Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone
FUNDESUR is a Honduran non-profit foundation that runs health, education, environment, and livelihood programs in southern Honduras, operating 10 rural health centers and serving communities as the social arm of the shrimp farming industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCholuteca, Honduras
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone does
FUNDESUR (Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Zona Sur) is a Honduran non-profit foundation established in September 2014 as the social arm of the country's shrimp farming industry. The organization operates in the Choluteca and Valle departments of southern Honduras, delivering an integrated portfolio of social development programs across four pillars: Health (10 permanent physicians across 10 health centers providing medical and dental services, supported by MAP International medication supply chains; 400,835 cumulative medical attentions), Education (49 schools constructed, 71,923 school kits distributed, 2,443 desks donated), Environment (1,412,364 mangrove propagules planted, 367,002 sea turtles released, 8,339 improved stoves, 200,019 used tires collected for coprocessing), and Self-management (Yo Emprendo youth entrepreneurship program, community leadership training, vocational training with INFOP).
The foundation operates a direct-to-community service delivery model using its own staff of 11–50 employees, a network of visiting dentists and construction teams, and a volunteer program. It does not sell products or charge fees; instead, it is funded through donations from shrimp farming companies (Seafresh Group, Grupo Granjas Marinas, Grupo Jaremar), strategic corporate partners (Marks and Spencer, Colgate, Cementos Argos), international NGOs (MAP International, Food For The Poor, World Vision, CEPUDO), and government entities (ICF, INFOP). Financial transparency is maintained through annual audits by the international firm Moore Stephens.
FUNDESUR's technology footprint is minimal and operational rather than product-oriented: a Wix-based informational website (fundesur.org) with no public APIs, SDKs, or developer-facing integrations. The organization maintains an active social media presence and publishes monthly bulletins and impact stories, but its core 'technology' is its physical service delivery infrastructure in rural communities and its program management capability. The cumulative donations managed by the organization total L 72,055,396 (Honduran Lempiras) since inception.
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone
- Legal name
- Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Zona Sur
- Website
- https://fundesur.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FUNDESUR is a Honduran non-profit foundation that runs health, education, environment, and livelihood programs in southern Honduras, operating 10 rural health centers and serving communities as the social arm of the shrimp farming industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Choluteca
- HQ country
- Honduras
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Fundesur generates revenue through donations from the shrimp farming industry, strategic allies, international partners, and individual contributors. The organization also receives in-kind donations of medications, supplies, and materials from partners like MAP International.
- Managed Programs: The foundation manages social development programs in health, education, environment, and community management, funded through donations and partnerships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FUNDESUR is a non-profit foundation that delivers free social development programs to underserved rural communities in the Choluteca and Valle departments of southern Honduras. Its offerings are organized into four pillars: Health (medical and dental consultations, medication distribution, water projects, sanitary modules), Education (school construction, desk donations, school supply kits), Environment (improved cookstoves, mangrove restoration, sea turtle conservation, waste tire management), and Community Self-management (youth entrepreneurship and leadership training). Programs are funded by donations from the shrimp farming industry, international partners, and individual contributors.
Product overview
Fundesur operates a portfolio of social development programs organized across four core pillars: Health (Salud para Vivir medical consultations and Construyendo Sonrisas dental care), Education (school construction, desks, and school supply kits), Environment (eco-stoves, mangrove restoration, sea turtle conservation, and waste tire management), and Self-management (community leadership training and the Yo Emprendo youth entrepreneurship program). The organization functions as a unified charitable foundation rather than a platform with distinct commercial products—the programs work in an integrated manner, with health, education, and environmental initiatives reinforcing each other to improve quality of life in southern Honduras communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Salud para Vivir A medical program that deploys 10 physicians across 10 health centers in rural communities of southern Honduras, offering general medical consultations, minor surgeries, wound care, prenatal care, cytology, and colposcopy services. For underserved rural families.
- Construyendo Sonrisas
- Escuelas Construidas School construction and infrastructure improvement program that has intervened in 47 educational centers to provide pedagogically appropriate learning spaces for students in rural southern Honduras.
- Kits Escolares School supply donation program providing children in underserved communities with educational tools to reduce school desertion rates. 71,923 school kits distributed to students.
- Pupitres Donados Desk donation program that has provided over 2,320 desks to more than 150 schools in the Valle and Choluteca departments of Honduras.
