What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) is an independent federal agency responsible for supporting community-led development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides grants to local organizations to promote sustainable development, expand economic opportunities, and strengthen civil society. It was established in 1969.

In FY 2025,

$31M

was spent by the Inter-American Foundation
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Inter-American Foundation

How much does the Inter-American Foundation spend?

Inter-American Foundation spent $31 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.00044% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 89th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Inter-American Foundation accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of IAF net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Inter-American Foundation’s federal spending has increased from $24.9 million in 1980 to $31 million in 2025.

Get weekly insights

Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.

The Inter-American Foundation’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by IAF, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, Inter-American Foundation's spending has increased 24.6%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, IAF accounted for 0.00044% of all federal spending. That’s 0.00015 percentage points lower than 2015 and 0.00061 points lower than in 1980.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Inter-American Foundation's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to IAF, FYs 1980–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the Inter-American Foundation's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net IAF spending.

How did the Inter-American Foundation spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to IAF, FY 2025

How many people work for the Inter-American Foundation?

Some 22 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the Inter-American Foundation as of May 2026. This is 47.6% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Inter-American Foundation has decreased 47.6% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for IAF, May 2012–2026

IAF accounts for 0.0011% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. IAF constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.002%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Inter-American Foundation’s share of the workforce (0.0011%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.00044%).

Who leads the Inter-American Foundation?

The IAF is led by a President and CEO who is appointed by IAF's Board of Directors. The board members are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

Keep exploring

Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.