El Salvador Community Board in action

Our El Salvador Community Board has donated $1,000,000 since 2012 to 137 grassroots projects, charities and organizations.

2023 application deadlines

Please note the application deadline time on the dates listed is midnight in the local time zone.

April 30
August 31

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Maria Avila (Chair)

Former politician, business person and trailblazer

Mrs. Mayu Avila is a former politician, the first woman Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador in 1999, and businessperson. She was the first woman to serve as President of an insurance company, Internacional de Seguros, was elected President of Banco Salvadoreño, and served as Corporate Sustainability Head for HSBC Latin America. Mrs. Avila is now a consultant and serves on several Boards, including ASSA, the largest insurance company in the region.

Mrs. Avila has an academic background in art, insurance and law, with a Masters in Business Administration and a Postgraduate degree in Sustainable Business from the University of Cambridge. She has taught at two Universities in El Salvador and lectured at INCAE Business School in Costa Rica.

She has served on various professional associations: Asociación de Abogados de El Salvador; Centro de Estudios Jurídicos; Instituto Salvadoreño de Derecho Notarial; ASES insurance association; AIDA, Patronato del Hogar del Niño; FUDEM, EMPREPAS and Vital Voices; FUSADES; Universidad José Matías Delgado; Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano; Instituto Tecnológico Centroamericano; FEPADE Foundation; INCAE Business School; Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social; Fondo de Inversión Social; and Consejo Ejecutivo del Trienio de la Alfabetización; as well as being the first Latin-American member of PLAN International Board and Chair of the Americas Board Junior Achievement covering 31 countries.

The Rotary Club Maquilishuat honoured her with “Galardón al Orgullo Salvadoreño 2005” and Día a Día Newspaper in Los Angeles, California awarded Mrs. Avila with Woman of the Year 2005. Mrs. Avila was elected Distinguished Professional 2006 by the Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado, Distinguished Graduate 2009 by INCAE and the Most Admired Woman Entrepreneur in Central America 2010. She was the first woman in Central America to be admitted in YPO, Young Presidents Organization. She received, upon her 30 years of entrepreneurial activity, the Palma de Oro in 2007, the highest recognition granted by the private sector.

Mrs. Avila has been married for over 37 years and has three children and two grandchildren.