Diaspora & Development Foundation

What Diaspora & Development Foundation does

Diaspora & Development Foundation (DDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, that operates at the intersection of diaspora community engagement, policy research, and binational government advisory work. Its mission is to craft and recommend inclusive diaspora policies to decision-makers and key stakeholders in both the United States and Latin America, focusing primarily on the Dominican diaspora. The foundation's outputs include published books (Díaspora y Desarrollo Vol 1 and Vol 2, authored by founder Rodolfo R. Pou), the First Dominican Diaspora Agenda for Cooperation and Development, recurring programs (Conferencias Diáspora y Desarrollo, Conversaciones con la Diáspora, Cafecitos con la Diáspora), and a blog with articles on diaspora economics, immigration, education, and philanthropy. Its core deliverables are not technology products but rather policy artifacts, convenings, and community discussion spaces.

DDF's go-to-market motion is community-led: it reaches diaspora members through social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), content marketing (books on Amazon, blog posts, articles), and event-based engagement (annual conferences at Miami Dade College, recurring 'Dominicans on the Hill' in Washington, D.C.). The organization convened a senior technical team under the leadership of Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Chairman Rodolfo R. Pou that presented the Diaspora Agenda to Dominican President Luis Abinader in September 2021 before 1,400+ community members at United Palace in New York, and subsequently secured a designated Dominican government liaison (Minister Geanilda Vásquez) in March 2022. Key partners include Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the Dominican Republic government, and Evolution Foundation (with María Victoria Abreu serving as Director Técnica).

DDF's business model is donation-based: as a 501(c)(3), it derives revenue from individual and organizational charitable contributions, with a PayPal donate button prominently featured on its website. It discloses no commercial product, no pricing model, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no financial figures. Headcount is stated at 51–100, though the leadership page clarifies that most multidisciplinary advisors, experts, and regional consultants are convened on an as-needed basis rather than as full-time employees. The organization is founder-led by Rodolfo R. Pou, who serves as Founder and Chairman, and operates with a single registered U.S. entity in Miami.

Name

Diaspora & Development Foundation

Legal name

Diaspora & Development Foundation

Website

https://diasporadevelopment.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Diaspora & Development Foundation is a Miami-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that crafts inclusive diaspora policies and convenes community engagement programs for Latin American diasporas in the United States, with a primary focus on the Dominican diaspora, funded by donations and led by founder Rodolfo R. Pou.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diaspora Policy & Community Engagement Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Diaspora & Expatriate Engagement (BPAIAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services (BPADAHAM)

Keywords

• Diaspora policy research
• Community engagement programs
• Nonprofit policy advocacy
• Diaspora publications
• Migration policy initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, DDF operates primarily through donations from individuals, organizations, and supporters who share its mission to empower Latin American diasporas and support their countries of origin.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Diaspora & Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces policy research and publications (books and policy documents) on Latin American diasporas in the United States, with a primary focus on the Dominican diaspora, and delivers accompanying community engagement programming including an annual conference, community conversations, and online dialogue formats. Its work targets diaspora communities, origin-country governments, and partner organizations interested in migration policy and diaspora-development relations.

Product overview

Diaspora & Development Foundation operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs, publications, and policy initiatives rather than a traditional technology product. The core offerings include: (1) an annual conference series called 'Conferencias Diáspora y Desarrollo' for high-level policy discussions; (2) 'Conversaciones con la Diáspora,' a community outreach program featuring personal stories from diaspora members; (3) 'Cafecitos con la Diáspora,' an online conversation series exploring diaspora topics; (4) published books 'Diáspora y Desarrollo Vol 1 and Vol 2' authored by founder Rodolfo R. Pou; (5) the 'Agenda de la Diáspora Dominicana,' a comprehensive policy document for Dominican diaspora engagement; and (6) a blog content platform featuring articles on diaspora economics, innovation, and education. The organization focuses on empowering Latin American diasporas in the United States and facilitating their connection with countries of origin, primarily the Dominican Republic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• First Dominican Diaspora Agenda for Cooperation and Development created and presented to Dominican President
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Congresista Adriano EspaillatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Collaboration with Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) who led the initiative to create the First Dominican Diaspora Agenda for Cooperation and Development. He presented the Agenda to President Abinader alongside DDF Chairman Rodolfo R. Pou.
• Evolution FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance with Evolution Foundation, where María Victoria Abreu serves as Director Técnica. She moderates the Cafecitos con la Diáspora program, exploring topics that impact diasporas and their countries of origin.
• Dominican Republic GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident Luis Abinader received the Diaspora Agenda; Minister Geanilda Vásquez was designated to follow up on the Agenda and diaspora affairs. Multiple bilateral meetings held with ministers, viceministers, and private sector associations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hispanic Access Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit connecting Latinos with opportunities in health, environment, education, and civic engagement. Similar scale and community-driven model to DDF with comparable donor-funded programming for Latin American communities.
• Hispanic Federation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Latino communities in the U.S. through advocacy, community programs, and direct services, with comparable diaspora and Latin American community engagement. Closely comparable to DDF in nonprofit structure, donor model, and target demographic.
• Migration Policy Institute: A nonpartisan think tank that analyzes immigration and migration policy with deep Latin American diaspora focus. Comparable to DDF in producing research, policy recommendations, and high-level convening on diaspora-related policy.
• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN): A 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Central American immigrants in the U.S. through legal services, civic engagement, and community programs. Highly comparable to DDF in mission, structure, and operating model for a specific Latin American diaspora.

Broad incumbents

• LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens): The oldest and one of the largest Latino civil rights organizations in the U.S., focused on advocacy, education, and economic empowerment. Addresses many of the same immigration, education, and labor issues DDF covers for Latin American diasporas.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): The UN's leading migration agency, working globally on migration policy, diaspora engagement, and capacity-building. Operates on a vastly larger scale than DDF but addresses similar themes of diaspora-to-homeland linkages and policy frameworks.
• UNIDOS US: One of the largest U.S. Latino advocacy organizations (formerly NCLR), operating across policy research, community programs, and federal advocacy. Significantly larger and broader in scope than DDF but addresses overlapping Hispanic/Latino diaspora concerns in the U.S.
• The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): The principal multilateral development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, with explicit programs on diaspora engagement, remittances, and homeland development. Operates at vastly larger scale but directly addresses the same diaspora-to-country-of-origin policy space DDF works in.

Others

• AJC (American Jewish Committee): A global Jewish advocacy organization with one of the most developed diaspora-to-homeland engagement models in the nonprofit sector. Conceptually comparable to DDF in its emphasis on diaspora policy, community convening, and bilateral homeland relationships — though operating in a different demographic.

Regional players

• National Dominican-American Chamber of Commerce: A membership-based organization promoting Dominican-American business and professional ties. While focused on commerce rather than policy, it engages the same Dominican diaspora community in the U.S. and serves as a complementary regional counterpart to DDF's policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/diaspora_found
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtV2LALTdpIK6qx8tZyEiYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/DiasporaFound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diasporafound
• Instagraminstagram.com/diasporadevelopment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Diaspora & Development Foundation