LETTER FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND PRESIDENT & CEO

Dear Friends,

At its core, ACDI/VOCA is a learning organization. That means we not only share what we have learned, but we know there is much we have yet to learn. Every step of the way, we apply ourselves to learning more so we can increase the impact of our work. Many of the projects we have implemented over six decades have been affected by external events or have faced challenges to implementation that might have derailed, distracted, or doomed the project, had it not been for our culture of agility centered around our openness to learn and adapt.

Learning from one another was the focus of our 2023 Global Meeting, held in July to coincide with the 60th anniversary of our founding. At ACDI/VOCA, we know that learning starts with listening. Over the course of three days, we listened as colleagues from all over the world shared not only stories of their successes, but also their diverse perspectives and experiences, as well as their strategies for when things went wrong or the unexpected happened. The energy of learning under every circumstance in every situation is what fuels us, when things go well and, especially, when they do not. What can we learn from this? This is the question we ask all the time, every time.

Listening every step of the way helps us to understand the reality of the various contexts in which we operate. Only by understanding that reality and ensuring local voices are heard, can we propose appropriate solutions. Learning also involves challenging one another and the status quo. Healthy disagreement, conflict, and debate are central to the generation of new ideas. All of this requires humility and the ability to place the mission—the central purpose of the work—above all else.

We have learned so much as an organization over the course of 60 years. Times and techniques have changed, and so have we. This report begins with a timeline of our evolution and growth, and then flows into highlights of some of the things we learned in 2023. With learning as our foundation, our history is deep, and our future is bright. Timothy Beans

Board Chair

Sylvia J. Megret

President & CEO