What EDEM Foundation does

EDEM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Patrick and Bernadette Lucien and registered in Massachusetts. It operates community development programs on the island of Ile-a-Vache in Haiti, delivering services across education (teacher training, school uniforms, STEM programs), economic development (business incubation, small business support), healthcare (eye care clinics), agriculture (farming, agroforestry, food processing), women's empowerment, and environmental sustainability (reforestation, water and waste management). The organization serves children, youth, local entrepreneurs, teachers, and general community residents on Ile-a-Vache, with documented reach including school uniforms for over 2,000 children, annual training for over 60 local teachers, and over 500 eye exams plus 54 surgeries in a single Vision Care International clinic.

The organization's flagship initiative is VITES (Village for Innovation, Technology, Education and Sport), a business incubator and tourism/community development center under construction on a 1,500 sqm waterfront property in Madame Bernard provided by the mayor's office. VITES incorporates solar energy systems and is designed to provide co-sharing office space, processing facilities, energy infrastructure, management, accounting, and training services for startups. EDEM Foundation also operates Bernie's Children Fund (established 2020 in memory of co-founder Bernadette Henry-Lucien), an online resource library of training and research documents, and the Ile-a-Vache Resource Database covering economy, environment, health, water, and infrastructure sectors.

EDEM Foundation generates revenue entirely through tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal, cryptocurrency (BitPay), and mail. It executes through a community-led model, partnering with the locally registered grassroots organization Espace de Developpement pour l'Emancipation des Masses and a network of US institutional partners including Massachusetts Maritime Academy, US Naval Academy, Tailored for Education, Project Teach/Konbit Pwof, Flying High for Haiti, and Vision Care International, plus financial backing from the Ansara Family Fund. Governance is provided by a US board (Chair Anne Anninger, Treasurer Max Theodore, Secretary Pierre M. Lucien) and a Haiti-based operational board.

Name

EDEM Foundation

Legal name

EDEM Foundation

Website

https://edem2.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Framingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: EDEM Foundation generates revenue through tax-deductible charitable donations as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are accepted via PayPal, cryptocurrency (BitPay), and mail. All contributions support the organization's community development projects in Haiti including VITES construction, education programs, economic development, and agricultural initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EDEM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers integrated community development programs on Ile-a-Vache island in Haiti, including the VITES business incubator and tourism center, teacher training and school support, agriculture and agroforestry, economic and small business development, women's empowerment, healthcare clinics, and environmental sustainability initiatives. The foundation operates through direct partnership with a local Haitian grassroots organization and accepts tax-deductible donations via PayPal, cryptocurrency, and mail to fund its programs and physical infrastructure construction.

Product overview

EDEM Foundation operates a portfolio of community development programs anchored by VITES (Village for Innovation, Technology, Education and Sport), a business incubator and tourism development center on Ile-a-Vache, Haiti. The foundation offers complementary programs in agriculture, education, economic development, women's empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Additional offerings include Bernie's Children Fund for educational support, an online resource library with training materials and research documents, and the Ile-a-Vache Resource Database providing geographic and economic information about the island. Together, these programs provide mentoring, learning, and support services for the incubation and growth of successful individuals, enterprises, and institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VITES: Village for Innovation, Technology, Education and Sport - a tourism and community development center and business incubator for Ile-a-Vache, Haiti.

Products and services

• VITES (Village for Innovation, Technology, Education and Sport)
• Bernie's Children Fund
• Agriculture & Agroforestry Programs
• Education & Teacher Training Programs
• Economic Development Programs
• Women Empowerment Initiatives
• Nature and Environment Programs

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Massachusetts Maritime AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMA performs ongoing site assessments coordinated with representatives from EDEM Foundation and other NGOs using Disaster Risk Management principles, processes and methodologies developed through various emergency management organizations in the US. Partnership supports sustainable development planning for Ile-a-Vache.
• Flying High for HaiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlying High for Haiti is a non-profit organization that empowers communities through sustainable development and provides access to quality education to children on Ile-a-Vache. Named after Haitian children who make kites from plastic garbage and sticks.
• US Naval AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Naval Academy provides sustainable services to Ile-a-Vache by offering mechanical engineering students the opportunity to design tools adaptable to the island. Over 100 students have designed various tools and equipment including motorcycle chariots, material transport systems, and farm irrigation systems.
• Tailored for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTailored for Education provides school uniforms to children in developing countries where they are required to attend. Partnering with EDEM Foundation, they are providing uniforms to over 2000 children in southern Haiti.
• Project Teach/Konbit PwofcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Teach/Konbit Pwof aims to improve the quality of education in Haiti, particularly the quality of interaction between teachers and students. Every summer, Project Teach travels to Ile-a-Vache to provide teacher training to over 60 local teachers.
• Vision Care InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision Care International has made surgical eye care on Ile-a-Vache a reality, performing over 500 eye exams and 54 surgeries in 5 days. Now progressing to quarterly clinics and developing a teaching clinic model.
• Project Picture DayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Picture Day provides school pictures that celebrate the accomplishments and value of students in underserved communities. They travel to Ile-a-Vache, Haiti every year providing school children an opportunity to take home a professional school picture.
• Espace de Developpement pour l'Emancipation des Masses (EDEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grassroots organization registered on the island of Ile-a-Vache that works in direct partnership with EDEM Foundation. This local partnership is fundamental to ensuring community-driven development priorities and local implementation capacity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fonkoze: Haiti's largest microfinance institution offering financial services, small business development, and education to rural Haitian populations. Comparable to EDEM's economic development and small business incubation activities on Ile-a-Vache.
• Hope for Haiti: A nonprofit focused on education, healthcare, and economic development in southern Haiti. Operates in geographic proximity to Ile-a-Vache and runs an analogous integrated community development model funded by individual donors.
• Flying High for Haiti: A US-based nonprofit operating on Ile-a-Vache, Haiti focused on sustainable community development and education access. It is explicitly a partner of EDEM Foundation and serves the same geographic community with overlapping education and livelihoods missions.
• Build Health International: A nonprofit that builds healthcare infrastructure in low-resource settings including Haiti, founded by the Ansaras who also back EDEM Foundation. Operates an analogous model of US fundraising supporting on-the-ground construction and capacity building in Haiti.
• Haiti Projects: A community development nonprofit working in rural Haiti on education, water, and economic development. Its Board Chair (Anne Anninger) previously led Haiti Projects, evidencing direct functional overlap with EDEM Foundation's mission and operating model.
• Lambi Fund of Haiti: A US-headquartered nonprofit supporting grassroots community development in Haiti through small grants, training, and capacity building for local organizations. Closely comparable in funding model (donor-supported local partners) and target population.

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: A large international development nonprofit focused on sustainable agriculture, livestock, and rural livelihoods in low-income countries. Operates globally and overlaps with EDEM's agriculture, agroforestry, and rural economic empowerment programs.
• Partners in Health (Zanmi Lasante): A major global health nonprofit with deep roots in Haiti's central plateau delivering healthcare, education, and economic programs. Far larger than EDEM but shares the integrated community development approach targeting rural Haiti.
• Mercy Corps: A major global humanitarian and development organization working in crisis-affected countries including Haiti. Compares to EDEM as a broader-platform incumbent covering education, economic development, and humanitarian programming.

Regional players

• Massachusetts Maritime Academy Haiti Project: An academic program providing disaster risk management site assessments and infrastructure support in Haiti. Directly partners with EDEM Foundation and represents a peer institution model for university-channeled international development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/edemfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/edemfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edem-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EDEM Foundation