Throughout history, grassroots action took form to represent the voice and needs of marginalized peoples. Examples are numerous—the labor movement that delivered workers' rights; the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.; the peace movement that effectively ended the Vietnam War; and the Indian independence movement led by Mohandas Ghandi that shaped the cultural, religious, and political unity of a diverse nation.

These examples represent a powerful transformation of collective and individual perspective. At the root of this transformation is empowerment—the belief that political, social, economic, and spiritual change is achievable. The strategy with each of the grassroots movements above was to work from the "bottom-up" to support marginalized peoples' belief in collective change, while collaboratively finding sustainable solutions. Empowered individuals form empowered communities that are capable of growth and change. However, without an empowered and engaged community base, government and international (or "top-down") interventions do not succeed.

The Foundation for Sustainable Development follows the path taken by these successful "bottom-up" movements. We work directly at the community level to support the empowerment and capacity of grassroots organizations and the individuals they serve. Rather than supporting government and international entities, FSD partners with locally managed, locally founded community-based organizations (CBOs) who understand and represent the voice of their communities. Through building solid relationships and working side-by-side with local community leadership, FSD produces collaborative solutions that offer the greatest chance for sustainable results.

To optimize community representation and cultural insight, our programs are directed by seasoned development leaders from the local communities. For several years, each of our Program Directors has been ingrained in grassroots action for the betterment of their communities. They have successfully built a network of relationships with local leaders and organizations, and knowledge about best practices. These invaluable resources are formed into a cooperative of CBOs that partner with FSD to sustainably improve their communities. In all, FSD works with over 200 CBOs to supply capacity, training, funding, and human resources.

Supporting each of our Program Directors is 1–2 experienced Program Coordinators who bring a wealth of diverse international development experience to our field teams. They join a network of local and regional grassroots consultants that provide capacity building for our partner organizations, while helping facilitate our intern and volunteer programs.

In addition to these efforts, our in-country staffs provide an infrastructure on the ground that efficiently distributes funding, oversees project work, and monitors/evaluates our partner organizations' adherence to sustainable principles. This infrastructure provides a trusted, cost-effective watchdog on the ground that delivers capacity to CBOs, while ensuring their active participation and ownership of development efforts.

Essential to the success of our development model are the volunteers and interns that choose the Foundation for Sustainable Development as their instrument for global impact. Interns and volunteers team up with FSD to receive development skills training, implement creative project work, and gain direct access to a substantial network of relationships and professional opportunities. They choose FSD because our development programs provide an unrivaled, comprehensive experience in international, grassroots development.

Working together, our in-country staffs, volunteers, interns, donors, and CBO partners reach out to hundreds of marginalized communities throughout the world to deliver resources and sustainable solutions where they are needed most.