Anuario Crusa Ingles2008

“There exists no greater proof
of the progress of a
civilization than that of
progress in cooperation”
John Stuart Mill

(1806-1873) Philosopher and economist
Index
2 A message from our Executive Director:

Redefining CRUSA
7 Strengthening CRUSA’s image
9 NGO Benchmarking Certification
10 The CRUSA Foundation’s New Approach to Cooperation
11 Portfolio of Opportunities and Services
15 The new role of “Amigos of Costa Rica”
16 Support to Initiatives in 2008
18 Outstanding Initiatives in Environment

26 List of Approved Projects in Environment During 2008
27 Outstanding Initiatives in Strategic Capacity

29 List of Approved Projects in Strategic Capacity During 2008
30 Outstanding Initiatives in Science and Technology

38 List of Approved Projects in Science and Technology During 2008
41 Outstanding Initiatives in Education

45 List of Approved Projects in Education During 2008
53 Organizational Structure
55 Financial Statements

CRUSA FOUNDATION Annual Report 2008
Redefining CRUSA...
An opportunity to make a greater
impact on improving the quality of
life of Costa Ricans.
When the CRUSA Foundation was established

in 1996, its directors and staff members accepted
the challenge of supporting efforts to improve the
quality of life of Costa Ricans by contributing fi-
nancial resources to projects in a wide variety of ar-
eas, such as environmental conservation, reducing
school dropout rates and promoting the country’s
scientific and technological advancement.
Eleven years later, as we look back on our history,

we feel proud to have contributed our small “gra- However, as we begin our second decade of insti-
in of sand” to the work of more than 200 institutional life, the international financial crisis and
tutions in Costa Rica. During this period, these the economic adjustments of recent months have
organizations have implemented approximately led us to reflect on our contribution to the coun-
500 projects that have helped to improve our dai- try, and to put it into perspective. During 2007
ly lives. Thanks to their efforts, we have been able and much of 2008, CRUSA implemented a stra-
to support a range of activities - from local pro- tegic thinking exercise that resulted in the refor-
jects that promote community cohesion and the mulation of our vision and our activities, with the
creation of micro-enterprises, to the implementa- idea of making better use of our technical and fi-
tion of international collaborative initiatives that nancial capacity to leverage resources from other
have translated into important opportunities for donors or investors, both national and interna-
the country’s development. tional, and thereby maximize our impact on the
country.

As a result of this process, in 2008 the CRUSA
Foundation began to implement a new approach
to work, taking advantage of the knowledge and
experience accumulated during its many years of
operation in order to actively and systematically
foster the building of partnerships, alliances and
joint efforts with different institutions in support
of initiatives that would have a major impact on
Costa Rican society. In creating this broad range of opportunities for
its partners, CRUSA realized that Amigos also
had the potential to assist with other tasks, such
Portfolio of Opportunities and Services as coordinating the provision of technical support
in the design and implementation of proposals,
This new vision translated into the creation of systematically and periodically identifying fund-
a portfolio of opportunities and services that ing opportunities for other donors and participat-
CRUSA offers to its partners - both to those insti- ing in a joint search for funds. This new vision
tutions seeking support in the design, implemen- of our office in the United States is described in
tation and funding of their initiatives, to those the section on “The new role of Amigos of Costa
looking for good opportunities to invest their Rica” on page 10 of this Report.
resources in projects with a high social and eco-
nomic impact in Costa Rica. Full details of these
opportunities and services are described in the sec- Certification: CRUSA obtains a high score
tion: “Portfolio of Opportunities and Services” of
this Report. Last October the Société Générale de Surveillance
(SGS) certified, for the third consecutive time,
that the CRUSA Foundation’s operational and
The new role of Amigos of Costa Rica administrative processes comply with the highest
international standards in terms of the effective
A fundamental element for the success of this administration of its resources and operations.
new strategy has been the redefinition of the
role of Amigos of Costa Rica, CRUSA´s strate- On this occasion, CRUSA’s processes were as-
gic platform based in Washington D.C.. sessed according to 103 parameters defined as
best operating practices for non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).
CRUSA obtained the maximum score in several

of the aspects evaluated, such as Funds Manage-
ment, Resources Allocation, Financial Controls
and Communication, and achieved an overall
compliance score of 95.1% .

Environment
• Debt for Nature Swap Costa Rica/

United States. An initiative in which
the Foundation acted as administrator
of the funds allocated to conservation
projects.
• The Osa Campaign. An international
conservation effort supported by a
coalition of actors, made up of CRUSA
Transforming good ideas into projects Foundation, The Nature Conservancy,
Conservation International and the
The results of the first year of implementation of National System of Conservation Areas
this new strategy have been very promising: we (SINAC).
supported a total of 49 projects and obtained a lit-
tle over two million dollars in overall support for • Eco-friendly production alterna-
these initiatives. Other donor organizations pro- tives for the coastal communities
vided around 250,000 dollars in cash matching of the Osa Peninsula. A partner-
funds for projects in our areas of interest, while ship between CRUSA, the MarViva
another seven donor institutions (including the Foundation, ASEDER and the FINCA
Intel Foundation, WalMart, PriceSmart, Banco Foundation that aims to implement a
de Costa Rica) entrusted the CRUSA Foundation conservation model in the Osa Penin-
with the task of administering financial resources sula based on the creation of environ-
allocated to projects in the areas of Environment, mentally-friendly economic opportu-
Education and Science & Technology. nities for the local inhabitants.
Details of the results of this strategy, including • Peace with Nature in ACOSA. During
a list of the projects supported, by Area, may be 2008, in the context of the President of
found in the section “Transforming good ideas Costa Rica’s “Peace with Nature” ini-
into projects…” which begins on page 12 of this tiative, the President of CRUSA, Luis
Report. Diego Escalante, became actively in-
volved in the articulation and coordi-
In the sections describing our efforts in each themat- nation of the different institutions and
ic area we have highlighted certain projects that we actors that operate in ACOSA, making
consider to be strategically important, either because numerous visits to the area to coordi-
of their great impact on society or because they have nate actions with the different groups
allowed us to explore new modalities of cooperation of decision-makers.
with third parties or institutions:

Science & Technology
• Asociación Estrategia Siglo XXI/

Strategy 21st Century Association.
In 2008, this initiative became the Education
first autonomous organization gener-
ated by an idea that originated in the • Operation Success. An international
CRUSA Foundation. initiative that promotes public-pri-
vate partnerships to promote young
• Advanced Research And Technology people’s interest in mathematics and
Collaboratory For The Americas – science though academic competi-
ARTCA. A scientific cooperation ini- tions. In Costa Rica, this project is
tiative born of a strategic partnership supported by CRUSA in partnership
between CRUSA and the “National with private companies such as the
Center for Supercomputing Applica- Banco de Costa Rica, Intel Compo-
tions” (NCSA) of the Univer-sity of nents, RACSA, Grupo Nación and
Illinois, other supercomputing cen- Vox FM Radio, among others.
ters in the United States, and in col-
laboration with the National Center
for High Technology (CENAT). A new financial reality
• Joint Cooperation Agreement with Local and international economic contexts have
the Higher Council for Scientific Re- made it necessary to rethink our investment poli-
search of Spain-CSIC. A partnership cies under the commitment to maintain and even
between CRUSA and this Spanish increase CRUSA’s impact in Costa Rican society.
institution to carry out joint research
projects. In this regard, the Treasurer’s Report an integral part
of this document, offers specific details on the steps
taken by the Foundation in relation to its invest-
ments and financial management.
A new image to enhance our work
During its first years of operation, the CRUSA

Foundation maintained a very discreet profile. This
resulted in a fairly weak public image and meant that
our organization was known only in very specific
academic, scientific and technical circles, both in
Costa Rica and abroad.

In 2008, as part of our new cooperation system,
we implemented a strategy to enhance and publi-
cize our work, together with our executive par-
tners - the institutions that implement projects
with our support. The intention was to actively
persuade other donor institutions of the strategic
value of working with CRUSA and supporting its Ready to take up the challenge
projects, and to recognize the Foundation’s po-
tential to administer funds, in order to encourage As mentioned in other sections of this Report, un-
them to invest in initiatives that improve the li- der the leadership of our Founding Members and
ving conditions of Costa Ricans. Directors, each staff member of the Foundation
has taken up the challenge with great enthusiasm
The results of this communications strategy are of implementing this new vision, which will allow
described in the section Strengthening its image us to enhance and increase the impact we have
on page 6 of this Report. achieved during our first decade of activities.
Based on the lessons learned this year, I am confi-

dent that in next year our Report will be able to list
a greater number of joint initiatives, partnerships
and alliances that will result in increased support
to those organizations that implement projects
with a major impact on Costa Rica.
Sincerely,
Hermann L. Faith
Executive Director

Strengthening its image
The year 2008 was an important landmark in the

CRUSA Foundation’s development process.
The Foundation took advantage of the occasion

During 2008, there was an increase in news coverage by the media,
of its tenth anniversary to review its track record, of the activities carried out by CRUSA.
evaluate its experience and develop innovative
solutions with a view to enhancing the impact of
its actions on improving the living conditions of Communications
Costa Ricans. This process to redefine itself con-
cluded with a rethinking of its vision and its ac- In August of 2007, the Administrative Board appro-
tivities. ved the design and implementation of a Commu-
nications Strategy with the aim of strengthening
As a result of this effort, since 2008, CRUSA con- CRUSA’s public image and supporting the Foun-
siders itself not as a donor, but rather as an orga- dation in achieving its new goals, including fun-
nization that facilitates opportunities so that the draising efforts for major projects and initiatives.
good ideas of different institutions can be turned
into projects and programs to improve the quality As part of this Strategy, a Communications Commit-
of life of the Costa Rican people. tee was established consisting of seven members: a
general coordinator and a communications agency
representative, charged with the task of supporting
the implementation of the Strategy; two volunteers,
the President and the Executive Director of CRUSA;
and the Foundation’s Communications Officer acting
as operational liaison.

