Accessing capital is a key need for nonprofits in any region. In Latin America, however, this challenge is particularly prominent. Claudia Belmont, Co-Founder and CEO of Propel, explains: “Only 1% of philanthropic capital worldwide flows into the region. Closing this gap is what gives Propel its mission.”
Propel addresses this dynamic at the grassroots. The organization equips nonprofits and social impact leaders across Latin America with the tools, learnings, and resources they need to be even more effective in delivering their missions. Co-Founder and COO Maria Fernanda Sierra Perea explains: “We help nonprofits harness AI and technology so they can amplify their impact.” In doing so, it aims to support a positive feedback loop, with greater impact and tech-enabled scale attracting greater funding and resources into the region’s ecosystem.
Propel plays a key role as a convener and capacity-builder, fostering connections and deepening skills that cascade across the sector. Social impact leaders enter the Propel community with varying levels of experience with technology, but they share a common belief in its potential to accelerate their impact.
Almendra Farah, Head of the Nonprofit Academy at Propel, explains how their approach drives results: “Our six-week Fellowship supports social leaders across Latin America in adopting a digital mindset,” she says. “Participants start with a dream, and they finish with a digital plan."
Take TANI, a Peru-based nonprofit that builds health, education, and development programs for children and families. Sara Cifuentes, TANI’s Executive Director, reflects: “Propel has helped us scale our impact by showing us how technology can support our mission. We no longer see technology as an enemy, but as an ally.”
According to Belmont, Propel’s participants experience tangible operational impact, with many seeing increased efficiencies and time savings of at least five hours per week through more effective use of technology. Participants have also accessed greater capital that can amplify the impact of these efficiencies. “This year alone, the 130 Fellows working with us have raised over $10 million in follow-on funding, supporting their continued growth,” says Belmont.
Another example is Kantaya, an organization that improves education and holistic development for children in low-income communities in Peru. Leveraging the tools and training provided by Propel, Kantaya implemented an AI-powered WhatsApp bot that automates enrollment for its Podera training programs and helps graduates with their job searches. This innovation streamlined processes and reduced campaign timelines by up to 80%.
Propel’s goal is to continue to scale this impact. “Our vision is to reach 10,000 nonprofits, help close social gaps affecting 500 million people, and collectively mobilize $100 million in philanthropic capital,” says Belmont.
Using data to innovate operations and culture
Propel’s leaders turned to McKinsey.org’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) for Nonprofits program to better understand and further improve its current organizational effectiveness. Belmont had previously experienced the McKinsey & Co. People and Organizational Performance Practice’s Organizational Health Index in her career as a leader in the private sector. She was now eager to apply the methodology in a nonprofit context to advance Propel’s mission with McKinsey.org's scaled program.
The McKinsey.org OHI for Nonprofits program examines an organization’s ways of working based on what its staff see and perceive happening in their day-to-day work. The diagnostic survey measures nine health outcomes and 55 practices of nonprofit organizational health, and results are benchmarked against hundreds of nonprofits across the globe.
Propel’s results provided its leadership with a data-backed view of how its teams experience working together to deliver its mission. “The insights have given us a compass,” says Sierra Perea, “helping us base decisions on data rather than instinct. We now have a clear view of what’s working and where we need to improve.”
The results reinforced that Propel’s team was aligned on purpose and vision, while highlighting how targeted improvements in processes and communication could drive even greater impact. Genesis Orellana, Operations and Systems Lead, explains: “Through the OHI for Nonprofits program, we’re now able to plan ahead, anticipate opportunities, and empower the team.”
For example, Propel’s talent identified an opportunity to strengthen information flows. “We realized we needed to improve how we communicate our policies and programs,” Sierra Perea reflected. In response, the organization translated key HR manuals into clearer, more accessible language. Today, team members use a simple AI tool to quickly find processes, ask questions, and receive answers in real time.
Propel’s leadership also emphasizes culture as a critical differentiator for driving its strategy, as it plays an essential role in attracting and retaining the best talent to support its mission. OHI for Nonprofits has helped Propel track how effectively its culture is supporting its people to grow, feel fulfilled, and stay engaged. For example, Propel’s leadership developed updated OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to foster transparent, two-way communication between leadership and colleagues. They also introduced a dedicated “shoutout segment” in weekly meetings to recognize colleagues who role model innovation and continuous improvement in the organization.
Farah explains: “The program gives us an opportunity to make Propel an even better place to work. It’s already a strong environment, but now we know exactly where we can keep improving, so we can better support our people and retain talent over the long term.”
Focusing on health for long-term performance
By strengthening its internal processes and investing in its people, Propel has amplified its ability to drive impact with its own participants and the communities that they serve. Sierra Perea explains: “It’s helped us build a stronger culture, and that culture has become a superpower, allowing us to attract and nurture talented people who create ripple effects across Latin America. It helps us keep improving and become the organization we aspire to be: one that enables others, drives impact across the region, and does so with a culture rooted in excellence.”
For Propel, focusing on organizational health is a key unlock to ensure it is all the more ready to deliver its mission for the long term.
