Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Promoting policies for development, trade and investment, good government & regional integration in the Americas with an emphasis on energy & sustainability; environment & climate change and regional economic competitiveness.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Energy & Sustainability Program
The Energy & Sustainability Program shapes and informs the public on matters related to energy development, investment, natural resource use, and energy transformation in the Americas.
The program has six priority areas that guide activities, research and program development: a.) Renewables with a focus on accelerating the growth of the cleantech sector in the region; b.) Energy Efficiency with a focus on leveraging technology and policy to reduce consumption; c.) Oil & Gas focused on exploring important trends, challenges and opportunities; d.) Low-Carbon Economies focused on transforming energy generation & consumption and mobility; e.) Enhanced Regional Integration focusing on developing win-win cross-border opportunities; and f.) Stakeholder Engagement focusing on managing complexity for successful outcomes.
Environment & Climate Change
The Institute of the Americas’ Environment & Climate Change Program (EC2) strives to catalyze climate leadership amongst the private sector and local/regional governments in the Americas, to promote sustainable growth, tackle climate change and minimize environmental impacts in the region with the goal of protecting its rich marine and land-based natural capital.
In an effort to expand its programmatic work focused on marine and coastal policy issues related to Mexico, the Institute has integrated the University of California’s former Gulf of California Marine Program (GCMP) as an integral part of its EC2 program.
The Institute is also partnering with the UC San Diego’s Center for U.S-Mexico Studies, the Tecnológico de Monterrey in México, and the Brookings Institution, in a U.S-Mexico Climate Change Working Group focused on examining potential areas of binational collaboration between the United States and Mexico on the climate change front.
Economic Competitiveness
Investment and growth led by the private sector is essential to catalyze expanded economic development, reduce income inequality and boost regional prosperity across the Americas. Such investment is predicated on open markets, sound fiscal and tax policies, regulatory transparency and the rule of law, as well as a skilled workforce adaptable to the demands of today’s ever-changing digital economy.
In an effort to promote regional economic competitiveness across North America, the Institute of the Americas (IOA) has partnered with UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy & Strategy to serve as the U.S. Coordinators of the North American Forum.
In FY-2023, the IOA will be working to promote programs that help foster expanded economic cooperation, trade and investment as well as the digital transformation by the U.S. private sector in strategic markets of Latin America committed to open markets, transparency and the rule of law.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of participants attending course/session/workshop
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Energy & Sustainability Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total number of participants includes all attendees to Institute forums both virtually and in person through November 17, 2021.
Number of donations made by board members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Due to the COVID-19, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing the biggest economic crisis in their modern history. Without pro-active steps to curb the region’s growing poverty, unemployment and emerging debt crisis, the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic will be felt for many years to come.
Here, the Institute of the Americas is working to catalyze public policies and regulatory reforms that spur expanded investment in the region’s energy sector while also responding to emerging challenges in the areas of the environment and climate change. The Institute seeks to impartially assist governments to make educated policy decisions drawing upon lessons learned from global best practices.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Institute of the Americas is a non-partisan, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for promoting economic development and integration,
emphasizing the role of the private sector, as a means to improve the economic and social well-being of the people of the Americas.
Founded in 1981 by Ambassador Theodore E. Gildred II and co located on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, the Institute of the Americas was established to encourage economic and social reforms across the Americas, enhancing private sector collaboration and strengthening political and economic relations between Latin America, the
Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
The Institute creates content – white papers, reports, policy papers and opinion pieces – and we convene high-level roundtables and conferences focused on these issues and the broader goals and objectives of informing and shaping public policy.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Institute of the Americas is governed by a diverse Board of Directors that includes respected business and civic leaders with on-going professional and personal ties across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Institute’s staff members have proven expertise on policy and regulatory issues in the areas of energy, the environment, and regional economic competitiveness to further the organization’s mission. The Institute’s staff is complimented by non-resident fellows from throughout the Americas that include former energy related policymakers, regulators and experts.
The Institute of the Americas assets currently total over $15 million. These charitable asserts are professionally managed to safeguard principal with endowment assets providing annual distributions to for operations and programs of the Institute. Oversight of the Institute’s assets is provided by a volunteer Endowment & Finance Committee of the board, which includes financial and investment experts, as well as the Board's Audit Committee.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Institute of Americas has made the following progress with its key programs and initiatives during 2021:
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE (EC2):
In 2021, through its Environment & Climate Change program the Institute led an effort to a) publish an analysis of the Nationally Determined Contributions pledged by countries across the Americas in support of the Paris Agreement on climate change; b) integrate the UC-MEXUS’ Gulf of California Marine program into its organization; c) partner with UC San Diego’s Center for US-Mexico Studies on the US-Mexico Climate Change Working Group, and d) analyzed opportunities for cross-border cooperation in the Californias, focused on blue carbon.
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM:
In 2021, the Energy & Sustainability Program continued to shape and inform the public
policy and investment discourse across our hemisphere. Our team based in La Jolla, CA and
non-resident fellows in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada and England strives to
enhance the debate of critical energy and sustainability issues through timely events and
panels, thought leadership pieces including reports, op-eds and policy briefs as well as
direct engagement with governments. Our efforts this year also counted videos, interviews
and infographics. Our work and programs would not be possible without the financial
and intellectual support of our Steering Committee and sponsors.
In May, we marked the 30th anniversary of the La Jolla Energy Conference. We celebrated by
hosting several programs throughout the month, as well as several “Deep Dive” inter
views. Invite-only Virtual Roundtables each Wednesday provided the occasion for debate
and discussion of four scenarios: 1) Elections and Energy; 2) Future of Transport; 3) Electrifying Everything; 4) Future of Hydrocarbons. These sessions formed the basis for policy
briefs published in June, July and August. Our additional research and thought-leader
ship pieces included rethinking the energy matrix in Trinidad & Tobago, discussion of
changes in power generation dispatch criterion in Mexico, Brazil’s new gas law, Uruguay’s
energy sector, how the region’s utilities can chart a new path post-COVID, and what a just transition should look like particularly as the world descends on Glasgow for COP-26.
We plan to develop additional relationships with in-country partners to deliver in-person programming in more countries across the Americas.
The Institute of Americas plans to continue strengthening and expanding the above mentioned programs and initiatives in 2022.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Institute of the Americas
Board of directorsas of 12/13/2022
Mr. Jorge Rosenblut
Mr. Jose Baraquiel Fimbres
Grupo Calimax, S.A. de Cl.V.
Term: 2021 - 2023
Juan Martín Bulgheroni
Pan American Energy LLC
Malin Burnham
Burnham Fondation
Javade Chaudhri
Jones Day
Nelson W. Cunningham
McLarty Associates
Richard Hojel
Corporación FRIGUS THERME
Theodore E. E. Gildred, III
The Lomas Santa Fe Group
Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster
Inter-Energy
Pradeep Khosla
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
José Luis Manzano
Integra Investment S.A.
Clay Neff
Chevron Latin America Exploration and Production
Maria Sendra
Making Waves Private Equity
Nelly Molina
Sempra
Shiobhan MacDermott
Tata Consultancy Services
Thomas A Shannon
Arnold & Porter
Manuel Estrella
Grupo Estrella
Alberto Vollmer
Fundacion Santa Teresa
David Weaver
InterCap
Santiago Soldati
Charles Wortman
JP Morgan
Caroline Freund
Dean, School of Global Policy & Strategy, UC San Diego
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/31/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.