As a result of this effort, CRUSA’s information
and public relations processes were systematized
and several communication tools were developed
or improved, including:
• Brand book
• Key monthsages defined
• Web site redesigned
• Contingency and crisis management
plan prepared
• Institutional video produced
• Databases redesigned and updated
• External signs designed
• Internal and external newsletters produ-
ced
• Instruction manual for beneficiaries on
The Communications Committee is made up of how to publicize projects
the following members: • PR strategy directed at national and re-
gional media organizations
• Eduardo Ulibarri, General Coordinator • Monthly program for the dissemination
• Marjorie Sibaja of activities
• Fernando Leñero
• Omar Jiménez During 2007, media coverage of CRUSA’s activi-
• Luis Diego Escalante ties was very significant compared with previous
• Hermann Faith years, and the reports mainly revolved around
• Katty Fernández the Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary and related
activities. During 2008, media coverage increased
The Strategy is based on two essential lines of ac- by 100%, going from 18 publications in 2007 to a
tion: a proactive approach, designed to reinforce total of 37 in that year.
a set of positive perceptions or values in relation
to the CRUSA Foundation, and a reactive appro- The greatest area of growth in media coverage was
ach, to respond to any public opinion issues that in television, with a 500% increase with respect to
might arise. 2007, going from 2 televised reports to 12.
Below are details of the media coverage given to

CRUSA’s activities during 2008.

SGS Certification
NGO Benchmarking
Last October, for the third consecutive time, the

Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) certified
that the CRUSA Foundation’s operational and
administrative processes comply with the highest
international standards in terms of the effective
administration of its resources and operations
The Foundation participated in this accreditation
exercise, known as NGO Benchmarking, on a vo-
luntary basis.
As on previous occasions, CRUSA obtained the
On this occasion, CRUSA’s processes were eva- maximum score in several of the aspects evalua-
luated according to 102 parameters defined as ted, such as Fundraising, Resources Allocation,
best operating practices for non-governmental Financial Controls and Communication, ob-
organizations (NGOs). taining an overall compliance score of 95.1%, a
percentage that places the Foundation among the
organizations with the highest scores, both natio-
nally and internationally.

New approach to cooperation
The year 2008 marked the start of a new approach

to cooperation, largely as a response to the chan-
ges that have occurred in the local and internatio-
nal financial environment which, in themselves,
represent opportunities for growth for CRUSA.
As part of the new cooperation strategy, on October 13, 2008,
CRUSA signed a Cooperation Agreement with MarViva, Finca and
Aseder.
In this new context, the CRUSA Foundation’s Ass-
embly of Founding Members and its Administra-
tive Board have reiterated that the Foundation’s partners and beneficiaries. With this approach,
priority is to maintain – and even increase- its the Foundation aims to enhance its research and
impact on Costa Rican society, despite the finan- development capabilities with a view to identi-
cial crisis that began to deepen during the second fying needs and opportunities so that it can more
half of 2008. effectively target its financial and human resour-
ces, its installed capacity and its knowledge on
This redefinition process promotes the use of the projects and/or programs together with other
knowledge and experience accumulated by the institutions that promote Costa Rica’s sustainable
CRUSA Foundation throughout its ten years of development.
operations, through the implementation of a new
work model in which creativity, the forging of In order to execute CRUSA 2.0 it was necessary to
partnerships and joint efforts will increase and review and restructure the Foundation’s internal
enhance the impact of CRUSA’s cooperation pro- processes, invest in improvements, expand the
grams on Costa Rican society. physical installations, enhance the computer and
communications (ICT) infrastructure and fully
CRUSA 2.0 is the name given to the Foundation’s integrate Amigos of Costa Rica in its operations.
new strategy of interaction with its strategic
10
New approach to cooperation
With a new approach to cooperation, an

accreditation that certifies the quality of the
Foundation’s processes and with the specific
purpose of turning good ideas into realities,
CRUSA supports its partner institutions through
a portfolio of opportunities and services:
A. Opportunities for executive partners.

Institutions that require support in the Third parties or institutions have the option
design, implementation and funding of of providing total funding or partial support
their projects. t projects in the form of matching funds to the
resources provided by CRUSA.
B. Services for financial partners. Institu-
tions looking for good investment op- The Foundation offers its operating partners the
portunities in projects with a high social following opportunities:
and economic impact on Costa Rica.
1. Project funding. Until 2008, the Foun-
dation’s main service consisted of pro-
A. Implementation of joint initiatives viding overall funding for projects.
with executive partners However, although the foundation will
continue to offer this type of service in
The main purpose of these opportunities is to the future, for some projects assistance
promote the implementation of joint initiatives will be provided in the form of matching
(CRUSA+ partner) in CRUSA’s areas of interest. funds (see below).
11
5. Technical support for project imple-
mentation. Although the main respon-
sibility for the implementation of joint
projects rests with the executive partners
–since these organizations have experti-
se in the various fields of action of the
projects- CRUSA will provide technical
support in the aspects of project design,
formulation and presentation.
2. Facilitation of matching funds. For pro- 6. Joint fundraising efforts. In specific ca-
jects implemented jointly, CRUSA may ses, CRUSA will facilitate the time and
provide a financial contribution (do- efforts of its staff in its offices in Was-
nation) to match the resources that are hington D.C. and/or in Costa Rica for
requested from other institutions. The joint fundraising activities. This effort
amount and conditions of these matching will include a range of actions – from
funds will vary according to the specifi- publicizing the initiatives on Amigos of
cations. In most cases, CRUSA’s matching Costa Rica’s web site (http://www.ami-
contribution will be granted as a “challen- gosofcr.org/projects.htm), to organizing
ge fund” - in other words it will only be presentations and joint meetings with
disbursed if the funds requested from the potential donors/ investors.
other institution(s) are obtained.
7. Transfer and Administration of third
3. Up to date information on funding party funds. When a joint project or ini-
opportunities. Our staff in Washington tiative is approved by a donor or investor,
D.C. and in Costa Rica consult various all the financial resources are initially
databases, web sites and online resour- transferred to CRUSA, which subse-
ces on a daily basis, with the aim of quently transfers the funds to an executi-
identifying and providing our executive ve partner. In most cases, CRUSA trans-
partners with information on potential fers the full amount, without making any
funding opportunities in Costa Rica and deductions. However, depending on the
the United States. complexity, scale or other specific featu-
res of a project, the Foundation will re-
4. Capacity to obtain tax deductible retain a percentage, which is agreed upon
sources in Costa Rica and in the Uni- in advance with the executive partner.
ted States. Through a public interest
declaration, or through Amigos of Costa In addition to transferring resources, CRUSA
Rica (category 501) –the Foundation’s ad��
ministers project funds, assuming full res-
strategic arm in the USA– CRUSA may ponsibility for the financial control of the pro-
receive contributions from businesses ject (payments, disbursements, reports, audits,
and corporations in both countries, whi- bank accounts, payment of professional fees,
ch are tax-deductible. and supervision of budget execution). In order
12
to cover the cost of these activities, and depen- capacity and financial resources so that institutions
ding on the specific requirements of each pro- interested in financing projects in Costa Rica will
ject, the Foundation charges a percentage that have the necessary facilities and assurances to
is jointly agreed in advance by CRUSA and the obtain a high return (in terms of impact) on their
executive partner. social investment.
The CRUSA Foundation offers the following ser-

How to become an executive partner vices to its financial partners:
of crusa?
1. Capacity to donate funds that are tax-
Twice a year, the Foundation issues a public invi- deductible in Costa Rica and in the
tation to submit project profiles in specific areas United States. Through a Declaration
or issues of interest. Any non-governmental ins- of Public Interest, or through Amigos of
titution or public university may submit a project Costa Rica (501 category), its strategic
profile under this modality. arm in the USA, the CRUSA Founda-
tion is authorized to receive tax-deduc-
The dates on which these calls for project profi- tible contributions from companies and
les are issued vary according to the Foundation’s corporations in both countries.
area of interest. Applicants are advised to check
on the specific dates for each thematic area: Envi- 2. Facilitation of matching funds. Based
ronment, Science and Technology, Education and on its specific areas of interest, and de-
Strategic Capacity. pending on the availability of funds, the
CRUSA Foundation will provide funds
The selected profiles subsequently undergo a (a grant) to match the resources contri-
confirmation process, and if the outcome is po- buted by a financial partner. This results
sitive, the institution that submitted the project in the multiplication of resources, which
profile becomes an executive partner of CRUSA. would not be possible without CRUSA’s
participation.
B- Services offered to financial partners 3. Transfer and Administration of third

party funds. When a joint project or
Portfolio of Social Investment Services: initiative is approved by a donor or in-
vestor, all the financial resources are ini-
CRUSA seeks to multiply its own technical and fi- tially transferred to CRUSA, which then
nancial resources with those of other institutions transfers the funds to an executive part-
in such a way as to make a greater impact on the ner. In most cases, CRUSA transfers the
quality of life of Costa Ricans. full amount, without making any deduc-
tions. However, depending on the com-
CRUSA places its internationally-certified plexity, scale or other specific features of
technical and administrative expertise at the a project, the Foundation may retain a
service of national and international donors and percentage, which is agreed upon in ad-
investors. It also makes available its installed vance with the executive partner.
13
Depending on the level of monitoring required
by the financial partner, the Foundation will
charge to the project budget a previously agreed
percentage of the amount contributed by the fi-
nancial partner.