- Modulos Sanitarios Sanitary module construction program providing households with washable latrines, water reservoirs, laundry areas, and bathing facilities, accompanied by sanitation education training. 1,272 modules constructed.
- Proyectos de Agua Water access projects providing wells, elevated tanks with 15,000 gallon capacity, automated chlorination systems, electrical systems, pump houses, and distribution networks for rural communities.
- Ecofogones Improved cookstove program that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 3 tonnes per year, saves 60 pounds of firewood weekly, and decreases indoor smoke to prevent respiratory and eye diseases. 8,339 stoves delivered to families.
- Recuperación del Ecosistema de Manglar Mangrove ecosystem restoration program that has planted over 1.3 million red mangrove propagules to preserve biodiversity and protect coastlines.
- Conservación de Tortuga Golfina Sea turtle conservation program operated through CVC-GOLF, implementing seasonal bans and protecting nests. 367,002 olive ridley turtles released; five turtle camps operate on beaches of Marcovia municipality.
- Programa de Gestión Responsable de Llantas de Desecho Waste tire management program in partnership with Ferretería Herco and Cementos Argos that collects used tires for coprocessing in cement production. Over 200,000 tires collected to date.
- Programa Yo Emprendo Youth entrepreneurship program teaching vocational skills, business administration, and financial education to help young people establish their own businesses.
- Líderes Comunitarios Capacitados Community leadership training program that provides formation in sustainable community development, project planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400,835 medical attentions provided to communities
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CVC-GOLFcoreCommission of Verification and Control of the Gulf of Fonseca - Fundesur partners with CVC-GOLF for the annual sea turtle conservation program (Veda de la Tortuga Golfina), now in its 9th consecutive year. Five turtle camps operate on beaches of Marcovia municipality.
- CAMO-HondurascorePartnership to create CAMO Sur program that will provide vision and hearing services to thousands of people in southern Honduras, including mobile health units and ophthalmological surgeries.
- MAP InternationalcoreLong-term strategic partnership for medication donations. Fundesur has received 11 containers of medications and medical supplies valued at over L 560 million from MAP International. Medications are distributed to health centers across Honduras, with recent 6th container valued at L 68.2 million benefiting 25 health centers and 40,000+ people.
- Seafresh GroupcoreStrategic partner in the inauguration of the Centro de Salud San Bernardo, Namasigüe, with a total investment of L 4,213,918 serving over 3,000 people from 10 communities.
- Moore StephenscoreInternational auditing firm that conducts annual financial audits of Fundesur's operations to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of donated resources.
- Marks and SpencercoreCorporate partner supporting the Centro de Salud San Bernardo project in collaboration with Fundesur, Seafresh Group, and local government.
- Grupo Granjas MarinascoreLocal partner in the shrimp industry contributing to the Centro de Salud San Bernardo project in Namasigüe.
- Grupo JaremarminorCorporate partner that donated a container of essential supplies to Fundesur for distribution to vulnerable families in southern Honduras.
- CEPUDOminorPartner organization that contributed to the container donation of essential supplies for vulnerable communities.
- Food For The PoorminorInternational humanitarian organization partnering with Fundesur through the donation of a container with essential supplies for families in need.
- Operación BendiciónminorPartner organization collaborating on water projects including the Pueblo Nuevo +5 project in Isla Boca de Río Viejo.
- Brigadas GlobalesminorPartner organization working with Fundesur on water project monitoring and follow-up visits in communities.
- Fundación Humanitaria de Rotarios Españoles (FHRE)coreSpanish Rotary humanitarian foundation co-funding water projects in southern Honduras, including Llano Grande project.
- Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional (INFOP)minorNational vocational training institute partnering with Fundesur to provide administrative and technical training to women entrepreneurs in Namasigüe communities.
- Instituto de Conservación Forestal (ICF)minorGovernmental forestry conservation institute collaborating with Fundesur on mangrove restoration and monitoring in protected areas like Estero La Varillosa.
- Proyecto MiradorminorEnvironmental project partnership for the construction of improved stoves (ecofogones). Investment of L 2,689,298 for 600 stoves in 8 communities of Namasigüe, benefiting over 8,300 families total.
