Lay the groundwork for the future through the IOCC Foundation Endowment Fund.
If you believe in the work that IOCC Inc. is doing today, please consider a gift to the IOCC Foundation Endowment Fund to ensure that it will continue into the future.
The innovative and collaborative projects below are just some examples of the work that a gift to the IOCC Foundation helps to make possible. Each one is designed to lay the groundwork for opportunities of growth and sustainable change— making a life-changing difference for people who are working to rise above incredibly difficult circumstances.
Together, we can help countless people and communities around the world on the path toward a better tomorrow for generations to come.
Seeds of Hope in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, social institutions struggle with limited resources, making life for people with disabilities disproportionally more difficult. The IOCC Foundation, along with the local Serbian Orthodox Church, is helping build resilience and economic opportunity at a residence for girls and women with disabilities. The initiative includes agricultural training and land management, repair of two on-campus greenhouses, and construction of a 2,150-square foot greenhouse. Using seeds, fertilizer, and drip irrigation, these facilities will eventually yield 10,000 pounds of vegetables a year, about 50% of the residents’ needs, and drastically reduce the center’s operating costs. The project’s impact goes beyond food production—the greenhouse itself also provides occupational therapy for some of the residents, building confidence, opportunity, and independence.
Building Toward Food Security in Ethiopia
An extended drought and an unprecedented locust infestation beginning in 2019, devastated crops in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. This extreme event severely damaged the food supply, making already difficult living conditions even more challenging. The IOCC Foundation is working to improve and expand food security in the region, with plans to build an irrigation canal and offer improved irrigation practices in the Amhara region. Though construction has been temporarily paused due to instability in the area, when complete, this new irrigation canal will help support 600 households and ultimately more than 3,000 residents, mostly smallholder farmers, stabilize and grow their agricultural productivity, improve nutrition, and raise their standard of living.
Developing Marketable Job Skills In Syria
After more than a decade of conflict, Syrians face a complex economic crisis, with millions unemployed—especially young adults and women. But new opportunities are arising in jobs once open only to men, and with some training, women and young adults can position themselves for success. With funding from the IOCC Foundation, IOCC Inc. is providing courses in English language, finance, technology, and more. So far, the program has helped hundreds of Syrians gain marketable professional skills. After taking an online marketing course and securing a job, one beneficiary shared, “Thank you very much for providing these valuable courses, which the young people truly need at these difficult times.”
Empowering Women in The West Bank
In rural areas of the West Bank, Palestinian women often face gender discrimination, unemployment, and food insecurity all set against a backdrop of ongoing conflict. Despite extremely challenging circumstances, they are determined to care for their families —often on their own. In response, the IOCC Foundation funded a program in 2022 to help local women support their families through farming production—training 40 women across four communities in gardening and agricultural techniques. The women were provided watering equipment, seeds, and other supplies to establish home gardens. This support equipped them to grow vegetables and herbs both for their own use and to sell for income, creating sustainable revenue and helping to ensure their independence in the future.
Growing Opportunity in Georgia
For the country of Georgia, agriculture is an important safety net for the rural population, which makes up 40% of the country’s total population. Reliable income, especially for women, young adults, and internally displaced people is desperately needed. After nearly three decades of work in Georgia, partnering with the local Orthodox Church, a Foundation-funded project was launched in 2017. This project expanded on IOCC Inc.’s initial work supporting livelihoods and agricultural development with the distribution of greenhouses and solar dryers, as well as training in sustainable agriculture. It also connects farmers from previous initiatives, who can benefit by selling their dried fruits and vegetables in bulk. This Foundation program is helping small-scale farmers, their families, and their communities create a path toward self-sufficiency.