5. Access to prestigious executive ins-
titutions with a proven track record.
After more than a decade of work, the
CRUSA Foundation has developed an
extensive network of relations with the
In addition to transferring resources, CRUSA most prestigious governmental and non-
administers project funds, assuming full respon- governmental institutions in its different
sibility for the financial control of the project fields of action.
(payments, disbursements, reports, audits, bank
accounts, payment of professional fees and super- CRUSA has worked directly with executive or-
vision of budget execution). In order to cover the ganizations on more than 450 projects. With its
cost of these activities, and depending on the par- detailed knowledge of the background and ex-
ticular requirements of each project, the Founda- perience of these institutions, the CRUSA Foun-
tion charges a percentage that is jointly agreed in dation is in a position to recommend the orga-
advance by CRUSA and the executive partner. nizations that are best qualified to implement a
project in an area of particular interest to the fi-
4. Technical monitoring of projects. In nancial partner.
addition to administering project funds,
the CRUSA Foundation has obtained
international certification that demons- How to become a financial partner
trates its capacity to provide appropriate of crusa?
technical monitoring or follow-up of the
projects it manages. If your organization is interested in financing/do-
nating funds for the implementation of a project
CRUSA offers technical Project monitoring servi- in Costa Rica, please contact the CRUSA Progra-
ces to financial partners wishing to delegate to the ms Office by calling: 506-2283-0665, or sending
Foundation the responsibility of safeguarding the an e-mail to: proyectos@crusa.cr.
fulfillment of the approved project goals. CRUSA
is able to provide different levels of monitoring: If your institution’s areas of interest coincide with
from preparing a consolidated Final Report on the current priorities of our strategic areas of ac-
a project, to issuing monthly progress reports, tion, CRUSA will be pleased to assist you in en-
carrying out field visits, inspections and audits suring that your resources generate the greatest
and providing technical accompaniment, among possible impact on Costa Rica’s economic and so-
other services. cial development.
14
The new role of “Amigos of Costa Rica”
With the creation of this portfolio of opportunities

and services, it also became necessary to rethink
the vision and activities of “Amigos of Costa Rica”,
CRUSA’s sister organization in the United States.
Until 2008 “Amigos of Costa Rica” played a very

important role in obtaining resources for the
implementation of projects in Costa Rica from
various donors, who received tax benefits for their
donations. Nevertheless, Amigos remained an
operationally separate institution from CRUSA,
and its role was limited to receiving the donations During this period, CRUSA also worked to position
obtained by CRUSA and its partners, processing itself strategically with US donors and investors
these and corroborating their appropriate use. as an agency that promotes social investment in
Costa Rica, through the identification of initiatives
However, with the creation of its portfolio of op- with a high social impact which, in many cases,
portunities for partners, CRUSA realized that would even transcend national boundaries.
Amigos also had the potential to coordinate te-
chnical support for the design and implementa- Although CRUSA and Amigos are still going
tion of proposals, systematically identify funding through a process of integration, this new way of
opportunities for other donors and participate in operating has already produced positive results
a joint search for funds. Accordingly, during the in terms of creating and expanding their respec-
second semonthter of 2008, Amigos not only re- tive networks of contacts in the United States.
formulated its vision and mission, but also added In addition, several funding opportunities have
two more highly experienced staff members (to been identified in the US, leading to proposals
complete a team of three people) as part of the submitted jointly by CRUSA, Amigos and their
new opportunities and services that CRUSA is operational partners in Costa Rica, to organiza-
now offering to its partner institutions. tions in that country. �
15
Transforming good ideas into projects …
The leading donors in CRUSA’s four
thematic areas of interest, include:
Environment
• Linden Trust for Conservation
• Hewlett-Packard
• Wal*Mart
• British Embassy
• Debt for Nature Swap
Education
• Banco de Costa Rica
Based on its portfolio of opportunities and
• Radiográfica Costarricense (RACSA)
services, in 2008 CRUSA supported a total of 53
• The Intel Foundation
initiatives in its four areas of interest. This support
• Several suppliers of the PriceSmart Clubs
took the form of:
Science & Technology
• Total funding for the initiative.
• Intel Foundation
• Or, the contribution of matching funds

to leverage CRUSA’s resources with
those of other donor institutions.
• Or, support was limited to administe- The following Table is a summary of the initiatives
ring third party funds for the imple- supported by CRUSA in 2008 and the amounts
mentation of one or several projects. invested:
Funding from Matching funds Third-party Funds

CRUSA (in cash) from other administered by
donors CRUSA
# Amounts in US Dollars # Amounts in US Dollars # Amounts in US Dollars
Environment 3 206,803.00 1 82,189.00 2 195,909.07
Strategic Capacity 2 326,576.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Science & Technology 12 492,202.05 1 156,875.00 1 39,000.00
Education 26 461,458.45 0 0.00 5 112,220.00
Total 43 1,487,039.50 2 239,064 8 347,129.07
Total Support to Initiatives
CRUSA + Other donors + 2,073,232.57
Third-party Funds
16
Administration of Third Party Funds
It is important to emphasize the importance of

the Administration of Third Party Funds, since
this could well be the key to CRUSA’s new role
Youth of the Osa Peninsula.
in facilitating a convergence between executive
partners and financial partners.
Although 2008 was a year of transition and re- activities, the CRUSA Foundation managed to
definition of the organization’s new vision and attract nearly USD $350,000.00 from different
Foundations, companies and private individuals,
both national and international, to be administe-
red under very different conditions, in different
thematic areas and for very different purposes.
This put CRUSA’s administrative capacity and
flexibility to the test –with outstanding results.
This sum represented nearly 17% of the total
funds contributed in support of the Foundation’s
projects and programs.
As we embark on this new phase, we wish to em-

phasize the prestige and reliability of the institu-
“Local empowerment in ecotourism: the core of sustainability
in Osa” is one of the projects supported by CRUSA during the tions that have placed their trust in the CRUSA
year 2008, under the Third Parties Funds Administration Plan. Its
purpose was to train young people of the area as tourist guides Foundation’s experience and track record. We are
specialized on the Peninsula de Osa. certain that this process will continue in 2009.
17
Environment
During the year 2008, the Fundación CRUSA assigned

206.803 dollars to the environmental area.
Summary and outstanding initiatives
Support to initiatives 2008
In 2008, CRUSA did not open a Window for the

Reception of Proposals in the Area of Environment.
However, it continued to provide support to the
Osa Campaign, a fundraising initiative to promote
the implementation of different conservation acti- Ms. Ana María Vásquez, Programs Director of the CRUSA Foundation,
during the inauguration of the first communal credit companies of
vities in the Osa Peninsula, one of the areas of the Osa, a project meant to improve the quality of life of inhabitants of
the area by means of sustainable production alternatives.
planet with the greatest biodiversity in proportion
to its size. The Foundation also supported various
legal actions and commissioned several studies in
order to consolidate the investment it has made in
the area over the last five years. the Osa Peninsula. The idea is to implement a new
conservation model that promotes community-
During 20o8, CRUSA also launched a joint effort based production activities. The initiative is based
with the Marviva Foundation aimed at improving on the premise that in order to be able to reduce
the socioeconomic conditions of communities in human pressures on the area’s natural resources, it
is first necessary to create better living conditions
for local communities by providing sustainable
and eco-friendly alternatives.
Finally, in 2008 CRUSA began the task of adminis-

tering the Debt for Nature Swap funds, based on
the agreement signed between the United States
and Costa Rica.
19
Debt for
Nature Swap
In order to achieve an Agreement on the Debt

for Nature Swap based on the provisions of the
Tropical Forest Conservation Act of the USA, the
negotiation process between Costa Rica and the
United States of America culminated with the sig- Protected area located in the south part of the country.
ning of four agreements on September 13, 2007.
The Forest Conservation Agreement (FCA) bet- With respect to the administration of funds,
ween the Government of Costa Rica, the Central the Agreement establishes that these will be ad-
Bank of Costa Rica, The Nature Conservancy ministered through a Trust, comprising three
(TNC) and Conservation International (CI) lays accounts. The first of these is the Debt Service
the foundations for reinvesting part of the debt Account, into which the Central Bank will de-
swap funds in the country’s natural areas. It co- posit the agreed payments, which will then be
vers aspects related to the mechanisms for utili- transferred to one of the other two accounts.
zing the funds, as well as participation, supervi- The second account is the Patrimonial Fund Ac-
sion and monitoring mechanisms. count whose purpose is to capitalize the money
deposited therein, with a view to giving financial
sustainability to the initiative. Finally, the Dona-
tions Account will be used to deposit funds for
the implementation of projects by organizations
that contribute to the protection of the forest in
six geographic areas of the country: the Osa Pe-
ninsula, La Amistad, Tortuguero, Maquenque,
Rincón de la Vieja and Nicoya.
20
CRUSA as administrator of the funds
Based on its experience and prestige, both in fi-

nancial matters and in the evaluation and imple-
mentation of projects, the Ministry of Environ-
ment and Technology (MINAE) as the institution
representing the Costa Rican Government, in co-
ordination with the Supervision Committee, se-
lected the CRUSA Foundation to be the adminis-
trator of the FCA resources. In this context, the
“Forest Conservation Agreement” formally appo-
inted CRUSA as administrator of all the activities
related to the call for projects, evaluation, moni-
toring and auditing of initiatives financed with
Debt Swap resources, as well as everything related
to the operation of the Donations Account.
With respect to governance and oversight, the
Agreement appointed a Supervision Committee
as the highest decision-making body, responsible The first fifteen months …
for issuing technical, administrative and financial
guidelines for the Funds. This Committee is cons- During this first period, from October 2007 to
tituted by a member of Costa Rica’s National Sys- December 2008, CRUSA’s efforts have focused on
tem of Conservation Areas (SINAC), representing providing support to the Supervision Committee
the Government of Costa Rica; a representative to develop the operating platform that will facili-
appointed by the Government of the United Sta- tate the future implementation of the Debt Swap
tes; a representative appointed by CI and another funds in forest conservation projects in the six
by TNC; and finally, a representative appointed by geographic areas defined.
an environmental non-governmental organization
(NGO) active in Costa Rica, currently a member of As part of the process to establish the Debt Swap
Earth University. Trust Fund, CRUSA has provided administrative
support for all the tasks and working sessions of
the Supervision Committee. It has also contribu-
ted to the design of a system for the reception,
evaluation, selection, negotiation and formaliza-
tion of projects; and it has financed 100% of the
operations associated with the structuring of the
Debt for Nature Swap Program.
21
WEB CONTENT
www.crusa.cr/10
ACCESS MULTIMEDIA / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Campaign to save the

