About us
History
The Tropics Foundation, Inc. (TTF) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 to provide financial support to CATIE (Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Education). CATIE is modeled after a typical land-grant university in the United States and focuses on research, education, assisting farmers in implementing best practices, and in rural development.
Since its formation, TTF has contributed over $1.5 million to CATIE. Additionally, TTF established a $100,000 scholarship fund through the University of Idaho to support Latin American students’ participation in the joint CATIE/University of Idaho forest management studies program.
TTF is grateful for the significant financial support from the Weyerhaeuser Foundation, the Wallace Genetics Foundation, the Foundation for Open Society, and individual donors. TTF was recently awarded a $498,000 grant from the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA), an agency of USAID (US Agency for International Development) to improve CATIE’s technical capabilities for face-to-face and virtual education.
Mission
Although the original mission of the organization was to assist in funding the core budget of CATIE, TTF’s mission has evolved into providing funding for scholarships granted to Masters and Doctoral candidates who would otherwise not be able to attend CATIE. As a registered non-profit, our fundraising for CATIE becomes a tax-deductible charitable contribution for U.S. taxpayers. In an effort to encourage donations, we distribute information about the importance of assuring that sustainability is built into farming and forest management in the American tropics.
President
Thomas B. Miller
Weyerhaeuser Company (retired)
Ted Grover
President, Educational Services Group
Secretary/Treasurer
Michael A. Stimpert
Gold Kist, Inc. (retired)
Vicky Gordon
Former Director of Sustainability, IHG
Muhammad Ibrahim
Director General, CATIE
Laura Scandurra
Executive Director, The Potato Sustainability Alliance
Greg Ousley
President, ICON Global Coffee