Eric Sorensen has no choice but to split his time between Haiti and the United States. As executive director of green charcoal producer Carbon Roots International, he is also its chief fundraiser, and raising money in Haiti, where CRI operates, is not a walk in the park.
Indeed, CRI’s main funders hail from outside Haiti, mostly in the United States: the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Development Innovation Ventures, Halloran Philanthropies, Barr Foundation, National Geographic Society and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. In general, raising money for projects in the Caribbean country is difficult due to donor fatigue and skepticism among locals following decades of failed development efforts.
Dealing with funders, as such, requires patience — lots of it.
About the author
Ma. Eliza VillarinoDevexElizaJV
Eliza is a veteran journalist focused on covering the most pressing issues and latest innovations in global health, humanitarian aid, sustainability, and development. A member of Mensa, Eliza has earned a master's degree in public affairs and bachelor's degree in political science from the University of the Philippines.