Osa Peninsula
The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the

last remnants of tropical lowland rainforest in
Central America’s Pacific coast, and is one of the
Mr. Luis Diego Escalante, president of CRUSA Foundation, invited
areas with the greatest biodiversity on the planet Mr. Brice Lalonde, french ambassador of Climatic Change and Mr.
Frabice Delloye, Ambassador of France in Costa Rica, for a visit of
in proportion to its size. However, unless urgent the Peninsula de Osa. Both Mr. Lalonde and Mr. Delloye, identified
steps are taken, and if current trends continue, the themselves with the goal of the “Osa en tu Piel” campaign.
forests of the Peninsula will be reduced to isolated

fragments, leading to the extinction of many en-
demic species in the unprotected areas. Moreover,
animal populations that require larger territories
to survive such as jaguars, pumas and tapirs, will
slowly disappear.
Subsequently, invitations to participate were
The Osa Campaign was launched in 2003 as a extended to The Nature Conservancy, Conser-
CRUSA fundraising initiative to contribute to the vation International and the National System of
conservation of the Osa Peninsula. More speci- Conservation Areas. Campaign administration
fically, the Campaign aimed to collect US$32.5 and operations were financed with resources
million dollars to consolidate the Corcovado and provided by CRUSA. In total, CRUSA has con-
Piedras Blancas National Parks, as well as other tributed around 1.5 million dollars of its own re-
protected areas of the peninsula, and create biolo- sources to cover the Campaign’s operating costs
gical corridors linking these areas. over a five-year period, and has contributed a
similar amount to cover matching funds made
to the Endowment Fund created as part of the
Campaign.
22
Photograph by Mike Grace
Among the most important achievements of this
initiative, which concluded on December 31,
Photo taken in the Osa Peninsula.
2008, we can mention the following:
1- Increasing visibility and raising aware-

ness. One of the Osa Campaign’s grea- NAC). Each of these institutions brought
test achievements was to make this re- to the process its own special background,
gion “visible” to the world community. knowledge, experience and its own network
As a result of this effort, the local, natio- of partners, all united around the common
nal and international communities have goal of protecting the Osa Peninsula.
been made aware of the area’s enormous
social, natural and cultural wealth. The- 3- Fundraising- 20 million dollars. Thanks
se communities, in turn, have created to the efforts of the Osa Campaign part-
awareness of the need to protect this ners, a total of 20 million dollars were rai-
great treasure. sed. Although the Campaign did not reach
its original target, the partners consider
2- Creating an alliance. The Osa Campaign this as a successful fundraising exercise
Osa was conceived as an effort involving and a very enriching experience for each
the participation of many different sec- of the institutions involved.
tors. Accordingly, an alliance was formed
with the aim of protecting this region’s
great biodiversity, with the participation
of two international organizations (The
Nature Conservancy-TNC and Con-
servation International-CI), a national
organization (the CRUSA Foundation)
and a government institution (the Na-
tional System of Conservation Areas-SI-
23
WEB CONTENT
www.crusa.cr/11
Eco-friendly production alternatives

for the coastal communities
of the Osa Peninsula
This initiative, which is being executed by the

MarViva Foundation with CRUSA’s support, aims
to identify environmentally-friendly production
alternatives that can be implemented by the in-
habitants of the coastal zone of the Osa Conser- Thanks to the Communal Credit Businesses Project. Tamara, from
the community of Puerto Cortés, is now the owner of her own
vation Area (ACOSA). The idea is to increase fa- business.
mily incomonth and improve the quality of life
of the local communities, through a conservation
model based on local development. The project
will promote a sustainable use of the protected
marine areas (AMPS) and other costal areas, ba-
sed on the premises of economic, social and envi- The project is divided into three phases:
ronmental sustainability. This initiative was laun-
ched in August 2008 and will be implemented for 1. Research phase: this consists of a so-
a period of 18 months. cioeconomic baseline study of the com-
munities located in the marine-coastal
zone of ACOSA and a market survey to
help identify new business opportunities
in the project area.
24
2. Training phase: the residents of the
selected communities were invited to
participate in the creation and conso-
lidation of Community Credit Unions
(ECC), as a way to generate income for
their partners. During this phase, the
project will work to activate the eco-
nomies of the selected communities Having obtained a loan from the communal credit company in
Bahía Ballena, Ronald Guzmán promotes ecotourism in the area.
through a credit mechanism, available He bought bicycles and rents them to tourists.
to groups and individuals interested in
starting their own enterprises. The ECC
partners and other community mem-
bers will also be invited to participate in
a business/enterprise training program.
This will not only help them to identify
business ideas, but also to prepare a bu-
siness plan and put it into practice with The outcome of this initiative will be largely
a view to developing micro or small bu- determined by the creation and consolidation
sinesses. of five Community Credit Unions, and by the
identification and implementation of production
3. Evaluation and consolidation phase: the alternatives with 25 entrepreneurs – men and
project also contemplates an assessment women – in the marine-coastal zone of ACOSA.
of the economic, social and environ- This effort will hopefully result in the creation of
mental feasibility of the business plans micro and small businesses in the hands of local
and several business consultancies to people, based on the sustainable use of the marine
strengthen the enterprises that emerge and coastal resources, within and outside the
from this process. AMPS of ACOSA.
25
List of aproved projects
in environment
Promoting and strengthening environmental

and natural resource management
Implementing sustainable production alternatives to contribute to the

consolidation of the protected marine areas of the Osa Conservation Area
Executor: Marviva Foundation Administrator: Marviva Foundation
Colones: 80.479.970,55 Dollars: 147.025,00 Duration: 18 months
Description:
The project will work to reduce environmental degradation in the protected areas and will promote the
appropriate and sustainable use of natural resources and will facilitate the establishment of micro and small
enterprises operated by local people. The CRUSA Foundation will finance 65% of the project and MAR-
VIVA, the organization responsible for executing the initiative, will contribute the remaining 35% of the
funds.
Osa Contingency Fund

Executor: CRUSA Foundation Administrator: CRUSA Foundation
Description:
The project will cover expenses related to travel, attendance at meetings, legal costs etc. in order to support
the investment that CRUSA has made in the area of the Osa Peninsula over the last five years.
Workshop: Inputs for developing an Agro-environmental Agenda

Executor: National University Costa Rica (UNA) Administrator: Foundation of the
National University National of Costa Rica
Description:
The workshop will bring together different sectors for the purpose of discussing and proposing inputs for
assessing the potential and need for this Agenda, and also to lay the foundations for its implementation in
the country.
The funds requested from CRUSA would be specifically used to cover the costs of organizing the workshop
and the publication of the reports.
26
Strategic Capacity
The CRUSA Foundation assigned 326.576 dollars to support

projects in the Strategic Capacity area.
During 2008, the CRUSA Foundation, in coordi-

nation with the Costa Rican Government, focused
on supporting efforts to improve the provision of
certain services considered key by Costa Ricans:
• In an effort to strengthen the country’s

competitiveness by reducing or elimina-
ting administrative obstacles, complicated
procedures and unnecessary paperwork The use of digital technology and procedure simplification intended
to increase the country`s competitiveness level, was the goal of the
that create bottlenecks and are burdensome projects presented in the Strategic Capacity area.
for citizens and national and international
businesspeople, CRUSA supported the Mi- delimitation of the maritime-terrestrial zone,
nistry of the Economy, Industry and Trade water concessions, among others). A total of
(MEIC) in three specific actions: 16 institutions –including 10 municipalities
– will be working to simplify administrative
• The implementation of a computerized processes and will implement these systems
notification system to provide national on the so-called “Vision 20/20” platform.
and international exporters with ac- The licensing and hosting costs of this pla-
curate and up-to-date information on tform will be covered by the Banco de Costa
international regulations or proposed Rica, as matching funds.
regulations that could create a trade
barrier in their specific sector. • The creation of a computer platform for the
systematization of information and procedu-
• The simplification and computeriza- res of the General Directorate of Small and
tion of key administrative processes Medium Businesses (PyMonth). The idea is
required for the establishment of new to generate indicators, studies and suppor-
businesses in Costa Rica (environmen- ting policies, through the coordination of an
tal impact studies, operating licenses, online information system that SME’s can
construction permits, work permits, access via the Internet.
28
in strategic capacity
Strengthening Costa Rica’s competitiveness

to meet the challenges of open markets
Improving efficiency in the provision of services

by public and private non-profit institutions
A “Tower of Hope” for Costa Rica: operational support

Executor: National Children’s Hospital Administrator: National Children’s
Association (APHNN) Hospital Association (APHNN)
Description:
Obtain funding to fully cover the construction of the “Tower of Hope” of the Children’s Hospital and equip
it with the best technology.
Comprehensive strategy to increase Competitiveness through improved

regulations and the computerization of key administrative procedures of MEIC
Executor: National Program to Promote Administrator: Central American Institute
Competitiveness and Regulatory Improvement of of Public Administration
MEIC
Description:
Improve transparency in the adoption of technical regulations and strengthen the monitoring of their im-
plementation on the part of our main partners.
Specifically: Computerize information on key administrative procedures to enable users to follow up on

these processes and to facilitate the exchange of institutional information. The aim is to speed up other
processes, based on the resolution of these bureaucratic procedures.
29
Photo courtesy of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NCSA) and the Board of Directors of the University of Illinois
Science and Technology
During the year 2008, CRUSA contributed with 492.202,05 dollars

to support scientific and technological projects, this being the
area where the most financial resources were assigned.
In 2008, the CRUSA Foundation continued to su-

pport joint research projects between Spain and
Costa Rica, through its cooperation agreement
with the Higher Council for Scientific Research
(CSIC) of Spain. As a result of this Window for On november, CRUSA announced the names of the projects it
would support jointly with the CSIC with the purpose of developing
the reception of joint projects, five research pro- scientific research.
jects to be implemented by Costa Rican and Spa-
nish researchers were approved. It is important
to mention that this agreement represents a first
effort by the Foundation to formalize cooperation Performance of Costa Rica’s ICT sector” and ano-
links with institutions outside the United States. ther by the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica
(TEC) for the formulation of a Central American
CRUSA also supported a project to design a Di- postgraduate program in technology and inno-
gital Strategy for Costa Rica, a joint effort by the vation management.
Club de Investigación Tecnológica (Technolo-
gical Research Club) and INCAE. The aim is to Finally, as part of CRUSA’s new strategy to promo-
take the recommendations made in various stu- te the joint design and implementation of projects,
dies carried out in the country in recent years, in 2008 work began with the National Center for
and identify actions with an appropriate funding High Technology (CENAT) for the consolidation
mechanism as well as the necessary human and of the Advanced Research and Technology Colla-
technological resources for future implementa- borative for the Americas – ARTCA, an initiative
tion. In 2008, CRUSA also supported a project that aims to enhance the efforts of the scientific
by the CAATEC Foundation to publish a study community throughout the American continent,
on “Innovation, competitiveness and growth: the through a virtual collaborative platform.
31
Advanced Research And
Technology Collaboratory For
Photo courtesy of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications

The Americas (ARTCA)
(NCSA) and the Board of Directors of the University of Illinois

