative Initiative focused on advancing economic and social outcomes in Puerto Rico's rural communities, aligned with the Foundation's broader economic transformation mission.
• Yunque's Sustainable Recreation Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct contribution of visitors to Puerto Rico's economy estimated at $7 billion via the Visitor Economy Performance Model
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (CofC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation for Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a Community Innovation Hub event in Culebra, Puerto Rico, bringing together local organizations, entrepreneurs, and government representatives to drive Culebra's growth and economic development.
• Discover Puerto Rico (DMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo distinct legal entities that collaborate for the shared mission of transforming Puerto Rico into a destination of the world. FPR's research and public policy efforts helped lead the multisectoral group that advocated to pass the law creating the DMO in 2017. Foundation for Puerto Rico retains a voting seat on the DMO's Board of Directors.
• U.S. Forest Service (El Yunque)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPR supports the U.S. Forest Service on Yunque Sustainable Recreation Management, addressing challenges around access, transportation, and visitor management along PR-191 North. Foundation for Puerto Rico brings together community members, leaders, NGOs, and government agencies to develop collaborative solutions for the forest's challenges.
• Colmena66coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead spoke for the Business Assessment, Profiling, and Referral stage of FPR's PULSO program. Provides participating small businesses with a personalized action plan, the 'Tu Camino Empresarial' (Your entrepreneurial roadmap), and referrals to other support services across the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Puerto Rico.
• Centro para EmprendedorescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead spoke for the Business 101 stage of FPR's PULSO program. Helps businesses dive into their existing business models, identify pitfalls and opportunities, evaluate viability, and ensure compliance with existing laws and regulations. Also assisted Wafol Café in identifying inventory management and cash flow issues.
• INprendecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead spoke for the Business Plan Innovation stage of FPR's PULSO program. Provides the INprende methodology, a business innovation manual, and a working template that guide businesses through commercial, technical, and financial validation exercises and the development of an innovative business plan.
• Brands of AmericascoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead spoke for the Marketing and Digital Presence stage of FPR's PULSO program. Delivers educational modules and individualized technical assistance to help businesses develop a humanized brand, a marketing strategy (including digital), and to establish e-commerce on industry-specific platforms.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-million dollar investment by FPR founder Jon Borschow in the MIT Puerto Rico Economic Project, involving the MIT Center for International Studies, the MIT Community Laboratory, the MIT Political Science Department, the Sloan School of Management, and the Puerto Rico Center for a New Economy. Also endowed a needs-based undergraduate scholarship for students from Puerto Rico at MIT.
• Grupo GuayacánminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed the Emprende 360° program curriculum alongside INprende, Centro para Emprendedores, and Causa Local/KIVA.
• Causa Local / KIVAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed the Emprende 360° program curriculum alongside INprende, Centro para Emprendedores, and Grupo Guayacán.
• ATH Móvil (Popular)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnables donations to Foundation for Puerto Rico via the ATH Móvil app under the merchant name 'FoundationPR', giving Puerto Rico donors a familiar mobile payment channel.
• iHeartRadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts and distributes the 'Una Cita en el Colab' podcast on its platform; widens the Foundation's audio reach.
• SpotifyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts and distributes the 'Una Cita en el Colab' podcast on its platform, expanding audience reach to the global Puerto Rican diaspora and Spanish-language listeners.
• PodchaserminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts and distributes the 'Una Cita en el Colab' podcast on its platform; provides podcast discovery and ratings.
• YouTubeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts the 'Una Cita en el Colab' podcast playlist and provides video distribution of episodes.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: A major U.S. philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship and economic inclusion. Directly comparable as a funder of FPR's Emprende 360° program and as a peer in operating entrepreneurship support programs aimed at underserved founders.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): A national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that administers federal, philanthropic, and corporate capital at the community level for resilience, housing, and small-business support. Highly comparable to FPR's WCRP and PULSO model of channeling funds through trusted intermediaries into underserved communities.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that combines research, policy advocacy, and on-the-ground program administration to drive community resilience and economic development. Directly comparable to FPR's mix of research outputs (Visitor Economy Performance Model, ERSV) and federal fund administration (WCRP).

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and economic development organization with extensive experience administering large federal disaster-recovery and resilience grants in vulnerable regions. Comparable in operating model (multi-donor programmatic portfolio, research + convening) to FPR, though at materially larger scale.
• Habitat for Humanity International: A global nonprofit operating community resilience, disaster recovery, and affordable housing programs. Broadly comparable to FPR's WCRP and disaster-relief work, though at significantly larger scale and with a global footprint rather than a single-jurisdiction focus.
• Aspen Institute: U.S.-based educational and policy studies organization that convenes leaders through fellowship-style programs. Comparable to FPR's Foundation Fellows and Leadership Academy (Academia de Líderes) for emerging-leader development and policy thought-leadership.

Regional players

• Discover Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico's official destination marketing organization (DMO), co-created in 2017 with advocacy support from FPR. Comparable as the primary visitor-economy stakeholder on the island; FPR holds a voting Board seat, and the two operate as separate legal entities with overlapping missions around destination development.
• Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust: Puerto Rico's principal public-purpose entity for science, technology, research, and innovation ecosystem development. Comparable to FPR's AI research initiative and innovation strategy work, with overlapping audience of funders, researchers, and policy makers on the island.

Emerging players

• INprende: Puerto Rican nonprofit that delivers the 'Business Plan Innovation' stage of FPR's PULSO program and co-designed the Emprende 360° curriculum. Comparable as a peer entrepreneurship support organization with overlapping methodology and target SMB audience.
• Colmena66: Puerto Rico's flagship startup hub, which serves as the 'Business Assessment' spoke of FPR's PULSO consortium. Comparable as an entrepreneurship support organization operating in the same island ecosystem, often co-delivering programs with FPR.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLBO0ml2SeVCxQAUgJzIQwwWR88bMbRn2q
• Facebookfacebook.com/FoundationForPR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundationpr
• Instagraminstagram.com/foundationforpr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Puerto Rico