Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo

What Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo does

Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo (FADES) is a private non-profit civil association (fundación sin fines de lucro) founded on October 29, 1986 and headquartered in La Paz, Bolivia. Its stated mission is to promote and develop socio-economic activities for low-income urban and rural populations, with a focus on microcredit, financial intermediation, and alternative development project financing. The organization is anchored by three founding institutional members (instituyentes): CERES (Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Económica y Social), CIPCA (Centro de Investigación y Promoción del Campesinado), and Redunitas, which collectively govern the foundation and execute its development mandate.

Shortly after founding, FADES oriented its activities toward microcredit and financial intermediation, building what became the most extensive rural microfinance network in Bolivia at peak—85 agencies across 8 of the country's 9 departments. In 1998, FADES co-founded Ecofuturo S.A. FFP (Fondo Financiero Privado) alongside other NGOs with aligned visions; in 2008 it acquired majority ownership and transferred all microfinance operations to Ecofuturo. Following the promulgation of Law 393 of Financial Services in August 2013, Ecofuturo was transformed from an FFP to a Banco PYME in July 2014. FADES today functions primarily as the principal shareholder of Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A. and as an investment portfolio manager that channels financial resources to development projects executed through its three instituyentes. No direct revenue, pricing model, or technology stack is publicly disclosed, and the foundation operates without a mobile app, public API, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo

Legal name

Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo

Website

https://fades.org.bo

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FADES is a Bolivian non-profit foundation founded in 1986 that promotes socio-economic development for low-income urban and rural populations through microcredit, investment portfolio management, and project financing executed via its three founding institutional members (CERES, CIPCA, Redunitas). It is the majority shareholder of Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)

Keywords

• Microfinance services
• Nonprofit foundation
• Microcredit lending
• Financial inclusion
• Development financing

Headquarters

HQ city

La Paz

HQ country

Bolivia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Core offering

FADES is a non-profit foundation that supports alternative development for underserved urban and rural populations in Bolivia through three interconnected activities: microcredit services (historically operated through an extensive branch network), investment portfolio management that generates financial resources to support its mandate and shareholder leadership in Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A., and project financing for alternative development initiatives carried out through its founding member institutions (instituyentes).

Product overview

FADES operates as a non-profit foundation focused on development alternatives for underserved urban and rural populations in Bolivia. The organization manages three interconnected offerings: specialized microfinance services (microcrédito) with extensive rural branch coverage; an investment portfolio that generates financial resources and maintains shareholder leadership in Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A.; and project financing for alternative development initiatives carried out through its founding member institutions (instituyentes).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microfinance Services (Microcrédito) Specialized microcredit services targeting rural and urban populations with limited resources, historically delivered through an extensive branch network of 85 agencies across eight of Bolivia's nine departments. Operations now conducted through majority-owned subsidiary Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A.
• Investment Portfolio Management Administration of an investment portfolio that generates financial resources to support FADES' institutional mandate and maintain its position as principal shareholder of Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A.
• Alternative Development Project Financing Project financing for alternative development initiatives targeting underserved urban and rural social sectors, executed through founding member institutions (instituyentes) CERES, CIPCA, and Redunitas.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Ecofuturo S.A. FFPflagshipOthers · 1 January 1998FADES co-founded Ecofuturo S.A. FFP in 1998 alongside other NGOs sharing similar vision and actions. FADES was the second most important shareholder and board member. In 2008, FADES acquired the majority share package, transferring all microfinance activity to Ecofuturo. With Law 393 of Financial Services (August 2013), Ecofuturo transformed from FFP to Banco PYME in July 2014.
• CERES (Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Económica y Social)coreOthersOne of the three founding institutional members (instituyentes) of FADES. CERES is a research center focused on economic and social reality studies based in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
• CIPCA (Centro de Investigación y Promoción del Campesinado)coreOthersOne of the three founding institutional members (instituyentes) of FADES. CIPCA is an organization focused on peasant research and promotion based in Bolivia.
• RedunitascoreOthersOne of the three founding institutional members (instituyentes) of FADES. Redunitas is a network organization based in Bolivia.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Accion International: Global nonprofit focused on financial inclusion through microfinance and fintech, with a long-standing presence in Latin America; comparable to FADES as a development finance nonprofit serving underserved populations.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit addressing housing poverty through financing and development programs; comparable to FADES as a large development NGO operating in Latin America with project financing and field presence.
• Grameen Foundation: Global nonprofit advancing microfinance and poverty alleviation through innovative financial services; comparable to FADES through pursuit of alternative development solutions for low-income populations.
• FINCA International: Global microfinance network operating across Latin America with a focus on financial inclusion for low-income entrepreneurs; comparable to FADES through shared microfinance mission and microcredit distribution model.
• Fundacion Microfinanzas BBVA: Nonprofit foundation of BBVA Group dedicated to responsible microfinance and productive finance in Latin America; highly comparable to FADES as a development finance institution channeling capital to underserved entrepreneurs.

Emerging players

• Oikocredit: International cooperative providing funding and capacity building to microfinance institutions and cooperatives in developing countries; comparable to FADES as a development finance intermediary with social mission.

Direct peers

• Banco Pyme Ecofuturo S.A. FADES' majority-owned subsidiary and Bolivia's Banco PYME focused on microfinance for productive sectors; included as a peer because it represents the operational microfinance arm that FADES built and continues to control.
• ProMujer Bolivia: Microfinance and development organization serving low-income women in Bolivia with integrated financial and social services, closely comparable to FADES' target segment of underserved urban and rural populations.
• Credito con Educacion Rural (CRECER): Bolivian microfinance institution focused on rural financial inclusion with education components, directly comparable to FADES' historical microfinance operations and overlapping leadership (FADES' GM previously served as interim GM at CRECER).

Regional players

• CERES (Centro de Estudios de la Realidad Economica y Social): Bolivian research and economic analysis center and one of FADES' founding instituyentes; included as a peer given the deep institutional relationship and shared presence in Bolivia's development ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/oscarbazoberry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fades

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundación para Alternativas de Desarrollo