In 2004, CRUSA co-sponsored the first “High-le-
vel Meeting on Grid technology” for Latin Ame-
rica in an effort to create awareness of the advan-
tages and risks of this new technology. This event
and its immediate results - both at national and
international level - paved the way for the launch
The University of Illinois` Supercomputer National Center, is one of
of the “Advanced Research and Technology Co- the prestigious institutions that support ARTCA.
llaborative for the Americas” (ARTCA) in 2008.
ARTCA is financed with seed capital provided

by CRUSA and receives support from the “Na-
tional Center for Supercomputing Applications”
(NCSA) of the University of Illinois, in Urbana- Starting on the path toward collaboration
Champaign, and other supercomputing centers in
the United States. In collaboration with the Natio- During its first year of activities, ARTCA’s Mana-
nal Center for Advanced Computing (CNCA) of gement Council determined that its main objecti-
the Centro National de Alta Tecnologia – National ve would be to establish a consortium to promote
Center for High Technology (CENAT), this ini- scientific and technology research. Initially, the
tiative aims to enhance the efforts of the scientific Council was composed of researchers from the
community throughout the American continent, United States and Costa Rica. However, this or-
through a virtual collaborative platform that will ganization now needs to develop a more formal
provide scientists and researchers with access to structure in order to clearly define the roles and
financial, technical and technological resources. responsibilities of each of its members. One of the
Its purpose is to address problems or take advan- most immediate needs is to develop the necessary
tage of opportunities on a large scale, in order to knowledge and skills to enable researchers to par-
help improve the living conditions of society as a ticipate effectively in collaborative projects in the
whole, in a tangible way. context of ARTCA. This effort should be comple-
32
mented with the incorporation of new partners
who can participate in the identification, prepara-
tion and execution of programs and projects.
The transmission of scientific data in Latin America by means of
supercomputer networks, is one of the goals of ARTCA.
In order to receive the necessary training, bet-
ween June and August of 2008, 24 researchers
and graduate students from Costa Rica and other
countries of the region participated in summer
workshops on Computational Science, financed developing the necessary knowledge and skills to
and organized by the TeraGrid consortium. participate in interdisciplinary projects related to
computer science.
It is also important to mention that, in a period of
less than one month, CRUSA was able to respond Between August and October, several prospec-
to an opportunity presented by the Intel Founda- ting visits took place to find possible partners for
tion, obtaining a grant of USD $39,000.00 for the ARTCA. One of the most important contacts was
organization and implementation of a Program of with the National Scientific Computing Labora-
Interdisciplinary Courses in Computer Science, tory (LNCC) of Brazil, specifically to participate
in the context of ARTCA. During the first semon- in a research group that is working on malaria.
thter of 2009, this project will prepare a full study This initiative is being led by the University of
program, at Masters level, for existing graduate Nairobi and the University of Alabama, in Bir-
courses in the fields of natural science, enginee- mingham, which is competing for funds from
ring, and computer science. The focus will be on the Gates Foundation. Visits were also made to
the Universities of San Carlos and Del Valle, in
Guatemala.
33
WEB CONTENT
www.crusa.cr/12
Strategy for the 21st Century
In 2004, the CRUSA Foundation’s Assembly of

Founding Members, under the leadership of Eng.
Jorge Manuel Dengo and Dr. Franklin Chang,
decided to conduct a strategic planning exercise
with a view to defining the Foundation’s funding
priorities in the Area of Science and Technology.
Mr. Jorge Manuel Dengo, distinguished as “Meritious of the
In order to carry out this task, CRUSA contrac- Fatherland” in Costa Rica and scientist Mr. Franklin Chang, are the
ted Eng. Alejandro Cruz and Dr. Gabriel Maca- leaders of Strategy for the 21st Century.
ya who, together with more than 200 volunteers,

began a process to assess and define the country’s of Follow-up, based at the National Center for High
priorities in the field of science and technology. Technology (CENAT), with the aim of promoting
and accompanying different initiatives consistent
However, in the course of this process, the lea- with the actions defined in the Plan of Action.
ders of the initiative identified an opportunity to
use the Assessment as the basis for developing a In 2007, major administrative changes took place
Plan of Action for the short, medium and long in the Strategy Follow-up Office which, to some
term in this thematic area. As a result, the con- extent, limited its capacity to implement activities
cept of Estrategia Siglo XXI (Strategy for the 21st during that period. Even in 2008, the reorgani-
Century) was born. zation process, together with the Strategy’s own
characteristics, were factors that affected the im-
Both the Assessment and the Plan of Action were plementation of this initiative and have been diffi-
formally presented to the general public at a mee- cult “stumbling blocks” to overcome.
ting held in April 2006. Ever since that time, the
Strategy has enjoyed the support of many diffe- The CRUSA Foundation’s decision to approve the
rent sectors of Costa Rican society, including the creation of the Asociación Estrategia Siglo XXI
government, academia and the private sector. as an independent, legal entity, together with the
formulation of the organization’s Strategic Plan-
After the completion of the Assessment and the a process that entailed considerable work - provi-
project’s design phase, the CRUSA Foundation ded the basis for the activities carried out during
provided funding to establish the Strategy’s Office 2008. In this regard, the main achievements of
34
• The annual publication of a Report on the Sta-
te of Science, Technology and Innovation in
Costa Rica. The idea of this report is to perio-
dically monitor the country’s progress in the
areas of science and technology. This effort
was implemented jointly with the State of the
Nation Project.
• Support to the Ministry of Public Education in:

this period include the creation of a legally cons-
tituted association, the definition of strategic gui- • The design and formulation of the Scientific
delines, the establishment of a Governing Board, Improvement Project, an initiative aimed at
which began holding monthly meetings in May improving the quality of scientific education
2008, and the formation of a work team. for Costa Rica’s children and young people.
In this regard, it is important to mention that with • The design and formulation of the Project
the legal constitution of this Association in 2008, “Multilingual Costa Rica”, which proposes to
Estrategia Siglo XXI became the first autonomous improve the level of knowledge and use of the
organization, completely separate from the CRU- English language in the country.
SA Foundation, to emerge from an initiative by
CRUSA’s Assembly of Founding Members. • The design and formulation of a project for the
Definition of Digital Standards for Teachers
With respect to the implementation of the Strate-
gy, the work begun in 2007 continued throughout • Support to the National Training Institute
2008, with a strategic decision by the Governing (INA) in an effort to design and raise funds
Board to focus its efforts on the Area of Educa- for the creation of a Technical Training Cen-
tion. The activities carried out to date have invol- ter in Advanced Technologies (CATTEA).
ved the following institutions and projects: The project has been implemented with the
joint support of EARTH University, the Ad
• Support to the Ministry of Science and Astra Rocket company and Strategy for the
Technology in the preparation of Costa 21st Century.
Rica’s Innovation Atlas. This document
was prepared in 2007 by the National • Collaborative work with a group of “partner”
Innovation Commission (of which Es- universities in the United States, with the aim
trategia Siglo XXI forms part) and was of supporting projects and programs that are
published in May of 2008. key to the implementation of the Strategy for
the 21st Century. To date, the group of partner
• The formulation of a proposal for the Pro- universities includes: i) Kansas State Universi-
ject: State of Science, Technology and In- ty, ii) Michigan State University, iii) University
novation (Sc+T+i), a joint initiative by the of California, in Los Angeles, iv) University of
State of the Nation Project (Estado de La Florida, v) University of Kansas and vi) Univer-
Nación) and Strategy for the 21st Century. sity of Texas, Austin.
35
WEB CONTENT
www.crusa.cr/13
Joint Cooperation Agreement CRUSA /

Higher Council for Scientific
Research of Spain (CSIC)
In 2007 the CRUSA Foundation signed a coope-

ration agreement with the Higher Council for
Scientific Research (CSIC) of Spain to support
scientific research projects. This agreement is the
Several scientific research projects are already developing after
first to be signed by CRUSA with an institution the Cooperation Agreement between the CRUSA Foundation and
outside of the United States and represents a new the Higher Council for Scientific Research of Spain (CSIC) was
susbscribed.
opportunity to promote cooperation, not only
with the US, but also with other countries frien-
dly with Costa Rica, interested in contributing re-
sources to promote the country’s development. The first project to be selected is headed by
Dr. Carlos Araya, a researcher at the National
Under the agreement, CRUSA and CSIC will University’s School of Agrarian Sciences. Working
each contribute one hundred thousand (100,000) with the Agro-biotechnology Institute of Spain,
Euros annually, to support joint scientific resear- the research team will analyze a disease that be-
ch projects in the areas of biology or biomedicine, gan to attack bean crops in Costa Rica’s Southern
agricultural sciences, science and technology of Zone during the 1990s, and that has now spread
materials and chemistry. to the Northern Zone.
In 2008, a total of 17 project proposals were sub- Funding was also approved for a research project
mitted for evaluation by two panels of experts in led by Dr. Edgardo Moreno, a researcher at the
each of the topics. The panels met in Spain and National University’s School of Veterinary Medi-
Costa Rica and selected five proposals that will cine. This team will work on the development of
receive funding for a period of 24 months. new vaccines for brucellosis, a disease that attac-
ks cattle and that could be harmful to humans.
36
Another of the projects selected was proposed by
Dr. Jose Maria Gutiérrez along with other scien-
tists at the Clodomiro Picado Institute, of the
University of Costa Rica. This project will study
the composition of various snake venoms found The consequences derived from the protection of wetlands in the
development of amphibians of the northwest area of the country,
in Costa Rica to find out why these damage the is one of the goals of the projects supported by the CRUSA-CSIC
tissue in the area where the venom is injected, in Agreement.
such a way that it is sometimonth necessary to

amputate the affected limb.
Another project that will receive funding is led

by Dr. Elba de la Cruz, a researcher at the Re- The fifth project selected to receive funding in-
gional Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances volves a study of the amphibians of Costa Rica’s
of the National University. This project will stu- dry forest. Led by Dr. Lianna Babbar, a researcher
dy the impact of pesticides on water resources in at the University of Costa Rica’s Organization for
the lowlands of the Tempisque River Basin (Palo Tropical Studies (OTS), the project will analyze
Verde), in Guanacaste, and will also establish the how the protection of wetlands impacts the de-
scientific bases for sustainable environmental velopment of amphibian species in the northwest
management. region of Costa Rica.
37
in science and technology
Strengthen scientific and technological development in fields of

strategic importance for Costa Rica
Meeting to formalize the ARTCA initiative (Advanced Research and Technology

