End of Year Appeal 2013

Please Donate!

Dear Friend of the Institute, Thanks to your support, I2UD has become a driver of change and transformation in the cities and regions around the world where, through our technical assistance, we assist communities to develop their growth management and social inclusion strategies.  In addition, our applied research activities and participation in international networks now account for nearly a third of our activities. This Year End letter will provide you with an update.

Our 2012 report on The State of the Arab Cities, published by UN-Habitat in late 2012, led to our being invited to policy-making workshops, convened by UN-Habitat and by the World Bank, to redefine their policy objectives to reflect the transformations brought about by the Arab Spring.  In September, we completed the chapter on the Middle East and West Asia for the United Cities and Local Governments’ Third Global Report on Governance of Basic Local Public Services. We are currently working on a long paper on Urban Social Inclusion for the World Bank.

We have also become increasingly involved in assessing the impact of climate change strategies on the urban poor. We have just completed three studies focusing on risks mitigation measures in lower-income and informal settlements in El Alto (Bolivia), Condega (Nicaragua) and Cartagena (Colombia).

These research initiatives, leading to specific policy proposals, represent what the Institute does best: pursuing emerging topics where our understanding of urban dynamics and our concern for the urban poor lead to innovative ideas that can be promoted in the international forums that we participate in: the steering committee of the UN-Habitat Best Practices and Local Leadership Program; the Microcredit Summit Council of Advocates; and our role as an NGO in Special Consultative Status with UN-ECOSOC.

The funds we are able to raise to conduct these research activities cover only part of our costs: generally, for every dollar in research funding we are able to secure, we need to generate an additional 50 cents from our own funds. We have been able to do this through the generous support of members of our Board and from the proceeds of our annual Year-end Appeal.

We are counting on the participation of all of our friends to continue to support our work.  Your gift in any amount will allow us to continue to develop new innovative approaches to better urban management, to explore innovative ideas to help the urban poor and to support our internship program.

  • Twenty gifts of $100 will support one of our undergraduate coop students for a month.
  • Ten gifts of $500 will allow us to involve a graduate student summer intern in our research activities.
  • Five gifts of $1,000 will finance the yearly costs of our participation in international networks.
  • A $5,000 gift will provide the supplementary financing needed for a $10,000 research project.

For your convenience you can make a donation directly online at www.i2ud.org. Please Donate!

Don’t forget: you can double or even triple your gift to I2UD if the company you work for matches their employees’ charitable giving. Check with your personnel office for more information.

Thank you for your generous support and our warmest wishes for the Holidays and the New Year.

François Vigier, President