- Ferretería HercominorLocal hardware store partnering with Fundesur and Cementos Argos for the responsible tire disposal program, having collected over 200,000 used tires.
- Cementos Argos HondurasminorCement company partnering with Fundesur and Ferretería Herco for tire coprocessing, preventing environmental hazards from discarded tires. Over 200,000 tires collected.
- World VisionminorInternational humanitarian organization receiving medication donations from Fundesur for distribution to vulnerable families in La Lima, Cortés.
- ColgateminorCorporate partner donating oral hygiene products for children in southern Honduras. Partnership includes educational program 'Construyendo Sonrisas' promoting dental health habits.
- Centro Ciudad Mujer CholutecaminorWomen's center partnering with Fundesur for health fairs, including breast cancer awareness events on World Cancer Fighting Day.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Glasswing International: Central American nonprofit running integrated health, education, and employability programs in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Operates with similar community-development model, multi-pillar structure, and corporate partnership approach (Citi, Microsoft), making it the most structurally comparable peer in the region.
- MAP International: Global health organization supplying medications and medical supplies to Fundesur for distribution to 25+ Honduran health centers. Operates parallel pharmaceutical donation and last-mile health delivery programs in low- and middle-income countries, with direct operational overlap in Honduran health infrastructure.
- CEPUDO: Honduran nonprofit focused on community development and vulnerable family support. Existing Fundesur partner with directly overlapping programmatic areas including container distribution, family aid, and rural community engagement in southern Honduras.
- Proyecto Mirador: Environmental partnership already co-implementing improved cookstoves (ecofogones) with Fundesur in southern Honduras. Shares donor ecosystem, beneficiary communities, and environmental impact measurement methodology, making it a tightly integrated operational peer.
- Habitat for Humanity Honduras: International housing-focused nonprofit operating construction and infrastructure programs in Honduras. Comparable in delivery model (community-built infrastructure, partnerships with local government and corporate donors) and beneficiary population (rural, low-income Honduran communities).
- Food For The Poor: US-headquartered humanitarian organization that partners with Fundesur for container donations of essential supplies. Operates similar in-kind distribution and community development programs across Honduras and Central America, with overlapping donor base and beneficiary communities.
- World Vision Honduras: Large international humanitarian organization operating in Honduras with comparable programs in child welfare, health, education, and community development. World Vision is already a Fundesur partner, and the two operate similar integrated community development models in overlapping rural Honduran geographies.
- Operación Bendición Honduras: Honduran chapter of the international Christian humanitarian organization. Already a Fundesur partner on water projects; runs parallel community infrastructure programs (water systems, schools, family support) targeting the same southern Honduran demographics with similar NGO delivery models.
Others
- Cementos Argos Honduras (Foundation arm): Corporate foundation of Cementos Argos, which partners with Fundesur on the tire coprocessing program. As a corporate social foundation with industrial anchor funding, it represents the same private-sector-anchored foundation model that defines Fundesur's core structure.
Regional players
- Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Médica (FHIM): Honduran medical research and health foundation operating health programs across Honduras. Comparable in the health vertical only, with similar audit/governance expectations and corporate donor partnerships, but more focused on clinical research than direct service delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone social profiles
Digital presenceFoundation for the Development of the Southern Zone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone
What does Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone do?
FUNDESUR is a non-profit foundation that delivers free social development programs to underserved rural communities in the Choluteca and Valle departments of southern Honduras. Its offerings are organized into four pillars: Health (medical and dental consultations, medication distribution, water projects, sanitary modules), Education (school construction, desk donations, school supply kits), Environment (improved cookstoves, mangrove restoration, sea turtle conservation, waste tire management), and Community Self-management (youth entrepreneurship and leadership training). Programs are funded by donations from the shrimp farming industry, international partners, and individual contributors.
Is Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone a public or private company?
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone founded?
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone based?
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone is headquartered in Choluteca, Honduras, in the Latin America region.
How does Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are managed Programs.
Who are Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Glasswing International, MAP International, CEPUDO, Proyecto Mirador, Habitat for Humanity Honduras, Food For The Poor, World Vision Honduras and Operación Bendición Honduras. Cementos Argos Honduras (Foundation arm) is listed as an others. Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Médica (FHIM) is listed as a regional player.
Does Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone.
What industry is Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone in?
Foundation for the Development of the Southern Zone's product category is Community Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.