Collaborative for the Americas)
Executor: Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología/ Administrator: FUNCENAT
National Center for High Technology
Description:
An initiative to create an international cooperation framework based in and administered from Central
America, in which Costa Rica will serve as a hub linking regional initiatives that can benefit from the appli-
cation of advanced methods and technologies.
Specifically: host a meeting to mark the formal launch of the work of ARTCA’s Management Committee.
Seed fund for the creation and consolidation of the Advanced Research and
Technology Collaborative for the Americas (ARTCA).
Executor: Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología/ Administrator: FUNCENAT
National Center for High Technology
Description:
The aim is to build and consolidate a consortium of institutions in order to create opportunities for regional
and hemispheric collaboration in different areas of scientific and technological research and development
(R&D) among partners from the three Americas. These efforts will seek to promote sustainable solutions
to common problems.
Support for the project to design a Digital Strategy for Costa Rica
Executor: Club de Investigación Tecnológica Administrator: INCAE
Description:
The purpose of this project is to design a Strategy for the short-term implementation of improvements in
four specific areas: connectivity, education, productivity and transparency.
This exercise will use a pragmatic approach and will adopt the recommendations made in various studies
carried out in the country in recent years. It will identify actions that are supported with realistic funding,
as well as the necessary human and technological resources.
More specifically, the project will partially cover the fees of the experts responsible for drafting the chap-
ters of the Strategy and for overseeing its publication and dissemination.
38
“CSIC/CRUSA” Cooperation Agreement
Executor: Consejo Superior de Investigación Administrator: CRUSA Foundation
Científica de España/ Higher Council for Scientific
Research of Spain (CSIC)
Description:
As a result of an agreement signed by the Scientific Research Council of Spain (CSIC) and the CRUSA
Foundation, an annual budget of €100,000 from the CSIC, and approximately $100,000 from CRUSA, has
been allocated to finance this program. The funds will be shared between five research projects.
Under the agreement, a maximum of five projects may be approved annually, each with a duration of one or
two years, with the additional possibility of being renewed for another two years. In this case, the projects
would compete with other proposals, for a total duration of four years. The maximum amount of funding
awarded to each project will be €40.000 (€20,000 from CSIC and €20,000 from CRUSA).
Publication of the study: “Innovation, Competitiveness and Growth: the

Performance of Costa Rica’s ICT sector “, in the Series Costa Rica Digital of the
CAATEC Foundation
Executor: Fundación Comisión Asesora en Alta Administrator: Fundación Comisión
Tecnología de Costa Rica/ Costa Rican Advisory Asesora en Alta Tecnología de Costa Rica/
Commission on High Technology (CAATEC Costa Rican Advisory Commission on High
Foundation) Technology (CAATEC) Foundation
Description:
A study that will help the present and future generations to understand, for the first time, the links between
innovation, competitiveness and growth, based on figures from Costa Rica.
Specifically, CRUSA will provide matching funds to cover the publication costs of the CAATEC Series:
Costa Rica Digital, in Spanish and in English, both versions in digital format. The Spanish version will also
be available in print. The digital versions will be distributed within the country and abroad.
Developing digital experiences and resources to update priority topics in the tea-
ching of science and mathematics
Executor: Foundation for the National Center Administrator: Foundation for the
for Science and Technology National Center for Science and Technology
Description:
An effort to give continuity and update the country’s education programs, strengthening their scope in
areas such as climate change and the teaching of science combined with mathematics. The aim is to streng-
then formal and informal education in science, mathematics and technology, giving priority to issues that
require new approaches and continuous learning in order to adapt to environmental changes with eco-
friendly practices, foster the use of technology and promote innovation.
This effort is being implemented in the context of the traditional national science and mathematics confe-
rences, a joint initiative by the Ministries of Education, Science, Environment and Culture, as well as state
universities.
Specifically, the funds requested from CRUSA will be used to contract several consultants and to finance
workshops, courses and lectures that will be imparted by at least five experts in these subjects from the
United States.
39
Triple E - Phase 2. Enterprise and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Executor: Foundation for the Development of Administrator: Foundation for the
International Trade (FUDECI) Development of International Trade (FUDECI)
Colones: 5,492,400.00 Dollars: 10,000.00 Duration: 6 months
Description:
For more than three years, with CRUSA’s support, the Foundation for the Development of International
Trade (FUDECI) has successfully implemented a training initiative with secondary school students in
schools throughout the country. The training programs known as Triple E (Student Export Enterprises
2005 – 2007) and K9-GLOBE (The International Market – Global Business Enterprise 2006 – 2008, have
been implemented with a positive impact, in partnership with Empresarios Juveniles de Costa Rica (Junior
Achievement).
The topics covered by the TRIPLE E and K9-GLOBE programs focus on business development and entre-
preneurship with an emphasis on international trade. These workshops have helped to develop business
awareness and promote an export-oriented mentality among the approximately 2,500 students who have
participated.
The “Triple E - Phase 2 Project: Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” will initially
involve the implementation of four practical workshops directed at groups of high school students. The
workshops will be imparted in different schools, with the participation of companies that are interested
in making an impact on student communities, and whose task will be to strengthen the links between the
company and the local community through CSR. As a result of this effort, another group of 250 young en-
trepreneurs will receive training.
Designing a Central American graduate course in technology and innovation

management
Executor: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica Administrator: FUNDATEC
(ITCR)
Colones: 4,913,900.00 Dollars: 10,000.00 Duration: 18 months
Description:
The program is directed at the managers and professionals of Central American companies with an interest
in transforming their company in order to adapt it to new market conditions. It is also aimed at professio-
nals from other organizations whose positions enable them to influence the transformation of their respec-
tive organizations and the region’s business capacity.
This initiative involves a partnership with the Institute for Innovation Management (INGENIO) of the
Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) in the design of a Masters program in technology and innova-
tion management, based on the advances achieved in this field in the developed countries, also taking into
consideration the business environment in the Central American region.
Specifically, CRUSA would provide matching funds to cover the travel costs to enable ITCR staff to participate
in a workshop in Spain, and the travel costs of UPV staff to participate in the workshop in Costa Rica.
40
Education
During 2008, CRUSA assigned 461.458 dollars to support

projects in the area of education.
In 2008, the CRUSA Foundation did not open a

Window for the Reception of Projects in the Area
of Education. However, it continued to support The Omar Dengo Foundation is one of the strategic partners in the
area of education.
initiatives based on the results of projects appro-
ved in previous years, as well as strategic partner-
ships and specific requests made by the Executive
Branch of the Costa Rican Government.
One of CRUSA’s greatest investments in 2008 was
CRUSA also provided funding to the Asociación de the launch and administration of the “Operation
Empresarios Juveniles to expand the program “Eco- Success” Program (Operación Éxito). This Pro-
nomies for Success”, increasing its coverage from 21 gram provides an online (Internet-based) educa-
to 50 public schools in 2008, with backing from the tional platform, through which students can access
Ministry of Public Education (MEP). Through this certain subjects of the academic curriculum appro-
program students can learn about personal finances ved by the MEP. Students can review their school
and explore different career options based on their lessons and take a series of tests and quizzes that
abilities, interests and values. encourage them to study and learn more about the
subjects of the curriculum. The Program offers di-
This year the MEP received additional support fferent prizes as incentives, including adventures,
from CRUSA for a project originally approved technology prizes and trips abroad.
in 1997, to assess the current levels of compe-
tence in the English language of more than 3,000 Finally, CRUSA supported projects implemen-
English teachers working with pre-school chil- ted by 16 Peace Corps volunteers with the aim
dren and in elementary and secondary schools of promoting cohesion in communities at social
throughout the country. risk in Costa Rica.
42
WEB CONTENT
www.crusa.cr/14
Outstanding initiatives
Operation Success Costa Rica
“Operation Success” is an online educational tool

that encourages students to improve their educa-
tional achievement by reviewing their school les-
sons online and taking part in online and “live”
competitions, with the incentive of winning ad- The goal of Operación Exito is to cut back on student drop-out
venture trips and other prizes. rates by means of the use of information technologies.
The initiative was started by a filmmaker in Puerto

Rico, with the idea of creating an educational pro-
gram using technologies and dynamics that would
be more relevant to adolescents. The aim was to
encourage them to “study more” using incentives
and activities based on a “reality show” approach– The students compete online for 4 days and try to
very relevant for this target audience. Following win prizes by completing tests or quizzes. The first
its success in Puerto Rico, the program spread ten students to obtain the highest score, and ano-
to Spain, Chile and more recently, in 2008, it was ther nine chosen at random, are selected as finalists
launched in Costa Rica with CRUSA’s support. to compete in a contest that is transmitted “live”.
In the “live” competitions, the finalists compete

The road to Operation Success face to face to find the winner of each of the 3
adventure prizes offered. In Costa Rica, the pro-
Operation Success begins with the online publi- gram was launched in August 2008, and so far two
cation of reviews of school lessons, which stu- online competitions and two “live” competitions
dents can access to study or revise the subjects of have taken place. From these finalists, a National
their school curriculum and also to prepare for a Winner emerged who represented the country at
series of online academic competitions, through the international competition organized by Ope-
the platform www.operacionexito.com ration Success in Puerto Rico.
43
and science curriculum for ninth and tenth gra-
de high school students. In terms of operational
results, all the goals established at the start of the
program were achieved.
During 2008, 10,055 young people registered in

the program, making 28,120 visits to the web site
www.operacionexito.com. These students com-
“…as the father of Federico Coto, winner of the pleted a total of 13,324 tests, accumulating 917
Maxima in Costa Rica and a participant in the hours of study additional to their normal school
Magna in Puerto Rico, I observed highly positive day. Although these figures were higher than the
social and emotional changes in my son, and for original target, the program has set itself the cha-
that fact alone (of course there are other lessons llenge of doubling these hours in 2009.
and achievements) the effort was worthwhile. We
returned feeling very happy and content, as if he’d The Ministry of Education (MEP) considers that
won first place. All the organizers and sponsors this project has enormous potential and has de-
should feel completely satisfied that their work and clared it a “Program of Educational Interest”. The
resources have had the expected impact …” Com- MEP’s technical personnel, the Vice-minister and
ment by Gonzalo Coto, father of Federico Coto, even the Minister himself, have participated acti-
the national winner of Operation Success.” vely in the program, encouraging teachers to get
involved, allowing total access to the schools and
promoting the program through comprehensive
Results of “Operation Success” media coverage.
Costa Rica in 2008
In addition to the Ministry’s support, Operation
“…On behalf of my family, Federico and myself, I Success is sponsored by private firms such as the
would like to congratulate the entire team of Ope- Banco de Costa Rica, Radiográfica Costarricense
ration Success and the sponsors who made this pro- and Vox FM Radio Station, which have contribu-
gram possible in Costa Rica. I encourage you all to ted financial resources or donations in kind to the
continue contributing, in your own way, so that this initiative In the future, CRUSA will encourage the
program can grow and our country can make the private sector to participate more actively, so that
leap forward that we need in our education- whi- the Program can operated almost entirely with
ch is the essence of our progress and well-being...” private resources.
Gonzalo Coto, father of the national winner of
“Operation Success”. Finally, it is important to mention that “Opera-
tion Success” represents CRUSA’s first great cha-
Operation Success was launched in Costa Rica in llenge in terms of designing, administering and
2008, in 100 high schools in San Jose’s Metropo- executing an educational project, and has implied
litan Area and two schools in the canton of Pérez major changes and a great learning experience for
Zeledón. The Program covers the mathematics our institution.
44
in education
Supporting the improvement of the Costa Rican education system
Concept Paper: “Development of an Educational Tourism Cluster in Costa Rica”

