Based in California, ECOPA is an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization connecting human needs with human skills to create win-win engagements across the Americas.
Our Mission
ECOPA works to collaboratively design and implement inclusive solutions to complex economic, socio-cultural and environmental problems in order to achieve lasting community transformation.
Focusing primarily in El Salvador, as an epitome of these global issues, our innovative programmatic work operates at the intersection of ecological stewardship, economic well-being, community empowerment, organizational capacity, professional development and academic engagement
Our Work
Building on the extensive social capital and decade of work already established in rural El Salvador, ECOPA continues to bring together human resources and expertise in response to the expressed needs of our partners for locally-directed economic development and improved community livelihood.
Our work is informed by:
- a fundamental commitment to participatory community building.
- the consideration of sustainable development as a collaborative process and a platform for dialogue, commitment and engagement over time.
- a strong commitment to enduring relationships with partner communities and the resolution of shared problems.

Our Partners
ECOPA's primary partners on the ground in El Salvador are local grassroots organizations formed by repatriated civil war refugees, members of which are predominantly subsistence farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on the viability of their local ecosystems. These organizations reach into eight municipalities of southeastern El Salvador, with positive impact on a population of approximately 35,000.
Over the past decade, the scope of our work has grown to include collaborations with a number of academic institutions in the U.S. and across the Americas, as well as other nonprofit organizations that provide voluntary and strategic technical expertise to these primary partners. ECOPA has also been privileged to work with experts and officials in the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Governance.
Please contact us if you and/or your educational institution, nonprofit organization or company would like to support or participate in our work!