AID grant to Asociacion Costarricense para Organizaciones de Desarrollo (ACORDE) to provide support for the activities of the private voluntary organizations involved in the social and economic development of Coata Rica [i.e. Costa Rica]

Major activities will be to finance PVO subprojects (SP"s) and to strengthen both local PVO"s and ACORDE institutionally. SP"s will be of a socioeconomic nature and not of a charity nature, and will benefit low-income persons. At least two SP"s will be of a productive, employment-generating, nature and will include a rotating credit fund; these SP"s will, as a policy, charge real interest rates. At least three SP"s will be of a more social nature. The SP"s may be funded through either grants or loans, and the participating PVO"s will finance 25% of costs. ACORDE will also support a joint Peace Corps/PVO/ACORDE SP in which Peace Corps volunteers will identify potential credit beneficiaries in remote areas, and recommend that PVO"s make loans to them to finance small productive projects. Up to $5,000 per PVO may used for specific TA activities, e.g., design of project proposals, establishment of credit management systems, and research and diagnostic studies. In addition, individual PVO"s may receive mini-grants of up to $500 for activities such as preparation of administrative manuals, establishment of accounting and credit systems, feasibility studies, training visits to other PVO"s, and printing and distribution of publications. Finally, up to $80,000 will be used for ACORDE"s own training and TA needs, in areas such as credit systems, planning, investment management, evaluation, etc. ACORDE is expected to achieve partial self-sufficiency (60%) during the grant.