Executor: Asociación Costarricense de Profe- Administrator: Costa Rican Association of
sionales en Turismo /Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals
Tourism Professionals
Description:
The project involves the preparation of a “Concept Paper” (profile paper) on the advantages of developing a
education “Cluster” in Costa Rica, with the interaction of different educational centers, in order to take full
advantage of existing opportunities and turn the country a destination for “education” tourists from other
countries, i.e. people interested traveling to Costa Rica to enroll in undergraduate, postgraduate, advanced
studies or non-academic courses.
Specifically, CRUSA will provide matching funds for the preparation of a study on the global education-
tourism market, its potential for development in Costa Rica and its impact. Similarly, the study will assess
the availability of educational programs in Costa Rica that might be attractive to “education” tourists.
Support for Peace Corps volunteers, Costa Rica

Recreational areas for a healthy life in the community of Birmania
Executor: Community Development Associa- Administrator: Community Development
tion of Birmania Association of Birmania
Colones: 1.646.000,00 Dollars: 2.999,00 Duration: 1 month
Description:
Build a recreation area where children can play safely and avoid the hazards of playing in the streets. The
idea is to promote children’s healthy development, preventing some forms of risk behavior such as drug
or alcohol abuse. Also to prevent them from wandering around the streets due to the lack of a place in the
community in which they can use their free time in a useful way.

Project: Mujeres Activas Women’s Bakery and Pastry shop
Executor: Development Association of Santa Administrator: Development Association
Cruz de León Cortés of Santa Cruz de León Cortés
Description:
The main challenge of this project is to generate sources of employment for women by remodeling and
equipping a small locale that is available in the community, with a very good location.
The idea is to set up a bakery selling bread and cakes in the community of Santa Cruz, which will also help
to provide job opportunities for local women.
45
Developing a recreational, social and cultural center in the community of Santa
Cruz, Turrialba
Executor: Development Association of Santa Administrator: Development Association
Cruz de Turrialba of Santa Cruz de Turrialba
Description:
The local community center is currently in a poor state of repair. This project aims to remodel the building
so that it can also be used for different sporting and cultural activities.
This project aims to provide the community with a physical space in good conditions so that children and
young people can spend their leisure time in a healthy environment, without turning to other undesirable
forms of entertainment such as drugs, which are becoming a problem in Santa Cruz.

Improving children’s safety and the security of the community of Suretka
Executor: Development Association of the Bri- Administrator: Development Association
bri Indigenous Territory of the Bribri Indigenous Territory
Description:
Increased drug addiction and alcoholism are a latent threat to this community. Hence the importance of
this project which aims to improve security in the community through the construction of a Police Station
in the community of Suretka. This will contribute to the security of the local inhabitants and will help to
prevent many of the social problems that are unfortunately beginning to affect the area.
Economies for Success

Executor: Asociación de Empresarios Juveniles/ Administrator: Asociación de Empresarios
Junior Achievement Juveniles/Junior Achievement
Description:
Following the efforts of Junior Achievement and CRUSA in 2006 to translate and implement the initial pro-
gram, in 2007 the initiative to combat school desertion among students was included in the Technical Edu-
cation curriculum. This project aims to expand its current coverage from 21 public schools to 50 in 2009.

A great socioeconomic opportunity for the families of La Cruz de Abangares
Executor: La Campesinita Women’s Association Administrator: La Campesinita Women’s
Association
Description:
Create sources of employment for women in order to improve their living conditions and those of their
families. The funds will enable the Association to renovate the premises that they use at present, providing
more appropriate facilities and infrastructure for processing homemade foods.
46
Construction of Bio-digesters to reduce dependence on traditional cooking
methods and promote environmental conservation in the community of Monte
Alegre.
Executor: Association of Women Producers Administrator: Association of Women
and Conservationists of Monte Alegre de Guatuso Producers and Conservationists of Monte
Alegre de Guatuso
Description:
Provide funds to an association of women agricultural producers and conservationists in the settlement of
Monte Alegre de Guatuso to build nine bio-digesters and teach them how to operate and maintain these
correctly. This project is a joint effort by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, EARTH University, the
Peace Corps and CRUSA.
Strengthening Strategic Alliances: Supporting national and international

organizations in the design and execution of projects
Executor: Asociación Juvenil Casa de Juven- Administrator: Asociación Juvenil Casa de
tud/Casa de Juventud Youth Association Juventud/Casa de Juventud Youth Association
Colones: 4.936.500,00 Dollars: 10 000,00 Duration: 6 months
Description:
The Association has requested CRUSA’s financial support to recruit a consultant responsible for the design,
presentation and monitoring of projects, with a view to establishing a Latin American Foundation to pro-
mote youth leadership.
The funds requested from the CRUSA Foundation would be used specifically to hire a fulltime professional
to take charge of the tasks of designing and submitting projects for funding, and following up on these
projects.

Solid Waste Management and Recycling in the Canton of Tilarán
Executor: Association for the Sustainable Deve- Administrator: Association for the
lopment of Guanacaste Sustainable Development of Guanacaste
Description:
The project aims to promote a comprehensive solution to this problem by implementing recycling activities
that involve local residents in efforts to minimize the impact of solid waste on the environment in general.
Specifically, the project will build a waste management facility that meets the basic requirements established
by the Ministry of Health for the effective implementation of a Collection Point for recycling in the canton
of Tilarán.
47
Green Project: Growing Opportunities
Executor: Centro Nacional de Educación Espe- Administrator: Fernando Centeno Guell
cial Fernando Centeno Guell/National Center for National Center for Special Education
Special Education
Description:
The project aims to improve the quality of life of students with cognitive challenges and other related disa-
bilities, through a horticulture program in the multi-sensorial gardens developed on the school premises.

Educating children for environmental conservation: an eco-project in the
community of La Palmera de San Carlos
Executor: COOPEESLAPAL R.L. La Palmera Administrator: COOPEESLAPAL R.L. La
Elementary School Palmera Elementary School
Description:
This project not only offers children an opportunity to learn about biodiversity, waste management and
natural resources, but will also provide the community with a source of income, health benefits and the
opportunity to learn about caring for the environment. The construction of a butterfly farm will serve as a
living laboratory to learn about biodiversity and how to care for it.
Operation Success Costa Rica

Executor: CRUSA Foundation for Cooperation Administrator: CRUSA Foundation for
Cooperation
Description:
This educational program is directed at adolescents in secondary schools and aims to improve their aca-
demic performance and critical thinking skills through an innovative and interesting approach to learning
the subjects included in the approved academic curriculum. The program offers an attractive and dynamic
computer platform that enables students to access the subject matter of their academic curriculum 365 days
a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Comprehensive teacher training: Interdisciplinary education and leadership

Executor: Omar Dengo Foundation Administrator: Omar Dengo Foundation
Description:
Promote innovation and familiarize the largest possible number of teachers, parents, managers, directors of
human resources, other professionals and the public in general, with new ways of thinking and new appro-
aches and practices that are important for education and learning.
48
Improving environmental conditions in the classrooms of Block One of the
Special Education Center of Pérez Zeledón
Executor: Administrative Board of the Special Administrator: Administrative Board of
Education School, Pérez Zeledón the Special Education School, Pérez Zeledón
Description:
The lack of a ceiling at this special education Center often interferes with the students’ learning, due to the intense
heat in the classrooms or the excessive noise when it rains. This project aims to improve the infrastructure in the
classrooms that serve children with special education needs.

Protecting the security and safety of the students: a fence for Altamira
Elementary School
Executor: Education Board of Altamira Administrator: Education Board of
Elementary School Altamira Elementary School
Description:
This project aims to improve security and protect the school’s infrastructure through the construction of a
one meter high wire mesh fence, to prevent children from leaving the school area and playing in the streets,
thereby avoiding accidents. This fence will also prevent strangers and animals from entering the school pre-
mises and causing harm to the students or damage to the school property, as has happened in the past.

Lighting for the children: facilities for improved learning in El Coyolar de
Orotina elementary school
Executor: Education Board of the Arturo Qui- Administrator: Education Board of the
rós Carranza Elementary School Arturo Quirós Carranza Elementary School
Description:
This project aims to improve the school infrastructure and benefit the students through the installation of
an appropriate electrical system. This will make it possible to use the classrooms for other extracurricular
and community activities, as well as providing a better environment for learning.
49
Promoting recycling at El Progreso elementary school and in the community in
genera
Executor: Education Board of El Progreso Ele- Administrator: Education Board of El
mentary School Progreso Elementary School
Description:
Despite the fact that the inhabitants of the community of El Progreso depend directly on the environment
for their subsistence, they lack the necessary resources to ensure its conservation and care. Moreover, there
is no garbage collection service in the community.
For this reason, El Progreso elementary school is planning to build and implement a collection center to
promote the recycling of the solid waste generated by the community.
Specifically, the project will encourage and promote good habits in the management of solid waste among
the students and in the community as a whole. This will help to improve the environment, the school and
the community of El Progreso.

Improving the multiuse and green zone of the IDA Garabito School
Executor: Education Board Escuela IDA de Administrator: Education Board Escuela
Garabito IDA de Garabito
Description:
The project plans to build a roofed area between the school dining hall and the classrooms on the eastern
side of the building. This area, measuring 72 meters, will provide a multiple use space for the Escuela IDA
Garabito and the local community. Building a multiuse area at the Escuela IDA-Garabito with the contribu-
tion of the community and the CRUSA Foundation’s donation, will provide the children a safe place where
they can play and participate in other educational and extracurricular activities.

Opportunities in computer education for the children of Quebradas Elementary
School
Executor: Education Board of Quebradas Ele- Administrator: Education Board of
mentary School Quebradas Elementary School
Description:
The project will provide access to computer technology with a view to offering the school’s current students
and the future generations of students, greater opportunities in this area of education. To this end, ten com-
puters will be purchased. The school has already equipped a room with all the necessary facilities to install
a computer learning center.
50
Improving access technology in the Bribri indigenous territory
Executor: Education Board of Suretka Administrator: Education Board of Sure-
Elementary School tka Elementary School
Description:
Improve the installations and security of the computer lab at the Suretka elementary school, by extending
and repairing the roof and installing electricity, thereby providing better facilities for the students.

Building for the future: improving the school facilities through the expansion
and addition of classrooms
Executor: Education Board of the Rey Curré Administrator: Education Board of the
Indigenous Elementary School Rey Curré Indigenous Elementary School
Description:
The indigenous community of Rey Curré has only one school serving its students – the Rey Curré Indige-
nous Elementary School. At present, the school faces a major challenge of having to use the same classroom
to teach the kindergarten (pre-school) children and to impart computer education lessons. This situation
has meant that the school is unable to provide appropriate facilities for pre-school children to receive their
classes, and cannot make its computer center available to the rest of the community, as well as to its student
population.
The project aims to improve the learning facilities at the Rey Curré Indigenous Elementary School, through
the construction of a new classroom to impart kindergarten lessons.

Promoting health: preventing dengue in Los Angeles Elementary School
Executor: Education Board Los Angeles Administrator: Education Board Los
Elementary School Angeles Elementary School
Description:
The purpose of this project is to prevent the propagation of dengue in the school and in the community of Los
Angeles through the installation of a drainage system for rainwater in the four classroom blocks. The project will
also set an example to the community regarding the actions that must be taken to combat dengue.

Increasing the educational capacity of San Antonio Elementary School through
access to technology resources
Executor: Education Board of Escuela San Administrator: Education Board of
Antonio de Siquirres, Limon Escuela San Antonio de Siquirres, Limon
Description:
The Education Board is requesting funding to complete construction of a third classroom in the school.
Once the building has been completed, the school will be able to offer its students more subjects, providing
the benefits of secondary-level education.
51
Towards strengthening rural education: International Baccalaureate
Executor: Liceo Experimental Bilingüe de Administrator: Liceo Experimental
Palmares/ Palmares Bilingual School Bilingüe de Palmares
Description:
In addition to offering better opportunities for young people to develop as professionals and as members of a
competitive society, this initiative seeks to offer students an excellent standard of education, similar to that offered
by private school in the Metropolitan Area without having to leave their families or their communities.
Specifically, the funds requested will be used for the training of teachers, coordinators and personnel who form
part of the program, with a view to preparing them to effectively implement the International Baccalaureate.
Assessment of the linguistic competence of English teachers in the Costa Rican

public education system (Additional amount)
Executor: Ministry of Public Education Administrator: Centro Cultural
Costarricense Norteamericano
Description:
The purpose of this project is to assess the current level of competence in English of more than 3,000 teachers
of English in pre-school, elementary and high schools throughout the country. To carry out this evaluation,
an internationally recognized standardized test will be applied to all the teachers to assess their listening, spea-
king, reading and writing skills in the English language.
The results of this assessment will provide the basis for structuring the training plan that was launched in
2008 with the participation of 500 teachers in intensive 8-week courses. Funds for the implementation of this
initiative have already been approved in the Ministry’s regular budget.
52
Organizational Structure
Assembly of
Founding Members
The Assembly of Founding Members is the
CRUSA Foundation’s governing body. It is made
up of an equal number of Costa Ricans and Nor-
th Americans and is responsible for ensuring the
fulfillment of the Foundation’s objectives and for
preserving its Endowment Fund. It is also in char-
ge of approving the institution’s regulations.
The Founding Members render their services ad

honorem.
For Costa Rica

Mr. Luis Diego Escalante Administrative Board
Mr. Alfonso Gutiérrez
Mr. Harry Odio The Foundation’s administrative tasks are the res-
Mrs. Ana María Sittenfeld
ponsibility of a Board made up of five members:
Mr. Pedro Dobles
three of them appointed by the Assembly of Foun-
ding Members, one appointed by Costa Rica’s
For the United States of America Executive Branch and one by the Municipality of
the Canton of Pérez Zeledón, the Foundation’s le-
Mr. Franklin Chang-Díaz gal domicile. Members of this Board also serve ad
Mrs. Robin Chazdon honorem.
Mr. Thomas E. Lovejoy
Mr. William Abraham Mr. Luis Diego Escalante, president
Mr. Dan M. Martin Mr. Francis J. McNeil, vice president
Mr. Rowland Espinosa, secretary
Honorary Members Mr. William F. Merrigan, treasurer
Mr. Carlos Espinach Mr. Randall Sánchez, director
Mr. Francis J. McNeil Mr. Alfonso Gutiérrez, fiscal
53
Staff Armando Alfaro,
senior program officer
The Administration of the CRUSA Foundation aalfaro@crusa.cr
consists of an Executive Directorate, a Programs
Ana María Camacho,
Directorate, and an Administrative/Financial Di-
program officer
rectorate. For certain specialized tasks, CRUSA acamacho@crusa.cr
relies on the services of external consultants or
service providers. It also has various specialized Mayra Zamora
committees, such as the Investments Committee secretary
and the Communications Committee, which are mzamora@crusa.cr
made up of distinguished professionals.
Financial-Administrative Directorate
Executive Directorate
Robert Salazar,
Hermann L. Faith, financial-administrative director
executive director rsalazar@crusa.cr
hlfaith@crusa.cr
Noma Díaz,
Katty Fernández, administrative-accounting officer
image and communications officer ndiaz@crusa.cr
kfernandez@crusa.cr
Carlos Laurent,
Mariana Cortés, information technology (IT) officer
secretary claurent@crusa.cr
mcortes@crusa.cr
Keneth Jaen
information technology (IT) officer
Programs Directorate kjaen@crusa.cr
Ana María Vásquez, Natalia Aguilar,

programs director receptionist
mvasquez@crusa.cr naguilar@crusa.cr
Miguel Fuentes, Jorge Arturo Vargas,

senior program officer general support and messenger
mfuentes@crusa.cr jvargas@crusa.cr
Camilo Acosta, Yuri Mejía,

senior program officer general support and maintenance
cacasta@crusa.cr
María Vargas,
general support and maintenance
54
Financial Statements
55
56
57
Mission
To promote, encourage and develop the broadest

possible cooperation between the peoples and Go-
vernments of Costa Rica and the United States of
America, in all fields of human endeavor, through
the exchange of knowledge, specialized assistance
and technical support, for the execution and impro-
vement of policies and programs that lead to sustai-
nable development, and to the mutual and general
benefit of both countries.
Vision
To be an effective facilitator of cooperation mechanis-

ms between the peoples and Governments of Costa
Rica and the United States of America, within the con-
text of sustainable development, in order to improve
the quality of life of Costa Rican citizens.
Visit our web site at: www.crusa.cr. Here you will find extensi-
ve information about CRUSA Foundation`s work and activities,
including a complete list of projects that CRUSA has supported
during 12 years of operations, opportunities, previous annual re-
ports, news, forms and many more documents.

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“There exists no greater proof

John Stuart Mill

2 A message from our Executive Director:

7 Strengthening CRUSA’s image

9 NGO Benchmarking Certification

10 The CRUSA Foundation’s New Approach to Cooperation

11 Portfolio of Opportunities and Services

15 The new role of “Amigos of Costa Rica”

16 Support to Initiatives in 2008

18 Outstanding Initiatives in Environment

27 Outstanding Initiatives in Strategic Capacity

30 Outstanding Initiatives in Science and Technology

41 Outstanding Initiatives in Education

When the CRUSA Foundation was established

Eleven years later, as we look back on our history,

CRUSA obtained the maximum score in several

• Debt for Nature Swap Costa Rica/

• Asociación Estrategia Siglo XXI/

A new image to enhance our work

During its first years of operation, the CRUSA

Based on the lessons learned this year, I am confi-

The year 2008 was an important landmark in the

The Foundation took advantage of the occasion

Below are details of the media coverage given to

Last October, for the third consecutive time, the

The year 2008 marked the start of a new approach

With a new approach to cooperation, an

A. Opportunities for executive partners.

The CRUSA Foundation offers the following ser-

B- Services offered to financial partners 3. Transfer and Administration of third

With the creation of this portfolio of opportunities

Until 2008 “Amigos of Costa Rica” played a very

• Or, the contribution of matching funds

Funding from Matching funds Third-party Funds

It is important to emphasize the importance of

As we embark on this new phase, we wish to em-

During the year 2008, the Fundación CRUSA assigned

Support to initiatives 2008

In 2008, CRUSA did not open a Window for the

Finally, in 2008 CRUSA began the task of adminis-

In order to achieve an Agreement on the Debt

ning of four agreements on September 13, 2007.

Based on its experience and prestige, both in fi-

Campaign to save the

The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the

forests of the Peninsula will be reduced to isolated

1- Increasing visibility and raising aware-

Eco-friendly production alternatives

This initiative, which is being executed by the

Promoting and strengthening environmental

Implementing sustainable production alternatives to contribute to the

Osa Contingency Fund

Workshop: Inputs for developing an Agro-environmental Agenda

The CRUSA Foundation assigned 326.576 dollars to support

During 2008, the CRUSA Foundation, in coordi-

• In an effort to strengthen the country’s

Strengthening Costa Rica’s competitiveness

Improving efficiency in the provision of services

A “Tower of Hope” for Costa Rica: operational support

Comprehensive strategy to increase Competitiveness through improved

Specifically: Computerize information on key administrative procedures to enable users to follow up on

Science and Technology

During the year 2008, CRUSA contributed with 492.202,05 dollars